Chapter Eight
Everett
the end, I went with my standard work uniform of a shirt and tie. But once I stepped out into the warm evening, I regretted choosing the long sleeves. Figuring I had the option, since this wasn't a real work event, I rolled my sleeves up to my elbows and hoped like hell Hal wouldn't notice.
I pulled up in front of Brynn's house and threw the car into park, ready to go to her front door and knock. But before I could take my first step, I caught a glimpse of bright blue blur before she popped up at my passenger door.
"Hang on a second, I left the living room light on," she said, turning and quickly running back up her porch to unlock her front door and switch it off, leaving me standing next to my car, staring.
Her dress was bright, electric, sapphire blue. The halter neck left a wide swath of her tanned back open, and the way the waist nipped in before falling down to swish around her knees made my throat go dry.
She turned back around and then stopped short. "What?" she asked.
I shook my head slowly as I took her in, from the sleek cap of her bright blonde hair down to her perfectly polished toes. "Damn," I said.
Her mouth twitched upward at the corner. "Is that a good damn?" she asked.
"Can't you tell?"
"I never can with you," she complained
"It's a good damn," I told her seriously. "Josh Withers had better shut his mouth. I definitely have the hottest date."
I could see the way she colored even in the low light of evening. "Yeah," she grinned. "But I'm just using you to get trashed on champagne and eat fancy food.”
"Fine by me," I said, walking around to open her door for her. Especially if you keep wearing that dress, I didn't add.
She paused as I swung open the passenger door, doing a sort of doubletake before she grinned at me and slid into the seat. I could smell the sun on her skin and wondered how she'd spent today. It crossed my mind that I really didn't know anything about how Brynn liked to spend her days, and I made it a note to remedy that.
"I can't believe I'm finally getting to the country club," she said, as I pulled out onto the main road.
I snuck a quick look at her as I made the left. "You mean you've never been?" I asked, slightly confused.
"No," she said shaking her head. "I've driven past it a million times, but I've never actually been in it." She looked at me. "Your parents belong, don't they?"
I shook my head. "No, but they have friends that do. I went to a few things there growing up. It was boring as hell then, and it still is now."
She laughed lightly. "Wow, way to sell this date, McCabe."
I snuck another look at her to see that she was suddenly looking down at her hands, fingers twisting around themselves. The word date kind of hung there in the air, and I wasn't certain if I should let it, or if I should let her off the hook.
I decided the latter option was the more gentlemanly of me.
"Didn't your class have the senior prom at the country club though?" I asked her, changing the subject away from dates and whatever it was we were doing tonight.
"No," she sighed, turning to look out the window. "That year was the year we got caught having an underage party in the woods." There was an odd note in her voice. "A bunch of us weren't allowed to go to that prom."
I whistled through my teeth. "That really sucks," I said.
"It did," she said, nodding.
"Seems little harsh," I ventured.
She looked at me. "I'm surprised to hear you say that."
"Really? Why?"
"You're such a rules guy."
I darted a quick look at her, her words striking hotly. "Am I?"
She tucked her hair behind her ear and went silent. I could see she was uncomfortable, so I fell silent too.
"Well," I finally said as I flicked on my blinker to turn left. "Now is your chance to see the country club after all these years. Here we are."
Fallsview Country Club didn't really have a view of the Falls, but it did have a rather incredible view of the lake itself. Situated on a bluff to the north of town, it angled around the bend in the lake, so you could see the whole sixteen-mile length almost at once. White boats dotted the blue water below us and white gulls wheeled in the blue sky above and Brynn grabbed my arm with an appreciative gasp. "Shit," she said. "It's so pretty up here."
"You're prettier," I told her.
She laughed dismissively. "You're useful to have around for my ego too, aren't you Rett?" she said.
I licked my lips. She still didn't take me seriously. It didn't matter.
She would soon.