Page 96 of Racing Heat

I do my best to keep my features schooled.

“Um, no. No, we’re not doing that.” Cassie sighs like this conversation has been had before. “I’m not looking for anything right now, okay?”

I wish I could reach underneath the table and hold her hand. But her hands are in sight, and someone would definitely make a comment at any attempt I made to touch her.

“I think it would be nice if you met someone,” Mac tells her.

“Stop,” she says a bit too forcefully. “We’re not doing this tonight. What about Amelia? We haven’t picked a guy out for her in a bit.”

“Uh-huh.” Mac looks over at me. “What do you think, Jase, should we find Amelia or Cassie a man?”

Danny chokes on his beer, elbowing her. August stares at me and then back at Mac. Cassie is pretending the table is the most interesting thing she’s ever seen while chugging her wine.

“What am I missing?” he asks.

Cassie has gone ramrod straight beside me. She’s probably freaking out the same way I am.

“Nothing, man,” I say, hoping that closes the topic. “The girls are just trying to have some fun tonight.”

Hendrix and Amelia are none the wiser as they look around the bar.

“Did you see that email I sent you on the new kits?” I ask August.

“No work talk tonight,” Danny scolds.

Fuck, he’s not going to make this easy on me.

“What color did you choose?” Hendrix asks, and I couldn’t love her more for it.

“I was looking at some fluorescent yellow ones, or purple. You’ll have two just in case we play someone who has the same-colored kit, you know?” I explain.

“I like the idea of purple. But not so much yellow.” She cringes.

I shrug. “I can look some more. But what color would you wear?”

“Pink!” Cassie squeals from beside me.

“Not pink,” Hendrix stresses.

“Pink it is!” August cheers.

The table erupts in laughs, but Hendrix isn’t laughing.

“Fuck you all!” she yells.

“I won’t make you wear pink if you don’t want to,” I promise her.

“Look at you being nice,” Cassie says before taking another big gulp from her glass.

“I can be nice,” I remind her.

“I’m sure you can be. I just haven’t seen it,” she quips.

“Really?” I turn my full attention to her, and I’m rewarded with her megawatt smile. I forget for a moment about what’s at stake or the fact that August might be suspicious.

“Should we dance?” Mac calls out, but she shakes her head at me.

I roll my eyes and look back to Cassie. She either hasn’t noticed or has started to get a buzz and doesn’t care. Either way, I try not to let it weigh on me.