by K. F. Breene
Jace stepped next to her, steering her toward the open door. “Now I’m intrigued. But could we have picked a place less…dodgy?”
“Kate knows the owner. We’ll probably switch locations depending on how much we drink.”
Cassie took a deep breath and reached for his hand.
“Are you always this nervous with new boyfriends?” Jace asked as they crossed the threshold into the dimly lit and somewhat dingy bar. A second later he wanted to take it back. He didn’t want to know about other guys—he probably wouldn’t be able to handle the answer.
In a moment, though, he realized he needn’t have worried when she distractedly said, “No. But this matters.”
Jace squeezed her hand as warmth infused him. They worked their way into the back of the surprisingly busy bar. He wouldn’t have thought a dive bar like this would have so many people in their mid to late twenties. He’d pegged it as more of a hangout for fat bikers.
“There they are.” Cassie huddled in close to him as they continued past a booth of kids that looked barely legal laughing uproariously. “They dragged Ben. Shit.”
Warning prickles danced up Jace’s spine. “Why? Who’s Ben?”
Cassie glanced up at him, worry in her gaze. She patted his forearm. “Don’t worry—he’s not an old boyfriend. He just doesn’t realize some things should be kept to himself.”
“So he’s my best ally, then?” Jace asked as they approached a large booth with two women and a guy.
“Exactly. And my worst enemy. Also, probably the rage of Kate. She’s loyal to a fault, so when Ben starts letting the lips loose, she starts swearing. Well, she’s always swearing, but it’s much more focused.”
All three people looked up as they came within five feet. The man was a mousy, nerdy-looking sort with hipster glasses and brown hair. The woman in the middle was about Cassie’s age with a small frame and large, luminous eyes. She seemed dainty and fragile. Next to her sat a lanky brunette with a short bob and a flat stare. Both women were attractive, but not altogether welcoming.
“Hey guys. Why’d you bring Ben?” Cassie asked, standing in front of the table, squeezing Jace’s hand.
“That’s not very nice,” Ben said. “I haven’t seen you for a while. And I wanted to meet your new boyfriend. Beautiful pictures you took, Cassie, by the way. One of them, the one with Jace in it—or is it Jason?” Ben blinked up at Jace for a moment with a soft smile.
“Jace,” Cassie supplied.
“Question,” the petite blond boomed out, moving her beer to one side and leaning against the table. “Do you have any other brothers? Because your family is two-for-two on hotness, and I really think I should get in on that.”
All eyes drifted to Jace, including Cassie’s. If this was the shocking Kate, she had to try a lot harder to outshine Marcus.
“I have three brothers. Two are happily married and one is gay.”
“Yeah, the gay one already duped me. Asshole.” The girl sat back with arms crossed over her chest.
“That’s Kate,” Cassie said.
“I’m Jasmine,” the thin woman said, turning to her seated friend. “He didn’t dupe you. He was minding his own business, trying to buy a drink, and you accosted him. If you would’ve paid attention, you would have seen him walk in with Marcus. And Marcus had told us, point blank, that he was going to bring a looker with him that night…”
“Shut up, Jaz. You’re not helping,” Kate retorted.
“And I’m Ben,” Ben interjected in his quiet tone, not at all surprised with the argument next to him. “As I was saying, the one—“
“Wait.” Cassie held up her hand to cut Ben off. “Before you start on your art nerdery, do you guys want drinks or what?”
“Yeah. Get a round. Your turn.” Kate made a circle in the air with her finger.
“I’ll get it,” Jace said immediately, stopping Cassie from heading to the bar. “What would you like?”
“Oh, a gentleman. Check that off, Jaz.” Kate continued to stare at Jace.
Jasmine pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, ran her finger down a list of typed items, and crossed one out. “Wait.” She looked up at Cassie. “Doors? Does he hold them open? Car? Other gentlemanly stuff? We are talking about Sean’s expectations, by the way. Not Kate’s.”
“I don’t care about any of that crap.” Kate took a sip of her beer.
“That’s what I just said, fool.” Jasmine blinked up at Cassie.
“What are you two—wait, just…what do you want to drink? And I’ll get it, Jace. Ben won’t stop until he goes on his tangent, so I’ll leave you to hear it.” She gave that easy laugh as she noticed what the girls were drinking. “Ben?”
“Oh…um, Jameson, Cassie. Thank you.”
Cassie nodded and glanced at Jace. “Beer? Great White?”
“Good choice!” Jasmine commended. “Local and delicious.”
“It’s from Eureka, Jasmine,” Ben helped pleasantly.
“All of California is considered local,” Jasmine shot back.
“That would be great, Cass, thanks.” Jace looked down to her for a kiss but was thwarted with a shaking head.
“No kissy-face in front of friends unless we all have significant others. Them’s the rules.” Cassie winked and started off to the bar.
“You’ll thank us for that rule when you’re forced to go out without Cassie,” Kate said.
Jasmine nodded emphatically. “And you will be, because once you’re in the inner-circle, you’re everyone’s friend. Just ask Peter. We sucked him right in.”
“Sometimes he hates us for it.” Kate smirked. “But his tolerance is way higher because of us.”
“Oh, cross off the ‘cool’.” Kate pointed at the list. “Great White means he’s cool. And I see the tattoos through the shirt.”
“That’s not enough. He could just be a thug.” Jasmine looked at the paper in front of her as Kate leaned over her shoulder. “But affectionate. I can cross off affectionate—he was holding hands because he wanted to, not because Cassie made him. And he tried to kiss her goodbye, even though she was just going to the bar.”
“Please, sit,” Ben said with that same welcoming smile. He moved further into the booth.
“I’ll just…” Jace looked around for a chair, grabbed one from a nearby table, and set it in front.
Ben had pulled out his phone and was swiping through some pictures. As he was doing that, Kate said, “We don’t have much time. Do you really like her, or are you fucking her around? Because if you’re fucking her around, I will pop all your tires and try to ruin your life, just so you know.”
Jace blinked in that flat stare, trying to piece together the blunt, bold language with the pixy in front of him. She dropped the f-bomb like it was a church word, considering how blasé she was with using it.
He leaned his elbows on the table, the shirt constricting his arms, chest, and shoulders uncomfortably. Marcus had made him wear one of his shirts, but while Marcus was a similar build, he’s wasn’t the same build. Jace worried he’d rip the seams out of the expensive thing.
The gazes of both girls dipped to his arms. Their eyes widened and their mouths popped open.
“I love her,” Jace said easily.
Ben put his elbow on the table and gazed at Jace. “Yes, I can see that. It’s only been, what, a few days, right? You are very gruff. I would’ve thought she’d go for someone a bit more like Sean.”
“Sean is gruff, too, or did you miss the fight with Jim, Ben?” Kate asked, physically wiping her chin.
“Don’t say that name around me, Kate. That is still an unpleasant memory.” Ben smiled at Jace. “Sean, Cassie’s brother, tries to hide it. You don’t seem to. I think I like your approach better. What you see is what you get. Or is it? Fascinating.”
Jasmine rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. She honed in on Jace. “He’s working out a painting in his pea-brain. Try to ignore him.”
Kate snapped her fingers. “Inspired Ben. That is huge. Add that to
the list, Jaz. That’s brownie points.” She said to Jace, “He’ll probably stare at you the rest of tonight. Anyway, tell us what you think about our girl. First impressions. Be honest.”
“We’ll tell her everything you say, though. No pressure.” Jasmine stared at him, waiting.
Jace got the sudden urge to back away slowly. He now understood why Cassie had been nervous for him to meet her friends. They were a bit…arresting. “She’s intelligent, beautiful, spunky, fun, and organized chaos.”
“Organized chaos.” Ben’s eyes started to gleam. “Yes. Both of you are, I think. I can see the wildness in you. The rawness lurking. Hmm. I am riveted.”
“Is he talking to me?” Jace asked the girls.
“Hey, guys.” Cassie gripped two bottles of beer in her fingers, had two between her arm and body, and held the whisky in her other hand.
“And she hates making multiple trips,” Jace laughed as he jumped up to help her.
“Holy shit, great smile. That dimple is a lady killer.” Kate stood to help distribute the beers as she blinked up at Jace.
“Okay, stop pointing out his attributes, you guys.” Cassie glanced around for somewhere to sit. “Jaz, get out. I want him to sit next to me.”
“Make Ben sit in the chair,” Jasmine said.
“I’ll sit in the chair, that’s fine.” Ben stood up, phone in hand.
“So what’s this list?” Cassie asked.
“We’re trying to help you win Sean over,” Jasmine answered. “He’s been really quiet, lately. Even at work. I think he’s worried. Did you text him?”
“No. I wasn’t planning on rushing Jace to the guillotine, but someone went blabbering to Krista.” Cassie stared at Ben, who wilted in his chair.
Jace sat next to Cassie, resting his hand lightly on her thigh. “Am I allowed to put my arm on the back of the booth around you?”
“No, only because you’ll rip your shirt.” Cassie covered his hand with hers, threading her fingers within his.
“Yeah, they’re cute together.” Jasmine crossed something else off the list. “Jesus with the shoulders, though, huh? You must have a helluva time finding shirts. Looks like you are about to Superman out of that one.”
“Superman wore a leotard,” Kate said. “Hulk was the one to muscle his clothes to shreds.”
“Fine, Hulk. Whatever. We can use Wolverine if you want.”
“No, you moron.” Kate turned to look at Jasmine. “Wolverine didn’t change his size. He was strong, yes, but he had claws. Jace isn’t wearing weird gloves, so that doesn’t fit. Have you watched any of these movies? Because it feels like you are trying to hang out in nerd-ville without going through the proper gates to get in.”
“Excuse me for not wanting to sound like you so I actually have friends…”
“Oh. You’re not my friend?” Kate fired back.
“Yes, I am your friend. I also lie a lot. So take that how you will.”
Kate turned to Jace in deadpan. “She doesn’t lie. She’s just an asshole.”
Jace couldn’t help the laughter bubbling up.
Ben had watched the whole argument with a patient expression, and now that it was over, took the opportunity to show Jace the picture on his phone. “See this?”
It was a picture of him on that bench overlooking the valley at his parents’ house the morning they left. The sun had just risen. Jace sat holding his cup of coffee and Cassie’s chocolate while she took the picture.
“You didn’t do this while I was gone?” Cassie leaned against Jace’s shoulder. He tried to lift his arm around her, but a very distressing few pops of stitches halted him.
“Oh shit, you are seriously going to break that bitch!” Kate stared at his shoulder with wide eyes. “Is that shirt new? It isn’t your size, genius.”
“Kate, he’s new. Can you be nice?” Ben said, still holding up the picture on his phone.
“He better get used to it. Cassie is not letting go of this one, no matter what Sean says,” Jasmine intoned, looking back over her list.
“It’s Marcus’,” Jace answered Kate, the small woman’s brazen behavior strangely delightful. He loved that Cassie had real friends. People who swore and drank and threatened boyfriends. He wouldn’t have been entirely comfortable if her friends were prim and proper at all times.
Just another reason he’d landed in the right place from being so long in the wrong one. It had taken Cassie to make him realize the color in his life had slowly seeped out in the last five years. That he’d been pushing so hard for a family, he hadn’t woken up to the woman he’d be having the family with.
He bent his shoulders for Cassie’s inspection, wanting to kiss her so bad he had to clasp his hands under the table so he didn’t tilt up her chin. To distract him, he finished replying to Kate. “I don’t really have a size in these types of shirts. If it fits the shoulders and arms, it doesn’t fit anywhere else.”
“Marcus’ll fix that.” Kate leaned back in the booth. “So anyway, let’s get this party started. Who wants a shot?”
“No, no shots!” Cassie waved her hands at Kate. “I don’t want to scare him.”
“Jace,” Ben said, leaning toward him. “What were you thinking in this picture? You seem totally at ease. Is that one of your favorite spots?”
“Ugh. Nerd!” Kate hollered at Ben. She pushed Jasmine toward the mouth of the booth instead of just asking to get out.
Jace couldn’t stop laughing.
Chapter 26
The night wore on as nights often do when the girls didn’t have to work the next day and Ben was largely outvoted. Had Cassie known K-Jaz would use Cassie’s new love as an excuse to take a day off, she probably wouldn’t have blindly walked into the trap. This was an intensive prescreening that would be relayed directly to Krista, who would then use it to formulate a plan of attack at dinner tomorrow.
If Jace stuck around that long.
The haze of drunk had firmly settled over everyone but Jace. He wasn’t far behind, but the sheer girth of the man gave him a hefty tolerance. They had moved to a bar with music and dancing, and not only was Cassie drunk, they made her take a shot with Redbull in it, knowing that propelled her into absolute insanity. This was evidenced by the fact that she currently stared over at the bartender, bullying him into free drinks.
“Ma’am, we don’t do buybacks here,” the bartender explained for the third time.
Cassie leaned against the bar, closing one eye so she could focus on the dude on the right, who, when both eyes were opened, looked exactly like the dude right next to him.
“Listen here, young man. This is supposedly an Irish bar, am I right?”
“It’s an Irish bar in name. But the owner is from Arizona.”
“I do not care for such details. Let’s stay surface level here, son. Now. Irish bars, I happen to know, will give a free drink after a certain number of drinks are purchases. Purchased, I meant to say. You, sir, being the excellent bartender you are, would remember that we have purchased four rounds. The fifth is free, even in stingy bars. You wouldn’t want to be a stingy bar, would you, Ace?”
The bartender shook his head at the ceiling, a smile working up his face.
“What the fuck is taking so long?” Kate fell against the bar next to Cassie, laughed wildly, wiped all expression off her face, and stared at the bartender. “Is this bitch giving you a hard time? Also, what is your number?”
“Okay, okay—I’ll get you a round. But it’ll be shots of my choosing.” The bartender winked and turned to the shelf of liquor behind him.
“Well, it’s a win-lose. I can admit that.” Cassie leaned against the bar next to Kate. “How do you like my man? Is he not the hottest damn bastard you have ever seen in your damn life?”
“Swear one more time for an even three.” Kate instructed.
“Damn.”
Kate nodded once. “He is stupidly hot, Cass. Ridiculously, crazy, stupid hot. Almost dangerously hot. I would crawl right up that, I’ll
tell you what.”
“He’s too controlling for you. You’d punch him in the mouth.”
“Where’d you punch him?”
Cassie leaned in with one eye closed, trying to focus on her friend’s face. “He told you I punched him? What a dick! I’m going to punch him again for that slip in secrecy.”
“He didn’t tell me, I just figured you did, psycho. You punch everyone. If your arm wasn’t attached, you’d probably punch yourself.”
“I can still punch myself with an attached arm, dooffus.”
“Okay, Miss Literal, but what’s the color of your sofa?”
“What does that have to do with anything—“
“Here you go, ladies.” Satan put five shots on the bar, filled to the brim.
“I did ask for this…” Cassie heaved a giant sigh. “Kate, tip the man.”
“What’s wrong with you?”
“I’m too busy hating myself for talking him into free drinks.”
Kate dug out five dollars. “She’s some bitch, huh?”
Cassie looked around. “Who?”
“You, idiot. Anyway, he the one, or what?”
“Kate, it’s only been, like, five days. Or something. Five suns.”
“Yeah. But you are really strung out on this guy. And he is totes into you. Totes magotes. That is a stupid damn expression, and I love it. He is watching us right now, too polite to tell Ben to shut it so he can come over here, but desperately wanting to kiss your ass-face.”
“Such beautiful lines of poetry do you weave.” Cassie tucked her hair behind her ear.
“You love him?” Kate pushed. Literally pushed—as in, knocked Cassie into the bar.
“Yes, okay? It is going to kill me if Sean isn’t on board.”
“He knows that. Peter sent a picture of you and Jace when you were in that cow-poke town. Marcus showed Ben. Ben asked for it to be texted, and then…”
“Showed Sean. Shit. What were we doing?”
“Sitting on bar stools, facing each other, staring at each other, your hands leaning forward on his knees while he tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. Peter entitled it, ‘When you know, you know.’ Sean’s mouth got really thin, like it does when things are slipping beyond his control.”
