42. Cassidy
CASSIDY
I was a nervous wreck. All freaking day, I was limping around, my hair in a frazzled mess as I desperately tried to pretend I was cool going to the bar with Maverick for drinks.
I woke up late, couldn’t decide what to wear, got to the shop with minutes to spare, and then proceeded to knock over a stack of newly arrived books.
And that was just in the morning.
By the afternoon, I’d spilled guacamole all over myself when it squeezed out one end of my sandwich. I went to change, only to realize I never restocked my closet in the back room. Then, in my frustration, I spun around right into my desk, slamming my knee against the corner.
A nice bruise now coated my kneecap—the opposite of my previously injured leg— and I was hobbling around like a grandma who just fell down the stairs.
Things were not looking very good for tonight.
I had no idea what to make of this so-called date with Maverick.
Maybe it was just drinks, and I was overthinking the whole thing.
Then again…
What if it was really drinks with expected benefits at the end of the night? And if that was the case, did the whole town already know that was what was happening? Because I didn’t know what was happening, and it was happening to me!
God, I was such a wreck. I really needed to calm down, and the only way to do that was with a good, stiff drink.
Or a really good orgasm, but it wasn’t like I could just run out and grab one at the nearest store.
When I saw the time, I hustled into the back room, pulling out my makeup bag.
The moment I saw my reflection in the mirror, I cursed the cold weather for making my skin so dry.
My hair had deflated throughout the day, leaving me with limp strands instead of the cute style I’d made this morning. And was that a zit on my forehead?
I leaned forward, examining it more closely just as the chime sounded over the door. Shoot, I forgot to lock up for the night.
“We’re closed!” I shouted over my shoulder, dabbing concealer on the zit forming under my skin.
I was so not made out for dating. As much as I wanted to find a husband and settle down, I got way too worked up over the small things. Of course, part of the reason I was so frazzled was that I was going out on a date in the first place, and not with the man I really wanted to go with.
But I shoved that thought to the back of my mind and focused on the task at hand. Making myself look like a person someone would actually want to be seen in public with.
“Shit,” I cursed as I dropped an earring on the ground beneath my skirt. Hauling the material up, I carefully stepped this way and that way, looking for the back side of the earring without smashing it under my heel. With the terrible lighting, things weren’t going well.
“Is this some kind of rain dance?”
Screeching, I spun around, dropping my skirt as my leg gave out.
I teetered forward, throwing out my hands before collapsing to the ground.
Mav tried to catch me, but was too far away.
Thankfully, my skirt only climbed up as high as my calf, leaving me mostly protected from his wandering gaze as I crashed to the ground.
“Maverick, you scared the shit out of me,” I chastised.
With that cocky grin on his face, he strolled over and held out his hand, pulling me to my feet. “Sorry about that, darlin’. Everything okay here?”
“I dropped my earring,” I sighed.
His gaze slid over the floor, and seconds later, he snatched the back of the earring, holding it up in the faint light. “Is this it?”
I could have slapped the smirk off his face, but instead, I took it from him as graciously as possible. “Thank you.”
“So, ready to go?”
“Now?” I gasped. I hadn’t even finished my makeup or my hair. I was an absolute mess. I had guacamole on my clothes!
“Um…maybe we should reschedule this,” I said, hurrying over to my desk as I ducked my head and did my best not to look at him.
“Reschedule,” he repeated, his tone amused at my expense. “And why would we do that?”
“Well…” I struggled to come up with even the most basic reasoning as to why I couldn’t go with him tonight.
I highly doubted he would accept that I was out of sorts, that my hair wasn’t perfect, or that I was thinking about another man.
Maverick Wynn just didn’t strike me as the type of man to take a challenge lightly.
“Well?”
“It’s just…I have guacamole on my shirt,” I said stupidly.
“I think everyone at the bar will forgive you.”
That playful smirk on his face had me folding like a cheap beach chair. “Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. When everyone starts making fun of us, you only have yourself to blame.”
“Somehow, I think we’ll be just fine,” he grinned, grabbing my purse from the desk. “Now, any other reason you don’t want to go?”
“Other than extreme discomfort, confusion, and an inability to understand why you want to have drinks with me? Not at all.”
“Good. Let’s get out of here.”
I stood there slack-jawed while he carried my purse through the store. He didn’t seem to care at all about my concerns. If anything, it only amused him. And here I was, a frazzled mess, overthinking everything about what was going on tonight.
Hustling behind him, I tried to reason with him. “I have avocado on my shirt!”
“Half the people in the bar have something on their shirts. You’ll fit right in,” he called over his shoulder.
Flipping the sign to closed, he pulled the door open and waited patiently for me to get my ass in gear and realize there was no way out of this.
So, I grabbed my keys and coat, then headed out into the bitter cold.
I slung my coat over my shoulders just as he led me over to his cruiser, opening the passenger door for me.
“Why does this feel like an ominous note for tonight?” I grumbled.
A small chuckle left his lips as he leaned in. “Don’t worry. I won’t be slapping handcuffs on you. Yet.”
I flushed in embarrassment as he slammed the door closed. I didn’t get why he was flirting with me or why I kind of liked it. Was I that upset over Sam’s lack of attention that I’d take anything thrown at me?
“Tonight’s gonna be good,” he grinned as he got in, reversing out of the spot.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I have the smartest lady in town with me.”
That was an odd thing to say, but I didn’t bother arguing. Instead, I let the multitude of possibilities run rampant through my brain at a hundred miles an hour for the very short drive to the bar.
It was packed tonight, and Maverick had to park at the very back of the lot.
“I’ve never seen so many people at The Beaver and Boot at one time.”
“That’s because tonight’s trivia night,” he grinned. “Ready?”
Not that he waited for an answer. He was by my side in seconds, hauling me out of the car.
Nerves skittered down my spine with every step we took.
Soon enough, that door to the bar would open and everyone would see I was with Maverick.
What was I going to do then? The gossip mill would start churning, and then I’d really be sunk, battered with questions non-stop that there was no way I could even fathom answering.
But all too soon, those doors swung open and we stepped inside. Everyone turned to see who the newcomers were, but thankfully, in the next second, the microphone was picked up by none other than the bar owner.
“Welcome, everyone, to tonight’s first-ever trivia event! I know you’ve all been dying to use those little gray cells for something other than ranching, so let’s get started!”
My heart skipped a beat in excitement and my eyes widened as I realized how fun this night was going to be. “A trivia event,” I whispered.
“Right up your alley,” Maverick grinned. “I reserved us a spot.”
He pointed to the front where a table sat empty with a reserved sign on it.
I hardly noticed the other patrons as my belly filled with excitement as Maverick took my hand and guided me to a table, signaling for JR. This was so thrilling.
I’d never been to anything like this, but it reminded me of my days in school when we’d have trivia games before a big test.
“I thought you might enjoy this.”
“It’s so awesome. Who thought of it?”
“Not sure, but the prize is five hundred dollars. Help me win that and half is yours.”
My smile froze on my face as I realized something. “Wait, so this isn’t a date?”
Flushing, he ducked his head, rubbing the back of his neck. “Nah, sorry about leading you on.”
“Oh, thank God!” I gushed as relief burst through me. “Not that you aren’t a fine catch, but I’ve been going insane since you suggested we get drinks. I thought you were really interested in me, and then I’d have to find a way to let you down easy.”
His eyebrow quirked up in amusement. “So, you’re saying you wouldn’t date me?”
“I’m saying that as a friend, it would be awkward to have a date with you after all these years.”
“I’m an excellent kisser,” he said, almost affronted by my words.
“I’m sure you are, and I’m glad I’ll never know,” I laughed.
“Let’s get this event started!” Jeff called out as he took his spot on the stage, pulling up a stool as he shuffled the cards.
“Alright, we have a packed night, filled with insane questions that will keep you on your toes. Blake is keeping score, so no cheating,” he said pointedly, to which she gave him the finger.
“And if you know what’s good for you, you won’t start any fights, or you’ll end up through the window,” he finished with a smirk. “Alright, let’s get this game started!”
He barely escaped as Blake playfully attempted to shove him off the stool, then returned to her spot where she was keeping score.
“Alright, our first question of the night! What does the Greek word hippopotamus mean?”
My hand shot up before I even realized what I was doing. Jeff grinned, calling on me immediately. “Cassidy. How did I know you would be the first to answer?”
“Are you going to call on me or not, Jeff?”