“That’s what I told her,” Jackson says.
Cassie smiles. “Okay, okay, I get it. You all believe in me.”
I set my empty bottle down on the counter.
My hand tightens slightly around the neck before I let go.
“You good?” Jackson mutters under his breath.
“Yeah,” I say. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
He doesn’t answer, just smirks like he knows exactly why. He’s not an idiot. I wonder if he knowssomethingwas up with us. Is up.
“I’m gonna go grab a drink,” I say. “Anyone need anything?”
Head shakes all around, so I make a beeline for the beer cooler, then split off.
Chapter Twenty-Six
CASSIE
I should be into this.
I mean—objectively?
I am. My mind, at least. He fits the bill.
Eric is tall. Clean-cut. Easy smile. The kind of guy who looks like he has his life completely figured out. Probably makes his bed every morning, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he even owns a headboard he picked out.
“And yeah,” he’s saying, shifting his drink to his other hand, “I teach marketing at Riverbend U. Mostly upper-level stuff. Branding, strategy, that kind of thing.”
“Oh,” I say. “That’s cool.”
“Yeah,” he nods. “It’s a good setup. Flexible hours, and I still consult on the side. Keeps things interesting. I went to Wharton Business School, so I definitely have the credentials for it.”
“Oh, okay,” I nod politely.
“I even did a summer thing at Harvard, so I went there for a bit.”
“Mmm. Right.”
Okay. He’s definitely name dropping to impress me. And don’t get me wrong—he’s impressive. On paper.
The thing about Eric is…he doesn’t really pause, though.
He just keeps going.
“I’ve worked with a few regional businesses—helped one double their revenue in about six months. It’s all about positioning, really. People underestimate that.”
“Wow,” I say. “Yeah.”
And I mean it.
Thatisimpressive.
“I always tell my students,” he continues, “you can have the best product in the world, but if you don’t know how to sell it…”
I nod along, smiling in the right places, and react when I’m supposed to.
