“I spent the day here in your pool. I had a picnic. I blasted music. It was a good day.”

“You were alone?”

“Yes.”

Cassidy thought that sounded like a depressing way to spend her birthday but not everyone needed to have people around all the time. Laura, obviously, was comfortable being alone.

“What?”

Cassidy brought her attention back to Laura. She sighed. “I envy you.”

“Why on earth?”

“I’m not very good at being alone.”

“I’ve gathered that. You almost always have company with you when you come here.”

“I don’t really know what the reason is. I always feel compelled to invite someone or a couple…or have a party.”

“So you don’t like being alone?”

“Apparently not.”

“Do you not like yourself?”

Cassidy frowned. “Meaning?”

“Meaning…do you not like your own company? I like you. You obviously have a lot of friends, so you must be nice. But is there something that you don’t like?”

Cassidy moved her foot, using Laura’s float to push off, setting her in motion. What didn’t she like? How honest was she willing to be here?

“I sometimes feel like I’m…entitled.”

Laura raised her eyebrows questioningly.

“This is going to sound so conceited.”

“Oh, I get it. You’re attractive. You have money. You have a nice house. You own a successful business. You can have any woman you want. Conceited like that?”

Cassidy smiled. “Yes. Except I have horrible taste, according to you.”

“God, yes. What do you see in those women?”

“I’m not sure. They’re just…who I’ve always dated.”

“Yet you’re still looking. You know what they say about insanity, right?”

Cassidy nodded. “Doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results.”

“Exactly. But at least you have options. The last real date I went on was six or eight months ago. And it wasn’t even a blind date. I went willingly.” Laura shook her head. “I knew she wasn’t the one, but you have to give it at least two dates before you give up on them.” Then she smiled. “Now I’m sounding conceited. She probably didn’t like me either.”

“I told you to come to the party. There will be single women here, you know.”

“And I told you, those skinny, girlie types are not for me.”

“Claudia will be here,” Cassidy said with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

“The anorexic blonde?” Laura rolled her eyes. “God, are you dating her again?”

“No. I saw her out at lunch one day and felt obligated to invite her.”

“Why?”

“Well, she was into me a whole lot more than I was into her. She was hurt when I called things off.” Cassidy bit her lip, wondering if she should tell Laura the real reason Claudia was hurt. “She insinuated that I was only using her. For sex.”

Laura met her gaze. “And were you?”