“Be sure that you do. The way that guy seemed to talk has me a little nervous. Something like this might cool his jets for a little while.”
“It certainly couldn’t hurt. Cassidy hanging out with me alone could be seen as an intimate relationship, but if she went out with me and my sister, it would come across as three friends catching up. That was something I could do, at least for a little while. It wasn’t something I’d accept forever, but if it meant getting her manager off her case for the time being, then it was worth a shot.
Chapter Fourteen
Ferdinand’s was on the other side of town and a lot fancier than Maggie’s tiny cafe. The place had an actual dress code, so after searching my closet for a nice gown I could wear, I took a deep breath and faced the mirror. It’d been ages since I dressed up and longer still since I’d worn the yellow gown.
Bridget had convinced me to keep the dress just in case, and for once, I was glad she did. I honestly never expected to wear it after our father passed away. It was something he bought for me back when the shop was busy and we had a small party on the first Fridays of the month. It was the only time we allowed food and drink in the shop. It was also a time when the books were deeply discounted depending on how many you bought.
Folks loved it, but after he died, I couldn’t bring myself to celebrate the way he did. Turning those first customers away was hard, and eventually, they stopped coming.
I exhaled hard, pressing my palms into the top of my dresser. That’s when it all started to go downhill, all because I’d stopped one silly tradition.
Looking at myself now, I couldn’t believe I ever forgot. I’d pushed those memories to the back of my mind, just as I’d done with the gown in my closet. Now that I had it on, all of those memories came rushing back.
“I can’t do this,” I said, my voice wavering a bit as I refused to meet my own gaze.
I never should’ve agreed to one of my sister’s schemes. She meant well, but if I’d realized where we were going… if I knew taking out the gown would bring back so much pain…
You still would’ve done it, a small voice said in the back of my mind.
I still would’ve agreed, and I still would’ve put on the gown. I also couldn’t stand the thought of letting Cassidy down, so after a handful of steadying breaths, I smoothed the delicate fabric, got my things, then headed for the restaurant.
Cassidy agreed to meet us there, and once I spotted her car, I pulled in right next to her. My sister arrived a few minutes later.
Dressed to the nines in a pale blue gown with only a shawl to keep warm, Cassidy looked at me from under her long lashes and smiled.
“You look lovely,” she said, throwing her arms around me as the three of us gathered outside the restaurant doors. “And look at you!” she said, gesturing to my sister’s black cocktail dress.
“It’s no biggie,” Bridget said, turning a circle and being as dramatic as ever. “I had it lying around.”
“Don’t listen to her. She wears that thing whenever she gets the chance,” I said with a laugh. “Blind dates, second dates, you name it.”
“That doesn’t change the fact I look amazing in it,” Bridget said with a huge smile on her face. “I told you that dress would come in handy someday.”
I wet my lips, smoothing the wrinkles out of the fabric and hoping the bottom of my gown wouldn’t drag on the floor.
“You did,” I said, my voice not nearly as confident as I would’ve liked.
When Cassidy looked at me with concern, Bridget stepped between us and hooked her arms with ours. I knew she did it to keep Cassidy from asking about it, and as much as I would’ve loved to tell Cassidy all about the gown my father gave me, my heart seized whenever I thought about bringing it up.
Nerves that, once we stepped inside, got worse.
A soft melody played on the overhead speakers, the sound of a violin grating on my nerves more than it ever should.
“Just three tonight?” the hostess asked, focused on the menus behind the counter. “Oh my gosh, you’re Cassidy Blake.”
So much for a quiet evening. She practically screamed Cassidy’s name, and as we stood in the doorway, some of the patrons looked our way.
Heat burned my cheeks, but Cassidy took it in stride, smiling when the hostess walked us back to our table.
“So, how long have you two been together?” the hostess asked once we sat down.
The three of us laughed, me and Cassidy because of nerves, and my sister because she was way better at acting than I ever was.
“Just friends,” I said, silently thanking her for my coffee as I stared into the dark liquid.
“We’ve actually known each other since we were kids,”