Page 51 of Lyrical

“Great. They love a big audience, so the more the better.”

Her smile never wavered, and I gave her the benefit of the doubt. At that point, there was no reason not to. I’d been honest when I told Jillian that she’d respected the boundaries of our relationship, starting right after the talent show last October when we’d openly come out as a couple. One of the top fucking days of my life.

“And I’m sure Daniel will be there as well.”

“I hope so. He can see more of what I do.”

“Which brings me to the reason I’m here.”

She tilted her head. “It’s not to discuss the play or one of our students?”

“No. And I realize this is during school hours.”

She waved me over to the other side of the gym, where she could still keep an eye on them and keep them out of earshot. “It’s no problem, Chase. All I’d be doing anyway is waiting for the next twenty minutes for them to finish so we can talk it over. I’m betting on Carly showing off some of her acting skills when she finds out Lisa has more lines than her.”

We got to the far wall and leaned against it. “So, what’s up?”

“It was pretty surprising to see you with Daniel at the party.”

“I know! Tell me about it. How freaky to find out that he’s Jillian’s son.”

“So, you two… high school together?”

“Yeah, just for a year. It’s not like we were close back then or anything, but I remembered who he was when I saw him again in the parking lot.”

“And now you guys are seeing each other?”

She moved in closer. “Are you jealous?” I moved back and she lightly slapped my arm, laughing. “God, Chase. I was teasing you.” She flicked her eyes up as if thinking. “Yes, I suppose you can say we’re seeing each other now. I like him. He’s sweet, not like a lot of the guys I’ve dated before. Why are you asking?”

“I would think that’s obvious. I’m just curious, considering.”

“Hmm….” She tapped her fingers on her bottom lip. “I guess you’re almost like his father by default. What a crazy world, huh?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Could you just imagine if I got married to Daniel and you got married to Jillian? I’d be your daughter-in-law.”

“Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself here? It’s been what, a whole four days?”

She laughed again. “Lighten up, Chase. You’re being too serious. I was teasing again. The last thing on my mind is wedding bells.” She lifted an eyebrow. “What about you?”

“What about me, Cassie?”

“Is there an ‘I do’ in your future?”

“I think that’s between Jillian and me.”

“Touchy, touchy. You’re asking questions about Daniel and me. It’s only fair for me to get some in.” She smiled wide. “Considering we’re both involved with members of the same family. Mother and son. How wild is that? Truth really is stranger than fiction.”

“Four days and you consider yourself involved?”

“There go the questions again. Just like an overprotective father asking about my intentions.” She looked me up and down. “Is there a shotgun hiding in there somewhere too?”

She was light, jovial, but I wasn’t appreciating her humor. And I wasn’t getting a damn thing from it. I knew Cassie, but I didn’t know her well enough to make a determination. The conversation was cordial and just upbeat enough on her part to put me on the edge of suspicion. Not Jillian and Perry suspicious—not even close. But close enough.

“I’m not asking for details. That’s your business. But I found it interesting how this all came about, and I thought I’d stop over and see if you felt the same.”

“Aww, that’s sweet. I find it interesting too, Chase, but there are much more interesting things out there. This is more of a lucky coincidence. I can’t wait to see what evolves as a result of Daniel coming into my life.”

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