Read Real Challenge (Atlanta #2) for Free Online

took the doors off.” She still hadn’t picked up her jaw and he grinned wickedly at her. That’s one more point for Scott Merchant , he thought to himself.  
    “Wow, you sure know how to try to win a girl’s heart…jail on the first date,” she laughed a bit incredulously, but he already knew she loved an adventure.  
    “It’s actually called The Big House, and some eccentric chef from Seattle moved here and started it up. I think the only reason we got reservations on short notice is because it’s a Sunday. It’s a bit of a drive…I hope you don’t mind.”
    “No, I don’t mind. This should be interesting,” Cassie said with a smile and reached for his hand.  
    He loved that she was direct like that. No shyness. No drama. She wanted to hold his hand so she did. Her boldness made him feel like she was the one going after him…just like she had in that kiss. Game on. He led her to the door and waited as she locked it behind her. She tucked her keys into her black purse and held his hand again as he walked her to his black SUV in the driveway.  
    Working to impress her with his skill as a gentleman, he held her car door open for her. She stepped up in gracefully and settled herself in, clicking the seatbelt in place as he was climbing in his side. This time, he reached for her hand and saw her smile. Advantage Merchant.

    The entire 45 minute drive, Cassie and Scott talked easily. The conversation was less playful than any had been up to this point, but that didn’t matter at all. They compared stories of education, laughing at the differences between the school of business at Georgetown and the medical assistant’s program at the local community college.  
    The biggest difference seemed to be the people. According to Cassie, everyone at Georgetown seemed to be out to impress everyone, goal-oriented. Scott assumed the prestigious school would impress her, but she looked at his school in a completely different way, of course. She compared his university to her community college, and started changing his way of thinking, too, in that moment.  
    “Most of the people in my nursing program are like me. We’re all doing whatever we can to get an education for a decent job. We talk about wanting to help people, not impress them,” she said this analytically. She did not want him to think she was judging. She was just fascinated that there were so many people out just trying to come off better than the rest of them, who were all doing the same thing. It was borderline insanity as far as she was concerned.  
      By the end of that conversation, Scott had admitted that her program was probably more impressive than his because of the underlying goals and different kind of work ethic. He admitted that he had never thought from that perspective before.  
    “I didn’t realize what a snob I can be.”  
    “I don’t think you’re a snob,” Cassie said. “I just think you’ve never had the chance to think about things any differently. Most people don’t question the values they’re raised with. For me, I had nothing but questions. It worked out though. I love who I am now.”
    “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say that,” Scott said honestly.  
    “Most people either don’t think about it or don’t love themselves, but it’s not a bad thing. Everybody who learns it, learns it in their own time.”
    Cassie loved how real he was in that moment. They talked about people and priorities. He dropped all the charm somewhere in the middle of the conversation causing her to feel a little victorious. She wanted to hear more about him because the real Scott was back.  
    Listening to him talk about business school gave her a sense of why he had that corporate drive. Erin had told her how fast he got promoted through the ranks. He was obviously intelligent and a hard worker. His Olympic gold proved he had dedication, too. As much as she hated to admit it, he was a pretty impressive guy. Mostly when he