Fuck.
After we cleared the air, I thought I would feel better, but then she had to overshare about her goals to hunt for summer dick, and now my mind is consumed with thoughts about her with another guy.
“Why do you keep looking outside?” Dean asks, adjusting his glasses as he glances at his cards. Josh looks over his shoulder to see what I might be looking at.
“Just watching the weather,” I mumble and turn my focus back to my cards. I spy Luke staring at me, so I sharply decide to ignore that nosy fucker.
The rest of the table finishes placing their bets just as the doorbell rings. I frown, wondering who that could be because everyone I know is already here.
I open the door to find a lanky blonde standing on my front step. Her eyes widen obnoxiously as she leans against the door and purrs, “Hello, Maxamillion.”
“Do I know you?” I inquire curiously.
She huffs out a laugh and then clears her throat. “Sorry, I’m Dakota, Cozy’s friend. I’m here to pick her up.”
She reaches out to shake my hand, and I can’t help but notice this girl looks like she’s dressed for a night out on the town. Is Cassandra going to be dressed like her? I shake my head and reply, “Cassandra is out back in the guesthouse.”
“No worries! I just texted her and told her I was up here. She said she’ll be right up.”
A loud argument breaks out behind me that has Dakota frowning curiously. “Sounds like you’re having a party,” she says, trying to peer over my shoulder.
“No party, just poker night. Please, come in,” I respond woodenly as I step back and guide her over to the dining room table that’s covered in snacks, poker chips, and cards.
“What do we have here?” Dakota sweet-talks, propping her hand on the back of Wyatt’s chair. Wyatt hides his cards from her.
Calder fiddles with the sleeves of his flannel and flashes her a wicked grin. “You got any money?”
“I do, but I usually make the man pay for me,” Dakota answers with a flirtatious wink. “It’s possibly anti-feminist of me, but I figure taking a man’s money is also a way to fuck the patriarchy.”
“What’s a patriarchy?” Everly’s voice interjects as she returns to the table from the bathroom off the library.
Dakota’s eyes widen in horror. “Oh, my God, I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you there.” She covers her mouth and shoots me a guilty look.
“It’s okay,” I reply, sitting down in my chair and shooting my cute kid a wink as she resumes her spot at the table too. “Everly knows what words aren’t for her.”
“Is patriarchy a bad word, Daddy?”
I frown at that. “Kind of? But it’s not really a curse word, so you can feel free to use it.”
Calder taps the cards on the table. “You want me to deal you in, Blondie? I like to fuck the patriarchy too.”
She laughs. “Not tonight. Cozy and I are meeting some people in a little bit, and I wouldn’t want to be late.”
Her eyes turn to Everly, who has turned Luke’s baseball cap forward now, pulling it low over her eyes. She has a piece of licorice hanging out of her mouth, and she’s staring at her cards like she’s about to bet her mortgage payment on them.
“So you’re the infamous Everly,” Dakota says, her voice rising excitedly at the end. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Everly looks up at Dakota, giving her body a once-over. “Still don’t know what patriarchy means.”
It’s Wyatt’s deep voice that pipes up next. “It’s a social system where men have power over everything in a society that wrongly oppresses women.” His jaw tightens, and he adds, “Though the fact that I gave you the definition instead of the other female in the room means that the patriarchy is sadly ingrained in all of us.”
Silence descends the table for a moment before Everly looks back to Dakota and notes, “Cool shoes.”
Dakota smiles and glances down at her strappy sandals. “Thanks…I like your hat.”
“It’s Uncle Luke’s,” Everly replies distractedly. “Now…can someone tell me what two A’s mean again? That’s not a number, so I don’t know what to do with them.”
The table groans as several of the guys toss their cards down in frustration.
I smile proudly. “Everly has a case of beginner’s luck.”
“Or maybe lady luck,” Dakota offers.
“Dakota.” Cassandra’s voice cuts in behind me as the slider door to the house opens. “I told you to text me when you were outside, and I would meet you at your car.”