Page 32 of Gin & Jewels
“What the hell is going on?” Keith asked, stomping out of his bedroom.
“Nothing,” I replied and entered my room. I shut the door and locked it.
Fuck Micky.
As I grabbedmy tux out of my closet, I felt like that chick in the movie who had been a bridesmaid multiple times. The only difference was I didn’t want to be a groom.
I pulled up in front of Cassie’s house and cut the engine. Just like the night before, I made my way up to the door. This time, I was able to ring the doorbell before she answered, except it wasn’t Cassie. It was a guy, maybe a few years younger than me, with a baseball cap on backward and wearing jeans and a T-shirt. While he was only a couple inches shorter than me, I clearly had at least a fifty-pound advantage—most of it muscle mass.
As he looked me over from my head to my feet and back up, I smelled marijuana coming from the inside. “Yeah?”
“I’m here to pick up Cassie.”
“And you are?”
I didn’t know who this guy was, but I was positive I didn’t like him. “Brad—”
“Hey,” Cassie greeted, pulling the door open more and stepping out. She was dressed in a short navy dress with pink roses scattered over the entire dress that showed her perfect legs. Her blonde hair was up in a ponytail, and I was once again hit by how pure and innocent she looked. She was the opposite of what I was used to, and maybe why I was so drawn to her. The women who paid for dates knew what they wanted and got what they wanted, but Cassie was different.
“Sorry. I’m ready.”
I looked back at the guy, who was still staring at me. Was that her brother? “Where are you going?” the guy asked.
Cassie slipped past him to leave and snapped over her shoulder, “It’s none of your business, Micky.”
“Cassie,” he called.
“Bye, Micky!”
I turned to follow Cassie as she walked toward my truck, but Micky’s words stopped me in my tracks.
“Do I know you from somewhere?”
I looked down at him and furrowed my brow. “No, I don’t think so. But don’t worry, I’ll take care of Cassie.” Without another word, Cassie and I got into my truck, and I drove away from the curb.
“Sorry about him,” she said.
“Is that your brother?”
She snorted. “No. That’s his friend Micky—hisroommate.”
It wasn’t the first time she had stressed that it was her brother who had the roommates, even though they all lived in the same house. It gave me the impression that she didn’t like her brother’s friends. “He seems protective of you.”
“It’s because—” She hesitated to finish, and then seemed to change her entire thought. “I don’t know why. I barely talk to my brother and his friends. Plus, I’m a grown-ass woman.”
I grinned at her sass. “I see that.”
“See what?” She looked over at me.
“That you’re a grown-ass woman.”
A blush crept across her cheeks, and then she looked away as though I’d embarrassed her. She was beautiful, and if things progressed to where I could teach her more than just driving and how to be more fearless, then I would be happy with that too.
Vinny’s wedding was being held at my boss’s house—of course. It seemed to be the thing to do with our crew since Mark had a nice house, and he was ordained. Both Paul and Vinny had gotten married at the same location. Plus, since the guys getting married weren’t in the game any longer, they had to save money somehow, especially Vinny, who had two kids to feed.
Cassie followed me up the walkway and into Mark’s house. It was sleek, modern, and mostly all white. “Let’s find the women so you can hang out with them,” I suggested.
“I don’t want to impose.”
