ANCHOR DOWN (Pedro Pascal x OC)

CHAPTER FOUR

After some moments of deep consideration, involving the brainstorming of pro and contra lists insider her head, Katie chose to take Pedro's invitation and have lunch with him. It certainly wouldn't do her any harm. And concerning their work relationship: Pedro wouldn't be coming in for measuring any more once his costume was completely finished. So there was no danger of getting involved in something and therefore behaving unprofessionally. Anyway, this wasn't doing to be a date. It wasn't a date.

Katie grabbed her bag and headed for the door, yet an unfamiliar situation stopped her from leaving. Grace and Melissa were standing by the window and it seemed to Katie they were seriously discussing something.

"Please, Melissa, don't tell Katie!" Grace's words came out in a whisper, but still Katie could hear them when she approached the two women.

"Don't tell Katie what?" Her voice must've sounded harsher than intended, because Grace looked like she was about to faint, her pretty face as pale as a sheet. Sheepishly, she looked down on her feet like a schoolgirl waiting to be punished.

"I won't tell her, you will," Melissa mumbled and disappeared, patting Katie's shoulder on her way.

"What is it, Grace? Is it about a costume?" Katie glanced over at the big clock on the wall which told her she was already late to meet Pedro. Impatiently, she rolled her eyes at Grace's childish behaviour.

"Come on, spill it."

Grace took a deep breath and allowed her eyes to meet Katie's. "I kind of messed up the fabric orders. I got confused with the numbers and now all we have is stuff for two actors...." She carefully studied Katie's face for any sign of reaction.

"Well, I suppose you have to run some errands, then. Try your luck fetching the missing fabrics today. Some retailers might still have them in stock." Katie was surprised by how calmly she reacted, even though Grace's mistakes annoyed her to bits. "I'll make you a list. Your lunch break will have to wait." So will mine, she thought additionally.

Katie returned to her office to print a list of quality fabric retailers while she checked her watch every thirty seconds, imagining Pedro to sit at the restaurant doing the same, waiting for her to show up.

Eventually, twenty minutes late, Katie handed Grace the list and without another word, headed out the door.

A fresh film of sweat on her temples and pulse beating faster than usual, Katie arrived at the restaurant Pedro had suggested. Panicking slightly, she looked around the room. She spotted him at a table at the back, he was already slipping into his jacket.

"Shit," Katie muttered under her breath, determinedly walking over to him.

He turned to face her with a frown on his forehead, which softened hardly noticeably when he saw her.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't leave earlier, a problem occurred." In all the hurry and stress, Katie hadn't had the time to get nervous about this encounter, because it clearly wasn't a date, but still. It was a private meeting with a good-looking man, who seemed at least 10% interested in her.

"Oh, what a shame. Well, I'm afraid I have to get back," Pedro shrugged, and Katie found he looked rather disappointed.

"I see," she replied, sighing, "well, I hope you had a nice lunch." A forced smiled was all she could manage before they stood in front of each other in a painful silence. He could've just walked away, yet he didn't. Pedro just looked at her with those warm brown eyes, the right corner of his mouth adorably twerking up into a half-smile.

"I guess I'll see you around, then," Katie stammered nervously to break the silence, not being able to endure it any longer.

"Yeah..." Pedro rubbed the back of his head and deeply looked into Katie's eyes, causing an odd feeling to form in her guts she couldn't quite identify yet.

They must've looked like teenagers and Katie was sure the whole restaurant was watching them in vicarious embarrassment. Pedro sighed hardly audibly and squeezed Katie's shoulder before swaying past her and heading for the exit.

Damn!

Katie suffered for the rest of the day. She felt incredibly bad for standing Pedro up, especially when she remembered the gutted frown on his face. And she remembered it every five seconds.

Slipping her hands into the warm coat pockets as the day at work was finally over, Katie noticed something in the left pocket. A note. Excitedly, she unfolded it.

Took me a while to actually do this, but I'd really like to catch up on that lunch, or maybe dinner? If you're up for it, let me know. P x

Written underneath was his phone number.

Smiling uncontrollably, Katie noticed the sensations of happiness and excitement about the fact he actually wanted to see her again, or see her at all. In private. But why was she so excited like a child on the night before her birthday? Stopping for a minute to find an answer to that question, Katie thought it must've been his smile that was stuck in her head. Or his eyes. Or his smell.