Beauty & The Beast (Book 1)

59. Tough Love

(A/N: Season 1 Episode 14 - "Tough Love")

Cat excused her and Vincent from Heather's squeals of delight after she walked in on them about to kiss.
She all but dragged him up to the roof of the building, their usual spot.

"Okay, this is bad," she says, walking to the middle of the roof. Vincent closes the door and follows.

"It's gonna be fine."

"No, you don't understand," Cat turns to face him and he stops a foot away. "If Heather sees me kiss a guy she Googles him down to his high school yearbook."

"Maybe she didn't get a good look at me?" he offers.

"No the lights were on, she totally saw you." Vincent sighs. "Vincent, Alex saw you and we had to put her on a bus to get her away from Muirfield. She had to give up her entire life..." Cat shakes her head. "I don't want that for my sister."

"Catherine, Alex was part of my old life, okay, Heather knows nothing about me."

Cat thinks about what he's saying. Then she nods and gives in. "Okay." She looks up at him. "It's not like she's ever seen you before?"

"Right." He looks at her lips. "I could just be some random guy you picked up at a bar." His eyes go to her questioning ones. "I'm sure that's happened before..." he grins.

"Yeah," she laughs. "All the time."

"Yeah."

"Random guy - "

"Never seen me before - "

"Never see you again," she finishes, still smiling.

He nods. Then he shrugs. "Except you probably will." She lifts a brow. "Later. Right now you should probably uh, go deal yeah?" he nods his head towards the roof door.

"Yeah," she agrees.

"Uh, raincheck," he shrugs and gives her one more look, like he is hesitating to leave, before he starts to run for the side of the roof. She whispers a guick "Bye" before he jumps over and she closes her eyes, smiling.

Vincent Keller, roof jumper.

**********

Cat steps into her apartment tentatively, trying to ready herself.
"Heather?" she calls, closing the front door and locking it. She walks down towards the hallway. "Heath?"

"Hi," Heather comes out of her room.

"Hi I am so sorry - " "I am so sorry- "
They speak at the same time.
"No! I - " "I was just so excited about my date and - " "Right! With Joe's brother! How'd it go?" Cat asks.

"Forget about my date," Heather wrinkles her nose. "Who was that guy?"

Cat looks behind her. "That?" She looks back at Heather. "That was just some random guy I met at a bar." Cat chuckles.

"Some random guy?" Heather questions.

"Yeah," Cat nods, eyes wide. She could see Heather's brain working in her eyes. She turns and starts walking to the kitchen. "Thank God you came out when you did...Before I uh, did anything stupid," she laughs nervously.

"Catherine," Heather says, having followed Cat to the kitchen. Cat looks at her before she opens the fridge.
"That was Vincent Zalanski wasn't it? The, the guy that you took to dad's wedding?"

Cat stares at Heather. "I didn't bring anyone to dad's wedding, remember?" she scoffs.

"Yeah I know, it's just...I saw you dancing with some guy that looked a lot like him." Cat's eyes got wider and wider. "He's ass, isn't he?"