Cassidy added, pouring some milk into her own coffee. “The three of us used to hang out in that bookshop all the time.”
The hostess smiled and nodded her understanding. “My apologies. It’s just that the two of you look so cute together.”
And that’s when my sister really laughed, wrapping an arm around both of us before bringing the three of us together. “We really do!”
With the hostess’ face as red as it could go and the three of us stuck in a fit of giggles, the hostess returned to the front of the house to help the next group of customers.
“We should bring her around more often,” Cassidy said, catching her breath. “She’s hilarious.”
“She really is,” I agreed, leaning my head on Bridget’s shoulder once our laughter had died down. “Going out tonight was a great idea.”
“Not just to get David off my back, either.” Meaning her manager, I realized.
“Aww, you guys are going to make me blush,” Bridget said, hiding her head in her hands.
“You deserve it,” Cassidy said, bumping shoulders with her.
“Thank you for this.”
“Anytime.”
“So, any ideas on what you want to order?” I asked, looking over the large menu and not really feeling like much of anything. My stomach had been in knots all afternoon. I expected Cassidy to say no, but once I brought up the crap about her manager, she agreed.
Now that we were here, the anxiety I saw in her eyes was no more. As for me, my mind was still set on what would happen once we went home. Cassidy didn’t share much about her manager, but considering how he spoke to me and how many times he’d texted her days prior, I had a feeling I knew exactly the type of person he was.
I didn’t trust him. Not only because of his stupid bribe earlier today but because of how he acted in general. He hovered over Cassidy all morning, staying close even though she obviously had things under control.
A handful of reporters had even dropped by, but with a wave of his hand, they left, much to my relief.
While Cassidy may have offered to play some songs in my shop, I could see she wasn’t ready to take things further than that. New patrons or her
fans were welcome to walk through those doors, but anyone with a camera crew was asked to leave.
Of course, there was no stopping the videos folks decided to post online, but that was way better than seeing my store on the evening news.
I shuddered at that, waving Cassidy’s look of concern away before taking a sip of my coffee.
“Are you cold?” Cassidy asked, already removing her shaw so she could pass it to me. “Here. I have another one in the car.”
I grabbed her wrist before she could leave, silently begging her to sit back down. She hesitated, but only for a moment, taking her seat before I could say anything else.
“I’m fine,” I assured her, keeping my voice low so no one would overhear. Having the hostess ask about our relationship
status was bad enough, but if the other patrons were as observant as she was, there’d be yet another video floating around on the internet, and it wouldn’t involve my shop. “Just nervous is all,” I went on, putting my hand in my lap. “It’s been… actually, I don’t think we’ve ever been in a place like this, have we?” I looked to my sister who was more than happy to hide behind her menu, glancing my way whenever she thought I wasn’t paying attention.
“Maybe not you, but a guy brought me here once,” she said from behind her menu. “The steak’s to die for. I was stupid and bought a salad, then I ended up eating half of his meal instead.” She laughed at that, a tight nervous laugh that made me feel a lot less alone.
“Steak sounds too heavy at the moment,” I admitted, giving the menu a final read. “The fish sounds nice, though. What about you, Cass?”
“I might just stick with the salad.” She shrugged, and bless her, she kept a straight face until the very end. “Truthfully, I could go for a steak. I haven’t really treated myself since I got back.”
“Stuck eating ramen just like the rest of us, huh?” my sister teased, hiding her smile behind her menu.
“Mac n’ cheese, actually. Comfort food.”
“I hope you eat better when you’re on tour,” I said, cringing at how much I sounded like our mom. “Sorry.”
“No, you’re right, and I do. It’s just, being back here and with Maggie’s so close, I can’t not eat there on a regular basis.