“Heard you were out on a cozy date,” Cash greets me as I walk into the studio before we go to Riot for our show.
“Damn Tyler,” I mumble.
“Date? You’re not back with Christie, right?” Ryder looks up from tuning his guitar.
“Nope. She wasn’t Christie,” Cash smirks. Fucker.
“Is it impossible to have privacy in this town?”
“Only if you’re home with the blinds shut,” Ryder laughs. “Who is she?”
I look at Cole, who has remained silent. He shrugs, letting me know they won’t let it go.
“Listen, guys, it’s kinda complicated and I’m not ready to talk about it.”
“You shoulda thought about that before you put on a show in Pinewood Social,” Cash arches an eyebrow.
“What?”
He holds his phone up so I can see a picture of me bent, in what can only be booty dancing, and Cassidy Rae in the corner of the picture laughing.
“Fuck. I was messing around trying to make her laugh.”
“You know better than that, though.”
“I honestly was so into the date I didn’t think anyone would notice who I was. It’s not like I’m you,” I point to Cash.
“They know who we all are. So tell us, who is she?” Cash leans back against a desk.
“I met her a couple weeks ago. It’s not that simple with her, and I don’t want to hear a lecture.”
“Stop stalling.” Ryder rubs his hands together.
“What the fuck? Are you that excited?”
“Yeah. After being the last one to find out about this asshole’s love for Bri, I’m glad to be included in this one.”
I roll my eyes. We’re a bunch of chicks when it comes to relationships.
“Here’s the thing, she’s a single mom.” Rip off the bandaid.
“A kid?”
“Usually when you’re a mom, that’s what you have.” I look at Ryder.
“No shit, jackass. Are you ready for that?”
I shrug. “Yeah, I guess.”
“There’s no guessing when it comes to a child,” Cash, the levelheaded one, says. “It makes the attachment different.”
“I know.” I go into detail about how I met Cassidy Rae and Rae as they listen intently. They give me the time to speak it all out.
“How long have you known her?” Cash asks.
“Maybe a couple weeks? Yesterday was our first date.”
“You better be sure, because from the sound of it, that little girl’s ready for you to play daddy.”
“Come on, Cash.”
“I’m calling it how it is. If you’re sure, then great, but don’t hurt the girl or the woman,” he warns.
Cole has been sitting in the background listening. No words have come from him, and I wonder if he still thinks Cassidy Rae is a bad idea.
“Just make sure you’re protecting yourself as well. After what happened with Christie, I’d hate to see you go through something similar for different reasons,” Ryder crosses his arms.
“I get where you’re coming from. Cole told me the same thing, but this is different. I don’t know.”
“Well, I’ll be damned. Mr. Get Over It and Move On is hooked on a woman.” Cash’s smile annoys me.
“You were acting like a pussy,” I defend. When things between Cash and Olivia weren’t hot, I may have told him to get over her and fuck someone else. Something along those lines. My memory is blurry after some years. In my defense, he was moping and acting like a dick.
“I get it. I’m the guy usually telling you fools to man up and see things clearly. Call this karma or payback or whatever you want, but this woman is special.”
“Is she coming tonight?” Ryder asks.
“She has a kid. She can’t just up and leave her to go to some bar downtown.”
“So you didn’t ask her,” Cole finally speaks up.
“She wants to take things slow. She has a routine with Rae, and Rae is used to having her around all the time. Besides,” I pause. “I don’t want any drama with Christie. She’s still been trying to contact me, and that’s not an ideal situation.”
“I think that’s smart,” Cash nods.
We get to work on what we need to review and prep for the show. Having played at Riot hundreds of times, we don’t even do sound check anymore. The stage is always ready for us. I do dread running into Christie. If she’s been trying to contact me and she knows we’ll be playing, she may try to come in from the outside bar and talk to me. Fuck that.
Our set played out flawlessly, fans singing along with Cash. I kept thinking about Cassidy Rae while I was up there. What she’d think watching me play. Would she sing along and dance, or shy away by the bar? She mentioned she loves dancing, so I need to make it a point to get her on a dance floor. The idea of moving my body with hers excites me.
Holding her close last night gave me a taste of what it would be like to keep her in my arms for a while. The kiss wasn’t nearly long enough, but I knew if I started, I wouldn’t stop. Her daughter was sleeping in her room.
I enjoyed every second with Cassidy Rae. When she finally relaxed, I saw a glimpse of who she truly is.
“Hey.” I clench my teeth and close my eyes.
“What do you want?” I don’t turn around to look at her.
“You guys did good tonight.”
“Christie, I’m going to ask you nicely to leave me alone. I’m not interested in listening to what you have to say.”
“Can you please look at me?”
I sigh and turn around. Arching an eyebrow, I say, “What?”
“I wanted to apologize. What I did was fucked up and I ruined a good thing because of my selfishness. I should’ve talked to you about it.”
“You used me. Plain and simple.”
“And I’m sorry. We had a good thing going.” I flinch when she touches my bicep. “Can we at least have dinner sometime to talk?”
“I accept your apology, but we’re done. Forever. I’m not interested. Once someone breaks my trust, they’re dead to me.”
Christie’s eyes widen. “But…”
I shake my head, stopping her. “No buts. It’s over. You signed an NDA, remember,” I warn.
“I wouldn’t share anything.”
“That’s not what your actions have proven. Now, I think you have work to do,” I dismiss her. The hurt in her brown eyes is evident, but I don’t give a fuck. I opened up to her and she betrayed me. You don’t come back from doing that, with your tail between your legs, expecting me to forgive and forget. I can be the bigger person and forgive her, but I sure as hell don’t have room for her in my life.
Another woman has invaded my space and I welcome her warmth. As much as I want to rush, I need things to go at Cassidy Rae’s pace. After what happened with Christie, it’s probably for my own good, too. I’m hoping after last night, she’ll be more open to the idea of us. We still have a lot to learn about each other, but I have no doubt I’d like everything else about her, as well.
And there’s Rae. That girl wrapped me up the moment she sat next to me and offered me a cookie. Chocolate chip is my favorite. Next time, a trip to the zoo will be fun. I wonder if Cassidy Rae can get a day off from work. Hell, I’ll pay her the daily wage, although I know she’d be pissed if I even offered that.
“Hey!” Reese calls out.
“Hey guys, I didn’t see you.”
“No shit, you were deep in thought. We were talking to the guys, waiting for you to show up and you didn’t.
“Sorry about that. I came to grab a beer and Christie came up to me.”
“What did she say?” Taylor rolls her eyes.
“Nothing important. Hey, Mike.” I shake Taylor’s boyfriend’s hand and head over to the where the guys are with my sisters.
I’m glad my sisters came tonight, and I can spend time with them. However, I keep thinking about Cassidy Rae. When I called her earlier she was still at work. I may have to show up there tomorrow. See her in the flesh and maybe kiss her again.
I’ve got it bad.
“Let me guess. You’ll have an OJ and order of pancakes, but you don’t want me to serve it. You want the young lady over there.” Joyce’s eyes gleam. I want her in more ways than just my waitress.
I smirk and shrug. “Can’t blame me.”
“No, boy, I can’t. I will tell ya, it’s pretty obvious you’re smitten with her, and if she’s blind to it, then the girl won’t see nothing no matter how bright the sun shines on it.”
I lean forward on my elbows, but she keeps talking.
“But, you better treat her right. Just cuz she’s workin’ at my shitty diner don’t mean she deserves a boy instead of a man. You got me?”
“I sure do, ma’am. I have every intention of proving to her that she’s worthy. Full respect.”
“Good. After all, no way you’d be coming here all these days if all ya wanted was to stick your thing in a hole.” She waves her pointer finger in the direction of my pants. I cough back my laugh.
“I promise I’ll do right by her and her daughter.”
“Atta boy. Now let me tell that stubborn blonde that a customer is waiting for her.” I smile and chuckle as she walks away. My thing in her hole. I guess that’s better than hearing an older woman say dick and pussy.
“Hi.”
I look up from the menu to find my gorgeous girl. A slow smile creeps on my face. “Hey.”
“I was told you needed some attention.” Her cheeks turn pink despite the teasing tone.
“I do. I wanted to see you. Couldn’t think of anywhere better for Sunday brunch than here.”
“I doubt that.” Cassidy Rae crosses her arms.
“You’re here, so that’s all I care about. Can’t stop thinking about you,” I confess.
Her eyes soften and she bites her lip. Lips that I want to taste for myself. “I’ve thought about you, too.”
“And what exactly were you thinking about?” I waggle my eyebrows.
“Ugh, not like that. Just stuff.”
“Good stuff or bad stuff? We had a great time on Friday, we like each other, and we sealed the night with a kiss.” I wink.
“I did have a great time.” She fidgets with the pockets of her apron.
“How’s Rae?” I lighten the subject.
“Great. She asked about you yesterday,” Cassidy Rae smirks.
“Tell her I say hi. I was actually wondering if you’d like to go to the zoo with her some day soon. I get to spend more time with you and it will be fun for Rae.”
“She’d love that, but I’m not sure when. I work every day, so my schedule is pretty busy.”
“Can you ask for a day off?”
Cassidy Rae shakes her head, but I think it’s more for a financial reason than Joyce not willing to give her the day.
“I want to spend time with you. I want to get to know you and Rae better. Maybe one morning when you do the evening shift? I’ll stay here while you work and drive you home.” I wish the counter wasn’t in the way, so I could hold her hand, reassure her somehow.
“Hey, sweetheart, can I get some attention, too?” I clench my jaw as I hear some asshole call out across the diner. Before I can stand, Cassidy Rae puts her hand on my arm. I look at her, nostrils flared. People have no fucking respect.
“Relax. Best thing to do is ignore it.”
“I can’t.”
“Please,” she begs with her eyes.
“For you.” I inhale ragged breaths. I was always taught to respect people no matter where they came from, what they looked like, or what gender they were. Having two sisters, I respected women even more. I can’t stand when men treat women the way these asshole customers treat Cassidy Rae.
“I’ll be right back and bring you a glass of orange juice.”
I turn on the stool and watch her in case that douche wants to get fresh with her. I won’t let anyone think she’s less significant because she works at a diner.
Once she heads back from his table, she places a cup of orange juice in front of me and smiles.
“Pancakes?” she asks.
“If I keep eating pancakes, I’m going to need to work out twice a day.” Cassidy Rae rolls her eyes. “How’s the ham and cheese omelet?”
“It’s good if you like eggs.”
I raise my eyebrows. “You don’t like eggs?”
“They’re not my favorite,” she shrugs.
“I’m not sure this is going to work.” As soon as I say the words, Cassidy Rae’s eyes widen for a second. “I’m joking. You not liking eggs isn’t a deal breaker.” I chuckle.
“Oh.”
“I’m trying really hard not to walk around the back of this counter and pull you into me. You’re making it even more difficult with that cute expression.”
“I’m at work,” she whispers hurriedly.
“Go to the zoo with me.” There’s a sentence I never thought I’d tell a woman.
“I work, Jason. I’ll be back with your omelet.”
Cassidy Rae walks away and into the kitchen. I check my phone while my food is getting prepared, but nothing interesting catches my attention.
“Out.” I look up to see what’s going on in the kitchen. That didn’t sound like Cassidy Rae.
Then, I see her walking out of the chase door, hiking her purse on her shoulder. She stops in front of me, angry as hell.
“Let’s go.”
“What?”
“We’re leaving,” she sneers.
“Okay,” I furrow my eyebrows.
“Joyce overheard our conversation. I was instructed to leave with you and take Rae to the zoo.” Cassidy Rae crosses her arms.
I can’t help the laugh that takes over.
“It’s not funny, Jason. I got kicked out of my own job, a job I’ve had for seven years,” she leans around me to stare at Joyce. “So that I can go on a date with you.”
“Well, damn, your boss must suck,” I tease. Turning around, I offer Joyce a grateful smile.
“Have fun,” Joyce calls out.
Cassidy Rae huffs and puffs all the way to the car. Her tantrum is adorable. Before I open the car door for her, I encase her against it with my arms on either side of her. Her eyes widen in surprise, and I lean in to kiss her. Fuck skirting around so she feels comfortable with the pace. I know she does. She’s feeling what I’m feeling.
She relaxes as she kisses me back. My dick springs to life, and I mentally curse when she pulls me closer to her. A soft moan leaves her lips as I end the kiss and lean my forehead against hers. Her chest rises rapidly, mine mimicking it.
When I lean back to look at her, she’s staring at me with intensity. Her eyes shut for a beat, allowing me to take in her subtle beauty. I cup the side of her face with my hand and rub my thumb across her cheek.
“I could do that all day, but we’ve got a little girl to pick up and some animals to visit.”
Cassidy Rae is silent on the short drive to her place. I’m still feeling the effects of the kiss, and I hope she’s thinking about it. I know it’s different when Rae is around, but I want to show her we could be a couple while she’s still a mom. There’s no reason it has to be one or the other.
She’s a woman and deserves to be treated as one. Her life doesn’t have to end because she’s a mom.
“Do you think Rae is going to be excited?” I ask.
“Excited? She’s going to flip. Ever since she went to the zoo on a field trip this past school year, she’s been begging me to go back.”
“Awesome,” I smile, proud of my plan.
Once I park the car, Cassidy Rae leads the way to her house and unlocks the door.
“Mommy?” Rae asks before her eyes widen. “Jason!” She runs up to me and hugs my side. “What are you doing here?”
Cassidy Rae bends to talk to her, not giving me a chance to explain.
“Hey baby, Jason came by work today and asked if we wanted to go to the zoo. Joyce gave me the day off so we could take you.”
“Really?” Her voice screeches, and she looks between us. I nod, smiling.
“This is the best day ever!” she exclaims as she jumps up and down and runs around.
“Hey, Abigail,” Cassidy Rae says. They talk for a few minutes before Abigail leaves, a huge smile plastered on her face. Seems as if everyone in Cassidy Rae’s life is cheering me on. I’ll gladly take their cheers and run with them in the direction of the woman currently staring at me.
“I’m going to change a minute and I’ll be good to go.”
“No rush.” I sit on the couch and Rae plants herself right next to me.
“I love the zoo. We went on a field trip and it was so much fun. My mommy couldn’t go because she was working, but my teacher took pictures and showed them to her that afternoon. We saw monkeys and giraffes and a lion and a zebra. My favorite was the giraffe. What’s your favorite animal?” She gasps for air as she finishes. That girl speed talks when she’s excited.
“I’m glad you’re excited. My favorite is the lion.”
“What’s your favorite, Mommy?”
I look up to see Cassidy Rae looking at us in a fresh pair of jeans and a tee shirt. “Ready,” she says.
“What’s your favorite animal?” Rae repeats her question.
“The elephant.” Cassidy Rae smiles. She should wear that smile every damn day, and I want her to do so because of me.
“Are we ready?” I ask, smiling.
“Yes!” Rae yells.
We head out to my car and drive to the zoo, a chattering Rae in the back seat. My gaze wanders to the woman next to me every time my car is stopped in traffic or at a light. When her eyes meet mine, I feel her gaze in my chest. I’m ready to move forward with her, no matter what.