Page 94 of Racing Heat

“Guys, how are we doing tonight?” I wave at both of them, taking the seat beside Danny. I imagine Cassie taking the one beside Mac, so I should be safe.

“Hey, man, how are you?” Danny greets me with a pat on the back, and Mac gives me a small wave.

“Where is everyone else?” I look around. “I thought I was running late.”

Mac shrugs. “I don’t know. I was with him, so I’m not sure about the girls. August is always late, though, so who knows.”

I nod. “I’m gonna go get a darker beer, if you don’t mind.”

“Told ya,” Danny says, laughing with Mac.

“I thought maybe he’d try it,” she defends.

“Sorry. Darker beer or whiskey,” I admit with a shrug. I look over at the bar, happy to see it’s not too busy. “Be right back.”

I watch them from the bar while the bartender works on my beer. Their heads are angled together, and Danny is smiling. I try to think of it as just a nice moment between the two of them.

I think back on my conversation with Cassie. I hate how worried she sounded. I made a joke out of it because there’s not really anything we can do if Mac does know. It’s a matter of who else she’ll tell that worries me. My thoughts are disturbed by a commotion over by our table. Hendrix and August have arrived. Not together—just at the same time. Which means that Cassie and Amelia probably aren’t far behind.

I have no idea what the deal is with them. We’ve all teased August about the amount of tension there is between them, but he just laughs it off.

I grab my beer. “Thanks.”

I get ready to hand her some cash, when she says, “Does that go on the tab for the table? Cromwell, I believe it’s under.”

I shake my head, laughing. I’m sure August has no idea that the tab is under him. “Yeah, sure.”

When I reach the table, Hendrix is by Mac and August has taken up residence beside Danny. I sit beside August, hoping Amelia ends up by me. As much as I want her near me, Cassie shouldn’t be.

“Hey, man, how are you?” August says, clapping me on the back. “I haven’t seen you in freaking forever.”

“You saw me at the stadium the other day,” I remind him.

“You hiding out with a chick?” he asks.

Mac coughs into her beer and Danny rubs her back. He leans in and whispers something in her ear. She’s careful not to look at me, so I know something’s up.

Yeah, she knows. I just can’t tell Cassie tonight. It’ll cause her to be too paranoid.

“Hello, all,” Cassie announces her presence, Amelia beside her.

Cassie comes right up beside me while Amelia quickly claims a spot beside Hendrix. The center-back is so shy. She’s a hell of a player, but she doesn’t do a lot of talking until she gets a good buzz on. Kinda the way that Cassie used to be when she first started hanging out with us. But she’s been comfortable long before her, and I became a thing.

“Are we drinking beer?” Amelia asks, looking around the table like she’s counting the glasses to see how many there are.

“Well, we are,” Danny tells her. “But you’re welcome to grab something from the bar. August has already started a tab apparently.”

“How the fuck do I have a tab?” August booms. “Did you fuckers do that?”

Danny just chuckles. “Pay back from when you put all the drinks from the club on my tab.”

“He did?” I ask. I hadn’t realized that.

“Yeah, you were outside, um, or something…when that all went down,” Danny stumbles over his words. His eyes go from me to Cassie and back again. Mac is watching Cassie.

“Oh, when Cassie wasn’t feeling well.” I turn to her. “Did you make sure to eat this time?”

“Yeah, I ate. I’m gonna go grab a drink at the bar. Hendrix, Amelia, you need anything?”