Page 49 of Cash

"It is not fine. He has responsibilities as your sister's date. Bryan would be more than willing to step in?—"

"That is enough." Evie stood from the table. "If you need any more help this week, Ellie, call me." She turned on her heel and walked out. She pulled her phone from her purse as she made her way out of the dining room.

Evie - Please tell me my mother didn't email you

Cash - I would love to, but I'm not a liar

"Evelyn, where do you think you are going?" her mother said as she followed her out of the country club's dining room.

She just kept walking.

"Evelyn, stop this instant."

With a huff Evie stopped and turned around.

"What on earth has you acting in such a way?"

"You, mother. I’m not getting back together with Bryan. I'm sure he’ll make someone else very happy, but that person is not me."

"That's right, you have this hockey player now," she said, her voice dripping with disdain.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Do you really think he can give you the life that Bryan can?"

Her mother was unbelievable.

"No. I don't, but I will remind you of two things. One. I don't want that life. Two. Even if I did, he has money. He lives in Rolling Hills for crying out loud."

That made her mother stop for a moment, but only a small one. "Evelyn, there is a difference between his money and our money. I'm sure he is a very nice man, but?—"

"No buts, he is a very nice man." She wished it didn’t, but a flush crept up her face because she remembered what his hands had done under the tablecloth in the middle of Manelli's.

"I'm leaving."

And before another word could be said, she turned and walked quickly to her car, anger coursing through her veins. By the time she made it to her car, her phone was already buzzing.

Elli - I'm sorry mom sucks. Do you want to get drinks later?

Evie just slipped her phone back into her purse as she got in her car. Did she want to get drinks with her sister? No. She wanted to see Cash again, maybe get laid, but that didn't feel right either. Her mom had managed to ruin that too.

Her phone dinged again in her purse, but she just let it go. She needed to get out of this fucking country club parking lot. She should go home, or to the rink. She still had to choreograph a routine for one of her skaters, but she knew where she wanted to go.

In less than ten minutes she was pulling up to Glendale Mall. She needed a cinnamon pretzel and skeeball. She didn't know why, but whenever life, specifically her mother, became too much, skeeball and a pretzel seemed to fix it.

In no time, she was standing in front of a skeeball machine ready to do some damage. The lights and sounds of the arcade drowned out all the memories of brunch as she started rolling those balls down the alley.

A few games later, she was starting to relax as the pile of tickets kept growing longer and longer. The stress fell away as she threw a couple more balls.

"Nice ass," a low voice said behind her. She turned with a glare in her eye and a fuck you on her tongue, but was pleasantly surprised to see a beautiful, bearded, tattooed beast of a man devouring her with his gaze.

"Cash, what are you doing here?"

"Dropped River off but thought I might hit the arcade for a guilty pleasure of mine. One it seems we share," he said, glancing down at the mound of tickets coming out from the machine beside her.

He moved to the lane beside her and dropped some tokens in the slot and the balls rolled down into place with a thunk. "Shall we?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Only if you want to be embarrassed," she said.

---