“Of course, you must be smart to do what you do. I just didn’t think you had that creative intelligence that freethinkers do. The ability to see things from different perspectives.”
“Ah, well then,” Jake said confidently. “You sure do have a lot to learn about me.”
“Good,” she said, beaming. “I can’t wait for our second date, then.”
As Casey looked back down at her food, Jake felt all his confidence dissipate. He was glad that she took her focus away from him for a few minutes because he was quietly working his way through a very intense panic attack.
I don’t know a fucking thing about art!
His excitement at Casey agreeing to see him again clashed horribly against his utter terror that he was going to embarrass himself. He didn’t even know how to choose a decent museum to visit.
How the hell am I going to pull this off?
Since he didn’t have time to complete an art history degree before they saw each other next, Jake figured he’d just have to find a way to fake it.
CHAPTERFOUR
CASEY
With the second date fast approaching, Casey began to worry about exactly where Jake would be taking her. An afternoon stroll through an art gallery wouldn’t require formal dress, but an evening function at a classy museum was a different story.
As she got ready for work, Casey burrowed through her wardrobe. She knew it was a useless exercise. She wasn’t going to find anything new in there, no matter how hard she looked.
Casey didn’t understand how some girls had so many clothes that they actually forgot about them and were surprised when they cleaned out their closets. She’d even heard of some people finding items that still had tags on them, hung up, but never worn.
All of Casey’s clothes were so individual that they practically had names. She had a stack of comfortable jeans and cargos that were all either ten years old or bought at thrift stores for under five bucks. There were a few tank tops in a riot of colors, as well as three flowing tie-dyed blouses with pagan symbols on them.
All her skirts and dresses were lovingly kept and mended with great care. She rarely threw anything away and would patch her favorite clothes endlessly. It gave them character and made her even more individual.
Her bags were either woven cloth or ragged fake leather. She owned a few pairs of boots and a couple pairs of flats. None of it was suitable for even a smart casual occasion. She’d worn her nicest dress on their first date, and Casey was now starting to panic that she would have nothing to wear.
With a sigh, Casey put on a pair of cargos and a peasant-style blouse, hurrying out the door to get to work on time. Maybe, she could stop by her favorite thrift stores and see what she could find. Sometimes, they had decent formal clothes that were under ten dollars. It might be her only chance to find something glam enough for Jake.
The first few hours of the morning rushed by, and Casey felt her anxiety rising by the minute. Having gorgeous clothes literally running through her fingertips was depressing her terribly.
I couldn’t afford any of these clothes. Look at this red dress. I could never hope to own something like this in a thousand lifetimes.
When the doorbell jingled, Casey looked up without enthusiasm. She was quite sure that this would be another exercise in disappointment. When she saw that it was Gerri, she couldn’t help brightening up.
“Hey, Gerri,” Casey said, smiling. Gerri’s warm expression comforted her immediately. There was no denying that Gerri just genuinely loved taking care of people.
“Hello, sweetie,” Gerri said, stepping up to the counter and giving Casey’s hand a warm squeeze. “How are you, and how was your date with Jake?”
“Good, really good,” Casey said, nodding. “I had a wonderful time.”
“Did he ask you out again?” Gerri asked, her eyes sparkling as she indulged in the delight of girl talk.
“Yes, he did!” Casey blurted, unable to hold in her misery. “But I’ve got nothing to wear.”
Gerri stood up straight, concern crossing her features. “Where is he taking you?”
“I don’t know,” Casey admitted. “But probably, an art museum, something really fancy. All I’ve got is my old hippie clothes.”
“Don’t worry about it, dear. I’m sure that …”
“No, no, you don’t get it,” Casey said, leaning forward to look Gerri in the eye. “He’s so far out of my league. Jake picked me up in a limo and took me to the most prestigious country club in town. He ordered the most expensive wine and told me all about his crazy lifestyle. I can’t go out with this guy … I don’t have any clothes to wear!”
Gerri smiled, her eyes glinting with mischief. “But you like him, don’t you?”