bad. I’ll have a gin and tonic. I’m Danielle.”
Cassidy pointed to her glass. “Another Malbec would be nice. I’m Cassidy.”
“One gin and tonic, one Malbec, coming right up. Stay right here.” Evan pointed to the spot where they were standing, then turned and squeezed through the crowd toward the bar.
His friend held out a hand. “I’m Conner.”
Danielle shook it. “Hi, Conner, it’s nice to meet you.” By the way Danielle was looking at him, Cassidy could tell she was sizing him up for a potential smooch. There was no denying he was cute, despite appearing so young. But given how Evan had just been ogling Danielle, Cassidy suspected an awkward love triangle was about to unfold.
“Do you work with Harper?” Danielle asked him.
He glanced down at his outfit. “That obvious?”
She smiled. “The banker uniform sort of gives it away.”
He laughed. “Busted. What about you two? How do you know the birthday boy?”
Cassidy gestured to herself, then to Danielle. “I live in his building, and Danielle’s a good friend of mine.”
Connor nodded. “Cool. It’s nice to see some older women here.”
Danielle coughed. “Come again?”
Connor’s face turned red. “Um, I didn’t mean…I meant…”
“You didn’t mean what?” Evan reappeared and handed Cassidy and Danielle their drinks.
“He didn’t mean to say we’re old.” Danielle took a sip of her drink.
Evan flashed Connor an irritated look. “Dude, I was gone for like two minutes. What is wrong with you?”
“Uh… ” was all Connor could come up with in response.
Danielle grabbed Cassidy’s arm and pulled her away. “It was lovely chatting with you two, but we’ve got to run along to bed now, advanced age and all, you know how it is. Thanks for the drinks.”
As they blended into the crowd, Cassidy leaned toward Danielle’s ear and borrowed one of Patti’s favorite lines. “We must never speak of that again.”
Danielle laughed. “Holy frick. Maybe you can use that in one of your books.”
Despite the evening’s inauspicious beginning, Cassidy and Danielle ended up having a great time at the party and were two of the last people to leave. After Connor’s candid admission, they’d retreated briefly to a corner to lick their wounds and considered going home, but then the DJ, who they jokingly decided must be from their generation, started playing a lot of early nineties music, and they hit the dance floor with a vengeance. Sometimes with a partner, but just as often without, they danced and danced and didn’t stop until the DJ packed it in.
“Wow, you two seriously rallied.” Harper came up to them as they were in line to retrieve their coats. Vanessa was on his arm and appeared quite drunk, as did many of the guests still milling about. Cassidy, who had cut herself off at two drinks hours ago, took a look around the room and thought I remember those days . Somehow it seemed like a lifetime ago and not long ago at all. One thing she remembered clearly from those days: most of these people were going to be hurting at work tomorrow morning.
Danielle smoothed her hair with one hand. “I haven’t danced that much since my clubbing days. It’s sad to say, but I bet my legs are going to hate me tomorrow.”
Cassidy buttoned up her coat. “And I’m sad to say I never had clubbing days at all.”
“I could really use a slice of pizza right about now. Interested?” Danielle looked at her.
Cassidy nodded. “I’m in. Harper? Vanessa? You guys hungry?”
Harper adjusted his scarf and tilted his head toward Vanessa, who was staring off into space. “I think I’ve got to put this one to bed and get some sleep myself, but thanks for the offer.”
Cassidy gave him a look of feigned sympathy. “I understand. Now that you’re thirty, you need to get to bed early.”
Vanessa wrapped her arms around him and slurred, “You ready, old man?”
“Sure thing, just need to settle up with the manager.” He
Cassidy pointed to her glass. “Another Malbec would be nice. I’m Cassidy.”
“One gin and tonic, one Malbec, coming right up. Stay right here.” Evan pointed to the spot where they were standing, then turned and squeezed through the crowd toward the bar.
His friend held out a hand. “I’m Conner.”
Danielle shook it. “Hi, Conner, it’s nice to meet you.” By the way Danielle was looking at him, Cassidy could tell she was sizing him up for a potential smooch. There was no denying he was cute, despite appearing so young. But given how Evan had just been ogling Danielle, Cassidy suspected an awkward love triangle was about to unfold.
“Do you work with Harper?” Danielle asked him.
He glanced down at his outfit. “That obvious?”
She smiled. “The banker uniform sort of gives it away.”
He laughed. “Busted. What about you two? How do you know the birthday boy?”
Cassidy gestured to herself, then to Danielle. “I live in his building, and Danielle’s a good friend of mine.”
Connor nodded. “Cool. It’s nice to see some older women here.”
Danielle coughed. “Come again?”
Connor’s face turned red. “Um, I didn’t mean…I meant…”
“You didn’t mean what?” Evan reappeared and handed Cassidy and Danielle their drinks.
“He didn’t mean to say we’re old.” Danielle took a sip of her drink.
Evan flashed Connor an irritated look. “Dude, I was gone for like two minutes. What is wrong with you?”
“Uh… ” was all Connor could come up with in response.
Danielle grabbed Cassidy’s arm and pulled her away. “It was lovely chatting with you two, but we’ve got to run along to bed now, advanced age and all, you know how it is. Thanks for the drinks.”
As they blended into the crowd, Cassidy leaned toward Danielle’s ear and borrowed one of Patti’s favorite lines. “We must never speak of that again.”
Danielle laughed. “Holy frick. Maybe you can use that in one of your books.”
Despite the evening’s inauspicious beginning, Cassidy and Danielle ended up having a great time at the party and were two of the last people to leave. After Connor’s candid admission, they’d retreated briefly to a corner to lick their wounds and considered going home, but then the DJ, who they jokingly decided must be from their generation, started playing a lot of early nineties music, and they hit the dance floor with a vengeance. Sometimes with a partner, but just as often without, they danced and danced and didn’t stop until the DJ packed it in.
“Wow, you two seriously rallied.” Harper came up to them as they were in line to retrieve their coats. Vanessa was on his arm and appeared quite drunk, as did many of the guests still milling about. Cassidy, who had cut herself off at two drinks hours ago, took a look around the room and thought I remember those days . Somehow it seemed like a lifetime ago and not long ago at all. One thing she remembered clearly from those days: most of these people were going to be hurting at work tomorrow morning.
Danielle smoothed her hair with one hand. “I haven’t danced that much since my clubbing days. It’s sad to say, but I bet my legs are going to hate me tomorrow.”
Cassidy buttoned up her coat. “And I’m sad to say I never had clubbing days at all.”
“I could really use a slice of pizza right about now. Interested?” Danielle looked at her.
Cassidy nodded. “I’m in. Harper? Vanessa? You guys hungry?”
Harper adjusted his scarf and tilted his head toward Vanessa, who was staring off into space. “I think I’ve got to put this one to bed and get some sleep myself, but thanks for the offer.”
Cassidy gave him a look of feigned sympathy. “I understand. Now that you’re thirty, you need to get to bed early.”
Vanessa wrapped her arms around him and slurred, “You ready, old man?”
“Sure thing, just need to settle up with the manager.” He
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