CHAPTER FOURTEEN
BRENDA

Why am I so stupid, I wondered as I looked in my closet the afternoon after my trip to the music shop with Cash. I’d put up all these walls for protection after I split up with Mitchell, walls that meant romance wasn’t even on my radar most of the time and now I’ve agreed to dinner with the last man I should be going with. The man was a playboy, I’d seen pictures of him with actual starlets on his arm online, and I really thought he wanted to have a relationship with a nobody like me?

I groaned as I pulled out an olive green flowy dress from Target and slipped into it. It’s like Cash has this pull over me and I can’t seem to resist that pull. Or how handsome he is. Or how I melt when he casts those blue eyes of his my way. It feels so right when I’m with him, like the two of us together was how it was meant to be.

But I barely knew him, and he barely knew me. How could there be anything between us that wasn’t driven by hormones and chemicals? Still, I looked at myself in the mirror, liking how the dress hugged my figure but relaxed in all the right places. I’d just dashed on some lip gloss when my doorbell rang.

“Oh my,” I said when I opened the door, my eyebrows shooting up as I caught sight of him. Cash wore a pair of dark gray slacks, brown loafers, and a dark gray suit jacket. Definitely fancy. “Um, should I change?”

“No, why? You look amazing,” he looked me up and down as if to prove it and wiggled his eyebrows at me in a way that made a laugh bubble up my throat.

“Cool. I’ll grab my bag and a jacket then.” I reached against the wall for both, where they hung on hooks, made sure my keys and phone were in my bag, and turned the lock on the door. “I’m ready.”

“Great. Do you mind if we go to Crossroads for dinner? I want a really nice steak, one of those Japanese ones, and the only place near us that does them is there. Is that alright?”

“That’s fine with me.” I replied, though I didn’t know much about Crossroads other than its hospital system and testing centers I’d been to during my cancer treatment. Otherwise, I could find everything I needed right there in Tender Hills.

“How was your day?” I asked, wishing I’d done something a little fancier with my hair other than brush it out. I’d thought we were headed to somewhere in town, not to a Japanese steakhouse. Weren’t those…expensive?

I was getting anxious, feeling uncomfortable at the thought of eating somewhere that would charge us a fortune, but when I looked over at him to ask him if we could stay in town, I couldn’t. He looked so excited that I couldn’t burst his bubble.

“It was good actually. I finished writing a song, I’ve even got the sheet music down for the guitar.” He sounded really excited about that so I didn’t bother to remind him about the violin music he was supposed to do for me. He was a busy guy, with obligations. I was just…a friend.

“What’s it about? Small towns and big city lights?” I asked, teasing him. “Or did you lose your truck again?”

“I can’t believe that song is one of people’s favorites. I wrote it as something to get the crowd going, but never thought people would get so worked up over a song about losing your truck after a night out.” Cash shook his head, flashing his eyes and smile at me before he turned back to the road. “It’s such a cliche, but people love it.”

“I do, too, actually. It’s fun and funny.” I replied, thinking about the song he’d called “Truck This”. It was catchy, definitely funny, and a great song to sing along to when you were driving to work. “I bet you’ve had a lot of fun on stage.”

“I have, but you know what? I’m having a lot of fun with you.” He did that quick glance thing again and my heart actually pitter-pattered in my chest.

I felt breathless for a second, but I was so pleased at the compliment, I could barely think. “Thanks. Me too.”

The drive was uneventful, even with the evening traffic. Cash was a good, careful driver and we were there before I knew it. Cash pulled up outside the huge building and got out of the car without stopping. I was about to ask what he was doing when a man opened my door. I saw his button up shirt had the name of the restaurant on it with the word ‘valet’ embroidered on the right upper chest. Oh.

It was that kind of place.

Wow.

I pushed my hand through my hair, tugging at it a little while I worried about how much this was going to cost me. I should have asked him about the prices.

“Hey, aren’t you Cash Saunders? Your music’s awesome!” The young man said as Cash came around to take a ticket from the guy.

“I am, yeah. And thanks. Have a good evening,” Cash said politely before he guided me away to the front door of the place with a hand at my lower back.

I smiled as we walked in, thinking it must be nice for him to be talked to like that. What would it be like to have people recognize you and love your music so much? It must be great for him.

I got another taste of his fame when the hostess actually dropped down into her seat. She’d stood up to greet us until she saw who I was with. For a long few seconds she blinked, then got a really huge grin on her face. “Wow, Mr. Saunders. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“Thanks. Do you have a table available for us?” Cash said, looking over at me. The woman ignored me, her eyes wide and full of something I didn’t like.

“Oh we sure do, Mr. Saunders. You follow me, honey, and I’ll give you the best…table in the place.” I caught that pause, as if she’d been about to say something else. Was she flirting with my date?

But then, who could blame her? I might do the same thing if the roles were reversed.

The woman totally blanked me as she stared at Cash like he was the second coming of the messiah and asked him a hundred questions before she sauntered off with one last shot over her shoulder. “I’m bringing you the best wine we have in the house, honey, don’t you worry about a thing.”

I blinked rapidly. Didn’t she think she should ask before offering alcohol. Did it matter that I was on medication that meant I could have one glass, maybe two, but that was it? No, it seemed not.

I tried to bite down on my anger, and might have, if Cash had been able to finish the sentence he started as he turned back to me, but he wasn’t. The waitress came prancing over, followed by the rest of every staff member in the place.

Someone brought out breadsticks and I stuffed one in my mouth to stop myself from shouting at the people that were interrupting our dinner date. When a gaggle of giggling girls came over, followed by some older women, despite the fact that we were at a private table at the back of the restaurant, I nearly flipped my lid.

I felt self-conscious, under dressed, and totally ignored. Every time I tried to say something to Cash, I’d get interrupted. Every time I cleared my throat, he’d look at me, but then someone would draw his attention away with a question or a plea for an autograph. He’s signing napkins, cellphone cases, anything people could shove in his hands, and he does it all with a smile. A few guys came over to shake his hand and I excuse myself to go to the bathroom before I have an absolute meltdown in the middle of this very fancy restaurant.

I’m in tears by the time I’m away from the noise of it all. But I’m not surprised I’m outside. Alone. Asking the valet to call me a cab. Cash hadn’t even looked at me when I said I was going to the bathroom. I doubted he’d notice if I found my own way home. I wasn’t sticking around for that nonsense.