Chapter 100

Cassidy grinned at me, making a silly face as she tried on a pair of sunglasses.

“You know, you’re laughing but they look really good on you,” I said.

“Really?” she asked, then looked into the little mirror on the display. “I look like I’m a pilot in Top Gun.”

“And that’s not sexy?” I asked, which made her giggle.

“OK,” she said. “If you like them, I’ll get them.”

She turned and pursed her lips dramatically to ask for a kiss, and I obliged her. The bell on the front door of the General Store tinkled loudly as it opened, and the cute gas girl walked in followed by Cattie. Gas Girl headed for the main counter, while Cattie came over to us.

“Hey,” Cass said, reaching out to Cattie and taking her hand.

“Hi,” she replied, and turned to me and put a hand on my chest lightly. “Robbie, do you mind if I talk to Cass for a second?”

“Sure, hon,” I said and gave her a very platonic side hug. She led Cass back deeper into the store, and I wandered closer to the front to give them some privacy. I ended up browsing the snacks near the counter. “So,” I said to the Gas Girl, “Did you find Becca?”

“I did, thanks,” she said. “I guess that you guys are going to be a little bit, though. It was like a dozen women came out of those boats and they’re going to start some sort of photoshoot? What kind of group are you guys?”

“Most of the people on our trip are models. Like cosplayers and internet streamers and stuff,” I said.

“You’re a model?” the girl asked.

“Ouch,” I laughed, miming that she’d stabbed me in the heart. “No, I’m not.”

“No, sorry, I didn’t mean it that way,” she said, looking a little abashed. “You’re actually pretty cute. Most tourists who come in that are your ages are usually douchey is all, and you and most of the girls I quickly talked to down there seemed pretty down to earth.”

“Becca was fairly picky when she was organizing the trip,” I said. “She’s been in the industry for a while and doesn’t take much bullshit. ‘Influencer’ types aren’t her style.”

“So if you’re not a model...?”

“Why am I on the trip?” I filled in. I turned and pointed back towards Cass and Cattie. They were wandering around the back, talking quietly and picking out snacks. “The girl with the purple hair is my fiancee. The one next to her is her best friend.”

“That looks like an intense conversation they’re having,” Gas Girl said.

“Uh, yeah,” I grinned sheepishly and could feel myself blushing a bit. “There’s a whole thing going on. I’m hoping it’s not going to become drama - I doubt it will with them, but get a bunch of people together and someone’s going to make a problem at some point.”

“Oh, I get not wanting drama,” the girl sighed.

“Yikes,” I said. “That’s the expression of someone with a lot going on.”

“Mmm,” she grunted. “You could say that. I broke up with my boyfriend last week because he cheated on me with a couple of friends. I didn’t even like him all that much to be honest, but he’s local and not a complete redneck so that’s more than most people around here. But now he’s texting me non-stop, flip-flopping between being an asshole and begging for me back.”