“What exactly does that mean?”
“I mean, like, fancy people. Well-spoken and classy and just, I don’t know. Different.”
“You think they are better than you?”
“No, no way,” Casey scoffed. “I might not get through the night without a speech about how poverty builds character and breeds fantastic individual art.”
Gerri smiled. “I understand, dear. I assure you, you can be yourself, and Jake is only going to love you more.”
“I don’t want to screw this up,” Casey said softly.
Gerri reached out and patted her hand. “Maybe, you’re so used to disappointment, you’re talking yourself out of this before you even get started.”
“What?”
“You’re using all of this as an excuse to not get excited about this. Killing your hope for the future just in case it doesn’t work out.”
Casey went to protest, but the words died in her throat. She realized that Gerri might be right, and she didn’t like what that said about her.
Has all my individuality been some desperate attempt to protect myself from a feeling of inadequacy?
“Casey,” Gerri said in a warning tone. Casey looked up, but Gerri was stretched out on her back with soothing pads over her eyes.
“Yes?”
“Lie back in that recliner, let these girls pamper you silly, and feel good about going on this date. Let yourself be excited. You’re going out with a gorgeous man. You’ve got fabulous new clothes and a luxurious beauty treatment. Good things happened to you today, and they are going to keep happening, I promise you.”
Casey leaned back in the recliner, letting the attendant place the green pads over her eyes. Even though she still had a lot of doubt, there was one thing she couldn’t help getting excited about.
Seeing Jake.
She couldn’t wait to look into his deep blue eyes again, to hear his laugh, and catch that slight grin he made when she surprised him.
Maybe I should worry less about fitting into his world … and think a bit more about how much I like him.
Casey grinned as she let her imagination roam free. When it came to Jake, there certainly were a lot of good things to look forward to.
CHAPTERFIVE
JAKE
Jake glared at himself in the mirror. It was not lost on him how much this moment resembled the last time he was preparing for a date with Casey.
“I don’t know,” he said gruffly. “I did like the black one.”
“Too formal, bro,” Scott said, shaking his head. “It’s a double-breasted dinner jacket. It fits better on a tux.”
Jake frowned, not liking his brother’s answer. Scott sat near the mirror, kicking his feet at the legs of a straight-backed chair.
“I don’t like this blue jacket,” he muttered. “It’s too … bright.”
Scott sighed, getting up to straighten the shoulders and smooth the arms down. “It’s quite dark. It’s not like you’re wearing electric blue velvet here.”
Jake laughed. “Maybe I should. If I’m going to fuck up, I might as well make it a real train wreck.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Scott said, stepping back to check out the suit again. “As if you ever fuck up.”
Scott’s words did nothing to comfort him. Jake had a moment of utter clarity as he stared at himself in the mirror. “I’m not wearing this. I want to wear the gray one.”