Page 34 of Gin & Jewels

“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes.

They knew nothing.

After I got dressed, I went down to check on Cassie. When I entered the backyard, she was sitting on the bride’s side with Joss and Cat. “I see you’ve met two of the ladies,” I stated, walking up to the three women.

Cassie looked up at me and smiled. “I did.”

“Is it about to start?” Joss asked.

I nodded. “I think so. Is Tessa ready?”

“Yeah, they’re just taking a few pictures,” Joss replied. Joss, Cat, and Autumn weren’t in the wedding party. Tessa was having her friends from the strip club as her bridesmaids.

“All right. Well, Cassie. I see you’re in good hands.”

“She is,” Cat stated.

“Great. I’ll get back to Vinny and get this show on the road.” I winked at Cassie before I turned and walked away. It made me feel good that the women were taking her in. I’d had no doubt that they would, and it seemed as though Cassie needed friends, maybe even strong role models like Autumn, Joss, Cat, and Tessa. They had all been through some shit and had overcome so much. Plus, Joss knew what it was like to lose a parent and could lend an ear if Cassie ever needed it.

“You may kiss the bride,” Mark said. Without hesitation, Vinny grabbed Tessa’s face and kissed her. Everyone else cheered, and it was finally official that another one of us hadfallen. They were perfect for each other, even if their rivalry over baseball teams was huge.

The bride and groom walked down the aisle, and then one by one the guys and I took a bridesmaid and followed. Pictures were taken, and then I left to find Cassie, wanting to make sure she was still okay. She was standing with the women who weren’t in the wedding near the bar.

“Doing okay?” I whispered into her ear as I walked up behind her.

She turned and nodded. “Thank you for this. I’m having a lot of fun.”

“Good. Want to grab a drink?”

Cassie smiled. “Sure.”

Without thinking, I grabbed her hand and led her to the bar near the pool. “What does the birthday girl want?”

“Cherry Coke with three cherries.” She grinned.

“Cherry Coke?”

“Is that okay? I thought they could use grenadine or something.”

“I mean, yeah, it’s fine, but it’s an open bar. Get whatever you want.”

“Well,” she blew out, “I’ve never had an alcoholic drink before.”

I blinked. “Really? You’re twenty-two.”

“I know.” She shrugged. “Just hasn’t happened.”

Apparently, there was a lot that hadn’t happened in her life: driving, flying, sex …alcohol. I thought most people had at least tried alcohol by the age of twenty-one. “Do you want an alcoholic drink?”

“I don’t even know what I would order.”

“We can try one drink, and if you don’t like it, then we can try something else,” I suggested.

Cassie thought for a moment. “Sure. What’s good?”

“I prefer gin, but I know chicks tend to get vodka cranberries for their first drinks.”

“Okay, I’ll have that.”