He won.”
“That doesn’t matter,” she snapped. “I don’t want Scott to ruin his life savings.”
“Well, it’s his money,” Tony said. “He can do whatever he wants.”
She glared at him again.
“Are you going to introduce me to your friends?” he asked.
She sighed. “This is my brother, Tony.”
I looked at him. “Hi.”
He nodded.
Layla shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too,” Tony said. He took a seat at the table directly across from me. It was hard for me not to stare at him. I wanted to kiss him or embrace him in some way.
Janet looked at her brother. “How’s it going with Jasmine?”
He looked uncomfortable. “We stopped dating a while ago.”
“You just went out with her a few weeks ago.”
My heart clenched painfully.
“It was a month ago,” he corrected. “I haven’t seen her since.”
“What was wrong with her?” she asked. “You were dating for a while.”
“She wasn’t the right person.” He looked at me then turned away.
Now I wondered if he had been dating her while he was dating me. I really hoped not. I’d grown very attached to Tony. I loved spending time with him, going to the games with him, out to dinner, and sleeping with him.
Scott’s glance kept moving back and forth between us. I wondered if Tony told him the truth.
“Why haven’t you introduced me to your friends before this?” Tony asked, changing the subject.
She looked away. “No reason. It just didn’t happen.”
Tony didn’t look convinced.
Scott wrapped his arm around Janet’s shoulder. “Do you want anything at the bar?”
“I’m okay, babe.”
I felt sick to my stomach so I left the table and went to the bar. I needed a moment. If I went to the bathroom, everyone would know something was bothering me. Now it looked like I just wanted another drink.
When I sat down, I ordered a scotch.
Tony appeared at my side a moment later. “I wasn’t dating her at the same t ime,” he said without preamble.
“It sounds like it,” I said without looking at him.
He stood over me, very close to my arm. “I was dating her the first time we went out. After the game, I knew how much I liked you. When I went home, I broke it off with her. We were never exclusive, but I felt guilty dating her while I was dating you. And that’s why I didn’t kiss you. I felt like that would be disrespectful to both of you.”
I finally looked at him. “Really?”
“That’s the truth.”
“Okay.”
“You believe me?”
I nodded.
“We’re okay?”
“Yeah.”
He breathed a sigh of relief. “I was scared for a second.”
“You haven’t been seeing anyone else, right?”
His eyes narrowed. “Of course not. I said we were exclusive. And I’m with you all the time. When would I have time to date someone else?”
“I’m sorry I said that.”
“It’s okay,” he said. “I know you’ve had a rough day.”
I drank my glass then ordered another. “Does Scott know about us?”
He nodded. “He said he wouldn’t tell her.”
“I don’t think I can keep this up any longer. I just want to be honest about it.”
“Give it some more time.”
“What are you waiting for?”
“Let’s just wait a little bit.”
I sighed. “Well, you should go back to the table so it doesn’t look suspicious.”
“It’s hard for me to leave you when you seem upset.”
“I’m fine, Tony.”
“Okay.” He walked away and returned to the table. I downed another scotch then swallowed the bitter aftertaste.
“Cassie ?”
I turned in my seat. “Danny?” My heart stopped beating altogether. I hadn’t seen him in almost two years. I never ran into him on the subway or at a restaurant. I thought I would never run into him. And that’s what I wanted. To never see him again.
He sat in the chair next to me. “How are you?”
“I’m good,” I lied.
Danny stared at me with the gray eyes I used to love. “I’m glad you’re well.”
“Yeah…” Now I just wanted
“That doesn’t matter,” she snapped. “I don’t want Scott to ruin his life savings.”
“Well, it’s his money,” Tony said. “He can do whatever he wants.”
She glared at him again.
“Are you going to introduce me to your friends?” he asked.
She sighed. “This is my brother, Tony.”
I looked at him. “Hi.”
He nodded.
Layla shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too,” Tony said. He took a seat at the table directly across from me. It was hard for me not to stare at him. I wanted to kiss him or embrace him in some way.
Janet looked at her brother. “How’s it going with Jasmine?”
He looked uncomfortable. “We stopped dating a while ago.”
“You just went out with her a few weeks ago.”
My heart clenched painfully.
“It was a month ago,” he corrected. “I haven’t seen her since.”
“What was wrong with her?” she asked. “You were dating for a while.”
“She wasn’t the right person.” He looked at me then turned away.
Now I wondered if he had been dating her while he was dating me. I really hoped not. I’d grown very attached to Tony. I loved spending time with him, going to the games with him, out to dinner, and sleeping with him.
Scott’s glance kept moving back and forth between us. I wondered if Tony told him the truth.
“Why haven’t you introduced me to your friends before this?” Tony asked, changing the subject.
She looked away. “No reason. It just didn’t happen.”
Tony didn’t look convinced.
Scott wrapped his arm around Janet’s shoulder. “Do you want anything at the bar?”
“I’m okay, babe.”
I felt sick to my stomach so I left the table and went to the bar. I needed a moment. If I went to the bathroom, everyone would know something was bothering me. Now it looked like I just wanted another drink.
When I sat down, I ordered a scotch.
Tony appeared at my side a moment later. “I wasn’t dating her at the same t ime,” he said without preamble.
“It sounds like it,” I said without looking at him.
He stood over me, very close to my arm. “I was dating her the first time we went out. After the game, I knew how much I liked you. When I went home, I broke it off with her. We were never exclusive, but I felt guilty dating her while I was dating you. And that’s why I didn’t kiss you. I felt like that would be disrespectful to both of you.”
I finally looked at him. “Really?”
“That’s the truth.”
“Okay.”
“You believe me?”
I nodded.
“We’re okay?”
“Yeah.”
He breathed a sigh of relief. “I was scared for a second.”
“You haven’t been seeing anyone else, right?”
His eyes narrowed. “Of course not. I said we were exclusive. And I’m with you all the time. When would I have time to date someone else?”
“I’m sorry I said that.”
“It’s okay,” he said. “I know you’ve had a rough day.”
I drank my glass then ordered another. “Does Scott know about us?”
He nodded. “He said he wouldn’t tell her.”
“I don’t think I can keep this up any longer. I just want to be honest about it.”
“Give it some more time.”
“What are you waiting for?”
“Let’s just wait a little bit.”
I sighed. “Well, you should go back to the table so it doesn’t look suspicious.”
“It’s hard for me to leave you when you seem upset.”
“I’m fine, Tony.”
“Okay.” He walked away and returned to the table. I downed another scotch then swallowed the bitter aftertaste.
“Cassie ?”
I turned in my seat. “Danny?” My heart stopped beating altogether. I hadn’t seen him in almost two years. I never ran into him on the subway or at a restaurant. I thought I would never run into him. And that’s what I wanted. To never see him again.
He sat in the chair next to me. “How are you?”
“I’m good,” I lied.
Danny stared at me with the gray eyes I used to love. “I’m glad you’re well.”
“Yeah…” Now I just wanted
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