Chapter 15 - Awkward Moment

Cassidy was not looking forward to this dinner tonight. She was already in a state of confusion with a particular fellow who kept disappearing on her. But Cassidy knew she needed to be a good friend and support Natalie. Cassidy looked through her suitcase and pulled out a simple summer dress with spaghetti straps. It turned out to be a hot evening, and she decided to pull her hair up in a simple twist to keep herself cool throughout the night. Cassidy gave herself a final once over in the mirror in the bathroom and felt she looked well enough for dinner with a complete stranger. Cassidy started to make her way down the stairs when she heard the bell ring at the front door. “Cass, can you please answer it? I just need a few more minutes,” Natalie pleaded. Cassidy rolled her eyes and said, “Okay.” She stepped toward the door and slowly opened it. Her eyes widened as her mouth dropped open when she saw who was standing on the other side of the door. She started to get a sick feeling in her stomach as her heart began to panic. “What are you doing here?” she asked him. Gavin peeked his head out from behind Jacob and gave Cassidy a charming smile as he said to her, “Hi, darling, my name is Gavin. I believe Natalie is expecting us.” A flood of relief rushed through Cassidy as she looked Gavin over and sized him up from how Natalie had described him. “Hi, I’m Cassidy; please come in,” she said as she took a step back and offered them to step into the entryway of the place. “Thank you.” Gavin told her, then turned to Jacob and said, “This is my friend Jacob.” Cassidy narrowed her eyes at Jacob and sighed, “We’ve met.” Gavin gave a concerned look over to Jacob. He told Jacob they would curb the conversation on how he deserted his pack those years ago, leaving it to Gavin to keep the group going. And to find out that this girl was part of the reason why they lost their Alpha for so long, and to top it all off, she was his mate. Gavin didn’t want to hear anything Jacob had to say to spoil his mood for his date tonight. Gavin was pulled out of his thoughts when a heavenly smell swirled around him, and found the sexy girl he met earlier that day coming down the stairs. Natalie stepped slowly down the stairs in one of her favorite green bodycon dresses that helped her eyes sparkle an emerald green. Her hair was pulled up in a simple side bun with a few pieces pulled out to frame her face. Cassidy looked at her friend with a lifted brow. Of course, Natalie would have something sexy and revealing to wear on a girl’s weekend cabin trip. Natalie paid no attention to the look on her friend's face as she continued to make her way down. Her eyes were focused on the tall, dark-haired, chocolate-eyed man eating her all up with his stare. “Gavin, I’m so glad you and your friend could come,” Natalie said to them. Gavin pushed past his friend, who was blocking the doorway, and placed himself at the bottom of the staircase with his hand extended as he waited for Natalie to reach the last step. “Thank you for the invite; it smells heavenly in here.” He told her as Natalie placed her hand in his. Natalie gave him a flirtatious smile as she guided him to the dining room, leaving Cassidy and Jacob alone in the entryway. “Are you coming in, or do you plan to spend the night out on the porch,” she asked brashly. Jacob didn’t understand where her bad attitude was coming from. “Have I done something to offend you?” he asked as he stepped into the entryway. Cassidy crossed her arms around her chest. “I guess disappearing without saying anything is something you just do to everyone,” she answered. Jacob smirked before he offered an apology to his temperamental girl. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have disappeared the way I did. I got you some flowers to show how apologetic I am,” he said as he pulled out a small bouquet of wildflowers behind him. Cassidy was hypnotized by the gorgeous flowers he had offered her. She took the flowers without saying a word to him and inhaled the sweet smell they were emitting. “I know that smell. What kind of flowers are they?” she asked curiously. Jacob was surprised to hear that she had been familiar with these types of rare flowers; they only grew in a meadow on the pack lands. “They are a rare wildflower that only grows in a small place. I have a friend who owns a flower shop,” he told her. Alden: Liar! “I know I’ve smelled that fragrance before; I just can’t place it,” she explained as she continued to take in the sweet smell. Jacob’s face filled with concern. There was only one other time that Cassidy would have smelled those flowers, and it was while she was unconscious in the hospital. Jacob had stopped by to check on her and left a small bundle of flowers next to her bedside table. It was the last time he saw her and the last time he saw Kevin before Jacob disappeared. Cassidy’s attitude started to change as she took the flowers into the kitchen to grab a vase to place the flowers in. “Hey Cass, grab those dishes for me, please; we are ready to serve,” Natalie ordered. Cassidy did what she was told and followed her friend to the dining table. The candles were lit, and soft music was playing in the background. The men waited for the girls and offered to pull their chairs out before grabbing their seats on the other side. “Everything sure looks tasty; you have outdone yourself,” Gavin told Natalie. Natalie smiled as her cheeks blushed from the compliment. “Well, I hope it tastes as good as it looks. Go ahead and dig in, everyone.” Everyone started to help themselves and taste the delicious food Natalie had prepared. It was just as good as Natalie had hoped for it to be. “Wow, Nat, this is one of your best meals,” Cassidy said to Natalie as she continued to taste the fantastic meal. “Really?” Everyone else agreed at the table. The awkward tension in the room started dissipating, and a warm feeling of happiness filled the room.