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Strong, intelligent women were such a turn-on.
    Over the past few days, Cassidy gave great thought to her outfit, weighing the pros and cons of different choices and what they’d say about her. Too sexy could give Deb the impression Cassidy was expecting something more would happen than dinner. Too casual could mean either she didn’t really care or she had no fashion sense, neither of which was true. So, she wracked her brains to come up with something suitably in between. The resulting black slacks, black camisole, and ivory silk blouse was pretty damn perfect, if she did say so herself. Simple, classy, feminine, yet confident.
    “What do you think?” she asked Hermione as she studied herself in the full-length mirror. The cat meowed.
    “You’re right. I almost forgot the jewelry.” She kept it all subtle, not wanting to overdo it. The necklace was a muted turquoise oval on a black thong that gave a warm splash of color to the outfit. Simple diamond studs went in her ears and she tucked her dark hair behind them. An understated touch of makeup, a spritz of her Coco perfume, and she was ready.
    Hermione yawned when Cassidy kissed the top of her head and grabbed a jacket. “No parties while I’m gone. Leave a light on for me, okay?”
    Being a weeknight, the restaurant wasn’t terribly busy, but had enough of a crowd to keep the wait staff moving at a steady pace. Cassidy arrived at 7:25 and before Deb, so she grabbed a seat at the bar and ordered herself a glass of the house Cabernet, sipping as she took in her surroundings. She remembered when it was a lesbian bar several years ago. As was the case any time somebody tried to open one in this city, it didn’t last long. But instead of changing endless hands and renaming what was essentially the same bar over and over again, this time, it was purchased by two lesbian business partners who made it into a nice, upscale restaurant—that happened to have a bar. There was no dance floor, only a corner piano where various jazz musicians played during happy hours and beyond, loudly enough to enjoy, but not so loud as to make conversation difficult. The menu was simple and elegant, the wine list extensive, and the atmosphere one of warmth and contentment. Cassidy loved it here.
    At 7:45, she pulled her phone from her clutch and set it in view on the bar, in case Deb tried to get ahold of her for some reason. She debated a second glass of wine, but the bartender interrupted her.
    “Waiting for somebody?” he asked. He had that lean, slightly effeminate look of a guy who played on Cassidy’s team. His sandy hair was very short, and his eyes were an interesting light brown, warm and kind.
    “Sort of a blind date,” Cassidy replied. “I know what she looks like, but we’ve never met.”
    “Internet date?”
    Cassidy shook her head. “God, no,” she laughed, then gave a mock shudder. “Set up by a friend of a friend.”
    “Ah. Well, my name is Jason, and I say relax and have another glass of wine.”
    “I say you’re right, Jason. I’m Cassidy.” They shook hands as they chuckled together, and he poured her some more wine.
    By the time another twenty minutes went by, Cassidy was feeling a mix of hurt, anger, and embarrassment. It was one thing to sit at a bar alone for a few minutes while waiting for your date to arrive. It was quite another to sit at the bar alone for nearly an hour. Should she call Deb? Did she screw up the day/time/place? She slid her finger across the touchscreen of her phone to activate it, and checked to make sure she hadn’t missed a call or text. Nothing.
    She sent a quick text to her friend Amy, who’d initially suggested the date, asking if she’d heard anything from Deb. Then she waited.
    The restaurant crowd increased a bit and there was a steady din of conversation all around her. Several people took up residence along the bar, keeping Jason busy. He glanced Cassidy’s way as he served a customer, gave her a wink. She watched