She gave a pointed look at his open palm before taking the bait. He scored—in the teenage sense. Then she swung their arms between them like they were kids ready to play Red Rover.
“I have some questions about the gala,” she said, pausing the swinging arms bit.
“Ask away.”
“Actually, I have all the questions about the gala.” She pinched her face up funny. “But I don’t even know where to start. I’ve never been to a black tie event like this before.”
“You’ve never been to a black tie event?”
Molly seemed like the kind of woman who had done everything at least once. Probably twice.
“Just weddings, but those don’t really count.”
“Well, to start…” He’d been to enough of these things to know the importance of the dress. “Do you need a dress?” Molly was tight in the cash department at the moment, so he could make that happen for her. “I have a tailor who does custom work.”
Molly stared up, blinking rapidly, kicking him straight in the teeth with her beauty. “You want to do the Pretty Woman thing and buy me a dress?”
“I just want you to have a good time.”
“No worries.” She shrugged her purse higher on her shoulder, but didn’t release his hand as she made the motion. “I have a dress.”
How did he say this without making her angry? “I know things are tight. Do you need?—”
“It is an exceptional dress. I bought it for myself a long time ago for the day that someone asked me to an event like this. It’s been patiently waiting in my closet. Did I mention that it’s exceptional?”
If she was wearing it? Of course it would be exceptional.
“But if you want to do the Pretty Woman thing, you can always rent me expensive jewelry?” She made her eyes get bigger. Her eyebrows rose seductively. “I’d be good with that.”
“You won’t let me fix your car, but I can buy you jewelry?” To be clear, he’d rather fix her car and then buy her jewelry.
“You can rent me outrageously expensive jewelry.
There’s a difference.”
“Noted.” Also, where the hell did a guy rent jewelry? “You’re very self-sufficient, you know that?”
“Truth,” she said, swinging their hands again. “I did know that. It’s one of my best qualities.”
“What are your other qualities—” He couldn’t finish the sentence because the blonde woman at the front of the line tilted forward just a smidge in that way that only Cassidy had ever done. Held her body just so.
Gavin stilled. No. It can’t be her.
“What’s wrong?” Molly asked, obviously sensing his discomfort.
What’s wrong? It looks like Cassidy is wrong.
His old girlfriend was very much the type of woman he usually dated. Well, in appearance at least.
Dakota looked a lot like Cassidy, but that’s where the resemblance stopped between them.
Cassidy was sweet and mild, like a tea bag dipped quickly in tepid water.
Dakota was not sweet.
Dakota went where she wanted, and if there was no path, she bulldozed her own.
He’d admired her for that. But then he realized that wasn’t something he wanted in a partner for the rest of his life.
