It was a lie. Cassie knew as much, but the scowl on Ally’s face said she didn’t want Jonah to know otherwise. Great. Now she’d have to lie. She hated lying. More than that, she hated that she’d been wrong. Ally wasn’t giving Jonah a chance.
“Tomorrow is Saturday,” he grumbled. “What could you possibly… You know what. It’s none of my business.”
The discouraging tone of his voice pulled at Cassie’s heart. He wasn’t going to pressure Ally, no matter how much he wanted to talk to her. It was proof of how much he still cared.
Cassie refused to give up hope. There was still time to change Ally’s mind. All she had to do was—
Hinges groaned behind her. She turned in time to see the door open and a man as tall as Jonah step out. “Hey Jonah, we’re gonna—whoa.” His piercing gaze shifted in her direction. “Cassie…? Cassie Clarke?”
No. Fucking. Way.
“Theo McCabe… Long time no see.”
“You ain’t lying.” He studied every inch of her body, making it heat in places she never expected. But the warmth faded the moment he noticed Ally. “Holy shit… Cassie Clarke and Ally Jacobs. This is an all around blast from the past.”
He had that much right. Only it was better—much better. Theo didn’t look like the troublemaker she remembered, the tall, yet average-sized boy that had one hell of a right hook. He seemed taller, and judging by the size of his biceps, he probably hadn’t lost his ability to throw a good punch. But average was no way to describe him…neither was calling him a boy.
He was a man, a well-built, drool-worthy, make-your-panties-wet-in-an-instant type of man. And he couldn’t take his eyes off her.
“So ladies, what are you doing after the show?”
I know what I’d like to be doing… You.
Warmth filled her cheeks when Theo’s brows knitted, like he’d heard her thoughts. She gave herself a mental kick in the ass for even thinking about him that way. She never had in the past, but then, he never looked this good before.
Stop it.
It was silence that interrupted her inner chastising. She’d expected Ally to answer Theo’s question since she was the one in a hurry, but her best friend stood there, gawking at him and Jonah. Guess her guilty conscious was catching up with her, which left Cassie to explain the situation, or rather, Ally’s version of the situation.
“We’re actually waiting for a cab. Ally has to get up early tomorrow.”
She shot her friend a you-owe-me-a-favor look then turned back to Theo. The way his lips uncurled from the smile they held said he was as disappointed as Jonah. And she couldn’t live with that.
“Maybe we can get together whenever you guys come back to town.”
She clamped her mouth shut when she realized what she’d said. All the effort Ally put into discouraging Jonah’s advances vanished with the comment. Maybe that’s why she was glaring. Cassie did her best to ignore her, but Ally would undoubtedly bring up the subject later, on the ride home.
Theo didn’t seem to notice the hostility. He continued staring in her direction as he replied, “Oh, I’ll be here a couple weeks.”
The huge grin on his face was contagious. It caused her cheeks to tighten in the same manner. She didn’t fight it—couldn’t fight it. He’d always had a way of making her laugh.
When his smile finally receded, he stepped close enough that she smelled the crisp, cool scent of his skin. “Jonah’s leaving the week after next, but he’ll be back. Should we call you to set something up before he leaves?”
Now was the time to backtrack what she’d said earlier so Ally wouldn’t murder her after they left. She had to appear uninterested…because she wasn’t interested…was she?”
She pushed back the confusion filling her mind and responded with the best answer she could. “Why don’t you give me your number? I’ll check back with you.”
“I hope so,” he answered, yet doubt blazed in his eyes as he waited for her to dig her cell out of her back pocket.
Once she had her phone in her hand, she glanced up to his face, expecting to catch him gawking at her. Instead, he observed his brother and Ally as they spoke in softer voices. Whatever they were saying, she didn’t bother listening, not when she couldn’t stop staring at Theo.
After a few seconds, he refaced her. A soft chuckle passed over his lips, and then he tilted his head toward Jonah and Ally. “Some things never change.”
Cassie nodded. She studied her friend, as well as his brother, and then turned back to him. His gaze held her in place, just like it did when he first joined them.
“You’re right. Some things don’t.” She admired the development of his body before concentrating on his face. “Then again, some things do.”
His face lit up and half a smile crooked his lips. Holy hell, he was gorgeous.
Tempering the attraction that seemed to be forming, she focused on her phone and asked for his number. Each digit he rattled off appeared on her screen until a full phone number displayed.
Once it recorded under his name, she tucked her phone back into her pocket and stole a quick peek at his left hand. There was no sign of a ring, not even an indention where one might have been. That meant there was a good chance he was single. Unless he had a girlfriend…
Does it really matter? It’s Theo McCabe. He isn’t even my type…
The back door to Midnight Blues swung open again. Both she and Theo turned to see who had come outside when she noticed Mike. He scanned each face aimed in his direction but kept looking between her and Theo.
Finally settling on her, he leaned against the door and said, “Your cab’s here.”
“Thanks, Mike.”
She winked at him, just like she normally did, but she couldn’t deny that the jealous vibes she sensed earlier had returned. First Jonah, now Theo… What was his problem tonight?
Turning toward Ally, she tugged on her sleeve and motioned toward the door. “Come on. Let’s get you home.”
“I’m right behind you.”
Before Ally joined her, Jonah cut off her path. He spoke in a soft voice, making it difficult to hear what he was saying. Cassie didn’t want to know anyway. She wanted to tell Theo goodbye, but Mike hadn’t left the doorway.
Damn him.
Fed up with his hot and cold attitude, she parted her lips to ask what his problem was this time, but Theo moved between them. “You really gonna make use of that number?”
Cassie nodded. “Sure will, handsome.”
She didn’t miss the way Mike’s eyes narrowed before he walked away. Good. That meant he heard her call Theo handsome. If he was going to think the worst of her, she might as well have fun doing it.
Theo could help her achieve that goal. He’d show her a good time—one hell of a good time—in any and every position she wanted.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Cassie pressed her back against the wicker chair on Ally’s porch and finished off the last of her cocktail. Rum burned its way down her throat as she set her empty glass on the table positioned between her and her friend. The wind seemed to whisper between the oak trees lining the street in front of Ally’s house, but the comforting sound didn’t ease the tension knotting Cassie’s neck.
What a night it had been… No, it was more like, what a day. From the ass chewing she received at the studio to all the crazy shit that unfolded at Midnight Blues, it had been more than a day from hell. It was an all-inclusive trip into a shit storm of love, lies, and lunatics. Not even the devil would subject his tormented soul to such chaos.
The fun didn’t stop when they left the club. From the twenty-minute cab ride they’d spent in silence, to the moment Ally walked inside and started pouring drinks, Cassie knew her friend was pissed. But it wasn’t until they downed their first drink that Ally’s tongue loosened.
Boy, did it loosen…
It came as no surprise that Ally was upset over her suggestion to Theo. The one about them getting together when he and Jonah got back in town. They?
??d spent the last three hours discussing it, as well as debating over her friend’s feelings for Jonah.
At least they had been, until five minutes ago when Ally dropped the conversation that had her squirming in her seat. She was drunk. There was no question in Cassie’s mind. Her friend hadn’t held back on the liquor she used for the five cocktails she’d made them.
Shifting her gaze to the center of the table, Cassie focused on the citronella candle, the same one Ally lit when they brought their drinks outside and sat in the chairs. She came into view, but the canopy of oak branches and Spanish moss held her friend’s attention.
If it weren’t for the way she was jiggling her foot, Cassie would swear Ally had fallen asleep. She wished she could judge her friend’s mental state. The last thing she wanted was for Ally’s first weekend back to end with a fight that kept them from talking.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay with you?”
Ally’s chest inflated as she took a deep breath and then released it. “Yeah, I’m sure. I’ll be fine. I really don’t feel like having company.”
“You know I want what’s best for you, don’t you?”
Weary eyes met Cassie’s. “I know. I’m sorry for being so pissy with you. I’m in a state of confusion right now and I need time to process everything.”
Cassie couldn’t agree more, but she kept her thoughts to herself. If Ally gave herself time to think about Jonah without letting the past weigh in her conclusion, she’d see what Cassie saw all along—that Jonah had it bad for Ally.
“Seriously, Cass, don’t worry. I’m fine. I’m going straight to bed once you leave. All of this other stuff can wait until tomorrow.”
It was the best news Cassie had heard in the last twenty-four hours. Ally was in dire need of sleep. They both were, but Cassie had gotten used to long days and short nights. Life in the music industry had a way of doing that to people.
“You promise you will call me if you need anything, right?”
Once she noticed Ally nod, she concentrated on the street. The cab would be pulling up any second. Enough time had passed since she called them. In a way, she was relieved to be going home. It hadn’t been the best night for either of them. If Mike sent her one more text, she’d block his number.
“I feel bad for getting you drunk and then asking for space. Maybe you should just stay. I’ll pass out in a few minutes anyway.”
“Please,” Cassie snorted. “I’m buzzed, but I wouldn’t say I’m drunk. You, my friend, are very drunk. You need to get some sleep.”
A goofy smile curled Ally’s lips as she turned in Cassie’s direction. Her body swayed from side to side. If she didn’t go to bed soon, she’d do a face plant on the table.
Guess that was better than the concrete at their feet.
At least the tension began to fade, and not a moment too soon. A flicker of light drew their attention back to the street where the cab began to slow two houses down. She couldn’t wait to get home and let the day be over.
“Cass?” Ally began as both stood. “This whole night went to hell because of me. You wouldn’t let me pay for the drinks, so will you at least let me pay for the cab?”
“Nope. I’ve got this.” The words barely made it out of Cassie’s mouth when realization jolted through her. Her purse was nowhere in sight, nor did she remember getting it back from Mike. That meant it was still at the club, locked away in the cabinet.
Shit…
She didn’t dare mention this to Ally. Her friend would either insist she stay or insist on paying for the cab again. Neither option would keep Cassie from the inevitable. She had to face Mike, and for more reasons than to collect her purse.
It was that thought that had her opening the front door of Ally’s house and motioning her friend to go inside. “I’m not leaving until I know you’re in bed. Let’s go, missy.”
Ally parted her lips like she would argue, but Cassie shook her head and pointed again. Her friend slumped her shoulders and walked inside while Cassie motioned to the cabbie to give her a minute. When he nodded, she followed Ally to her bedroom. It wouldn’t take long to make sure she made it to bed without passing out on the floor. Once she did, Cassie could head back to Midnight Blues.
While she wasn’t looking forward to seeing Mike, especially after all the texts he’d sent, she couldn’t deny that a certain level of excitement pulsed through her veins. And that excitement stemmed from the thought of seeing the McCabe brothers one more time.
One McCabe brother in particular.
* * *
Cassie observed the entrance of Midnight Blues once the cab pulled up to the curb. The crowd of people who’d been hanging outside, smoking and chatting, had dispersed into different directions on the street.
The minute she exited the cab, she noticed the lack of music pouring from the club’s open door. Guess Theo’s band had finished their set. There was a good chance that he and Jonah were no longer there, seeing as how it was close to one a.m.
A twinge of disappointment had her hesitating from going any further, but it was the cabbie’s voice that forced her to brush aside the thoughts. “You sure you don’t want me to wait for you, sugar?”
“Yeah, I’m sure. I don’t know how long I’m gonna be.”
She reached inside her back pocket and removed the money she’d found not long after they’d left Ally’s house. Had she not dug her phone out of her back pocket to read all of Mike’s texts, she still wouldn’t know about the money.
At least she wouldn’t have to come back out and pay her fare once she collected her purse from Mike. As long as they didn’t get into another long discussion, she’d search for Theo and Jonah. Hopefully, they were still around and in the mood to talk, not that she couldn’t find better things to do with Theo than hold a conversation…
Handing the driver the money, she told him to keep the change and made her way toward the door. With every step, she cursed inwardly. What the hell was her problem anyway? She’d never allowed a guy to occupy her mind as much as Theo had over the last few hours. It wasn’t just the fact he was on her mind. It was the images produced by those thoughts.
This was karma catching up with her. All the years she’d spent flirting with him was back to bite her in the ass. Accepting such a conclusion would imply that Theo had been interested in her when they were younger. They’d flirted, but nothing more. He never took the initiative. Why would she?
Maybe something would have developed between them had he not gotten into a fight with Parker Pearson. Doing so got him expelled from school and kicked out of his house. His entire life changed. It’s why he left for New Orleans and convinced Jonah to leave with him.
Speak of the devil…
She spotted Jonah at the end of the bar talking to Jimmy, who he’d handed what she assumed was money. Jimmy’s quick trip to the register confirmed her suspicion. While he collected Jonah’s change, she refocused on the eldest McCabe and watched him knock back the last of his beer. When Jimmy approached, he waved him away and mouthed what looked like ‘keep the change’. A second later, he stood up from his stool and made for the hallway in the back of the club.
It was there that he met Theo who was waiting under the archway with a huge grin on his face. Cassie wished he were smiling because he’d noticed her enter the bar. On the contrary, he flashed his pearly whites at his older brother as both stood in front of the other, discussing something.
She started to bypass the bar and head in their direction until she noticed a pair of dainty hands pulling at Theo’s clothes. The smile on his face increased, especially when another pair of hands joined the first. Though she couldn’t see either face, it wasn’t hard to figure out that two women were standing behind him. When he turned around and wrapped his arms around two figures, she knew without a doubt that he’d found his entertainment for the evening.
After he disappeared into the hall with Jonah on his heels, Cassie rerouted herself to the bar and sat on a stool. She caug
ht a glimpse of Mike and Jimmy working the opposite end from where she sat. Not that it mattered much to her. She wasn’t in any hurry to face Mike.
Her eyes lowered to the blue bar top as the earlier conversation she’d had with Theo played through her mind. Irritation prickled her skin, causing it to heat beyond comfort. She was an idiot, plain and simple. Why had she even given him a second glance? The time she’d spent flirting with him probably inflated his ego more than it already was.
Screw it. Let him think she wanted him. Whatever. She wouldn’t have to face him again. In fact, whenever she got home, she’d delete his number from her contact list. It would make Ally happy, even if the thought knotted her gut.
Whatever had gotten into her tonight, she hoped it was gone by morning. Maybe she was coming down with something. She did get a little sensitive when she was sick.
“I see you finally got my texts.”
Mike’s voice was surprisingly calm considering the tone of his last message. She wished like hell he hadn’t been such a pain in the ass earlier. He would be a great distraction tonight—from her shitty day, from the tension with Ally, from any and every thought of Theo.
“Yeah, I got them. I’m sorry I didn’t respond. I was taking care of my friend.”
He gripped the edge of the bar and leaned his weight against his hands. “Then why are you back?”
“To get my purse. Isn’t that why you were texting in the first place?”
“You know your stuff’s safe here until you need it. You could have waited until morning.”
No, she couldn’t have, but she kept the thought to herself. Explaining that would only cause him to ask a ton of questions, questions she didn’t want to answer. The less he knew about what happened in the alley, the quicker she could forget it. She wanted to forget it, and the whole day.
“Ally is fine. She’s tucked in bed, probably having an awesome dream about hot sex with some stranger. I’m quite envious. So, if you’d please hand me my purse, I’ll be on my way home to do the same.”