Darlene bumped shoulders with her, causing Cassidy to jump; she’d forgotten she wasn’t alone in the place with him.
On a fateful sigh, Darlene instructed, “Get that puppy dog look out of your eyes, Cassie. Mac isn’t a one-woman kind of guy.”
Blushing guiltily, Cassidy turned away, pretending ignorance. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Mmhmm. His cock rocks, but baby girl, he spreads his love around. Keep that in mind.” Tossing the towel she was holding on to the countertop, she walked toward the open end of the bar.
“Don’t say anything,” Cassidy hissed in panic.
Darlene chuckled. “As if, darlin’. I need to take the man’s order.”
Cassidy grimaced at her paranoia. Well, the secret was out. Was it a secret? Mac hadn’t tried to hide anything from Marge, and Cassidy had been terrified either Silas or Marge would be waiting to confront her as she’d tied up behind the store. And now Darlene knew. That was her own fault.
What was the protocol when you had casual sex with the neighborhood… provider?
Banners?
Scarlet letters?
Ducked head to avoid the disappointed or mocking looks?
Jesus, the messes she got herself into.
Darlene returned with an amused look on her face as she walked past the computer. “Wanna start on a double shot whiskey? I assume you know how he likes it by now. Rocks.”
Cassidy gave her a baleful look but grabbed a glass.
Dividing her time between tapping out the food order and watching Cassidy, Darlene asked, “So when did all of this happen?”
“Please, Darlene.” Cassidy groaned. “It’s nothing.”
“Mac can be summed up as many things, but ‘nothing’ isn’t one of them. I see your point, though. To him, sure, it’s nothing. But the look on your face when he walked in? My own panties were melting, imagining what he must’ve done to you to get you to look that way.”
Cassidy looked in alarm from Darlene across to where Mac was in the booth, hoping to high heaven Dar’s voice didn’t carry across the distance. She gave Darlene a warning look. “Can you not broadcast?”
Darlene shrugged. “Just saying, Cassie. Put that heart of yours on guard.”
“My heart’s fine,” Cassidy assured her. “Elijah first and always.”
Darlene tossed her an exasperated look. “You shouldn’t invest in Mac, for sure, but there are other men out there, you know. Elijah’s not here.”
Handing over the whiskey, Cassidy said firmly, “We said forever. I, at least, meant it.”
“Then you’re a fool,” Darlene snapped. She turned her attention to the whiskey. “You deliver it.”
“Your table,” Cassidy replied rudely, not caring that Dar was her boss; she’d been offended.
“He asked for you,” Darlene responded, daring disobedience, throwing her hands on her spandex-rompered hips.
Cassidy stomped her foot, twirled, and headed toward Mac’s booth.
As she approached, he lifted his eyes from his phone and watched her, eyes narrowing critically. Slamming the whiskey down on the table in front of him, she informed him needlessly, “Whiskey rocks.”
He sat back in bemusement.
She snapped, “That it? Okay, then.”
As she turned to walk away, he grabbed her wrist. “Hold up.”