A wasp in a beehive.
The implications of that analogy did nothing to comfort him, especially because Casey’s artsy friends would probably see him the exact same way.
“I’m so sorry,” Casey said, reading his expression. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. “I didn’t want any of this to happen. I didn’t mean to make you feel so left out.”
Jake stroked the top of her head, resting his chin in her hair.
“It’s like my whole life in this family,” he said softly. “I don’t fit in. I never dreamed that being so good at making money would shut me out of so many different worlds.”
Casey shook her head, looking up at him. “If my friends are really my friends, then they’ll love you, even in your tailored suit. Trust me,” she whispered, leaning up to kiss him softly. “There is nothing sexier than you at your confident, alpha-cat best.”
“Really?” he asked, kissing her back.
“Really,” she said.
Jake wrapped his arms around her and kissed her with even more passion. He was surprised when she pulled away a little. “Where are you going?”
“I think there’s no time like the present,” she said, grinning. “The endless now? It’s still early, not even six yet. Let me run back to my place and organize a few things, and I’ll text you where to meet us.”
“Okay,” he said. Jake was a little disappointed that the evening wasn’t going to go as planned, but he was excited to meet Casey’s friends. He also appreciated that she felt like she’d made a mistake and hurt him, and now she wanted to fix it as quickly as possible.
He watched her go, then hurried to clean up the table and put out the lanterns. As Jake went upstairs to get ready, he realized he’d never been so nervous, even when he was striding into a boardroom to make a multimillion-dollar deal.
He dressed with care, giving himself a clean shave and lightly tousling his hair. For a brief moment, he wished he had Scott with him, then shook it off. Bringing more “elitist” art people couldn’t help his cause.
Jake left the house, taking his own car. He didn’t want to show up at a casual beer garden with a driver and a limo. On the way there, Casey texted him the address, and he couldn’t help a rising sense of anxiety as he cruised into the cheaper part of town.
I’m not like them. I’m nothing like them.
He found a place to park the car and headed up the narrow street. The buildings were made of brick that was slowly rotting away, leaving pits and craters on the corners. The pavement was narrow, the slabs of concrete cracked and sticking up like broken icebergs.
He came into a wide, well-lit gateway in a section of wooden fence. Inside he could see cheap wicker and wire furniture crowded around rickety tables. Flickering, faulty fairy lights were strung from the spindly trees above.
The place was packed with colorful people, all of them bearing tattoos, piercings, and very individual haircuts. Jake took a deep breath and held it, trying to calm himself.
I bet a wasp in a beehive doesn’t feel this freaked out.
There was a sudden eruption of laughter that drew his eye to the back of the garden. A girl with violent, blood-red hair stood up, waving a cheap bottle of beer.
“Casey’s got a boyfriend,” she sang.
Jake’s blood ran cold. As the girl danced a little jig, he saw his mate sitting just behind her, cheeks blushing bright pink.
“A rich boyfriend,” laughed one of the guys. “I mean, how rich are we talkin’? Could he buy and sell the Slaughterhouse?”
Jake felt a moment of panic until he realized that was the name of the establishment. “Ten times,” Casey said, but she didn’t sound proud.
She sounds … embarrassed.
“You’re selling out, aren’t you?” asked one of the other girls. “How can you stand him? Doesn’t he wear gross suits and walk around with his head up his ass?”
“Yeah,” Casey said, laughing. “He has no idea what it is to be real…you know. Don’t give me so much shit, okay? I know it isn’t going anywhere. I’m just hanging on for the ride.”
Jake began to back away slowly. His eyes were fixed on the table where Casey sat with her friends, praying that none of them would look his way while he made his escape.
There was no way he could walk into that room, let alone eat dinner with those people. He knew that he could never keep a tether on his emotions after hearing something like that, and he would only fight with Casey and probably her friends too.
Finally, Jake was far enough away to turn on his heel and stride down the street back to his car. There was a riot of emotion inside him…hate, anger, fear, jealousy…but more than anything, he was hurt.