I could tell by the look on her face that my confession had caught her off guard, but she didn’t say anything. She just kept flipping through the stations until she landed on one playing ZZ Top.
I turned my head towards her curiously. “You like classic rock?”
“I like all genres really. Classic rock, new rock, 90s country, hip-hop, you name it, I probably listen to it. I’m not picky,” she said.
“Who’s your favorite classic rock artist?”
“Fleetwood Mac,” she answered easily. “I have every vinyl album of theirs exceptHeroes Are Hard to Find. I can’t find that thing anywhere.”
“Classic choice, I like it.”
“What’s yours?”
“I think I’m gonna have to go with Metallica.”
“Have you ever seen the showStranger Things?” she asked, clearly trying to size me up. Little did Cassie know, I was up to date on my pop-culture shows.
“If you’re wondering if I’ve seen the episode where Eddie plays a Metallica guitar solo to distract Vecna’s bats, the answer is yes.”
She laughed, looking genuinely shocked. “Okay, I have to admit, I’m impressed.”
“I too have a Netflix subscription,” I said, teasing her.
“I guess I just thought a busy cowboy like you is either working, sleeping, or partying it up at the bar.”
“I’ll have you know, I haven’t walked into a bar in two years.”
“Really? Why?”
“I’ve been too busy, I guess. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older and the bar scene doesn’t impress me as much as it used to,” I said, telling the half-truth.
We pulled into the stadium parking lot, quickly finding an empty spot toward the back of the lot. There were still quite a few cars grouped together tailgating with their tents and barbeques. The game didn’t start for another hour.
As Cassie hopped out of my truck, the smell of smoked meat and beer filled the cab. I took a deep breath, reminding myself to stay focused. Tonight was about having a good time with Cassie. Temptation was all around me, but I was strong enough to overcome it.
Don’t fuck it up, Jace.
As Cassie and I made our way closer to the stadium entrance, more and more people crowded around us—everyone eager to get through security and find their seats.
Off to our right, there were some drunk guys starting to get rowdy. They were started to yell at each other, but I couldn't quite make out what they were saying.
Instinctively, I rested my hand on Cassie’s lower back gently, letting her know I was watching over her. Truth be told, Cassie could probably hold her own around some rowdy boys, but I wasn't going to take any chances. When I laid my hand against her back, she looked up at me for a second before continuing through the metal doors toward the security checkpoint.
As soon as we got through security, Cassie let me know she needed food before finding our seats. She said she’d been so busy today at the coffee shop that she forgot to stop and eat. I knew firsthand how hard Cassie worked. She’d headed to the coffee shop early the morning she ran over my foot, and she stayed up late decorating her windows the night I found her crying on the floor. I wished she took better care of herself, but I figured Cassie knew her limits more than I did, so I decided not to push her about it.
As we walked up to the counter, she pulled out her ID, handing it to the concession stand worker.
“You want a beer?” I asked, caught off guard.
“Yes, a Coors Light to be exact—with a hot dog. Please and thank you.” She looked up at me, confused.
“Sorry, it’s just most of the girls I used tohang outwith liked fancy drinks. Like piña coladas or something.”
The concession stand worker handed her the beer bottle.
“Good thing I’m not most girls,” she replied, tipping her beer at me before taking a drink.
A smile tugged at my lips.
