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  Cassie

  This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious or used fictitiously. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher or author, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

  Copyright © 2014 by E. L. Todd

  All Rights Reserved

  ISBN-13: 978-1494345686

  ISBN-10: 1494345684

  Cassie

  Book Five of the Alpha Series

  E. L. Todd

  1

  This was the worst date ever.

  Tyler kept blabbering about his bowling ball collection. He had every size and every make, storing them in a glass case inside his apartment. He was on a bowling team with his friends from high school and they still kept up the tradition.

  I stared at my empty bowl, wishing the waiter would bring the check already. My friend from work, Danielle, set me up with this guy. She clearly had horrible taste in men, or she just hated me. Right now, I wanted to kill her.

  “I wax the surface of each ball once a week so it’ll keep its shine.”

  “But you don’t use them.”

  Tyler scratched his head. “They still need to be ready. When they slide across the floor, the friction has to be just perfect.”

  This guy was the most boring person I’d ever met. I just wanted this night to be over.

  “So, do you bowl?”

  “No,” I said in a bored voice.

  “I can teach you,” he said.

  “No thanks,” I said quickly.

  He stared at me through his thick glasses. Tyler looked like the typical computer geek. I seriously wondered if he was a virgin. The universe must hate me. I was going to die alone, childless and depressed. I wasn’t sure what I did to deserve this but I obviously did something.

  “Did you know cashews aren’t really a nut?” he asked with a smile.

  “What?”

  “Cashews. They are actually a seed.”

  I stared at him blankly.

  “I know this because I’m allergic to all nuts but cashews.”

  I rested my chin on my hand, sighing.

  “And did you know they add the smell to gas?” He said this like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

  I could be watching the Jimmy Fallon show tonight. But I was stuck with this ridiculously boring guy. And there was absolutely no attraction between us. “I should get going,” I said.

  He drummed his fingers on the table. “I really like your hair,” he blurted.

  “Thanks,” I said simply.

  “It reminds me of mustard.”

  I raised an eyebrow.

  “But in a good way.”

  The waiter placed the tab on the table before he walked away.

  I was so glad to see it. I needed to get the fuck out of there.

  Tyler didn’t reach for it. “My hair used to be blond but I dyed it brown.”

  I’d never known a guy that dyed his hair. I glanced at the tab, waiting for him to reach for it. Call me old-fashioned, but the guy should pay for the meal on the first date. And after the social torture I just experienced, I wasn’t opening my wallet.

  “And I used to be in a band called Dirty Worms.”

  “I don’t even know what to say to that.”

  He stared at me blankly.

  I was irritated that he didn’t reach for the check. He was either stalling or just the biggest jerk on the planet. Our conversation didn’t flow at all. He just said random things that came to mind. It was like speaking to a person with schizophrenia. Sick of waiting, I grabbed the check.

  “What are you doing?” he snapped. He actually showed some sort of emotion.

  “Paying the bill.”

  “Give me that,” he yelled. He pulled it from my hands, and the paper and pen fell on the table. His face was red like a tomato. He was seriously pissed. “That was rude.”

  Now I was getting mad. “You didn’t look like you were going to pay.”

  “You didn’t give me a chance.”

  I kept my mouth shut so this argument would stop immediately. He slid his card inside then left it at the edge of the table. I sighed deeply. Why couldn’t he just have cash? Why was this happening to me?

  “It’s very rude to let a lady pay,” he said while he glared at me.

  I glared back.

  “So, do you want to come back to my place?”

  Was he being serious? This had to be a joke. “No, thank you.”

  “I want to show you my bowling collection.”

  “I’m good.”

  He stared at me. “I also have a rock collection. I have rocks from every continent.”

  This guy was the king of the nerds. “I have an early morning tomorrow.”

  The waiter finally took the tab. I breathed a sigh of relief. This night was almost over.

  “And I have a really cool fish tank,” he said.

  “Interesting,” I lied.

  “But I don’t have any fish yet.”

  This guy was really weird. I stared at the waiter as he swiped the card through the machine. I was so impatient, my knee was shaking. I just wanted this night to end.

  The waiter finally returned.

  “Thank god,” I whispered.

  Tyler looked at me.

  “That I didn’t spill anything on my dress…”

  He stared at me for a second before he slid his card back into his wallet.

  We left the restaurant and walked outside.

  “It was nice meeting you, Tyler,” I said.

  “Let me walk you home.”

  “No,” I said quickly. “Our night ends here.”

  He adjusted his glasses then put his hands in his pockets. He had a gut around the waist and he was short, as tall as I was. He definitely wasn’t prince charming. “Well, goodnight.” He leaned in to kiss me but I pulled away.

  “Bye,” I said as I turned around. I didn’t look back as I moved through the crowd. After a few blocks, I spotted the sports bar. I seriously needed a drink. That was the worst date I ever had. I knew the baseball game was on so that would calm me down a little. I couldn’t believe I missed the game just to go on a date with a total creep. My priorities needed to change.

  I walked inside and immediately went to the bar. I sat down then sighed. It was packed with people, mainly guys watching the game.

  The bartender looked at me. “You look like you need something strong.”

  “Scotch.”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  “On the rocks,” I said.

  “Coming right up.” He made the drink and passed it to me. I downed it in one sitting. I didn’t make a face. “Another.”

  “You got it.” He poured it then handed it to me.

  I took my time with this one. I sighed and watched the game. The Mariners were playing the Yankees and the game was tied. I was a Yankees fan so I always put my money on them. I would be wearing my jersey instead of this dress if I didn’t have a date. After a few minutes, Tyler disappeared from my mind. At least I learned a lot about bowling, not that I ever cared for the sport.

  “Bad night?”

  I turned and saw Scott smiling at me. “Like you wouldn’t believe.”

  He sat next to me. “Spill it.”

  “I just had a date from hell.”

  “Do I need to rip off his head?” he asked seriously.

  I laughed. “No. He was just a loser—like all of them.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said sincerely.

  I stared at him, admiring his beautiful blue eyes. “Are you sure there are no more single Benedicts?”

  He smiled. “Not that I know of.”

  “Damn…”

  “You’ll find someone. Don’t worry about it.”

  “That’s what everyone keeps telling me,” I said.

  “Because they are right,” he said. “You are smart, beautiful, and amazing. He’ll come to you.”

  “I wish you were a fortune teller.”

  “Who says I’m not?” He winked at me.

  “Where’s my girl?”

  “She’s at home.”

  “Doing what?”

  “She had some work to do. And she doesn’t like watching the games with us. She says we’re too loud and annoying.”

  I rolled my eyes. “She’s always picked work over pleasure.”

  “It’s a good thing I love her for her tits and that ass,” he said with a smile.

  “How romantic,” I said sarcastically.

  “She knows I love her.”

  “But you love her pussy more than anything.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe…”

  A commercial came on and we turned away from the screen. Scott ordered another beer.

  “Can I get you another?” he asked.

  “I’m already on my second.”

  “Scotch?” he asked in a surprised voice. “Are you a middle aged man?”

  “On the inside.”

  “Janet can only handle wine and margaritas.”

  “She’s a lightweight,” I said.

  “I like it when she’s drunk,” he said. “The sex is even better.”

  “You’re very open about your relationship.”

  “Because I know she tells you everything anyway.”

  I laughed. “She isn’t so vulgar about it.”

  He laughed. “She can be a lady sometimes.”
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  “What’s going on over here?” a man said as he patted Scott on the shoulder.

  Scott looked at him. “This is my friend Cassie.”

  He looked at me. His dark brown hair was short but wavy. He had deep green eyes that immediately reminded me of a tropical forest. Something about him looked familiar. I couldn’t quite place my finger on it. When he smiled, he had a perfect set of teeth. He was even taller than Scott, over six feet. “It’s nice to meet you,” he said. “I’m Tony.”

  I shook his hand. “The pleasure is all mine.”

  He turned back to Scott. “How do you two know each other?”

  “She’s Janet’s friend.”

  “My sister has friends?” he asked with a laugh.

  I smiled. “She can be very annoying.”

  Tony looked at me, flashing me another dazzling smile. “I already like her. My sister needs to be put in her place.”

  “Now I recognize your eyes.”

  He shrugged. “She and I have some unfortunately similarities.”

  “Don’t worry,” I said. “You’re clearly the more attractive one.”

  Tony nodded. “Now I really like you.”

  “I didn’t know Janet had a brother.”

  “She doesn’t mention me often,” he said.

  Scott eyed us for a moment. He pulled out his phone and looked at it. “I got to make a call.” He walked away.

  Tony took his seat and looked at the television.

  When I watched the game, I caught him staring at me in my peripheral vision.

  “You always get dressed up for a sports bar?” he asked.

  “No,” I said with sigh. “I had a date.”

  “Oh.”

  “It didn’t go well.”

  “Oh.” He sounded a little happier. “What happened?”

  I shrugged. “He talked about his bowling ball collection, something about an empty tank, and how he’s allergic to nuts. And not to be shallow, but he wasn’t cute at all.”

  “I think appearances are important when you’re looking for a partner. If there’s no attraction, the sex will go to shit.” He drank from his beer then watched the game. “And he does sound like a freak. You were smart to get out of there.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Why did you go out with him to begin with?”

  “It was a blind date.”

  “Yuck,” he said. “I don’t do blind dates.”

  “And now I can see why.”

  He laughed.

  I finished my scotch and circled the rim of my glass with my finger.

  “You drink scotch?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Only when I’m having a bad day.”

  “What do you normally drink?”

  “I like Long Island Iced Tea.”

  “You like the strong stuff,” he said.

  I shrugged. “You like what you like.”

  “I’m impressed.”

  I eyed his glass. “Is that light beer?”

  He smiled. “When I drink as much as I do, I have to cut back.”

  “You don’t look like you need it.” I could tell he was fit and toned under his clothes. There was no way he had a beer belly. If he did, he must be wearing a girdle. I stared at the game and watched the Yankee batter hit the ball out of the park. “Yes!”

  Tony yelled at the same time. “That’s right!”

  I clapped and watched the Yankees get three runs.

  Tony eyed me. “You and I are going to get along pretty well.”

  “Because we like the same team?”

  “It’s a must for any friendship.”

  “You must be a sports fanatic.”

  “You could say that,” he said with a smile.

  “Who’s your favorite football team?”

  “The Broncos.”

  “Really?”

  “They have the greatest quarterback in the world.”

  “Manning?”

  “Yep.” He drank from his glass again then put it down. “How long have you known my sister?”

  “For a few years.”

  “I wonder why she never mentioned you.”

  I shrugged. “She probably did but you weren’t listening.”

  “Good point,” he said. “I hardly ever listen to my sister.”

  “That makes two of us.”

  He chuckled. “Do you like Scott?”

  “I love him.”

  “She picked a good one.”

  “I’m glad she found him. She deserved to find someone special.”

  “Yeah she did.”

  I smiled at him.

  “I love her—sometimes.”

  “My brother is the same way. He acts like I’m a pain in his ass but he loves me to death. When my last boyfriend broke up with me, he went postal.”

  “Why did he break up with you?”

  My heart fell. I hated discussing this. “He left me for someone else.” I couldn’t believe I told him that. It just flew out of my mouth.

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “We were living together so it was hard. I’ll never make that same mistake.”

  “How long ago was this?”

  “A while ago,” I said vaguely. “I think the Yankees are gonna win.” I wanted to change the subject.

  “They better,” he said. “I got a lot riding on this.”

  “How much did you bet?”

  He took a drink of his beer. “Just some extra change.”

  We watched the game together. I was surprised he didn’t go back and sit with his friends. It was comfortable sitting next to him. Since he was Janet’s brother, I knew he was a good guy. I could tell he was just by talking to him. Why wasn’t my date been like this? Easy and natural? Why did we have to talk about the scent of gas? I sighed when I thought about it.

  “Don’t think about it,” he said.

  “What?”

  “Your date.”

  I smiled. “How’d you know?”

  “I can just tell,” he said. “Can I buy you another drink?”

  “I shouldn’t,” I said quickly. “I have to walk home, and I don’t want to end up in a gutter.”

  “I’ll make sure you get there safely,” he said.

  I ordered another. “I’m only trusting you because you’re Janet’s brother.”

  “That doesn’t mean anything,” he said with a laugh. “She’ll be the first one to tell you that.”

  “Somehow I doubt it.” I drank my scotch and felt my mind buzz. I was glad I took the edge off. My mind was about to collapse on itself. When the game was over, the Yankees were the victors.

  Tony danced in place, shaking his hips even though there was no music.

  “Nice moves,” I said with a laugh.

  “You like that?”

  I nodded. “Definitely.”

  “I know what the ladies like.”

  “I’m sure you do.”

  Scott approached us and clapped Tony on the shoulder. “Congratulations.”

  “Thanks,” Tony said. “Just don’t tell my sister.”

  “You’re lucky I keep your secret.” He turned to me. “Can I walk you home, Cassie? I don’t mean to be annoying, but I noticed you drank a lot.”

  “You’re so sweet, Scott.”

  Tony looked at me. “I don’t mind walking Cassie. Scott, you should get home to my sister.”

  Scott looked at me. “Is that okay?”

  “Yeah,” I said. “We’ll be fine.”

  “Okay,” Scott said. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Bye,” we both said.

  “Are you ready?” Tony asked.

  “Yep.”

  He threw the cash down for both of our drinks.

  “I can pay for my own,” I said.

  “Don’t worry about it,” he said as he walked out.

  When we reached the street I looked at him. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” he said. “So where do you live?”

  “A few blocks east.”

  “Let’s go.”

  We walked side by side down the sidewalk. Tony had his hands in his jeans.

  “Where do you work?” he asked.

  “Castle magazine.”

  “What do you do?”

  “I’m a fashion designer.”

  “Cool,” he said.

  I rolled my eyes. “I know you think it’s lame.”

  He smiled. “I don’t think that at all.”

  “I like it a lot,” I said. “It’s always something I’ve been interested in.”

  “I think you should do what you love. Not doing it would be stupid.”

  “And what do you do?”

  “I’m a sports analyst.”