Quite a pickle
Everyone at the table turned quiet, including Rebecca, whose face dropped the moment she was ignored so fully. It was as if the woman was looking right through her, like she was invisible or something, as if she wasn't even there. It gave her the same cold feeling she got from her parents all those years ago. The feeling of someone who doesn't want you to exist so badly, they pretend you really don't. Her chest started feeling tight, and her hands started getting clammy from the nerves. But although everyone could feel the tension and the coldness in the woman's words, causing everyone to feel uncomfortable, the famously dense Anthony didn't hear or notice anything at all.
He just replied, "Well I certainly hope not, because I would be in quite a pickle if this all turned out to be a joke. My heart would be in a million pieces. Can you imagine? Getting your dream person to love you back and then find out it was all a joke. What a scary thing to imagine". Even a shiver was present for his answer. His fearful expression then changed back into his regular beaming smile as he added, "So, quickly introduce yourself, so you can start getting to know each other. I have a feeling you two will become great friends. After all, you and I are friends, and Rebecca and I started out as friends as well. That can only mean one thing, that you two are destined to become friends. After all, you already have one thing in common. Me!" He chuckled at his own remark before adding, "If you share one thing you love from the get go, there is bound to be more once you spend some time together."
His male friends sighed as they dropped their heads, amazed at Anthony's simple thinking. Wondering even now, how he has managed to stay alive for so long. If he could think that him being friends with two people would automatically make them get along as well. Even the woman in question had been taken by surprise for a minute by Anthony's response. Not quite knowing how to respond. But after blinking once or twice, the woman's expression turned into a scheming stare as she looked Rebecca up and down and said, "Yes. Bound to be, indeed".
Then she gave Rebecca a dishonest smile as she extended her hand and said, "Hello Rebecca, I am Veronica, Anthony's 'friend'. Nice to meet you. I look forward to us becoming the best of friends as well. For starters I would lo-VE to hear all about how you managed to bag this fella right here." Despite the sweetness dripping off of her words, Rebecca felt shivers run up her spine. She could tell that Veronica did not like her and that she was bad news. She just smiled awkwardly and she and Anthony took their seats at the table.
The other friends of course watched this interaction go down with bated breath, glancing from the two women to Anthony and back, but again Anthony seemed none the wiser of what was going on behind the scenes. They held their breaths, wondering how the rest of the evening would turn out, hoping that Veronica wouldn't be ruining it for the rest of them. It was that type of naïve thinking, the fact that he could not notice something that was so blatantly obvious as Veronica seeing him as more than just a friend and her dislike for Rebecca, that caused the people closest to him to worry.
Even now that he was a grown man, standing before them with a fiancé at his arm, they were convinced that there must be an angel on his shoulder looking out for him. That if it weren't for his height, strong build and natural ability to pick up sports and combat skills, he would be out in gutter somewhere or be trapped by some gold digger. Making him work himself to the bone to pay for their lavish lifestyle, something which Anthony would probably do with pleasure if it made the person closest to him happy. There was no doubt about it.
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Despite the rocky start, the rest of the evening seemed to be going by peacefully. All the guys were very welcoming to Rebecca and they seemed to be doing their best to make her feel at ease. Their kind words were accompanied by a few snide remarks and backhanded compliments from Veronica, who clearly didn't let a ring stand in her way of flirting out in the open with Anthony. Although Rebecca didn't like it very much, it was clear that Anthony didn't notice it at all. So, she decided to just let it go for the time being, instead of causing a problem and making everyone uncomfortable for a second time. After all, they were all just words and if Anthony wasn't noticing them, they clearly weren't having their intended effect either.