If it hadn’t been for the wink before Cassandra turned and sashayed away, Taryn might have questioned whether her persistence was unwelcome. Cassandra had a way of smacking away her smug self-confidence with barely a word, let alone a back-handed slap. It was like Taryn was on the deck of a ship in a massive storm, and she couldn’t get her footing.
It was fantastic.
Taryn strode as briskly as she could to Andi without breaking into a sprint. She ordered more drinks and quickly filled her in on her encounter with the enigmatic Cassandra.
Andi looked around Taryn’s shoulder to the table Cassandra and her friend were seated at. “Her friend is half my age.”
“What does that matter?”
She poked Taryn’s chest. “I have limits.”
“Since when?” That was news to Taryn.
“Since always.” Andi wrinkled her nose as if some evil odor had just floated up her nostrils. “My sister has a daughter about the same age. I have a strict over-thirty policy.”
“I don’t care. Maybe she looks younger than she is. Maybe she’s had seventeen face lifts, and she’s really eighty-three. Do you have an over-eighty policy too?”
“No. That would be ageist.”
Taryn punched Andi’s shoulder. “Let’s go.” She picked up the tray of drinks.
“You’re an eager beaver.” Andi made a show of her reluctance to rise from her seat. “The view is pretty spectacular from here, you know?”
Andi flicked a glance to the tables of cougars and baby tigers courting their attention, and Taryn caught the eye of the vamp Cassandra had called Erin. Andi would’ve snapped her up. She considered dumping Andi with her and chancing her luck solo with Cassandra and her friend—not for a threesome though. Cassandra seemed far too elegant for that kind of action, and Andi was right; her friend did look young. Too young for Taryn even. She preferred women around her own age or older.
“Taryn.” Andi gave her a light shove, and the drinks slopped on the tray. “The view. It’s just fine here.”
Taryn took a backward step in the direction of Cassandra’s table. “Didn’t you see her? She’s gorgeous.”
“Sure. She’s beautiful. But so is every single one of the women at those tables, and most of them are more my target audience.”
Taryn chuckled and chanced another step. There was no way she was missing out on the chance to get to know Cassandra. “Audience? Are you planning to take them to bed or to see one of our shows?”
Andi shrugged. “Probably both. We’re gonna be here a while. Maybe it’s time for me to start looking for my permanent pillion passenger.”
She hadn’t seen that coming. Andi had always seemed determined to live the life of a bachelor until she died. Taryn made a mental note to bring that up tomorrow when they were both sober. “Come on, man. You’ve got six months to hunt for your perfect partner. I’m going with or without you, but I’d rather you come, you know that. We’ll come back tomorrow night, and I’ll follow your lead.” Taryn hoped that trail wouldn’t take them to the vampy Erin.
“I’ll hold you to that.” Andi made a shooing motion. “Come on then, lovesick pup.”
If she’d had a hand free, Taryn would’ve punched Andi. Hard. She knew well enough that Taryn had more or less given up on looking for love. Unless you were lucky enough to fall for one of the team like Banjo and Sally, short-term engagements were all any of them could hope for. Unless they were prepared to give up their career and live the traveling life, like their old MC had. But Taryn had no intention of relinquishing her wanderer’s lifestyle, especially when it gave rise to meeting someone like Cassandra.
Taryn sauntered toward Cassandra’s table with as much casual nonchalance as she could muster, which wasn’t much if her racing pulse was anything to go by. The adrenaline rush spiking through her veins surprised her a little, but when she locked eyes with Cassandra again, the surprise turned to comprehension. There was something in the way she held herself that involved more than her looks, as stunning as she was. And it was the way she used her facial features to say more in one second than Taryn could say in ten minutes. Taryn had an overall, and totally unfamiliar, sense of being off-kilter. Going to clubs, meeting new people, taking them back to her hotel or trailer had gotten easier and easier the more time she spent with Andi. And though she hadn’t exactly been a slouch in her previous life, her status as a stunt driver usually afforded her an aura of awe and reverence. Fame goggles, Andi called them, and that meant that Taryn had all but forgotten what it was to actually charm someone into her bed.
Andi nudged her forward—Taryn couldn’t believe she’d paused to stare—and Taryn placed the tray on Cassandra’s table. She handed out the drinks, and they exchanged introductions. It was clear from Rachel’s reaction to Andi that Andi wouldn’t have to worry about compromising her over-thirty policy. Rachel couldn’t have looked less interested, and though she was pleasant enough about meeting them both, she continued to scan the club for whatever she was really looking for. Great. Neither bestie wanted to be there, which could make her conversation with Cassandra suffer. Maybe she should just send Andi off to the vamp set and see how she fared alone.
Taryn took the empty stool beside Cassandra and pulled it even closer before sitting. She rolled up her sleeves then raised her glass. “To meeting interesting new people.”
They clinked glasses and said the same words but not with the same feeling as her and Cassandra. At least it sounded like Cassandra meant it. Taryn puffed out a breath and took a sip of her whiskey; she needed to remember how easy it was to talk to women if she simply relaxed and was herself.
“What brings you to our less than fair city?” Cassandra asked.
She took a long sip of mojito and licked her lips, temporarily rendering Taryn mute. Andi kicked her shin under the table.
“How do you know we’re not locals?” Taryn prided herself on not standing out like a tourist wherever they went. She’d traveled the country enough to not look out of place almost anywhere.
Cassandra pursed her lips and pointed her straw toward the vamp tables. “If you were, Erin wouldn’t have draped herself over you like a winter coat.”
Andi snapped her attention to where Cassandra had indicated. “You were in the bathroom three minutes, man.”
