by A. m Madden
Luca shrugged. “Sucks to be you, right? Don’t forget, I was in your shoes not so long ago.”
“Not even close. Ma hated Charlene. If you recall, the one and only time they met, Ma made lasagna and she may as well have set a plate of fat in front of my girlfriend.” Luca’s laugh caused me to grimace. “Yeah, very funny. I swear, the day I told her we broke up, I heard a champagne cork fly into the air. Followed by a lecture on how she knows best.”
“Well, in her defense, Charlene, although beautiful, was all wrong for you. Sabrina, on the other hand, is all right for me. I can’t wait for Ma to meet her and Mikey in person. The next trip I take with them will be to Milan.”
“Be careful, she might have Father Pietro in the living room waiting to officiate your nuptials.”
“That might not be a bad plan.”
“Wow, you’re pussy-whipped worse than I thought.” Luca scowled. “Fine, I’m sorry. Maybe that was the wrong phrasing. What I meant was, that sounds wonderful. Anyway, once I’m settled, I’ll call Mom.”
No sooner had I taken the first bite of my lunch when my phone dinged with a text from an insurance adjuster. Was this ever going to go away? I plopped my burger onto the plate so I could open my cell and read the rest of the text.
Tossing the phone on the Formica table, I growled. “Jesus Christ.”
“Problems?” Luca asked before he took another healthy bite of his meal.
“Now some adjuster needs my statement. You’d think I drove the damn car involved in that stupid accident. I need to fill out more paperwork as a witness, even though I didn’t see anything.”
The way my brother methodically wiped his hands on a napkin meant a lecture was coming. “You know, Cassie is really upset about that.”
“Really?” I scoffed. “I never would have guessed. The chick jumped down my throat as if I was at fault.”
“Cassie hardly ever drives that car. She was shaken up, so cut her some slack.” He shook his head with a sigh. “Look, you’re my brother, and I love you… but Cassie is very special to me. All I’m asking is for you to be nice. I’ve known her for over a year, and I’ve never seen her so agitated before.”
“I find that hard to believe.” At his glare, I put my hands up in defense. “Look, I get it, but I’m an innocent party in all of this.” When Luca wordlessly crossed his arms in front of his chest, I conceded. “Fine. I’ll play nice.”
“That’s all I’m asking.”
I was finally able to eat the rest of my food in peace. As Luca filled me in on how busy he was at work, my mind went elsewhere. It had little to do with the financial-world jargon he seemed obsessed with. Even though I couldn’t fathom loving that line of work, my lack of interest in finances wasn’t what caused me to zone out. It was the mention of his blond friend that forced a strange curiosity to fester in my mind. With all her friends now paired off, how did she spend her time? Was there a boyfriend, or did she sit at home grading papers while watching bad reality TV? An image of Cassie hovering over a stack of papers while wearing nerdy glasses should have invoked pity, yet strangely enough, it elicited intrigue.
“Okay, you can at least pretend you’re listening,” Luca said as he pushed his empty plate away.
“I was listening. You and Jude are rock stars in the financial market… the end,” I responded, sarcasm dripping. “So, um… maybe I’ll call her. You know, to apologize.” Lifting my phone, I asked, “What’s her number?” My brother staring at me for a few seconds had me adding, “Seriously?”
“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. She doesn’t like you.”
“Ouch.” Feigning shock, I covered my heart with my hand. As if I didn’t know that already? “Okay, then I’ll be forced to stalk her online and maybe show up at her school.” And just like that, Luca began reciting Cassie’s number, knowing that my calling her was most definitely the lesser of three evils.
Cassie
Normally, at this time of year excitement coursed through me. Yes, summer ending always caused a touch of sadness, but once I got into my classroom and began decorating for my new class, everything I loved about teaching took over. Fresh faces eager to learn and eager to please served as the best motivator. Especially for someone like me who tended to live for her work. Yet this year, for the first time ever, I felt antsy.
While tacking paper apples with each student’s name on them onto the bulletin board, I became lost in thought for the millionth time that day. Maybe I needed a vacation? And not one like I’d just had, lying on the beach lost in a book. I needed a real adventure, in Australia, or Bali, or South Africa.
Hell, I’d love to spin the globe that sat on my windowsill, close my eyes, and go wherever my finger landed. With my luck lately, I’d end up smack-dab in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
There was a time my friend Vanessa had the same aspirations, to travel and see the world. She had since added many stamps in her passport, thanks to Kyle. Unfortunately, I didn’t have someone waiting in the wings, ready to whisk me away. I had money saved up, more than enough to take time off. But as quickly as that thought came to me, knowing I’d miss my students brought me back to reality. Could a midlife crisis arrive in someone’s late twenties?
Maybe I needed to do something crazy like get my boob pierced? As quickly as that thought popped into my head, I let it fly out. Who was I kidding? It took me years to get my ears pierced.
“Knock, knock.” Turning, I saw Thomas standing in my doorway, dressed as usual, professional tie and perfect oxford in place. “Need help?” he asked, a warm smile spreading over his handsome face.
Glancing at my wall of apples, I said, “I’m okay. I wanted to finish my ‘Good Deed’ chart, but I’ll do that tomorrow.”
“I’m depending on you to instill those morals this year, so next year they’ll come to me as first graders with good hearts.”
“I’ll try, but we both know a lot can happen over a summer.”
Thomas walked deeper into my classroom before leaning against one of the desks facing mine. He had cuffed his crisp white dress shirt slightly below his elbows, revealing the golden tan that had developed over the summer. The stiff cotton fabric did little to hide his muscular shoulders, upper arms, or even his chest.
I remembered the first day he had walked into our school, and like every other female in the building, my heart had skipped a beat. Thomas Carson looked like he’d stepped out of the orientation brochure for an Ivy League school.
Besides his classic good looks, he was a genuinely nice man. I knew the type well. Having grown up in Connecticut, I’d been surrounded by men like Thomas my whole life. My Sundays had consisted of dressing up to attend church with my parents and brother. School uniforms were the norm, everyone looked the same, and originality was nowhere to be found. All my life I’d felt like a square peg in a round hole.
Rarely did I break the rules or disappoint my parents. Everything I did back then was to please them. I held no regrets, as I loved what I did for a living. But I often wondered, if certain choices hadn’t been left to me—like the college I attended or the career I had chosen—would I be in an entirely different place right now? If my parents had control over my life, no doubt I’d be married, spending my time as a stay-at-home mom, and living within a mile of the house I grew up in.
I knew college was my ticket out of Uptight, USA. My goal to break free of the mediocre came to fruition when I was accepted into Fordham University. Naturally, Dad was not happy with the out-of-state colleges I applied to. He insisted I should attend one in Connecticut or even Massachusetts. Refusing to budge, Fordham had been an olive branch of sorts. It gave him the confidence I’d receive a top-notch education at a private Catholic university, while giving me distance.
What my parents hadn’t planned on was my decision to stay in Manhattan and not return home. They eventually got over it, sort of. With each visit came the typical inquisition regarding my love life or lack thereof. In fact, as I glanced at Thomas, I
knew my mother would bust an ovary over how perfect he was for me.
The problem with Thomas was that damn zing wasn’t there, and I now knew for sure it existed thanks to Dante. I was fully aware that needing a spark sounded delusional. I was a practical woman, and although I loved a fairy tale as much as the next hopeless romantic, it had never been something I’d required in my life.
Seeing the love affair between Brae and Jude, or Sabrina and Luca, or even the unconventional relationship Vanessa and Kyle had, caused an unfamiliar envy to develop within me. I could only surmise that having my friends all head over heels in love was what had shifted my focus on what I wanted from comfortable and safe to exciting and dangerous.
And now that I’d seen fireworks could exist between a man and a woman in the real world, I wanted that for myself.
Shit, the Cassie from a year ago would probably have slapped this version across the face to knock some sense into her.
With one final tack, all the apples were now in place. “There… done.”
Thomas straightened and admired my handiwork. “Nice job. I was about to drive up to Central Park to enjoy this weather before we are sequestered within these walls. Care to join me?”
That icky feeling that came right before refusing someone swelled within me. “I wish I could, but I’m waiting for the insurance adjuster to call.”
“Oh, right. Your accident. Is your car still in the shop? Do you need a ride anywhere?”
“No, not yet. I still have it. But I was going to head home in case he called and approved the repairs.” No sooner had I said that when my old-fashioned ringtone sounded from my bag.
“Maybe that’s him now.”
The screen displayed an unknown number, and as I slid the bar to accept the call, Thomas whispered, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I nodded with a smile before saying, “Hello?”
“Cassie Brooks?”
“Yes, that’s me. I was expecting your call.”
“Were you now?” I smiled at the unexpected chuckle that followed his question. But when he then said, “I’m glad to hear that,” with a hint of an accent, I practically fell off the edge of my desk.
“Who is this?” I asked, despite my suspicions.
“Who do you want it to be?”
“Do you always play games? Can’t you just answer the question?”
“It sounds like you already know the answer to all of the above,” he said, another chuckle following his statement.
“Ugh!” That agitated feeling that had consumed me last Saturday night began to simmer once again. “You are so… so… so…”
“Charming?” he quipped, and I could practically picture the arrogant smirk on his face.
“What do you want, Dante?”
“To apologize.”
A wicked laugh erupted on my end of the call. “Apologize? I think you’re incapable.”
“Not true. Hey, I know we started off on the wrong foot, but I’m sorry your car was hit. I’m also sorry I gave you a hard time.”
At his words, the ire I held inside started to dissipate and suspicion replaced it. “You can stop blowing smoke up my ass.” Guessing it was my pride that fueled the sarcasm, the moment the words were out I regretted them. I glanced at the classroom rules tacked to my wall, especially the last one that said, Be kind to others, and felt like a hypocrite.
The slight pause on his end worsened my regret, but before I could apologize, he quietly said, “I’m not blowing smoke up your ass, Cassie. I am sorry your night was ruined. Look, just as I bent down to grab my bag, the driver looked back at me. Maybe that move caused him to miss your turn… I don’t know. I had forgotten until now. And if it helps, I can change my statement to include that.”
“You don’t need do that, Dante.”
“Okay, then can you let me take you to dinner… as a do-over?” That wasn’t what I’d expected him to say, and my fumble to answer proved as much. “I’ll take that as a yes? Is tomorrow night good?”
A string of refusals played in my mind on an endless loop, yet my brain somehow malfunctioned when the one word that made its way out of my mouth was, “Yes.”
Chapter 4
Dante
Honestly, I was a bit surprised she agreed to my request. Hearing her calm and agreeable voice was a pleasant change from her irritated, annoyed one. Maybe Luca was right, and she wasn’t the she-devil I thought she was. Generally speaking, the first impressions I had of people were spot on, but that being said, we hadn’t met under normal circumstances.
The rest of my day was spent getting my apartment in living order and scheduling shoots with local models and ad agencies. My fee wasn’t nominal, and I didn’t need to fill my calendar with anyone who wasn’t serious about their profession.
I stood staring at the city’s skyline as it began to illuminate against the darkened sky. Up here in my glass fortress, New York seemed so peaceful at night. Yet below on the streets, it always boasted an energy I craved. I turned to look at my apartment, proud of all I’d achieved, before I slipped into bed. Even though I was tired, I found myself staring at my cell phone. I wanted to text Cassie, an urge that not only baffled but surprised me. Chasing women wasn’t in my repertoire, nor did I plan on adding it. Plus, if I opened the door to communication, it could give her the opportunity to change her mind. Since that was an unpleasant thought, I closed my eyes and tried to let sleep take me, but my brain refused to settle.
The sound of sirens and horns honking outside enabled my insomnia. In the shadows cast by the moonlight, I could vividly see Cassie’s sweet smile while staring at the ceiling. The contradiction between that innocent persona and flashes of seductive vitality drove me insane with curiosity. Knowing I’d be seeing her tomorrow night caused my heart to beat a bit faster. The woman was unaware of how she could affect a man—namely me.
Sometime during my tossing and turning, I finally passed out. Thankful to get any sleep at all, I woke, my eyes blinking open. I lengthened all my muscles, pushing my arms against my headboard. The morning sun filtered in the sides of the curtains, creating streaks of light on my pale oak floor, mimicking the highlights of Cassie’s hair.
Cassie. What the fuck… I went to bed thinking about her, and I woke up thinking about her.
I wanted… no needed… to make tonight special enough to erase our first encounter. The mere thought of her made my blood rush through my veins. I was unsure if it had been because she was my brother’s friend or someone I wanted to get to know better, but I planned to use the time to find out.
Normally, I’d be picking up my date, but since I decided not to have a car in the city, that wasn’t an option here.
Rather than dwell on the negative, I got out of bed, shrugged on some clothes, and headed into the kitchen. I made myself a cup of espresso and sat at the table with my laptop.
As an additional gift to Vanessa, I wanted to download and edit pictures from her party. When I clicked on the files, rather than focus on the other partygoers, the fiery blonde who turned my first night in the city into a memorable one distracted me. Knowing there were more shots of her, I clicked through to get to the one picture I took of Cassie when she wasn’t paying attention.
Finally finding it, I gave myself a moment to truly study her. Telling Cassie the angles of her face were gorgeous was the truth. After a while, models all looked the same. Yes, they were pretty, but they knew it, or they wouldn’t be in that line of work. But the unassuming school teacher’s beauty was as rare as was her attitude about it.
Cassie’s effortless smile lit up the computer screen. Guilt hit me for putting a scowl on that beautiful face a few nights ago. But in my defense, she’d been infuriating as well… and the fact she was sent a swell of desire straight to my libido.
Even now, the combination of her anger and sweetness had the nylon of my basketball shorts tenting with my growing erection. I clicked to the next picture, and Cassie was watching the other couples around her. Focusin
g solely on her eyes, I noticed a longing in them. Letting my own drift lower on the picture, her body filled out that ridiculously patterned dress as if it was made for her. Maybe it was, but I was suddenly envious of the cotton that got to touch every inch of her body.
Having a mind of its own, my hand slid beneath the elastic waistband of my shorts, finding my stiff shaft. The moment I made contact with my throbbing crown, an electrical charge rushed through me. My head lolled back, my eyes closed, and a carnal groan crept its way up my chest and out my mouth.
With each stroke, different sides of Cassie flashed in my head—from pissed off to smiling at her friends. But a few minutes in, the daydream became a poor substitute for the reality.
Dammit. I pulled my hand from my shorts and closed my laptop. I needed to calm down. Rubbing one out in my living room to a picture of a woman I barely knew screwed with my head. My days were spent staring at half-naked women, and sometimes they were completely bare of clothes. Yet a fully dressed school teacher managed to rile me up more than I’d been in years.
Caught between confusion and excitement, I gingerly rose from my chair with a slight limp and decided to work off whatever the hell this was by going on a run… a long one.
Earl’s Grill was the perfect place to take Cassie to dinner. It was closer to her apartment than mine, a tip Luca gave me. It wasn’t so loud one needed to shout to converse with their dinner companion, and the tables weren’t on top of one another.
Positioning myself on the side of the table facing the door, I watched as people came and went while waiting for Cassie. When I texted her the time we would be meeting, she didn’t hesitate to say, “Ok.” Yet, glancing at my phone, she was already fifteen minutes late.
The waitress stopped by, asking me if I wanted to wait for the other person in my party before ordering a drink, but I didn’t. After telling her what I wanted, she scurried away. My nerves spiked thinking something, God forbid, could have happened to Cassie… or she stood me up. Either of those scenarios didn’t calm my nerves.
