Chapter 4

The restaurant was a sleek little spot tucked into a side street in downtown L.A – all exposed brick, moody lighting, and overpriced cocktails. The kind of place bands like Katseye took over when they weren’t on stage or in the studio.

You arrived a few minutes late – just enough to be dramatic. Dani had sent you a selfie from the table: her in a leather jacket, hair perfect, lips slightly parted, with the caption, “This seat’s yours. Hurry up before I start misbehaving.”

As if she wasn’t already.

When you walked in, the host led you to the back where the girls had taken over a long booth. Laughter echoed off the walls, glasses clinked, and your girlfriend? She spotted you immediately.

“There she is,” Dani said, standing up just enough to pull you into her lap like it was her seat you’d just been late for. “Finally.”

“I’m literally five minutes late,” you said, arms draped loosely around her neck, already smiling.

“Five minutes too long.”

“You two are ridiculous,” Sophia muttered from across the table, sipping a lime martini.

“You’re just mad no one’s in your lap,” Dani quipped back, grinning as she tugged your chair over – not that she was letting you move from her lap just yet.

“Gross,” Megan mumbled. “But I respect the commitment to PDA.”

Dinner started off fairly normal – if you could call anything with Katseye normal. The drinks flowed fast, the table buzzing with stories from the studio, inside jokes, and occasional chaotic energy from Lara and Manon trying to one-up each other’s spicy takes on tour life.

You were mostly quiet – Dani’s hand resting lightly on your thigh under the table, her touch casual but intentional. She leaned in every so often to whisper something in your ear; a joke, a flirty comment, a soft kiss against your jaw.

But then her hand moved. Just a little.

A slow slide. Fingers tracing circles over the inside of your thigh beneath the fabric of your dress.

You stiffened slightly, trying to keep your face neutral.

Manon caught it instantly.

“Oh no,” she said, setting her drink down. “She’s doing the thing again.”

“What thing?” Dani asked, all innocence – except her fingers kept moving.

“The thing where she acts like a girlfriend but flirts like a demon,” Manon deadpanned. “There are forks on this table, please let us eat in peace.”

“I am peaceful,” Dani murmured, her voice low and silky against your ear. “Aren’t you?”

You shot her a warning look, but she only smiled and leaned back, casually sipping from her wine glass like her hand wasn’t absolutely testing your self-control under the table.

Lara watched you both with raised eyebrows. “You good over there?”

You cleared your throat. “Yeah. Totally.”

“She’s lying,” Megan sang.

“She always lies when Dani starts touching her in public, “Yoonchae added. “Last time they sat next to each other at dinner, I had to excuse myself out of secondhand tension.”

“It’s called chemistry,” Dani added, finally moving her hand… only to settle it just a little higher. “You should try it sometime.”

You shot her a look, cheeks flushed. “You’re such a menace.”

“And you love it.”

She wasn’t wrong.

By the time dessert came, a shared mess of molten chocolate cake and something flaming that Sophia ordered to just ‘look cool’ – your legs were practically tangled with Dani’s under the table, her hand resting on the bare skin just above your knee. Her thumb traced lazy patterns. Her eyes never left yours.

The band was deep in a debate about cover songs when she leaned in close again, brushing your ear.

“You know what I’m thinking about?”

“Nope,” you whispered back, even though you absolutely did.

She let her teeth graze your earlobe. “Last night. The couch. The way you-“

“Daniela,” you hissed under your breath, cutting her off, biting your lip to keep from losing it.

She pulled back with a devilish smirk. “What? I’m just saying I liked your enthusiasm.”

“I swear to god-“

“Oh my god, she’s turning red!” Sophia pointed across the table, laughing. “Look at her!”

“It’s not me this time!” Dani said, raising her hands in mock innocence – even though her hand was definitely still under the table.

Manon just shook her head. “Y’all are gonna end up banned from half the restaurants in the city.”

“And I’d do it again,” Dani said with zero remorse.

When the check finally came, and everyone stood to stretch and grab their things, Dani slid her arm around your waist and leaned close.

“You’re coming back to our place.”

You blinked. “You’re seriously not done?”

“I was never done,” she whispered, fingers brushing just above your hip, lips brushing your neck. “I’m just getting started.”

Someone – maybe Lara – muttered, “I’m seriously considering getting a separate Uber. I’m not listening to Dani make out in the backseat again.”

But Dani didn’t care. She pulled you close, her lips warm against yours, the restaurant lights catching the gleam in her eyes.

She lived for the chaos. And honestly?

So did you.

———-

Not Dani teasing…

Anyways, hope this tickled your fancies. love y’all 🙂