TWO
Lilly woke the next morning to the sound of her hotel room door clicking shut. Still in her groggy state of sleep, she replayed the events from last night in her head. It was one of the most perfect nights she could recall. Her lip involuntarily pouted when she realized that Cass was no longer beside her. He didn’t even say goodbye. That fucking sucks.
Lilly got up and showered. She had an agenda for the day to take pictures and see the city. Pulling on a pair of blue jeans and a black T-shirt, she pulled her hair into a ponytail, slipped on her flip-flops, and headed out the door.
It was noon, and the streets of Houston were crowded with people on their lunch breaks. “This is why I don’t live in a big city. I hate traffic,” she grumbled.
Finally finding a place to park, Lilly walked to the Project Row Houses. The art depicted in and around the houses was beautiful. She snapped photos of everything from every angle she could think of. Some of the shots she captured required her to lay in awkward positions, but the results were stunning.
Her heart was happy with her camera in hand, freezing time with the push of a button. She spent the majority of her day shooting, taking pictures of houses and passersby on the street.
After the phenomenal night she had, her mood was through the roof. She was glowing, and she knew it.
Lilly did what she loved all day, and when the sun started to set, she packed her things and headed back to her room. The drive to her hotel was hectic. Baton Rouge had nothing on Houston’s five o’clock traffic.
After two hours, Lilly finally made it back to her room. “Shit. It’s seven thirty,” she said, glancing at her phone. “I was supposed to meet Cass at Skeeter’s an hour and a half ago.”
Dropping off her camera equipment in her room, Lilly rushed out and headed to the bar. Pulling into the parking lot, the knot in her stomach eased when she saw his blue Harley parked in the front of the building. Lilly walked to the door, trying to contain her excitement at the fact that he was still there. Walking in, Lilly saw Lacey behind the bar, the same girl from last night.
“Double-Crown and Sprite, ma’am?” she asked as Lilly approached the bar.
“Yes, please.”
Lilly scanned the bar. She found Cass standing by the same pool table they played on last night, shooting by himself. “Can I also have a Dos Equis with a lime?” Lilly asked when Lacey brought her drink.
“Sure.” She rushed off to grab the beer. Cass had been drinking one last night, and there was a half-empty one sitting on the table next to him. He hadn’t noticed her yet. Grabbing the beer when Lacey returned, Lilly walked over to Cass.
“Hey you,” she said.
He turned around, his eyes probing her before focusing on her face. The corner of his lips tugged upward. His eyes closed slowly and, when they opened, Lilly saw that same fire she had wanted to play with last night.
“Hey yourself.” He pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. He kissed her lightly on the lips and pulled back to look at her face. “You’re stunning.”
“Thank you. Here, I grabbed this for you when I was at the bar.” She handed him the beer.
“You’re pretty good, you know that?”
“At?”
“Paying attention.” He smiled.
“Yes, I am. I sort of serve beer for a living so I’d better be good at it. Do you want some competition, or do you just want to keep beating yourself all night?”
“Rack ’em, rack girl.”
Lilly walked over to put in the quarters that were sitting on the table and dropped the balls. “Oh, so it’s like that now?”
Cass laughed. “Yes ma’am.”
Lilly racked, and Cass broke. He ended up running the table on her and not missing.
“Ya got me,” she said, throwing her hands up in a playful surrender. Lilly walked to the table that their drinks sat on. Sitting down, she gestured for Cass to do the same. Taking the seat across from her, he grabbed the half of the beer he had when she walked in, and he downed it. Lilly watched his throat move as he drank every drop, causing her to swallow hard.
She averted her eyes before he caught her eye-fucking him across the table.
“I thought you stood me up for a minute there.”
“No, I got caught in this hellacious traffic. Houston drivers can’t drive worth a fuck, by the way,” she said.
“Damn right they can’t. Anyway, I’m glad it was just the bad drivers and not a bad night last night, because I felt like it was a damn good night.”
“Last night was beyond amazing. I wasn’t sure you would be here, though. You left without saying goodbye this morning.”
“Sweetie, I did say goodbye. I held you while you slept and kissed you on the forehead before I got up and left.”
She looked for some kind of playful look. Are you kidding me right now? He’s great in bed and he’s a genuine sweetheart? He’s got to have an extra toe or something.
Lilly’s brow furrowed before she quickly replaced it with a smile. “Really? I never knew. I was out. You drained me last night. I think a hurricane could’ve come through and I would’ve still slept through it.”
“I drained you? Woman, I couldn’t even get up afterward.”
His grin widened.
Lilly smiled, feeling accomplished.
“I’ve never had anyone sit up and ride me like that,” he said.
“You mean all hundred and eighty women haven’t done that to you?”
Cass let out a gut-wrenching laugh. “Oh, you got jokes!”
“Maybe a few.” Lilly grinned.
“Okay, well save your jokes for later. If you don’t mind, I’d like to have a conversation. About you, and not the hundred and eighty women I’ve apparently had sex with.”
“Talk away. I’m all ears.” She gestured to the side of her head.
“What brings you to Houston?”
“I took a vacation from work for two days, and I needed to get away. Besides, this place is beautiful, and I’m a photographer by hobby.” Lilly looked down at her drink as she twirled her straw, making mini tornadoes inside.
“Photographer? Really?” Cass had given her his full attention, and, by the way he was looking at her, he seemed genuinely interested.
“Yep. I went to the Project Row Houses today and got a couple shots. I read about them a few months ago when I was out here, but I didn’t have my camera with me. This time, I made sure that was the first place I went.”
“I think that’s awesome.” Cass slid four quarters to her. “Up for another game?”
“Only if I actually get to participate this time,” she teased.
“I might let you.”
Lilly racked, yet again, before taking a seat back at the table.
“So, since you got to ask your few questions, it’s my turn.” She reached over to her pack of Marlboros and lit one.
“I’m all ears,” he mocked and pointed to his the same way she had earlier.
“Very funny. All right, Mister Motorcycle President, what do you do when you aren’t being a badass biker?”
“I work, just like anyone else. I do a lot of work for construction companies, and when I’m not doing that, I play the drums or watch documentaries on singers and bands.”
Lilly’s jaw dropped. She didn’t expect that to be his answer, and she closed her mouth quickly in hopes that she hadn’t offended him. “That’s funny. The only instrument I’ve ever wanted to learn to play is the drums.”
“Who knows? I might show you one day.”
Lilly almost spit out her drink. Cass wasn’t going to be around after this trip, much less “one day” to show her how to play the drums. This was just a fling, something to keep them both occupied while they were in town, right? Right. Lilly could barely take care of herself right now. The last thing she needed to do was worry about getting involved with someone.
She was only here, after all, because everything at home was falling apart. She had done her best not to think of it, but it always came soaring to the front of her mind after a few drinks. She was on the verge of losing her house because she wasn’t making the money to pay the rent, and the bar wasn’t turning out to be a profitable decision. It was hard to pay for anything without making money. The only reason she splurged and showed up here this week was because she knew what was coming, and, she figured, why the hell not? No matter how hard she struggled to escape the reality of what her life was, it never quite faded away long enough for her to forget.
“Hey, pretty girl, where’s your head at?” Cass asked, pulling Lilly back to the present.
“Eh, it’s irrelevant. I think it’s my turn to rack. Again.” She walked to the pool table.
Cass walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her lower waist. He kissed her neck lightly before he rubbed on her ass cheek then squeezed tight.
Lilly turned her head to meet his. He kissed her gently on the lips, smiled, and walked back to his seat.
“I think we need shots,” Lilly suggested.
“Oh yeah? What you got in mind?”
“How about something different? Something sweet, but strong.”
Cass raised his eyebrows at her. “Whatever you order, I’ll drink. As long as it isn’t Jack Daniels.”
“Done.” Lilly turned and made her way to the bar.
It didn’t take long for Lacey to spot her. “Whatcha need, babe?”
“Give me two of the Blue Raspberry Bombs.”
Lacey ushered off to make shots while Lilly watched Cass break. He was leaned over, his chin almost resting on the pool stick in his hand as he studied the shot in front of him. He pushed through his shot fluidly, in full control of the cue ball as his solid fell into the desired pocket. He lined up on his next shot.
“Here ya go! It’s twelve dollars.” Lacey sat two bomb cups with blueberry vodka in the center and a blue energy drink in the outer rim in front of her. Lilly paid her and carried the shots to the table.
Cass eyed the blue liquid suspiciously as he swished it around. “What’s in it?”
“Blueberry vodka and blueberry energy drink.”
Cass cocked his head to the side but didn’t comment on it. “Cheers to a good time with a beautiful lady.” Cass lifted his shot to hers.
“Cheers.”
Lilly spent the next hour taking shots and the more she drank, the worse she got at pool. They talked about their love for music, and when the bartender called last call, they were both pretty lit.
“Excuse me, Miss. Would you like an escort to your hotel?”
Giddy from the alcohol and the great company she was in, Lilly played along. “I don’t know about all that. Big, scary biker man wants to bring me to my room and have his way with me. Let me think about that.” She walked toward him. Her face was only inches from his. “Abso-fuckin’-lutely,” she slurred, pushing him against the wall and kissing him.
“Let’s get out of here.”
He grabbed her hand and led her outside. Lilly stumbled out the door behind Cass. “I’m not letting you drive. I’ll bring you to your car in the morning.” He took her keys out of her hand.
“Fine.”
“Fine,” he retorted.
“Great!”
“I don’t like re-runs anyway.”
They both burst out laughing. “You are so phenomenal,” she said. “No one else would know where that quote is from!”
“I know my movies.” He directed her over to the bike and opened up the compartment on the side.
“What’s that thing called?” she asked.
“It’s a saddlebag.” He grabbed the helmet she had used last night and helped her buckle it under her chin.
Straddling his bike, he cranked it up and tapped the seat behind him. “Hop on.” Lilly held onto Cass’s shoulders as she struggled to get on the back. She had undeniably had a few too many to drink. Placing her hands into the front pockets of his cut, she held on tight. Knowing she was a little drunk, she didn’t want to fall off the back. That would be way too embarrassing. “Hold on, drunkie,” he teased.
“Hey, hey. None of that,” she slurred. She could hear her words falling apart, and it annoyed her a little. She focused on speaking, but it didn’t work. Her words might as well have been in cursive.
They took off toward their hotel with Lilly smiling in her mixed state of drunkenness and complete and utter happiness. She paid careful attention to the way riding felt when she was drunk. It was nice, and she wasn’t worried about anything. This whole wind therapy thing that everyone talked about worked. The night air was warm, but on the bike, it was comfortable and slightly cooler. She felt the air change in one spot, and she made a mental note to ask Cass about the temperature drop.
Cass pulled up to the hotel and killed the bike. Lilly sat there, her chin resting on his shoulder. She was comfortable and slightly scared that once she moved, she’d faceplant on the ground.
“Sweetie, you have to get off before I do,” he said after they sat there for a minute, or five. She wasn’t entirely sure. Lilly slid off and struggled to maintain her balance as her feet hit the ground one at a time. Cass grabbed her arm to steady her, laughing at her clumsiness. “Somebody’s got a buzz.”
“Maybe just a little,” she replied, trying to undo her helmet.
“Here.” He moved her hands out of the way and undid it for her. When he bent down to replace her helmet in the saddlebag, Lilly reached over to rest her hand on his shoulder. After he had taken his own helmet off, he grabbed Lilly’s hand and walked her to the door.
Unlocking the main door on the side of the building, he led her to the elevator again. Lilly stumbled in, and everything started spinning, making her realize the stupor she drank herself into. Oh no. No. No. No. Shit. I’m way too drunk.
She woke the next morning to find Cass sleeping next to her. She was in an oversized T-shirt and her underwear. Her head pounded, and all she wanted was a gallon of ice-cold water. And pickles. Lilly groaned as she rolled out of the bed. Standing up, everything was still spinning. She was glad to see that Cass was still there.
She had no memory of the night after they arrived at the hotel. Walking to the bathroom, she started the shower. Her stomach was empty, and there was a tingling in her fingers and toes. The hot water was soothing as it poured over her. She leaned against the wall of the shower in an attempt to stop the spinning, and let the water run for at least ten minutes longer. She didn’t feel any less hungover, but she felt clean, and that was a start.
After her shower, Lilly walked back in the room in only a towel and shivered as the cool air hit her wet skin. Cass was still asleep and snoring.
She stood there for a second, taking in the sight of him. He looked at peace. Something was different. His face appeared softer than it had the past two days she had seen him. She hadn’t noticed until now, but it looked as if a mask had been lifted and, this time, she was seeing the man underneath.
Lilly dressed quickly and went to his side of the bed. She sat down next to Cass and rubbed his arm.
“Hey,” she whispered, trying to wake him up softly. He began to stir under her hand, and his eyes flickered open.
“Hi,” he said in a sleepy voice. She smiled at him. “How are you feeling this morning?”
“Like I got hit by a train,” she said.
Cass laughed, still half asleep. “You are a sight when you’re drunk, Miss Summers. I had to carry you from the elevator to the bed.” Lilly felt the heat rise in her cheeks, and it gave her headache a pulse of its own.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize just how much I had to drink.”
“It’s okay. At least you didn’t get sick.”
“This is true.” Oh, thank God. Nothing about that would have been attractive.
“What time is it?” Cass asked, sitting up.
Lilly looked over at the clock. “Nine.”
He jumped up. “Shit. I have to go. I’m going to be late.” He threw on his blue jeans and shirt, grabbed his cut, and put on his shoes. “Come on, I have to get you to your car.”
Lilly followed him out the door, wincing when she saw the sunlight.
Cass dropped her off at her car, kissed her forehead, and told her to meet him here tonight at six. Lilly drove back to the hotel with her windows down and music blasting.
Walking back into her room, she jumped and landed flat on the bed, a decision she instantly regretted as her head thumped with each beat of her heart. This trip to Houston was proving to be her best idea yet. As she lay there, thoughts of Cass dancing in her head, she drifted back off to sleep and dreamed of him, too.
Waking up with a smile, Lilly rolled over and checked her phone. She had barely touched it since she’d been in Houston.
There were two texts from Mindy and a missed call from her mom. Opening the message thread between her and Mindy, she burst out laughing.
“How is it?
“Lilly Amber Summers! What’s his name?”
Lilly smiled as she texted Mindy back. “Once you hear about the man I’ve spent the last two nights with, you’re going to freak. He’s sexy, he rides a motorcycle, and he’s amazing in bed.” She quickly pressed send before switching to her call logs to call her mother back.
“Hey, sweetie,” her mom said when she answered.
“Hey, Mom!”
“I was just checking on you. How was your drive?”
“It was good, Mom. I needed this trip.”
“Good for you, honeys.”
“How are things on your end?”
“They’re good! I’ve been busy working at the office all week, as usual. David and I are planning a trip home soon, though. It’s too cold in Ohio for me, but he loves his job and I’m making the best of it. I miss you!”
“I miss you too, Mom. Let me know when y’all are planning on coming down so I can make sure I’m off work and in town.”
“I will.”
“I love you and I’ll call you tomorrow when I get back.”
“I love you too. And Lilly . . . ”
“Yeah?”
“Be safe and call me if you have trouble staying awake or anything.”
“I will, Momma. Love you.”
“Love you, too. Bye.”
Lilly pressed the end button and tossed her phone beside her on the bed. She wanted to tell her mom about everything going on in Houston right now, but the truth was she wasn’t sure herself of what was going on. How would she explain it to someone else?
It was already two in the afternoon, and she was in dire need of food. She picked up the room service menu and ordered a cheeseburger. Room service got there in record timing, and Lilly was grateful. Scarfing down every bite, she kicked back on the bed and turned on Criminal Minds. As badly as she wanted to go out and take pictures, the cold and dark hotel room sounded much better than the hot sun.
Lilly wasted the entire day in bed watching a marathon of Criminal Minds. This was the sole purpose of her trip—to do whatever she felt like doing and not have to worry about the world back home for a few days. Tonight was her last night in Houston since she had to spend tomorrow driving home, and, if it was anywhere near as wonderful as the last two had been, she would be happy.
Around five thirty, Lilly headed to Skeeter’s to meet Cass.
She didn’t see his bike, but she didn’t let that disappoint her. He gets to be late tonight. She smiled at the thought of him intentionally making her wait for him the way she had made him wait the night before. It wasn’t her intention, but she had started to catch on to his sense of humor and figured this was his way of picking at her.
Entering Skeeter’s, Lacey walked up to Lilly. “Good to see you again. How are you feeling today?” she asked, laughing lightly.
“Much better now that I’ve recuperated all day.” Lilly hung her head, wondering if she had done anything stupid last night that she didn’t remember, but she was too embarrassed to ask.
“Where’s your boyfriend at?”
“Oh no, he’s not my boyfriend. Just a friend. He’s on his way,” Lilly corrected her.
“I sure couldn’t tell. The two of you look like you’ve been together for years. Y’all just kind of fit.” Lacey was called to the other end of the bar by one of the already-drunk patrons.
Lacey had planted a seed. Sitting at the bar alone, Lilly got lost in thought of the possibilities of being with Cass in more ways than just in the bedroom. She quickly shook it off, though. There was no way he would go for that. She was probably just a play toy for him while he was here. Hell, he probably had a wife and like eight kids at home or something.
“You want something to drink?” Lilly looked up to find Lacey standing in front of her again.
“I . . . Uh . . . Yeah, a drink. Can I have that Blueberry Bomb? I may as well go ahead and bite the hair of the dog that bit me.” Lilly handed her a twenty. Lacey fixed her drink and brought her the change. Putting a tip on the bar, Lilly walked over to the same table she and Cass had sat at last night. They had talked for hours.
Lilly looked up at the clock that hung across the bar. Seven.
He should be here any minute.
Walking back to the bar, Lilly got two dollars in quarters and shot a few games of pool by herself, trying to kill time. She finished up her second game and walked back over to the bar. She ordered another shot and got a few more dollars in quarters. She spent the next hour and a half shooting pool and drinking alone. By the time nine o’clock rolled around, Lilly was starting to think that Cass wasn’t going to show up. She couldn’t wrap her head around what was going on, probably due to the hangover that she was attempting to kill by drinking more. Did she say something stupid last night while she was drunk that steered him away from her? If so, why hadn’t he just left last night instead of this morning? But, he told her this morning he would meet her here tonight, so what happened? What changed?
She walked back over to the bar. “Lacey, can I have two shots of Crown, please?” Lacey grabbed the bottle and two shot glasses.
“Where’s your friend at?” Lacey set her shots on the bar.
“I don’t know.” Lilly downed one shot and grabbed the second one before she could talk herself out of it. It made her gag. “Ugh, that’s rough,” she groaned. “I’m getting out of here. If, by chance, that mystery biker shows up, tell him I waited for four hours and I went back to my room.”
“You got it, babe,” Lacey responded. “Have a good night.”
Lilly walked out the door. She had a buzz but was nowhere near what she felt like last night. She made it back to her room and curled up in her bed.
The empty spot beside her reminded her that Cass had stood her up.
Lilly snuggled into her pillow in an attempt to shake it off. He was nothing special, and did she expect this to last? What had she expected? It was a one-night stand that lasted two days. That’s all it should have been to her. Shit happens. He probably found someone else to stay with. Now that she thought of it, she hadn’t seen his bike in the parking lot of the hotel when she pulled in.
Trying to block out any thoughts of Cass, Lilly lay in bed and attempted sleep. She lay there for what felt like an hour before she finally started to drift off. Before it took over, the last image that flashed through her mind was of Cass smiling up at her from a pool table.
Lilly woke in a haze, still in the world of her dreams. She had dreamed of Cass, and the last thing she remembered from her dream was being in his arms. Reality set in when she woke up fully. She was still alone, and Cass had still stood her up. Feeling unmotivated to do anything creative before she got on the road, she showered and headed down to the main office of the hotel to checkout. It was time to head back to reality.
On her way out, she stopped in at Skeeter’s. Lacey wasn’t there, but Lilly figured she’d ask the girl behind the bar anyway.
“Hey, did Lacey say anything about a biker showing up last night to meet a woman in here?” she asked.
“No ma’am. She didn’t,” she replied.
“Okay. Thank you,” Lilly said as she turned to walk out the door. Of course he never showed up.
Her drive home was long and filled with thoughts of the wonderful man she had the pleasure of spending two nights with. She would be happy she even got to meet him, and she would not stress over this. Throughout their time together, everything meshed. They got along great and really hit it off. She hadn’t realized that she may have wanted to get to know him until he was gone. At first, it was fun, but she hadn’t thought about what it would or wouldn’t be after Houston, and now she’d never know.
“Fuck!” She banged her hand on the steering wheel then forced the thought away with the radio. She wasn’t going to harp on this. It would drive her crazy otherwise.
It was two o’clock by the time Lilly made it home. She dragged her bags inside and fell onto her couch. Before she knew it, she was waking up and it was almost five. She didn’t have to be at work until tomorrow evening at six, but she wanted to see Mindy. Finding the energy, she pulled herself together and put on some makeup. She needed to make herself presentable and feel a little better about what happened this week.
Throwing on a pair of her black dress shorts, a red V-neck, and a pair of black flats, Lilly headed out the door. She felt hot. This was exactly what she needed. Cranking up Betty, Lilly pointed her in the direction of Creek’s.
When she pulled down the long, bumpy gravel road to the bar and rounded the corner to the parking lot, there was only one car parked out front: Mindy’s. Business had pretty much been slow there, and there was talk of closing the place down. The place had a few regulars that were in every day, but no one wanted to drive down the gravel driveway to get there. If you didn’t have a four-by-four, it wasn’t worth it.
Stepping out of her car, she looked around the parking lot. It was quiet; the only sound was the chirping of a cricket in the distance. A chill rushed over Lilly as the breeze picked up.
When she walked into the bar, Mindy’s face lit up. Lilly!” she screamed and ran from around the bar, nearly tackling her when she hugged her.
“Hey, Mindy. Miss me?”
“Uh, yes! Okay, you have got to tell me all about this amazing biker. Spill. Now.”
“Slow down, slow down.” Lilly laughed at her friend’s anticipation. Boy, was she in for a shock. Lilly hated that she couldn’t even show her what he looked like. Miss Photographer didn’t sneak a single picture of the most amazing man she’d ever met. Way to go, genius. Way to go.
“So, I met him at a bar, challenged him to a game of pool, he kicked my ass, and—”
“Wait, he kicked your ass in pool? Oh, I like him already,” Mindy said with an evil grin. “Sorry. Continue.”
“So, we shot pool and talked, then he told me he had to go because he had work the next day. About a minute after he walked out, the bartender brought me a napkin with a note on it asking me to spend some more time with him. I walked outside, we went for a ride, then I find out he’s staying at the same hotel as me.”
“Shut the fuck up. No way.”
“Way. In the same building. On the same floor.” She smiled when Mindy shook her head. “I know. Crazy, right? Right. Anyway, he walked me to my room, and I kind of might have pulled him in and had amazing sex with him. I’m telling you, it was one of the most powerful orgasms I’ve ever had.”
“Ever?” Mindy asked.
“Yes. Ever.”
“And then?” Mindy pressed, excitement evident on her face.
“And then we met up again the next night, and I got too drunk and passed out before anything could happen. Well, I passed out in the elevator, actually, and he carried me to my room. He brought me to my car the next morning, and that was the last I saw of him. He was supposed to meet me again at the bar that night but never showed up.”
Mindy’s face fell. “Wait, that’s it?”
“Yep. Now fix me a drink and let’s close this place,” Lilly said.
Mindy fixed Lilly a drink and set it on the bar. “So, he just disappeared?”
“Yes ma’am.” Lilly downed half of her drink. She didn’t realize that talking about Cass would put such a damper on her mood.
“Damn. Lilly that sucks. I’m sorry.”
“It is what it is. No big deal.” Lilly faked a smile and turned her glass up. Polishing off her drink, she slid the glass across the bar to Mindy, who was wiping down the counter.
“Anything happen around here while I was gone?” Lilly asked, hoping to draw attention away from the look on her face that she knew Mindy could read.
“Nothing of importance. Just the regulars. Oh, Kevin, the owner, did come in yesterday. He said something about an interested buyer. So, it might not be closing after all. But, nothing is set in stone and he hasn’t even met with the guy yet.” Mindy hung her head. She had been here for two years, and she had a sense of security here.
Lilly hated to think that Mindy might lose that. Hell, Lilly hated to think the place would close. She was behind on most of her bills and was on the verge of losing her house. She was a month late on the rent and had until the first to come up with two months’ rent. She knew it wouldn’t be possible, especially since business was as bad as it had ever been, so she was going to need to move. That truth still hadn’t changed.
Mindy finished cleaning, and the two of them walked out together. Lilly laughed. “It’s a Monday night, and the bar is closed before 10 p.m.”
Mindy smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Mondays suck anywhere.” Lilly hugged Mindy’s neck, and they went to their vehicles.
The only thing that Lilly owned was her car. She guessed that was why she took so much pride in it. Betty was her baby, and it was all she had.
The drive home was short; Lilly only lived ten minutes from the bar. She had a killer headache by the time her head hit the pillow. She took two over-the-counter meds and was asleep before she knew it.
Lilly slept hard that night, exhausted from her trip. When she woke up the next morning, her first thought was of Cass. Dammit. I have to get him out of my head.
“He’s nothing special, Lilly. Leave it alone.” She grabbed her phone and shot Mindy a text.
“Meet me at Astaire’s Seafood. I’m starving and need good company.”
Getting showered and throwing on some comfortable clothes, she left to meet Mindy for lunch. It was noon when she pulled into Astaire’s, and Mindy’s car was sitting in the parking lot.
“Good morning, sunshine,” Mindy said sarcastically when Lilly sat across the table from her.
“Good morning.” Lilly rubbed her face. She was still exhausted.
Ordering their meal, Mindy insisted on buying. She knew how hard up Lilly was for money and was forever trying to take care of her. Although Mindy didn’t have much, she had been much more responsible with her money and had a little bit in savings for hard times.
Mindy was twenty-eight, four years older than Lilly, and she always said that the reason Lilly was such a drifter was because the adult in her hadn’t kicked in yet. Lilly begged to differ, but Mindy wouldn’t hear it.
“You work tonight, huh?” Mindy asked.
“Yes. Unfortunately,” Lilly groaned.
“Hey, none of that. You need the money and even if it isn’t much, it’s something.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
They ate in silence, enjoying each other’s company. After they had finished eating, Mindy looked over at Lilly. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m just tired.”
“No, bullshit. You can tell anyone else that bogus excuse, but I know you. That is not, in fact, what is wrong with you, Lilly Amber. Now, if you don’t want to tell me, then fine. But I know you’re lying.”
“I just can’t get mystery biker out of my head,” Lilly confessed.
“Lilly, you’ve had one-night stands before. With men that were sexy as fuck and none of them ever got to you. What’s so special about this one?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s the fact that he stood me up. Maybe I really liked the person he was, or at least the person I thought he was. That could be it. I hate surprises, so maybe it’s because he threw a curve ball when I wasn’t expecting it,” Lilly said. “Anyway, I’m going home and getting ready for work.” Lilly stood up from the table.
“Lilly, don’t shut down on me. When you close tonight, which I’m sure will be around nine or ten, go home, get fixed up, and let’s go out. We’re getting you drunk and finding someone to occupy your mind.”
“How about we just play it by ear? I’m in to drink, but I don’t know about this whole finding someone to occupy my mind.” She hugged Mindy and walked out the door.
Lilly made it to work a few minutes early. Walking inside, she saw the boss sitting at the bar.
“To what do we owe the pleasure, Kevin?” she asked, pulling up a chair next to him.
“I’m calling a meeting tomorrow morning. I need all you girls here. I have some news, and I’d like to share it with the three of you at the same time.”
“Okay. What time?” Lilly asked, concerned.
“Well, we open at eleven, so let’s say nine thirty.”
“All right. Sounds good.”
“I’ll call Mindy and let her know, and I already told Carly.” He pointed in the direction of the girl working.
The night went by fast, with only five customers coming in. Lilly could shut down around nine, and she and Mindy agreed that because there was a meeting early in the morning, they weren’t going to go out drinking. Lilly wasn’t feeling up to it anyway, and she was glad that she had an excuse to be alone. She only made thirty dollars on her shift, and knowing that she wouldn’t have the money for rent, she decided that she was going to ask Kevin tomorrow if she could crash in the lounge area for the employees in the back of the bar. It had a kitchen, a full bathroom, and a couch.
It was a long stretch, but maybe he’d let her crash there until she could figure something else out. Deciding that she would wait until after the meeting tomorrow to ask, Lilly gathered her thoughts and formulated an approach. She hated having to ask anyone for help, but she had few options, and eviction was in her near future. Being realistic, she had time. How much, though, she wasn’t certain. Surely, Kevin would understand. After all, it was due to his business that she couldn’t afford to pay her bills.
Standing in the living room when she got home, she looked around. She had made few memories in this house, but the ones she had were dear to her. This place had started to grow on her. Lilly wasn’t ready to lose it now, especially not after she had worked so hard to move in. She and Mindy had great times here, from jam sessions while they cleaned and got the house ready for her to move in, to nights that lasted well into the morning with a few empty bottles of wine. Most of all, she wasn’t ready to lose the only sense of home and comfort she had felt since her dad passed away three years ago.
I’ll pack everything up tomorrow and store it in Mindy’s attic. Lilly released a sigh. This was going to hurt her pride, but she would pick herself back up.
She had been so engulfed in worrying about her finances that she hadn’t thought of Cass for the past few hours. Of course, she knew the thought of him would creep into the back of her mind when she was lonely. She was aching to be held while she broke down and cried over the changes that were coming her way, and, for some strange reason, the only person she wanted to hold her was Cass, the man who disappeared without a trace and didn’t even have the decency to tell her to fuck off.
Knowing that, in this moment, there was nothing she could do other than worry, Lilly went to bed. She was restless all night and by the time her alarm clock went off, she felt like she hadn’t slept at all. Looking in the mirror, her reflection confirmed that theory. I hope this meeting is short and to the point. I’m coming back home and getting some sleep as soon as it’s over. Changing into a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt, Lilly walked out the door.