He was right, but I was still scared. I didn’t want to be the reason someone died. “I know you’re right, it’s just …”
“Hey, it’s okay. Maybe this is why we were brought together? I love to help people, and this is something I can help you conquer.”
“Driving?”
He smiled and hit his back window lightly with his knuckles. “Yeah, driving. I’ll let you take this beast out to learn in.”
I didn’t tell him that I already knew how to drive because I was only weeks away from getting my license before everything changed. I liked the idea of spending more time with Brad, and if I ever got behind the wheel again, I would feel better if it were a tough truck.
Brad turned toward the screen just as the movie started. An hour or so into it, he got out of the truck bed without saying anything. I watched the movie as I listened to him open his driver’s side door and then shut it. He got back into the bed of the truck with a small, square, pink cardboard box. He handed it to me.
“What’s this?”
“A little something.”
I arched a brow. “You didn’t need to get me anything.”
“Just open it,” he ordered.
I did, not paying any attention to the creepy movie playing in the distance. Instantly, the smell of sugar filled the night air, and I smiled. “A cupcake?”
“It’s officially your birthday. Want me to sing?”
I laughed. “No, that’s okay. Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Want half?”
“No way. This is your special day, and you get the entire cupcake.”
“You ate one already, huh?” I teased.
Brad grinned. “Maybe.”
We went back to watching the movie as I ate my chocolate cupcake. Occasionally I would look over at him and feel warm and fuzzy inside. I knew he was right.
We were brought together for a reason.
* * *
Brad pulled his truck up to the curb in front of my house and cut the engine. “Thank you for tonight. I had fun,” I stated.
“Me too.” He beamed. “Tomorrow we’ll have more fun.”
“You mean later today?”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’ll pick you up around two.”
“I’ll be waiting.” I hesitated for a second, wanting to see if he’d lean it—wishing he would lean in. He didn’t, so I opened the door and slid down out of the truck. “See you soon.”
“Night, princess.”
“Night.”
I walked up the driveway and into the well-lit house. The moment the door shut behind me, Micky was walking toward me.
“Where have you been?” he inquired.
“The drive-in.”
“With who?”
I furrowed my brows and started for the stairs. “None of your business.”
He grabbed my wrist. “I was worried about you.”
I wiggled out of his grasp. “I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”
He grabbed me again. “Who drives the truck, Cass?”
I got out of his hold again and took the stairs two at a time. “None of your fucking business.”
“Are you dating someone?”
I spun around, my hand on my bedroom doorknob. “Were you spying on me?”
“I just saw someone drop you off, and I want to know who it was.”
“You don’t get to ask me that. You’re not my dad.”
“Your dad is dead—”
“You don’t think I know that?” I yelled.
“Of course I do.”
“What the hell is going on?” Keith asked, stomping out of his bedroom.
“Nothing,” I replied and entered my room. I shut the door and locked it.
Fuck Micky.
As I grabbed my tux out of my closet, I felt like that chick in the movie who had been a bridesmaid multiple times. The only difference was I didn’t want to be a groom.
I pulled up in front of Cassie’s house and cut the engine. Just like the night before, I made my way up to the door. This time, I was able to ring the doorbell before she answered, except it wasn’t Cassie. It was a guy, maybe a few years younger than me, with a baseball cap on backward and wearing jeans and a T-shirt. While he was only a couple inches shorter than me, I clearly had at least a fifty-pound advantage—most of it muscle mass.
As he looked me over from my head to my feet and back up, I smelled marijuana coming from the inside. “Yeah?”
“I’m here to pick up Cassie.”
“And you are?”
I didn’t know who this guy was, but I was positive I didn’t like him. “Brad—”
“Hey,” Cassie greeted, pulling the door open more and stepping out. She was dressed in a short navy dress with pink roses scattered over the entire dress that showed her perfect legs. Her blonde hair was up in a ponytail, and I was once again hit by how pure and innocent she looked. She was the opposite of what I was used to, and maybe why I was so drawn to her. The women who paid for dates knew what they wanted and got what they wanted, but Cassie was different.
“Sorry. I’m ready.”
I looked back at the guy, who was still staring at me. Was that her brother? “Where are you going?” the guy asked.
Cassie slipped past him to leave and snapped over her shoulder, “It’s none of your business, Micky.”
“Cassie,” he called.
“Bye, Micky!”
I turned to follow Cassie as she walked toward my truck, but Micky’s words stopped me in my tracks.
“Do I know you from somewhere?”
I looked down at him and furrowed my brow. “No, I don’t think so. But don’t worry, I’ll take care of Cassie.” Without another word, Cassie and I got into my truck, and I drove away from the curb.
“Sorry about him,” she said.
“Is that your brother?”
She snorted. “No. That’s his friend Micky—his roommate.”
It wasn’t the first time she had stressed that it was her brother who had the roommates, even though they all lived in the same house. It gave me the impression that she didn’t like her brother’s friends. “He seems protective of you.”
“It’s because—” She hesitated to finish, and then seemed to change her entire thought. “I don’t know why. I barely talk to my brother and his friends. Plus, I’m a grown-ass woman.”
I grinned at her sass. “I see that.”
“See what?” She looked over at me.
“That you’re a grown-ass woman.”
A blush crept across her cheeks, and then she looked away as though I’d embarrassed her. She was beautiful, and if things progressed to where I could teach her more than just driving and how to be more fearless, then I would be happy with that too.
Vinny’s wedding was being held at my boss’s house—of course. It seemed to be the thing to do with our crew since Mark had a nice house, and he was ordained. Both Paul and Vinny had gotten married at the same location. Plus, since the guys getting married weren’t in the game any longer, they had to save money somehow, especially Vinny, who had two kids to feed.
Cassie followed me up the walkway and into Mark’s house. It was sleek, modern, and mostly all white. “Let’s find the women so you can hang out with them,” I suggested.
“I don’t want to impose.”
“You won’t be,” I assured her.
“They’re getting ready for a wedding. I don’t think they want some random girl hanging around.”
I opened my mouth to argue but heard footsteps on the stairs. Turning, I saw that it was Paul. “Hey,” I greeted him.
He stopped when he saw Cassie. “I know you from somewhere.”
“She worked at the casino we took Vinny to for his bachelor party.”
“That’s right.” Paul snapped his fingers and pointed at her. “You were the cocktail waitress.”
Cassie smiled. “Yep, that was me.”
Paul look
ed at me and grinned.
“What?” I questioned.
He chuckled and started to walk away. “Nothin’.”
Mark walked out of the kitchen. “Hey.”
“Hey,” I greeted back. “Mark, this is my date, Cassie. Cassie, this is my boss, Mark.”
They shook hands. “It’s nice to meet you,” Cassie said.
“You too, sweetness.” He turned to me. “The guys are upstairs in my room.”
“Right.” I looked at Cassie. “Are you sure you don’t want me to introduce you to the women?”
“I’ll just go outside and sit by the pool, if that’s okay.”
“You’re free to do whatever you like,” Mark stated. “The caterers are setting everything up outside, but I’m sure they will get you a drink or anything you’d like.”
“Thank you.”
“I was just going upstairs myself,” Mark said to me.
“Right. Cassie, I’ll see you in a bit.”
“No problem,” she replied and started for the doors that led to the backyard.
Mark and I made our way up the stairs. “Do I need to be worried about this?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You brought a girl as your date. Are you next?”
“No, I’m not next,” I grunted. “She’s just a friend. She actually works at the jewelry store where I got shot.”
He stopped walking up the stairs, and it caused me to stop as well. “What?” he questioned.
I shrugged. “I went back to check on her because she was shaken up by the robbery. We went to lunch and struck up a friendship. It’s nothing more than that.”
Mark grinned and started walking again. I followed, and when he entered the bedroom where the guys were, he announced, “Brad has a girlfriend!”
“She’s a friend,” I corrected.
The guys who weren’t single grinned at each other. “That’s how it starts, man,” Vinny said. “I should know.”
“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes.
They knew nothing.
After I got dressed, I went down to check on Cassie. When I entered the backyard, she was sitting on the bride’s side with Joss and Cat. “I see you’ve met two of the ladies,” I stated, walking up to the three women.
Cassie looked up at me and smiled. “I did.”
“Is it about to start?” Joss asked.
I nodded. “I think so. Is Tessa ready?”
“Yeah, they’re just taking a few pictures,” Joss replied. Joss, Cat, and Autumn weren’t in the wedding party. Tessa was having her friends from the strip club as her bridesmaids.
“All right. Well, Cassie. I see you’re in good hands.”
“She is,” Cat stated.
“Great. I’ll get back to Vinny and get this show on the road.” I winked at Cassie before I turned and walked away. It made me feel good that the women were taking her in. I’d had no doubt that they would, and it seemed as though Cassie needed friends, maybe even strong role models like Autumn, Joss, Cat, and Tessa. They had all been through some shit and had overcome so much. Plus, Joss knew what it was like to lose a parent and could lend an ear if Cassie ever needed it.
“You may kiss the bride,” Mark said. Without hesitation, Vinny grabbed Tessa’s face and kissed her. Everyone else cheered, and it was finally official that another one of us had fallen. They were perfect for each other, even if their rivalry over baseball teams was huge.
The bride and groom walked down the aisle, and then one by one the guys and I took a bridesmaid and followed. Pictures were taken, and then I left to find Cassie, wanting to make sure she was still okay. She was standing with the women who weren’t in the wedding near the bar.
“Doing okay?” I whispered into her ear as I walked up behind her.
She turned and nodded. “Thank you for this. I’m having a lot of fun.”
“Good. Want to grab a drink?”
Cassie smiled. “Sure.”
Without thinking, I grabbed her hand and led her to the bar near the pool. “What does the birthday girl want?”
“Cherry Coke with three cherries.” She grinned.
“Cherry Coke?”
“Is that okay? I thought they could use grenadine or something.”
“I mean, yeah, it’s fine, but it’s an open bar. Get whatever you want.”
“Well,” she blew out, “I’ve never had an alcoholic drink before.”
I blinked. “Really? You’re twenty-two.”
“I know.” She shrugged. “Just hasn’t happened.”
Apparently, there was a lot that hadn’t happened in her life: driving, flying, sex … alcohol. I thought most people had at least tried alcohol by the age of twenty-one. “Do you want an alcoholic drink?”
“I don’t even know what I would order.”
“We can try one drink, and if you don’t like it, then we can try something else,” I suggested.
Cassie thought for a moment. “Sure. What’s good?”
“I prefer gin, but I know chicks tend to get vodka cranberries for their first drinks.”
“Okay, I’ll have that.”
I turned to the bartender. “A gin and tonic, and a vodka cranberry, please.” The bartender made our drinks, and I tipped him before handing Cassie hers. “All right, see what you think.”
She took a small sip and blinked as though she was trying to decide. “It’s tart. I thought it would be sweet.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, cranberry isn’t really a sweet juice. Do you like it?”
She took another sip. “I’m not sure.”
“Want to try something sweet?”
“Yeah.”
I turned back to the bartender. “Amaretto sour.”
“Sour?” she questioned.
“Trust me.” I smiled. “It’s not sour at all.”
The bartender made it and then slid it in front of her. She picked it up and took a sip from the straw. “Okay, I like this one much better.”
“Then we’ll make this your drink.”
“I’d like that.” She beamed.
We walked to our table to get ready for dinner. When the bride and groom made their grand entrance, I turned to watch them walk out of the house toward the head table. Toasts were given, speeches were made, and then we ate.
“Do you dance?” I asked Cassie after we were done eating. I’d had the bartender refill our drinks during the meal.
“The last time I danced was in high school at the homecoming dance my sophomore year.”
“Well, damn, princess. Let’s change that.”
I didn’t know how much alcohol was in the two amaretto sours I drank, but it was enough to get me out on the dance floor after the bride danced with her dad and the groom with his mom. I didn’t care that the only time I danced was in front of the mirror in my room when I got dressed for the day. I was having a good time. We danced so much that sweat was dripping down my back. Everyone was having a blast.
Then a slow song came on.
Brad took me into his arms, and we swayed to the music, my arms around his neck. “You’re doing good,” he praised.
“At dancing?” I questioned.
He smiled down at me. “Yeah, for someone who hasn’t danced in years.”
“Well, I dance in my room,” I admitted.
“I’d like to see that.”
“Maybe when I get my own place.” I didn’t know why I’d said that. I didn’t want to leave the house for Keith to destroy, but spending time with Brad the last two nights had made me feel as though life could be different. Yes, it was a house my mother loved, but I didn’t love living there any longer. I needed my own place. I needed to finally get my driver’s license. I needed to finally live my life and not live in fear.
“Yeah? You thinking about getting your own place?”
I shrugged. “Maybe.”
“The guys and I can help you move if you’d like.”
I looked at his friends, who were dancing with their wives and
some of the bridesmaids. “I’d like that.” We continued to sway to the music, and when I looked up at him again, he was looking down at me. “What?”
“I’m just proud of you.”
“For what?”
“You’ve been through a lot, and even though I didn’t know depressed Cassie, you seem like you’re over that, and that makes me happy.”
“I am over that,” I admitted, though I had my days, especially with Keith and his shit. That was another reason why I needed my own place. It was time. I didn’t know what he'd done with the jewelry he’d stolen, but it was best if I found my own place and wasn’t associated with him. I didn’t want to lose my job because I really liked it.
“I think we should scratch something else off your list.”
I furrowed my brows. “My list?”
“You know, driving, going to your first wedding, dancing. It’s time you do something else.”
I sucked in a breath. “What’s that?” I whispered, my words barely audible over the music.
His dark gaze moved from my eyes to my lips, causing my stomach to dip. Oh, shit. I licked my lips. I hadn’t kissed a man—ever. The last person I’d kissed was my high school boyfriend, who left me for my best friend, and he was a boy, not a man. I didn’t have time to decide if I could kiss Brad—if I would be any good—before his head lowered, and his warm lips pressed against mine. His hand cupped my cheek as his tongue slid across my lips, and I opened them slightly, feeling the light bristles of his beard against my face. It was as though everything disappeared, and the only thing that mattered in the entire world was the way Brad was slowly working his tongue around mine. I didn’t hear the music in the background or sense the people dancing around us any longer.
It was just him and me.
He groaned into my mouth before pulling back and then pressed his forehead to mine. “Fuck, princess.”
“Was it … Was it bad?”
He drew his head back as the song changed to a faster one and looked into my eyes. “No, not at all. I’m just fucked.”
“What do you mean?”
He didn’t answer me. Instead, he grabbed my hand and said, “Let’s get another drink and take a break.”
Gin & Jewels Page 7
