Page 27 of Company Ink

"Alone?" I scoff, fiddling with my fake French manicure. "I'm not alone. I have you."

Monique grabs my hand, pressing it between her warm palms, her deep earthy eyes scanning my face. "Sweetie, Matt proposed last night."

My heart drops into the fiery pits of hell. "What?"

He proposed? What does this mean? Is she going to move out? She's going to leave me? What am I going to do?

I blink rapidly trying to fight back tears. No, this isn't about me. Stop being so selfish. This is about Monique. All she's ever wanted was to get married and have a family. This is a good thing. I'm happy for her. I am. I lift the corners of my mouth into a tight smile.

"He proposed?" I ask, my voice faltering. "That's amazing, Mon. I'm so happy for you. You're going to make a beautiful bride." I glance down at her bare hand. "Where's the ring?"

"It was a little big so we're having it resized," she whispers, pulling me into a hug. "Cassie, I love you. You know that right?"

I nod into her curly hair, taking a deep breath. Ten years of memories flood my mind. Our first high school party, first kiss, first heartbreak, first beer, college, moving in together. Everything. Now she's going to trade firsts with me for firsts with Matt. And I'll be...alone.

"Cassie, I just want you to be with someone who will appreciate you. I want you to have stability and love and support," Monique cries, her tone soft and uneven. "I just—I just worry about you sometimes. And now that Matt and I are—you know... I want to make sure you're taken care of, because I won't be able to do it anymore."

I swallow away my anxiety. "So that's why you brought Carson?" I ask meekly.

"All I'm saying is give him a chance. I know you're totally fixated on this whole Adrian thing but let's be realistic here Cassie, he's not a long-term option, he's just a fun time," Monique says, my gaze drifting to our table. Carson and Matt are chatting with Axel and Kai, everyone is laughing and smiling and getting along. Maybe she's right. Maybe I should give him a chance.

I let out a deep breath. "Okay, I'll try but no promises."

"That's all I ask. Also, don't say anything to Kai and Axel yet. I haven't even told my parents," she laughs.

"My lips are sealed."

Monique and I walk back to our table, our arms linked together. I grip her arm tightly, worried that she'll float away from me. Monique takes a seat next to Matt and I sit down beside blind date.

"So, Carson. Tell me about yourself. What do you like to do when you're not working?" I ask hesitantly, Monique's words replaying in my head.

Carson rubs his hands together, his spirited midnight blue eyes lighting up. "Well, lately I've been super into Warhammer."

I look at him, perplexed. "Warhammer? What is that?"

"Oh, it's sick. It's like a mini war-game, and you have all these figurines of warriors and fighting vehicles that you paint and then you play with them on a battlefield."

I blink, attempting to process how a grown-ass man thinks playing with toys is an appropriate hobby. No. Stop it, Cassie. Don't be a judgmental bitch. "That sounds uh—cool. Do you play with your friends or?"

"We have a league!" Carson exclaims. "It's pretty fun! You should come sometime."

"Yeah, for sure." I let out a nervous laugh. "I'm really busy with work these days so no promises."

For the next forty-five minutes, I politely listen to Carson drone on about his extracurricular activities, all of which would be more appropriate for a sixteen-year-old boy, not a twenty-six-year-old man. What the fuck was Monique thinking? Has she ever talked to this guy before? Or did she just assume that since he was buds with Matt that he would automatically be as charming?

I can't do this anymore. If I have to hear about one more League of Legend character, I think I'll die. Or I'll die from alcohol poisoning seeing as I've had three Cosmos in the span of an hour. I shoot an SOS side-eye to Axel and mouth 'help'.

"Hey, Cass!" Axel shouts from across the table. "Wanna dance?" He gets up and walks towards me.

I interrupt Carson's riveting tale about the strength of Akali, whoever the fuck that is. "I'm going to go dance."

Carson takes a sip of beer. "Oh, I don't dance," he laughs. "I have a bum knee."

"Aw, that's too bad," I say flatly, grabbing Axel's hand. "Bye."

Axel leads me out to the dance floor, laughing at me while I recount the torment of that conversation.

"So basically, you're saying he's a nerd?" Axel chuckles, placing a hand on my waist as we begin to salsa dance together.

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