Starting Over

by K. T. Bishop

  "Okay," he said, reluctantly agreeing.

  The Grand Casino provided free drinks to each customer, which Anastasia took delight. "It's a win-win for me."

  Cassius sat at a back row table with his mixture of Jack Daniels and Coke and was joined by Anastasia. He gargled 18

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  the beverage as if it was mouthwash, and then swallowed hard. "Damn, that's some hard stuff."

  Before Cassius took another gulp, he was questioned by Anastasia. "What kind of work you do?"

  "I'm an accountant for the City of Waynesboro."

  She nodded. "That's a pretty good job, but why are you doing all the way down here?"

  "I wanted to do something different on New Year's Eve, instead of the same old shit."

  Cassius turned the tables on her before taking another shot. "What's your day job?"

  "I'm a photographer for The Times Picayune," she said.

  The tightness in his throat vanished over the combination of mixed booze and her job description.

  "I bet you get to see LSU and New Orleans Saints games all the time for free, what a life," he said.

  She nodded. "I just started yesterday, but they're letting me shoot the Sugar Bowl."

  He finished off the drink and a wistful smile lifted the corners of his mouth. "That would be cool. I've always wanted to see a Sugar Bowl."

  Anastasia teased him. "Maybe you will one day."

  The clock read 8:54 p.m., six minutes before The Time hit the stage.

  "Guess its time for us to go," she muttered.

  His brown eyes snapped open as he watched Anastasia get up from the table. His hardened cock jiggled in his pants as he watched her ass switch in that tight blue dress. Her long hair, plump ass and dark chocolate skin made Cassius' heart 19

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  beat hard within his chest cavity and left him breathless. He admired her body.

  His lusty daydream was interrupted by Anastasia's screechy voice. "Are you coming?"

  Cassius slowly removed his horny body away from the table.

  Cassius no longer saw Anastasia as a panicky woman trapped inside an elevator. She re-ignited his waves of desire, something he never envisioned happening several months ago.

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  by K.T. Bishop

  Chapter Five

  Cassius and Anastasia encountered trouble inside the Grand Auditorium. They wanted to sit beside each other. Each stared at their ticket stub and was separated by several seats on the front row. She had the fourth seat, while he was at the end of row one.

  "This sucks, but there's nothing we can do about it," he moaned.

  Anastasia did not give up. She approached a woman who was assigned next to Cassius and delivered a huge lie.

  "We just got married and accidentally bought the wrong tickets. Could you trade seats with me, so I can be next to him?"

  The woman bought her con game and swapped tickets.

  "Thank you very much," Anastasia said graciously.

  He shrugged in a sudden flush of disbelief, because that was not his style. He always did things by the book. "You just told a flat-out lie."

  "Oh my God, don't tell me you're a little Mr. Goody two shoes," Anastasia teased him.

  A frown immediately filled the corner of his face. "I'm not a Saint, but I'm not Jack the Ripper either."

  Their debate was cut off with each member of The Time walked onto the wooden stage in a military line under the bright yellow lights.

  "What time is it?" Day asked.

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  Cassius and Anastasia were among the capacity crowd that yelled at the top of their lungs. "It's time to get funky."

  Anastasia wiggled her hips to The Time's opening number,

  "The Walk." Her long hair swished back and forth along her shoulders during the song with a heavy drum rift and loud guitar rift.

  Her bouncy behavior did not go unnoticed by Cassius, whose face lit up and cock hardened. In the span of three hours, she had cast a love spell over Cassius.

  He followed her lead on the front row, as they flapped their arms to mimic a bird's wings when "The Bird" was played.

  The musical pace changed when Day opted for the slow jam. Anastasia clutched her arms around Cassius and tears streamed down her face under Day's lyrics on "Girl." She was reminded of a nasty breakup with her high school sweetheart before heading off to Prairie View A&M University.

  When the tender ballad ended, Anastasia pulled back from his arms and apologized in a soft voice. "I-I'm sorry, didn't mean to get carried away."

  Anastasia's heartache oozed through Cassius, who understood. "No problem, I've been there."

  "Oh really," she said.

  He nodded. "I've been divorced for two years. Every time I hear The Time song "Sometimes I get Lonely", it brings back bad memories."

  A wave of nauseous hit Anastasia's stomach in her recollection into the past. "It's not easy to love someone."

  After The Time closed the concert with one of their signature songs "Jungle Love," it was time to bring in 2012.

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  "Thank you all for coming out to The Time getting back together," Day bellowed to the capacity crowd.

  At the strike of midnight amid blaring music and confetti falling from the raptors, Anastasia turned impulsive. She tilted her head to his and kissed him. She found that Cassius'

  lips were soft and full of warmth and inviting.

  A kiss shortly after the New Year symbolized good fortune for the upcoming twelve months, but that was not what Anastasia had in mind.

  "Happy New Year," Anastasia smiled.

  Cassius was stunned at her taking his mouth with dominance. "Happy New Year,'' he said.

  He didn't put up a fight, and allowed Anastasia to take control of the situation. She lifted her hand to cup his neck and pulled him closer and harder against her, deepening their kiss.

  "That was some kiss," Cassius said.

  It was a New Year's Eve that neither would forget anytime soon.

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  Chapter Six

  Anastasia was in no shape to drive back to Slidell. Her black eyes turned red and blinked constantly, releasing a few yawns in Cassius' face at 1:10 a.m. She had enough alcohol in her stomach to send a rocket to Pluto. A DUI would send her to jail and the unemployment line. The Times Picayune had a zero tolerance policy on DUI's. Her fingers dipped in black ink and mug shot taken without makeup was certainly not what she envisioned.

  She reached the hotel desk and tried to get a room, but Cassius refused. "You're not driving home, you're staying with me."

  A gulp slipped from her mouth and she staggered two steps backward in the lobby. "You're not taking advantage of me, Mister Winner."

  Cassius shook his head. "I have two beds in the room; you can sleep on one of them."

  Her lips connected with his for the kindhearted gesture and released a hiccup. "You're such a sweetheart, one of the good ones."

  The light-headed woman wrapped her arms around Cassius' waist on the way to the elevator and babbled in slurred speech. "I bet you think I'm a loser."

  "No I don't," he said.

  She disagreed. "Yes you do."

  Heavy breathing and sweat settled around Cassius, who endured a workout dragging Anastasia down the hall of the 24

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  sixth floor. He pushed the card into the door of room 609 and fell backward onto one of the beds with Anastasia.

  Her hands pressed against his chest. His enlarged cock was placed near her vagina and she noticed. "Oh my what a
big pipe you have."

  "You're not going to see it tonight," he said. Cassius did not want to take advantage of the situation. He slipped from underneath her and opened his suitcase on the other side of the second bed.

  Cassius pulled out his silk pajamas. He pulled Anastasia off the bed and stood her up. He peeled off Anastasia's dress and his tongue dropped over her firm ass and medium-sized breasts wrapped in a tight-fitting bra. He exhaled, slipped his pajama top over her head and tossed her on the bed. "Damn, she's fine."

  Anastasia pulled Cassius toward her and sustained the weight of his body and delivered a kiss. "Come and collect your reward."

  He continued to rebuff her advances. He thrust himself backward and stood her straight up. "I've never taken advantage of a drunken woman and I won't do it tonight."

  He donned the pajama pants and fell sleep at 1:30 a.m.

  * * * *

  * * * *

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  Anastasia awakened later that morning with tight, red eyes, the insides of her brain constantly pounded fast and her stomach was queasy.

  "I feel like shit."

  She crawled out of the bed and stepped in the bathroom.

  She dropped her head in the round, cold ceramic toilet and released the alcohol contents from her explosive stomach.

  " I'm never going to drink again."

  Anastasia couldn't afford to shake her head because it would make the lily white walls and popcorn-styled ceiling appear to close in.

  She eased herself to the cushioned white sofa. A short trek from the bathroom to the bed took two minutes. A quick glance at the alarm clock read 8:31 a.m. "Damn it; I have to be in New Orleans at noon for the LSU practice. I'm not going to make it."

  Cassius returned to the room with a large glass of liquid and aspirin. Anastasia was so wrapped up in her hangover that she didn't notice Cassius wasn't there.

  "Good morning, Happy New Year," he bellowed.

  Anastasia's hands covered her ears and moaned. "Must you talk so damn loud?"

  Cassius handed her the plastic glass and two aspirin. "Take this, it'll make you feel better."

  The glass' strong scent filled her nostrils and placed a frown onto her face. "This smells awful."

  He stamped his left foot on the bed. "Are you a beverage critic or do you want to get better?"

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  She pinched the end of her nose and sipped the contents and took the tablets in between sips. "What was in that?"

  "Do you really want to know?" Cassius asked.

  Anastasia nodded.

  "That was a mix of raw egg yolk, salt, pepper, Worcester sauce and tomato juice," he said.

  Her eyes squinted and made a recommendation. "I prefer my eggs scrambled, not raw."

  Cassius gave her advice. "Next time, don't drink so much."

  She waved a white napkin for surrender. "Touche'."

  Anastasia was more grateful that Cassius didn't take advantage of her drunken state of mind.

  "I really appreciate you being a gentleman, a lot of guys would've jumped my bones."

  Cassius shook his head and explained his rationale for not succumbing to lust. "I want people to be with me because they want to, not from alcohol."

  She changed the subject. "Do you have something planned today?"

  He shook his head. "Not really, other than watching football games and eating from the hotel."

  Anastasia surprised him with an invitation. "Check out of here and stay with me a few days. I have an extra pass for the Sugar Bowl practices and the game. You sleep on the couch."

  "Okay you convinced me," Cassius said.

  After Cassius accepted, Anastasia pressed Cassius down as her lips touched his left ear in a caress on the bed. She created another way to get to know him better.

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  28

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  Chapter Seven

  Anastasia took a huge gamble inviting Cassius to her home. She barely knew him. In the parking lot of the Casino, she pulled out the lucky magic eight ball from her glove compartment to determine whether or not he was trustworthy. She shook the round black ball three times and got "yes" on each attempt. Her lips grazed the ball. "You never let me down."

  A hunky male certainly beat being lonely, even if it was just for a few days. She would put him through a series of tests, to determine if he was worthy to pursue a relationship in the near future. She would grade him as if he was in school taking a final exam to graduate.

  She warned Cassius as they entered her cottage, as several boxes were between the furniture throughout the house on the way to his sleeping quarters. "Please excuse this mess; I hadn't found the time to rearrange stuff."

  Cassius did not care about her fluttered home and walked through the piles of boxes and sat on the living room sofa.

  "You don't owe me an explanation; we can change this predicament."

  Her blood boiled over in happiness and landed a kiss on his left cheekbone before heading into the bathroom for a shower. He was off to a great start.

  She rejoined him, donning a pair of faded blue jeans and white t-shirt. "Ready for work."

  "Hell yeah," he screamed.

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  * * * *

  * * * *

  During the drive to the Superdome, Anastasia laid out a few ground rules in a direct and soft tone. "You'll carry my bag and pull out the camera and lens as I need it."

  He nodded. "Not a problem."

  She continued to explain herself. "Remember this is a working press box. They frown on non-media types who want to watch the game for free and please no cheering."

  "I understand," Cassius said. "I have to pretend I'm a media member at the game."

  Her hands squeezed his jaws and smacked their lips together. "This could be the start of something great."

  Cassius wasn't insulted at her barking out orders. He allowed Anastasia to run the show because this was her occupation. He was glad to be along for the ride and didn't want to get in her way.

  Anastasia showed no effects of a hangover by the time she reached the Superdome. As she snapped photos of the various LSU players on the artificial green surface, the queasiness in her stomach was replaced by a large growl. It was time to eat.

  Cassius heard the loud rumble and laughed. "Is there a motorboat in your stomach?"

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  Her mouth quirked. "I'm not ashamed of being hungry; just wait until you see me eat."

  He placed the camera into the bag and they left the mushroom-shaped building. "I look forward to seeing this."

  When Anastasia and Cassius entered the Marriott, a Sugar Bowl official approached them.

  The man stared at Cassius' plastic badge without a photo.

  "Excuse me, that's not the right pass to get in here." The official pulled Cassius aside and into the main room.

  Anastasia's teeth locked and assumed disaster was about to strike. She mumbled under her breath and shiver ran down her spine. "It was a great job while it lasted." She spread her body on the sofa in the lobby and wondered about their fate.

  Anastasia pursed her lips until Cassius returned five minutes later with a gift bag and new badge of his likeness.

  "Look who's now an official member of the media," Cassius gloated.

  Her gaze locked on him. "What did you tell them?"

  "I was helping you out this week and they wanted me to fit in with everyone else," he said.

  Suddenly, her mouth twitched into a grin. So far, her intuition proved right about Cassius. He didn't buckle under pressure.

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  Chapter Eight

  Cassius' eyes widened in delight over the huge media horde at the Superdome cafeteria.

  He was in awe of the various media badges from CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX and ESPN. His heart raced when an ESPN

  reporter patted him on the back and spoke. "What's up?"

  His head tilted back in response, the old-fashioned way to speak to someone. Cassius stood frozen in the line as if he were a statue. He felt a sharp elbow in the rib, which Anastasia landed to end his daydream.

  "Hey turtle neck, are you going to eat or stare all day," she said in his ear.

  Cassius shook his head twice to bring himself back to reality. "Oops, my bad."

  She lectured him at the table and spoke in a low tone.

  "Just because you have that pass, it doesn't mean you can be a fan. These people are watching."

  "That won't happen again," he apologized.

  Anastasia kissed him on the forehead and forgave him.

  "It's easy to get caught up in the hoopla."

  For the remainder of the pre-game meal, Cassius did not utter another word. He was too busy digesting the deep fried Cajun chicken, rice pilaf and jambalaya. The spoon, fork and knife became his mouthpiece, and he went for seconds of the Cajun cuisine.

  "Save some for the other guests," Anastasia chided.

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  Cassius' eyes squinted over her comedic remark and slightly smiled. "I'll leave some for them."

  * * * *

  * * * *

  Burns assigned Anastasia to shoot the first half of the game because he didn't want to pressure her on a deadline.

  She had halftime and the third quarter to transmit photos to make the one a.m. press start. He warned her. "I hope you're in shape because this game moves very fast. You must go from sideline to sideline and get both teams."