8. Goldie
Chapter 8
Goldie
I N A SHOCKING turn of events, I somehow convince my sister to join me at Hall’s Balls on Friday for drinks and greasy food that she didn’t cook. We arrive together, having shared an Uber from my cottage.
“I always forget about this place,” Willa says as we walk in, looking around.
“Seriously? It’s the best of all the worlds. Classic arcade and pinball games over there, a dozen pool tables over there, and a full bar to go with it. How could you not love it?”
She raises a shoulder. “Since when have I been the type of person to spend her time somewhere like this?”
I snort. “Fair. Come on—the bar awaits.”
Ox’s oldest brother, Anthony, is the owner and bartender, and I force a bright smile his way as we sit down. He’s massive: bigger than his younger brothers and has much more of a gruff exterior. Where Ox is all goofy muscle and his twin is polished muscle, Anthony is more like…terrifying muscle. Despite my ability to charm just about anyone, Anthony has never been one of those, and he’s a little intimidating.
The fact that he rarely smiles most definitely has something to do with it.
“Drinks.”
I keep my own smile in place to answer what I presume was his version of a question. “Hi, Anthony!”
He grunts.
“What are we drinking, sis?” Willa asks.
“Let’s get…the Pink Thing,” I decide, figuring if it’s on the board behind Anthony, he won’t be mad about making it.
He grunts again and turns, plucking the bottle of vodka off the shelf behind him as he goes.
“What’s in it?” Willa whispers.
“Don’t know,” I whisper back. “I was trying to pick something that would keep Anthony from growling at me, but I don’t think it worked.”
The drinks are in front of us within moments, the martini glasses chilled and filled to the brims with a frothy pink concoction. “Enjoy,” Anthony demands, then moves down the bar.
We raise our glasses. “To blind date apps,” Willa says with a smile.
I grin. “Cheers.” I take a sip, and it’s delicious. Delicate and fruity, with absolutely no hint of the alcohol in it.
“Whoa. That’s dangerously good,” Willa declares. After another sip, she sets the glass down and spears me with one of her signature I’m older than you looks. “So. How are things going with James?”
“Good. He’s so easy to talk to and funny. Super considerate. I swear, half the time I think he’s gotta be a woman—he’s far too emotionally mature to be a guy,” I laugh.
“You’re not using your real name, right? What if his name isn’t even James?”
I shrug. “I assume it’s not. There’s a level of trust I’ve gotta have, you know?”
“I get it, but why don’t you two just come out and tell each other who you are already? What’s the hold-up?”
I consider the question. “It’s hard to say. I think both of us are comfortable with the pace.”
Willa snorts. “A snail moves faster. Seriously. Hasn’t it been two weeks? And you still don’t know what he does?”
He’s a cowboy , I think with a grin.
Willa points at me. “What’s that expression for?”
“Just thinking of something we’ve talked about. He does something with horses, but that’s about all I’ve gotten out of him.”
“Horses?”
I nod and take another sip. “Horses.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “There’s more to it than that, but I’ll leave it alone for now. I have to pee.” She slides off the stool and heads in the direction of the bathroom.
I consider her words. Yes, James and I are moving slow, but it’s actually really nice. I like being forced to get to know him. Sure, we could have traded phone numbers and gotten off the app way before now, but I like that we’ve both followed the rules and allowed the app to set the pace.
Willa returns, waving a flyer. “Look.”
I inspect it. “Ooh, a masquerade ball? Fun!”
“Raising money for the food bank,” Willa confirms. “Next week. You should invite your mystery man.”
I consider it. “That’s…not a bad idea, actually.”
Willa smiles. “Thanks. Do it now.”
“Now?”
“Yeah,” she urges. “Why not?”
I grin. “You know, I like this version of you.”
“Which version is that?”
“The one where you’re all pushy and confident and stuff.”
Her cheeks tinge pink. “Aw, thanks.”
I pull out my phone and snap a picture of the flyer, then send it to James through the app.
Dawn
Wanna go?
JAMES
That’s a big step forward
I think we’re ready for it
Do we keep masks on the whole time? Keep the mystery going?
I bite my lip and tilt the screen to Willa.
She scrunches her face. “I think you need to show each other who you are. This is kind of nuts.”
“But I enjoy the mystery,” I protest. Holding the phone back up, I point to James’s text as proof. “So does he.”
Willa takes another sip and eyes me. “It’s up to you. If he kidnaps you, then I’ll get to say I told you so.”
I chuckle. “Yes, of course. I’ll be sure to let you know if he kidnaps me.” I type my answer back.
Let’s do it. Keep the masks on. No giving ourselves away just yet.
Okay, I’m in.
Perfect. Is it weird that I’m excited about this?
Is it weird that I’m excited you’re excited?
Talk to you later
Talk to you later
I snort and let Willa see the exchange.
“What’s the deal with the cowboy smiley face?”
Snickering, I lock the screen and tuck it into my purse. “Inside joke.”
She raises an eyebrow. “You’ve got inside jokes, too?”
My belly warms. “Yeah,” I confirm. “We do.”
“Drinks.” Anthony is back and glaring at us.
Willa considers. “I can do one more if I text Reid to come get us. You?”
“Let’s do it.”