I close my eyes
And dream of you and I
And then I realize
There�s more to love than bitterness and lies
I close my eyes
I�d give away my soul
To hold you once again
And never let this promise end
I let you go
I let you fly
Now that I know, I�m asking why
I let you go
Now that I found
A way to keep somehow
More than a broken vow
Justin called Chris first. After getting no answer, he remembered that the latter had said he was going to be out of town for a few days. He tried Lance next, but the little astronaut had a date with his writer girlfriend. Her plane was due in about half an hour from the Ukraine, where she'd been visiting her family, and nothing outside of the Earth's impending doom could distract him from getting to her. Joey was next, but he and Kelly had a play date/dinner with some of Brianna�s little friends.
Justin knew better than to call JC, mostly because Annie's earlier threat was still hanging uncomfortably over his head. Plus they'd just tell him stuff he didn't want to hear, such as the fact his plan was basically the equivalent of stalking.
MEANWHILE
Cassie was arriving home from work at about 6:30 PM. After a quick little romp with the neighbor's dog, which was perpetually getting out of its own apartment and setting up a stakeout outside hers, she retreated into the safety of her apartment with most of the mail from her mailbox still intact. She tossed the mail on a random table and went into the kitchen, kicking off her shoes on the way.
For once, she had remembered to go grocery shopping the day before, so dinner was already sitting in there. Tonight, it was going to be simple: steak with onions, peppers and mushrooms, buttered potatoes, and a tossed salad. Little Man had agreed to bring wine and dessert. Cassie drank a quick glass of water, then returned to the living room to check her mail. Nothing urgent there, so she dropped it on her desk.
Next came one of the more difficult decisions of the evening. The closet's open door seemed like a great laughing mouth as she stared at its contents, wondering what to wear. After debating for a few minutes, she decided on an emerald green sweater and blue jeans. Stripping off her work clothes and throwing them in the hamper, she walked into the bathroom to take a shower.
As she let the warm water hit her body, Cassie's thoughts were unavoidably drawn back to what had happened earlier. She was relieved, to say the least, when she'd returned to her office and found Justin gone. She really hadn't been up to talking to him again, still wasn't now. She'd smiled when she saw the flowers on the file cabinet, but decided they'd be safer at work. The painting was also staying at the office 'til she had a chance to take it to be framed. Annie had assured her it was good, but Cassie wasn�t so sure. It was mostly just black, red and grey paint she'd thrown at the canvas.
Her thoughts turned to Annie and she sighed. Annie was so supportive last night; such a great friend. To cheer her up, Annie had motioned to her during a break to come downstairs and see the Kodak moment in the guest room. Annie had already captured it on film, but wanted to share it with her friend. JC had been sprawled out on the bed on his back, sleeping contentedly. On his left had been Wills, with Daddy's arm wrapped around him. His right arm had cradled Dena, who had decided Daddy's chest was the place to be, her little thumb in her mouth.
It had been the only thing which made her smile last night.
Turning off the shower, Cassie wrapped a towel around herself, then brushed her teeth and dried her hair. She decided to forget hair gel, letting it fall naturally in its loose curls. Back in her room, she put on a little mascara and lip gloss, then spritzed on a bit of perfume before getting dressed. Not being able to decide which shoes to wear, she happily went barefoot.
Returning to the kitchen, she got out all the necessary dinnerware and set the table. Cassie decided to only put two candles on the table and not dim the lighting that much. After all, this was only a first date and she didn�t want to give off the wrong impression. She then picked out some music and put it in the CD player, turning it on so she could sing while getting dinner ready. She had a voice that was good in a group but not so strong on its own, so she saved her singing for herself.
While she sang, she busied herself with preparing dinner. When the doorbell rang, her first instinct was to look at the clock. 7:45...he was early. Wiping her hands on a towel, Cassie walked to the door, checking her reflection in the mirror by the door before looking out the peep hole. No one was there. Cautiously opening the door, she smiled when she saw Baby Tugs (a Care Bear) sitting on the floor, its little blue arms wrapped around a bottle of her favorite Merlot wine. She picked up the Bear and saw a card attached. It read: "Everyone needs a little Tough Love. Please take me inside. Little Man"
She carried the Bear inside and placed him on the sofa, then put the wine on the counter. No sooner had she done this, the doorbell rang again. She opened the door this time to find a bouquet of silk roses in a plastic vase on the floor. This time, the card read: "These probably won�t break when thrown against a wall. Little Man" Laughing, Cassie took them inside and
placed them on the table.
The doorbell rang a third time. There was another Care Bear � Baby Hugs (the sister of Baby Tugs, for you Care Bear fans out there), along with a bag of DVDs from the video store. The card: "I love to hear you laugh. Hoping I can get you to snort. Little Man"
After placing the Bear and bag on the sofa next to the other, the door rang one last time. Cassie opened the door to find Little Man himself standing there, a pastry box in one hand and a single yellow rose in the other.
Grabbing him by his leather jacket, she pulled him into her apartment. Underneath the jacket, he wore black jeans and a black sweater.
"Are you completely deranged?" Cassie laughed, then shook her head. "You never cease to amaze me."
"Hey, that�s my purpose in life," he replied easily, giving her his little lopsided grin. "This is for you," he said needlessly, handing her the rose. "I only got one since this is our first date."
"Thank you." Cassie accepted it, holding it to her nose to inhale the sweet fragrance. "They're my favorite. My Daddy used to grow them." She let go of the bittersweet memory and brought herself into full "Hostess" mode.
"May I take your jacket? And I'll drop off the dessert in the kitchen." As he gave her the box, he dramatized its weight. "Feels like a box of rocks!" she chuckled. "What'd you bring anyway?"
"It�s a surprise," Little Man answered in all seriousness. "You won't know til' after you�ve eaten all your vegetables."
"Yes, father," she teased, placing the box on the counter.
"So, what can I do to help?" he asked, following her into the kitchen.
Cassie was already digging in the fridge.
"Want to grill the steaks while I finish off the potatoes?"
"Point me to the grill and it shall be done," he announced, then puffed out his chest a little. "Now, don't spread this around, but I'll have you know I�m the grilling king."
"Careful, Little Man," she warned playfully as she poked him in the stomach. "Wouldn�t want to make me deflate that ego."
They both laughed, then got down to the business of cooking. With the two of them working together, it was only several more minutes until everything was ready. Making sure Cassie was seated properly, Little Man took his chair and opened the wine.
"Hope you like this kind," he said, pouring out two glasses. "I took a cab over here because we're drinking. So if you want something else, it's either jump in your car and hope for the best or go down and try to get a cab."
Cassie smiled. "This is fine. But that is very thoughtful of you."
Her expression fell. "Justin always used to-"
Little Man held up a finger to her lips.
"None of that now," he said, removing his hand. "No talk of him. Let's just enjoy each other's company without dragging along the past for the ride."
"Okay, I promise."
Dinner was uneventful, both of them simply chatting, laughing and generally enjoying each other's company. When they were done, Little Man helped her clear the table and put the leftover food away. After loading up the dishwasher and neating up the kitchen, they decided dessert could wait until after a movie.
"I figured that today you needed to laugh," Little Man was explaining, "so I got some of my favorite funny movies. I wasn�t sure exactly what you'd like, so I brought a couple."
He dumped the bag's contents onto the coffee table. Cassie sat down on the sofa and started reading titles: "Clue", "Noises Off", "Monty Phyton and the Holy Grail", "Blazing Saddles", "The Silver Streak", "Young Frankenstein", and "The Blue Collar Comedy Tour".
Overwhelmed by the selection, she looked at him. "These are all good. What do you suggest?"
"How about we start with 'Clue'? It's really funny, not to mention one of Lance's favorite movies, but only about 12 people in the world have seen it."
"Sounds great." She popped it into the player. "Do you want anything else before we start?"
"No, I�m good." He smiled. "Now, sit back and be prepared to forget the day."
Cassie sat on the lounge chair while Little Man sprawled across the couch as they watched the movie. When it was over, Cassie stood and stretched.
"Thanks, I really needed that." She looked towards the kitchen. "Time for dessert? I�m dying to know what you brought."
They went into the kitchen where she started some coffee while he got out the plates. When the coffee was finished, Little Man nudged her towards the table.
"You go sit down. I'll bring it out."
Once she was seated, he spoke up again. "Now close your eyes. This is supposed to be a surprise after all."
Bringing in her plate and setting it down in front of her, he leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Open them."
Cassie opened her eyes and looked down. A piece of German chocolate cake with coconut frosting sat there, looking very German and coconutty and delicious.
"My favorite! How did you know?"
He tapped her on the head gently. "Hello! What do you have every time we have lunch together?" he answered, laughing.
"I guess I�m predictable." She returned his laugh, grinning sheepishly.
"Only about dessert," he said as he took his seat across from her. "The rest of you is a mystery."
When they were finished, they cleaned up. Little Man then stood there, looking unsure. "Should I go or do you want to watch another movie?"
"Let�s watch one more," Cassie answered easily, smiling. "I don�t want this evening to end just yet."
Picking out "Monty Phyton and the Holy Grail", they settled down on the sofa together to watch.
Meanwhile...
Justin was parked outside her apartment building. He'd gotten slowed up by traffic and hadn�t arrived til' after 8:00. 'Damn,' he thought to himself. 'No problem, though. I�ll just wait here til' he comes out.'
As time went by, Justin became more and more impatient. Not to mention the effects most of a bottle of Captain Morgan with only a light dinner in his stomach. He glanced at his watch. Dismayed to see it was already 2:30 in the morning, he glanced up at the windows of Cassie's apartment. The lights were still on. What could they possible be doing at this hour? Every thought of what was going on only made him more belligerent, but seeing as how whoever this mystery guest was was still in the apartment, Justin had nothing to do but sit and boil in his own thoughts until he left.
Inside...
Cassie woke up to find herself in Little Man's arms. Stretching, she glanced at the clock on the TV. 'Crap,' she thought. 'It's past two.
She nudged Little Man gently.
"Hey, wake up. It�s late, and I have to go to work in the morning."
Slowly he opened his eyes. Realizing he was holding her in his arms, he quickly released her, blushing slightly.
Cassie smiled. "It�s okay. It was actually very nice."
Little Man called for a taxi on his cell phone, then got up. Taking her hand in his, he headed for the door. Opening it, he turned around to face her. "Thank you, Cassie. For dinner and a truly memorable evening."
"Yes, it was nice." She smiled. "And just what I needed. I can�t thank you enough."
Little Man took her hand and kissed the inside of her palm.
"Good night. I�ll call you tomorrow." He turned to leave, then stopped. "By the way, do you want to go to JC and Annie�s for Thanksgiving? That is, if you don�t have any other plans."
Cassie put her hands to her face in mock horror. "Oh good Lord, please don�t tell me that Annie is going to cook!"
He laughed appreciatively. "No, her parents are going to be there. Though, I must say in her defense, she is getting better."
"You know," she laughed, "I always wondered why she and JC were so skinny."
"Ha ha, very funny." Little Man glanced at his watch. "Well, I should really be going. Bye."
With that, he turned and headed down the hall.
Outside
Justin looked up as a taxi pulled to a stop outside Cassie's apartment building. He had no way of knowing if the person coming down was Cassie's new little friend, but he decided that it probably was. He saw a shadowy figure come out from under the overhang of Cassie's building, heading
towards the cab.
"Now I can see who you are," he mumbled to himself drunkenly. "Come out into the light, you son of a bitch. Out into the light where I can see you. Just a little further. Come on, you can do it. Just a little..."
Justin trailed off as Little Man walked under the street light and opened the door to the taxi.
"You've got to be SHITTING me!" he screamed, staring at the taxi. "No way in hell! Do NOT tell me that THAT'S the person stealing my wife!"
He struggled to open his car door, but he couldn�t seem to make his hands work. By the time he got it opened, the taxi was pulling away.
He stood there for a moment, lost in his own rage, then glanced up at Cassie's apartment. The lights were still on...
Cassie was neating up when she noticed Little Man's jacket was still laying on the back of the sofa. She was picking it up as the door bell rang.
"I see you remembered you left your jacket..." she began, then trailed off and froze when she met Justin�s cold, furious glare.
She tried to close the door but wasn�t fast enough. Justin pushed past her and stormed into the room, slamming the door.
"You little bitch!" he screamed, and Cassie caught the strong, sickening scent of alcohol on his breath.
"How could I what? What are you talking about?"
"I just saw your...'lover'...leave." He spat out the words as if they were themselves poisoned.
"My what?!" Cassie was starting to get angry.
"You heard what I said!" Justin started pacing around, hands in his hair. "I mean, the ink isn�t even dry on our divorce papers! Sure don't waste any time, do you?!"
"First of all, keep your voice down." She had no idea what was wrong, but she knew it wouldn't be good for him to be caught in a situation like this. "It�s 3:00 in the morning."
"What are you going to do about it?" he sneered. "Call security?"
Suddenly, Cassie realized this was not a good situation to be in. Justin was clearly angry, that was easy to figure out. But he was also very drunk. There was no telling what might happen if he got worked up enough.
"Justin, can�t we talk about this like two rational adults?" she asked gently, hoping to distract him or at least diffuse his temper. "I promise, nothing happened, other than two friends having dinner and watching a movie."
"Friends?" Justin began venomously, stalking around the room. He yanked one of the Care Bears from the couch and held it by one foot in the air.
"Aww, look. Care Bears, your favorite. A friend who knows your guilty little fondness for these toys must be very special during this difficult time in your life." He dropped it back where he'd found it, then looked closer.
"Oh, it has a twin!" he exclaimed, grabbing the other one.
Justin continued holding the second Care Bear as he continued his search.
"Oh, a rose. A single rose in a vase." He paused, studying it. "How romantic."
He swung the Care Bear around and sent the vase flying to the floor, then dropped the bear on top of the crushed flower.
"I could just gag," he growled darkly, turning to the kitchen.
He picked the bottle of wine out of the recycling bin. "Been drinking, dear? Oh look, it's your favorite too. Your little friend is doing admirably."
He dropped the bottle back into the bin where it broke. Justin then sniffed the air.
"I smell chocolate." he noticed the pastry box on the counter and ripped it open. "German Chocolate Cake, yet another one of your favorite things in the world."
He slammed it into the garbage can, then whirled on her. "For just a friend, he certainly knows a lot about your likes."
Justin's voice lowered as he advanced on her. "But does he know what turns you on? Can he turn you to jelly with his touch like I used to?"
"Justin, please. I really think you should go. This isn't getting us anywhere."
Cassie backed away from him, reaching for the door. Before she got there, he grabbed her and pushed her up against the wall, holding her by the shoulders.
"So, did you sleep with him?" He laughed harshly, his breath blasting her in the face. "No wait, you never do anything on a first date. You�re not a tease." He leaned closer. "Although I don�t see why not. It doesn�t have anything to do with your virginity."
Cassie lifted her hand to slap him, but he caught it.
"Oh no, we�ll have none of that." A very horrible smile curved his lips. "I have any idea. For old times sake, since we haven�t been with each other since July. How about a farewell f***?"
She certainly didn't agree with that at all.
"Please Justin, don�t do this," she pleaded, trying to break away from his grip. "I beg of you."
"Oh, I�ll have you begging," Justin sneered, taking hold of her wrists and dragging towards her bedroom.
"Please! Stop!" Cassie tried to break away, but his grip was like iron.
Justin led her into the room, then shoved her onto the bed. He followed her, straddling her waist. pinning her hands above her head, he starting kissing her. She tried fighting him, but he was too strong. He traced a finger down her throat, keeping her wrists trapped with his other hand.
"Does he know the spot that makes you moan? Is it right...here?" He kissed her there, but Cassie was too terrified to respond.
Angry with her lack of response, Justin suddenly had a wicked idea.
"You know what I really want?" he whispered, unbuttoning his jeans. "Something that you never would give me."
He sat up, pulling her with him. Grabbing her by the hair, he began to push her down as she cried hysterically.
Cassie began murmuring under her breath. Justin leaned closer.
"Speak up. I didn't quite catch that." He pulled her head back by the hair, closing in on her face. "Care to repeat that little comment?"
Her eyes were closed, tears streaming down her cheeks. In a quiet, little girl voice, she sobbed: "Please, Bill. I promise, I won�t tell anyone. I�ll be good. Just please...please don�t make me do that."
This had a most extraordinary effect on Justin. His head snapped up as if he'd been slapped. He leapt off the bed, barely making it to Cassie's toilet before he began retching violently. After he had emptied the contents of his stomach for the third time, he flushed. After throwing water on his face and gargling with Cassie's mouthwash, he made his way back to the bedroom.Cassie was curled up on the bed, her knees drawn under her chin. She rocked back and forth softly, crying as she hugged herself. Justin went to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she shrank from his touch, retreating further against the headboard.
Justin collapsed on the floor on his hands and knees, tears streaming from his eyes.
"Cassie, what did I do? I almost..." The thought of it made him sick, and he had to resist the urge to vomit again. "I can't believe it. I'm such an...an asshole. I was so angry to think that you didn't love me anymore, but you really tried to make things work. I was just so...so stubborn, I couldn't even love what I was right in front of me."
His breath hitched in his throat. "Please, forgive me."
"Justin," Cassie murmured softly, her voice muffled by her knees. "I think it would be best if you leave. We can talk about this tomorrow. Right now, I can�t bear to look at you."
She hugged herself tighter. "Please go away."
"Will you be alright?" he asked, picking himself up off the floor. "I hate to leave you like this."
"You're the reason I'm like this right now." Her words stung, but her voice wasn't harsh. "I'll be fine by myself. Just, please...get out."
Justin zipped up and buttoned his jeans. With one last look at her, he walked out of the room.When Cassie heard the front door close, she began sobbing again.
Ten minutes later, the door bell rang.
"Oh God, WHAT NOW?!" she screamed to the empty room, forcing herself off the bed and towards the door. But when she opened it, she was so relieved to see who it was that she grabbed him fiercely around the waist, clinging to him like a life-line.
Chris Kirkpatrick caught her, carefully shuffling her back into her apartment so he could close the door behind them. "I forgot my jacket," he began, confused, but Cassie shook her head adamantly.
"Don't say anything. All I want is for you to hold me and promise never let go," she sobbed, burying to bury her face in his chest.
"Whatever you want," he whispered, resting his chin on the top of her head.
After several minutes, Chris broke the silence.
"I saw Justin downstairs. He looked pretty blitzed." He looked at her seriously. "Did he cause you any trouble?"
Cassie hesitated, then shook her head.
"Nothing I can't handle." She smiled as she looked into his eyes. "But with you around, I know I can take anything he throws at me."
THE END - Fini
Completed
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