Challenge out of the blue

"Is this your Mom's recipe?" Victor was the first one to question, breaking the stunned silence in the room and Kate gave him a look of pride. She realized that it was the first time he had spoken to her since she had entered her neighbor's apartment.

"Come on, quick. Tell me your mother's number." Tristan pulled out his phone much to Kate's amusement. 

"Why though?" 

"Your mother is my mother from now onwards. I'm going to freeload on her food starting tomorrow."

While Paul rolled his eyes at him, Kincaid glanced at him and that mere glance was enough to make Tristan smile at him cheekily.

"Hey, Ace, you don't have to look at me that way. She will be your Mommy as well. More specifically, your mom-in-law. You can eat her food whenever you want." He mumbled the last part to himself lest Kate overheard him and misunderstood his intentions.

What would he do if she were to storm out of the place in anger and if his friend's love life drowned even before the ship started sailing? Tristan shook his head when he imagined himself being suspended upside down from the skyscraper terrace as Kincaid took his revenge for ending his relationship before it even started.

"Ace?" Kate blinked in confusion and turned to Kincaid immediately. "Is that your call name?"

Kincaid's expression softened when he met her curious gaze and he nodded immediately.

"Are you that good at everything?" Kate realized how odd her question sounded and she snuck her tongue apologetically. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I was genuinely curious."

"I accept your apology." Kincaid wasn't magnanimous either. He was slightly offended when she doubted him. But when she clarified her intentions, he was appeased immediately. "As for being good, you'll have to be the critic. I can't be a narcissist and give myself all the credit. Can I?"

"Fair enough." Kate agreed.

"Maybe you should test him yourself and give your verdict," Paul suggested as he hogged on his food without a care in the world.

"Maybe I would but not right now." Kate didn't ward off the opportunity and sneaked a glance at Kincaid who was sipping his beer absent-mindedly.

"Aren't you hungry?"

"Not quite. I had a late lunch. I'll eat in a while."

"Kate, I'm yet to get your Mom's number." Tristan didn't allow her to ignore him and gave her a teasing smile and Kate didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. 

"At first, I thought Paul was the jester in the group. But you seem to be the real clown." Kate's analysis was bang on and all the men were stunned at how good she was in deductions.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" Kate sensed the awkward silence in the air and wondered if she had crossed a line by pulling Tristan's leg. But the moment Paul burst out laughing with everyone following him immediately, she heaved a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness! For a moment, I thought I offended you guys." 

"It's not that. We were just genuinely surprised at how accurate your analysis was. Do you want to know what his call name is?" Kincaid questioned and Kate's eyes sparkled with interest. 

"It's Joker."

Kate was close, so close to laughing out loud. But she held herself in so as to not nettle Tristan who had given a deaf ear to everyone.

As if sensing her gaze on him, he stuffed the pizza into his mouth and looked at her with his bulging cheeks. "You may laugh if you want. I don't mind." He mumbled and that was all it took for Kate to split her sides. He resembled a chipmunk with his bulging cheeks and Kate had the sudden urge to pinch him.

"Is that the reason behind your call name?" Kate asked in between her laughs.

"No. There's another reason though. Tris here is a huge fan of the Joker from DC comics." Everett explained and Kate discerned everything in an instant.

"I'm not a fan per se. I just feel Joker is one of the best villains ever created. That's all." Tristan defended himself even though no one was blaming him.

"What are you call names then?" Kate now was genuinely curious. "We have an Ace and a Joker. Don't tell me we have a King, a Queen, a Royal Flush, etcetera, etcetera." 

"Now, I like you," Dean said all of a sudden and Kate raised her hand as they high-fived in the air without moving from their seats.

"Do you want to guess our call names?" Desmond threw a challenge at her all of a sudden and Kate arched a brow suspiciously.

"What are you up to?"

"I'm just testing your smartness. Do you want to give it a try?"

"Don't you think it's an unfair game? I've barely met you guys. I don't know anything about you." Kate complained and Desmond smiled immediately.

"You do not tell us right away. You may observe us and make your deductions. What do you say?"

Kate was still not willing to accept the challenge. She was at a huge disadvantage and was sure to lose it at the end of the day.

"Give it a try, Kate. You might win, you never know." Paul urged and Kate sighed in defeat. She knew that they were digging a pit for her to jump in but she too felt tempted to test her skills. So, not so reluctantly, she agreed to it.

"You already know three out of eight call names. Ace, Joker, Wiz as in Wizard which would be me, and let me make it simple and reveal one of the other call names. Victor, over there is the Doc. You now have four more names to uncover."

"Do I have a time limit?" 

"Umm..." Desmond thought but Kincaid beat him to it.

"How about you decode two of the names before you leave today?" 

"Huh?" Kate was surprised by the sudden change in the challenge and she looked askance at Kincaid.

"Four would be too much. How about just two? I'm sure with your brilliant brain you might be able to defeat us."

"What's the catch?" Kate didn't believe there was not a trap here. Why would Kincaid modify the challenge at the last minute?

Kincaid smirked at her and Kate was taken aback by how happy he looked all of a sudden. His scheming eyes were filled with smiles as he stared at her for a few seconds.

"The loser will agree to any condition the winner states."

"Atta boy." Tristan cheered while the others hollered and clapped in excitement.

"Isn't it a little unfair? I am playing one against eight." Kate gave him a look of disapproval before she bit her pizza angrily. In her exasperation, she completely missed the doting smile that had landed on Kincaid's lips.

"No. You're against me. Ignore the others."

"Way to go. Hoo hooo." Tristan shouted and swung his hand in amusement while the others encouraged them with hoots of their own.

Kate hesitated and looked at the others who were watching their exchange keenly. 

"What are you waiting for, Kate? Are you up for it?" Kincaid quirked his brows provocatively and Kate finally relented.

"Fine. I'm game."

"Woo hoo. This is going to be fun." Paul smirked and the other men too held similar expressions as him. 

There was no doubt they liked Kate. Despite meeting for the first time, she mingled with them brilliantly. She felt like one of them and they were more than willing to accept her into the group. If it was another time, they'd have supported her for sure. 

But this time, they wanted their Ace to win the challenge. Although Kincaid had yet to say what he wanted from her, they more or less had an inkling about it and they were rooting for it.