Cassidy Lane

by Murnane, Maria

  “No way. A Simone works for my publisher. She’d hate me.”

  “Brenda?”

  She chewed on her pencil. “My aunt’s name is Brenda. Plus there’s the whole Beverly Hills 90210 thing. Who could forget that bitch?”

  “Man, you weren’t joking about this not being easy.”

  “I told you! Welcome to my world, Wolf Eyes.”

  “What about Crystal?”

  “No can do. Remember Crystal Hightower from high school? She’s a huge fan of my books. I could never do that to her.”

  “OK, how about Blair?”

  Cassidy raised her eyebrows. “Oooh, Blair is good. I don’t know anyone named Blair, but it sure sounds bitchy.”

  “Blair definitely sounds bitchy.”

  Cassidy jotted the name down on her notepad. “OK, I’m going with Blair. Well done, kind sir. Thank you very much.”

  “You’re welcome. That was quite a change from prepping a witness for a deposition.”

  “It’s hard work, but someone has to do it. I may have to put you in the acknowledgments for your help.”

  He lowered his voice. “I can think of other ways you can thank me.”

  She caught her breath, unprepared for the sudden change in tone. “Is that so?”

  “It is so. Now get to bed and dream about that.”

  She smiled. “I’ll do my best; good night.”

  The calls and texts kept coming, and soon Cassidy felt as though she’d been close to Brandon for years. She had more energy during her runs than she could ever remember, wanted to smile for no reason, and felt a light buzzing sensation deep inside herself at all times, as if the energy between them was constantly flowing, even when they weren’t actually in contact. To pass the time on the subway, she’d often scroll through her phone and reread her favorite parts of their ongoing conversation, some of which made her stomach do a little flip-flop at the promise of what this might be turning into.

  Monday afternoon:

  I’m so glad you went to the reunion.

  I’m glad you’re glad. You didn’t seem all that interested. Too many girls swarming around you, I suppose…

  Are you joking?

  Krista Nelson wouldn’t shut up about you. Had you opened the door even a smidge, I think she would have kicked poor Andre to the curb.

  You were the prettiest girl there.

  Liar.

  It’s true. Did you tell Krista we’ve been texting like teenagers?

  Ha. We ARE texting like teenagers. What is wrong with us?

  I’m serious, btw. You were the talk of the reunion, at least as far as the guys were concerned.

  I don’t believe that for a second. You weren’t even looking at me.

  I didn’t want to stare. I’m a gentleman.

  You’re making me blush.

  I want to do more than make you blush.

  Oh, do you?

  I’m a gentleman, but I never said I was a Boy Scout.

  And Tuesday morning:

  I woke up thinking about you today.

  You did? What were you thinking?

  I’ll wait to tell you in person.

  You’re mean.

  You’re sexy.

  There are a lot of girls who live way closer to you than I do. Why are you so interested in me?

  There are pretty girls out here, but they’re usually dumb as rocks. You’re beautiful AND smart. Do you realize how hard that is to find?

  I could say the same thing about you.

  Plus you’re funny. Sexy and smart and funny. A triple threat. I was an idiot for not trying to kiss you when I was in New York.

  You’re making me blush again.

  And Tuesday afternoon:

  Did you talk to Kevin Tyson at the reunion?

  Oh God, don’t remind me. I’d nearly purged that experience from my memory.

  I ran into him at Home Depot yesterday.

  Let me guess. He complained about his arthritis?

  Bingo.

  It’s like he’s eighty years old.

  Exactly. Sort of sad. I don’t ever want to be like that.

  Who would? To think, I used to have a crush on him in high school. So scary.

  I like that we went to high school together.

  Me too. It’s like you’re already vetted.

  Me? I was thinking the same thing about you.

  Be careful now, or I may delete you from my phone. I know how to do that, you know. I took a technology class at a local community college.

  You’re funny.

  I’m glad you think so.

  But you’re right, I’m the lucky one here.

  And later Tuesday afternoon:

  Do you like Greek food?

  I like all food.

  I’m trying to figure out where to take you on our date.

  You’re already planning that far ahead? I’m flattered.

  I’m organized. Some may use less flattering adjectives.

  Ha. You would freak if you saw my desk.

  If that means I get to see your apartment, I’ll manage.

  Somebody’s flirting. They say it may snow here this weekend. Do you like snow?

  I love snow, get up to Tahoe whenever I can. Maybe that’s where we should go on our date. My friends have a great place I can use whenever I want.

  That’s like a four-hour drive. You’d want to spend that much time with me on our first official date?

  Yes, shocking.

  What if you hate me after we’ve been in the car for only twenty minutes? It would be a little awkward if you ditched me at a gas station or something.

  LOL. Good point.

  Maybe we should stick with dinner for now, then see how it goes? That way if things go downhill fast I won’t be alone on the side of the road.

  Ha. Sounds good.

  Interspersed with the banter were more serious phone conversations hinting that there was more than just flirting going on. They talked about his firm, her progress on her book, what they liked and disliked most about their careers. When Cassidy thought about how nervous she’d been when they’d met in New York, how reserved he’d been when they’d said good-bye at the subway, she was surprised at how far they’d come in such a short time.

  What really told Cassidy that Brandon trusted her was when he talked about his boys…including one evening in which he confided that Jack was being teased at school because of his lisp.

  For Cassidy, that was when they crossed a line.

  That’s when things began to feel real.

  From then on, their communication grew even more intimate.

  Wednesday evening:

  Tough day at work today. Contentious client. Sigh…

  Can you talk about it, or is it confidential?

  Unfortunately, I can’t really get into it. Just complicated.

  It must be exhausting to deal with conflict all day long.

  It will be fine. I’m just venting.

  Not every client’s going to take you out for tequila shots, Wolf Eyes.

  And thank God for that. My liver couldn’t handle it.

  And Thursday afternoon:

  Another tough day at work. Client X is really getting under my skin.

  Clients can really suck. I remember when I worked in advertising, I hated having to be nice to clients no matter how awful they were to us. I don’t miss that at all. Who has the nerve to keep bothering you?

  Just a high-ranking executive who won’t admit he made a mistake early on. Life would be so much easier if people just admitted their mistakes.

  The desire to save face can be strong.

  I like your face.

  Ha! You just changed the subject on me.

 
I like this subject better.

  And you say you’re not a good writer. Look at you, with all the wordplay.

  Do you prefer clean-shaven or scruffy?

  You’re already thinking about that?

  T-minus two weeks and counting. So clean-shaven or scruffy?

  Surprise me. Actually, scratch that, pun intended. Clean-shaven.

  Done. Or should I say scratched?

  Even though he had yet to kiss her, she knew without a doubt that Brandon Forrester liked her. He really liked her.

  It was almost excruciating to think that she had to wait another two weeks before California.

  Chapter Eight

  “HEY, HOW’S IT going, Cassi—Travis Bramble Baker! If you don’t put that down right now, you’ll be sorry!”

  “Patti?”

  “Hang on a minute, Cassidy. Travis!! I’m serious!”

  Cassidy heard a crash in the background, then feet stomping, then silence.

  “Patti?”

  “Hey, I’m back. Roy’s taking care of it. Sorry about that; we just had a bit of a situation.”

  “What happened?”

  “Travis was chewing on the lamp cord again. I swear to God, my children will eat anything but their own dinner. How are you?”

  Cassidy laughed. “I’m good; on my way to meet Danielle for a leisurely brunch. Do you remember what a leisurely brunch is?”

  “Vaguely. I can’t remember my own birthday anymore. What’s up?”

  “I wanted to touch base about Halloween. You still want to take the kids out together?”

  “Wouldn’t miss it. Although I can’t promise Jason won’t try to eat one of your nieces. When do you get in?”

  “The thirtieth.”

  “Nice. How’s the prep for your speech coming?”

  “Pretty good. I think it will be fine, because I’m supposed to talk about myself, and how hard can that be, right? I mean, it’s not like I can forget the material. Or so I’m telling myself. Actually, to be honest, I’m sort of nervous about speaking in front of all those women. OK, who am I kidding? I’m totally praying I don’t choke.”

  “Wow, that was quite a fall from grace, and all in like ten seconds.”

  “I’m serious, Patti. What if I fall on my figurative face?”

  “Stop it. You’ll be great.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure. I’m changing the subject now. What’s on the docket with Brandon while you’re here?”

  “He’s taking me to dinner the night I get in.”

  “The same day?”

  “Yes, ma’am. To say I’m not already watching the clock would be grossly inaccurate.”

  “Not wasting any time there, are we now? How many text messages are you two up to? Is your phone still counting them for you?”

  “Yesterday we passed two thousand.”

  “Two thousand? Good lord, Cassidy! I get like ten text messages a year from Roy.”

  “I know, I know. It’s sort of crazy. But it’s fun. My phone’s chime is my favorite sound these days. I love the flirting. I love the banter. I love it all. He’s so much wittier than I first thought. And he’s really nice too.”

  “It’s like you’re back in olden times, writing love letters from afar, only with your thumbs.”

  Cassidy smiled into the phone. “I know it’s unconventional, but I’m really enjoying getting to know him this way. The distance has forced us to become friends, you know? And I really like him as a person.”

  “That’s great, Cassidy, being friends is important. Without that, you’re doomed.”

  “Not that I’m not dying to kiss him.”

  Patti laughed. “As you should be. That man is gorgeous, and I say that as a happily married woman. I’m excited for you too; you deserve some attention like this. Where are you going to dinner?”

  “I’m not sure yet.”

  “Is he picking you up at your parents’ house?”

  “Yes. Don’t laugh.”

  Patti laughed. “That’s awesome. Do you think he’ll bring you a corsage?

  “I’ll tell you on Halloween. Are you dressing up?”

  “I may just wear my standard witch costume, which is appropriate, given how I spend most of my time these days yelling at my bratty children.”

  “It’s just a phase. I’m sure they’ll grow out of it by the time they leave for college.”

  “I hope you’re right, or I may end up flying away on my broomstick and leaving Roy to deal with them. It would suck for him, but he probably wouldn’t blame me.”

  “I just got to the restaurant. I’ll be in touch about Halloween, OK?”

  “Sounds good. Talk soon.”

  Cassidy took one look at the bags under Danielle’s eyes and put a hand on her arm. “Hey, are you OK? You don’t look too good.” Despite her hectic work and travel schedule, Danielle somehow always managed to look put together.

  But not today.

  Danielle sighed as they sat down at a table. “Can I get a Bloody Mary first?”

  “Sure. I need to write today, though, so I can only have coffee.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  A few minutes later, the waiter set Danielle’s Bloody Mary down in front of her. As soon as he did so, she picked it up and took a huge gulp.

  Cassidy gave her a look. “What is going on with you?”

  Danielle closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

  “Danielle?”

  Danielle opened her eyes and took another sip of her drink, then slowly set it down.

  “This past week I was in Baltimore at a conference with a bunch of our senior executives,” she said.

  “OK.”

  “And…there were a lot of social events happening each night, all of them involving alcohol.”

  “OK.”

  “And…” She closed her eyes again briefly. “Something happened with one of the executives.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Danielle took another sip of her drink and muttered to herself, “I’m Catholic, for chrissake. I’m supposed to be against this sort of thing.”

  “Against what sort of thing?”

  Danielle continued to avert her eyes. “It had been building up between us for a while, and I didn’t want it to happen, but one night, after dinner and bar hopping and a lot of drinking, it just…did.”

  Cassidy caught her breath. “You slept with one of your executives?”

  Danielle nodded slowly. “The CFO.”

  “And you feel guilty about it because you’re Catholic?”

  Danielle nodded again.

  Cassidy looked at her, not understanding what she meant. Then it slowly clicked.

  Is that why she’s never been in love?

  Have I been blind to this since college?

  Has she been afraid to tell me before now?

  The waiter interrupted them. “Here you go, two veggie scrambles.” He set down the plates and promptly disappeared.

  Cassidy picked up a fork, then chose her words carefully as she looked at her friend. “Danielle, is your CFO a woman?”

  Danielle laughed weakly and poured hot sauce over her eggs, still avoiding eye contact.

  Cassidy reached across the table and put a hand on her arm. “It’s OK. Who cares what the stupid church says? The heart wants what the heart wants, right?”

  Danielle set down her glass and pressed her palms against her eyes for a moment. Then she removed them and slowly shook her head.

  “Our CFO isn’t a woman, Cassidy. And I’m not a lesbian.”

  “Oh.” Now Cassidy felt foolish. “I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions. I just—”

  “He’s married.” Danielle finally looked her in the eye.

  Cassidy caught her br
eath. Despite her liberated attitude about her sexual partners, Danielle had steadfastly refused to cross the line into adultery—and took great pride in that resolve. Both she and Cassidy had had their opportunities with married men over the years, but they’d heard enough horror stories from friends who had gone down that thorn-laced path to steer clear.

  Until now, apparently.

  “I’m so disappointed in myself,” Danielle whispered, her shoulders slumping, her skin a little ashen. “I can’t believe I did it.”

  Cassidy had never seen her this way.

  Danielle had always been so strong, so confident. But right now she looked…frayed.

  Cassidy leaned over again and squeezed her shoulder. “Try not to beat yourself up. You’re not the one who cheated, right? You never took any vows, right?”

  Danielle scooped up a forkful of eggs and tried to laugh. “You sound like a defense attorney.”

  “Are you going to see him again?”

  She wiped a small tear from the corner of her eye. “Definitely not. I don’t ever want to feel like this again. I feel awful.”

  “Will you run into him at the office?”

  “Not if I can help it.”

  “Want me to go down there and tell him to stay away from you?”

  Now Danielle laughed for real. “Now that would be quite a sight. You’re a good friend, Cassidy. Thanks for not judging me. Now can we please change the subject? What’s going on with you?”

  “I’m good, still chipping away at the book.”

  “How’s it coming?”

  “It’s coming. I’ve been tearing my hair out a bit since my editor moved up the deadline, but I think I can finish it on time. I just hope it’s not awful.”

  “I’m not worried. You say the same thing with every book. You know that, right?”

  “I am aware of that, yes.”

  “You said the same thing with every paper you wrote in college. You know that too, right?”

  Cassidy shrugged. “Old habits die hard.”

  “Speaking of the old days, how’s it going with high-school guy?”

  Cassidy smiled. “Actually, it’s going really well. He texts me all the time now. I mean all the time. And he calls me too. It’s so fun having a guy call me.”

  “That’s old school. No one calls anymore.”

  “I know. Isn’t it crazy how much the world has changed? Remember when we didn’t even have cell phones to call?”