bigger than all the others, and it doesn’t even officially kick off for another thirty minutes. I swear several hundred people are milling about already.
“Hey, man,” Dean says, walking up to me. “Nice sweater.”
“Shut up, asshole,” I mutter, noting he’s wearing his standard weekend attire of jeans and a faded band tee. “Caroline made me wear it. Dress nice but not too nice, she said.”
“And you went along with that shit?” He shakes his head, taking a drink of his coffee. “Someone’s pussy-whipped.”
Guilty as fucking charged.
“Whatever,” I tell him. “Does The Gravy Train have a truck here? I didn’t even think about stopping to grab a coffee on the way. I could use one right about now.”
He nods toward the direction he just came from. “No, but I passed at least ten trucks on the way over here.”
“Meh,” I say. “That’s not the same.”
“Why do you think I grabbed one before coming here?” He takes another sip. “So, how’s it going in there?”
“Not sure. They’ve already rearranged things twice since I’ve been standing here, and it’s still ‘not right,’ as River keeps saying.”
“Again? They did it twice when I was here helping them set up. I thought they had it all planned out already—River hasn’t been able to shut up about it for weeks.”
“Tell me about it. When Caroline and I aren’t—”
“Having wild, wild sex?” he interrupts, smirking.
I laugh. “Yeah, that. When we aren’t preoccupied, it’s all she’s talked about, making sure everything is perfect and in place.”
“Did she change her mind about her display?” I shake my head, and Dean frowns. “Damn. River was really rooting for her. Sucks, because from the way River tells it, your girl is mad talented.”
She is.
And when I get the chance to talk to her, she’ll realize she needs to do this.
I know she will.
“Well, since they’re still in there working, I’m going to take a walk around and scope out the competition, see who I can charm over this way,” Dean says.
“Is that your role in all this?”
“Yep. Want to join?”
“Sure.” I shrug. “I have nothing better to do. But first, I need some caffeine. I’m going to head that way,” I say, pointing the way he came from, back where all the food trucks are. “Find some coffee. Then I’ll catch up with you.”
“Sounds good.”
He takes off to scout things out, and I start toward the caffeine. I stop at the first truck I find, not caring who it is, and place an order for two black coffees.
One is for me, and the other I’ll use to try to entice Caroline when I give her my big speech.
She needs to get out of her own head and realize she’s talented, realize we’re not all just blowing smoke up her ass and her “silly, homemade” designs are worth more than she gives herself credit for.
When she sees how right I am, how much I believe in her by bringing her designs, I know she’ll see I’m right.
“Here you go, sir,” the kid in the truck says, handing over my coffees.
“Thanks.” I tuck a few bucks in his tip jar.
Fresh brew in hand, I make my way back toward the other end of the strip, feeling excited. This is about to be a damn good day because Caroline’s dreams are going to come true, and I’ll be part of that.
There’s a shout in the distance, and I look up to see someone frantically waving her arms.
It’s River.
I speed up to get to her.
“What’s up?” I ask when I’m within distance.
“Oh, good. Coffee.” She grabs a cup from my hand, taking a big gulp from it, not caring that it wasn’t for her. Whatever. She looks like she needs it anyway. “The box, the one sitting behind the counter at the shop—did you put it in the truck last night when we were loading up?”
Oh shit.
I completely spaced on it. River asked me to grab it no less than three times, and I was too busy being distracted by how Caroline’s ass looked every time she bent over and how badly I wanted to push her skirt up around her hips and drive into her.
“Ugh,” she groans, all the hope in her eyes draining. “I’m guessing by the lack of color in your face, you didn’t.” I shake my head. “Shit, shit, shit. That’s why nothing is looking like the diagrams I drew up. I left a much-needed chunk of my inventory at the shop, and there’s no time to go grab it.” Hands