Someone Else's Shadow

“Maybe?” He cocks a brow, amused.

Jesus Christ, I need to stop babbling like a fool and order my damn drink already. “I was going to say a whiskey sour, but I thought I’d better start with something a little less…alcoholic.”

Cayden chuckles. “Whiskey sour, it is.” He peers overhead, watching the door for the rest of our party to arrive. But he does all this with his hand still resting on my thigh.

When I see Penny and Ronnie, I don’t know whether to be disappointed or relieved. However, when Darla follows in behind, I suddenly wish it was just us. She flips her long hair over her shoulder, emitting her scent for all the hungry men to acknowledge her arrival. And they do.

She turns heads, and although she loves the attention, she only wants the attention of one man. She waves at Cayden in a flirty little way, and I instantly want to gag. “Hey!” Penny says while Ronnie eyes the closeness between Cayden and me.

I know what this is. Ronnie doesn’t know me. I could be any girl, but I seem to be the girl Cayden can’t leave alone, which makes me the perfect pawn in whatever beef he has with Cayden. But what he doesn’t realize is that I’m not an airhead. I’m onto him.

Darla practically elbows Ronnie out the way so she can sit near Cayden. He clenches his jaw but settles in after her. Which leaves Penny and me facing one another on the outside. “Drinks?” I suggest, practically pleading her to come with me so I don’t have to hear Darla asking Cayden what cologne he’s wearing ’cause he smells so good.

She reads between the lines and nods.

Just as I’m about to slide out of the booth, Cayden’s grip on my thigh tightens. “I’ll go.” Turning to face him, I get lost in the proximity of his lips to mine. They really should be illegal.

However, when Darla pulls out her cell and insists they take a selfie for the company’s Instagram page, I welcome the excuse to leave. “I wouldn’t want to photobomb you.” He attempts to keep me there, but I slip from his hold with a playful grin.

“I’ll have a Chardonnay,” Darla says with a wave of her hand like I’m her own private butler. I bite the inside of my cheek to refrain from any lewdness spilling out.

“Beer for you?” Penny asks Cayden and Ronnie. Ronnie nods while Cayden shakes his head.

“Just a root beer for me. I’m driving us home.” There is no questioning who us is. It shouldn’t please me that Darla looks like she’s about to burst into hysterics, but it does.

Penny and I make our way to the busy bar. As we wait in line, I can feel her watching me. I give in. “Do I have something in my teeth?”

Her mouth is slightly parted like she’s just seen something that is jaw-droppingly amazing or scary. I can’t decide. “No, but you clearly have something. What’s going on between you and Coach?”

I recoil, pursing my lips. “Going on? You’re going to have to be a little more specific.”

“I mean, I’ve known him for three years, and I’m not even kidding when I say I thought he was asexual because no one, man or woman, has turned his head the way you have.”

Her comments throw me for a loop, and I very ungracefully choke on air. Thumping on my chest to dislodge the bubble, I shake my head way too animatedly. “Nooo. Do you need new glasses? And besides, he has a daughter, so he can’t be asexual.”

Penny scoffs. “Please. That woman doesn’t count. She was the reason I thought he turned asexual.” I snort loudly and almost choke again.

But considering she’s being so open, I decide to ask about Darla. “So what’s the deal with Ronnie and Darla? It’s pretty obvious he’s into her. And she’s…” I want to say into Cayden but opt for, “into herself,” instead.

Penny bursts into laughter. “They hooked up at a Christmas party one year. He wanted more, she didn’t, and he’s been bitter ever since. You probably picked up on the tension between him and Coach? Well, that’s ’cause he thinks Coach is standing in the way of them being together. It’s all a little dramatic, if you ask me, which is why I’ll just stick with my five cats.”

As we wait for the drinks we just ordered, I think about what she just shared. She thought Cayden was asexual? It’s hard to imagine, seeing as I have been getting nothing but the opposite kind of vibes from him since we met just four days ago. It’s hard to believe it’s only been that long because I feel like I’ve known him for…well, forever.

We place our drinks on a tray and make our way back to the table.

When Cayden is practically wearing Darla’s boobs as a scarf, I know I can’t sit back down there and play nice. Grabbing my drink, I tell Penny I’m going to play a game of pool. She looks at Darla and nods in understanding.

I’m not attempting to be dramatic, but I honestly am too old for this crap.

The two men playing pool are almost done, and when the bigger of the two sinks the black ball, it’s my turn to play. I don’t have an opponent, but when a handsome man with shaggy blond hair offers, I decide why the hell not.

He racks the balls while I pick my cue. As I reach for the chalk, I wonder why it feels like I’ve done this before. “Want to make a wager?”

“Sure,” I reply, his arrogance instantly turning me off.

“Loser buys the winner a drink.”

Seems fair.

Just as I’m about to agree, someone decides to up the ante. No guessing who. “One drink? Why not buy a round for the whole bar?” Turning slowly, I make big eyes at Cayden, wondering what on earth he’s doing.

Before I can retract the offer, blondie agrees. “You’ve got yourself a deal. I’m Mason, by the way.”

“She doesn’t care what your name is. Now break.” My mouth hinges open and closed, incapable of speech. “You’ve got this,” Cayden murmurs, just like he did in the car. His confidence in me is really flattering, but he’s probably just cost me my first paycheck.