by Sam Crescent
“Is that when you promised yourself that you’d never fall for another guy again?”
“Yep. I think I’m doing okay. I’ve been on a couple of dates. Not many. Chuck was my first one in a long time.”
“Daniel’s very protective of you as well.”
“I know. He was like a father to me when my own was a waste of space.” She tucked some hair behind her ears. “I think I put him through hell for a little while. With my parents gone, I started my … monthly cycle while I was in the sheriff’s office toilet. I was waiting for my father to be cleared, and I must have screamed or something. Daniel came, and he did everything he could to explain to me what happened.” Her cheeks were on fire now. She didn’t know why she was telling Slade this stuff. She covered her face. “You’re so horrible.”
“Why am I horrible?” he asked, laughing.
“You make me comfortable, and then I start telling you all these embarrassing things about myself.” She looked at him through her fingers. “Is this some kind of deputy spell? You get me to spill my innermost secrets?”
“This is no way a secret. You’ve got someone alive who knows what happened.”
“I know. For the longest time, I couldn’t look at him I was so embarrassed.”
“Daniel’s been a good friend to you.”
“He has, and I appreciate everything he’s ever done for me.” She grabbed her burger, and took a large bite. “What about you? Any interesting tales to tell?”
“Not a chance. I’m a cool as they come.” He winked at her.
“I don’t believe it.”
He rolled his eyes. “Okay, there was one time … I screamed when I first woke up. Many years ago.”
“Why?”
“Well … I was hard.” He pointed down at his dick, and she started to smile. “I didn’t know why, and I kind of panicked.”
“Wow, I never, that is just … so funny. You didn’t even realize you had a hard-on?”
“I didn’t, and you know at times when you talk it makes me forget that you’re this little innocent virgin.”
“I have never said I was an innocent virgin. You can think what you like.” Some of the books she read were downright dirty. Just because she kept everyone at arms’ length to protect herself, didn’t for a second mean that she didn’t want to connect to others. Andrew had hurt her in a really bad way, and she didn’t want it to keep affecting her, but she knew she was going to have to change something in her life to be able to find some kind of happiness.
****
In the end, Slade settled on a cruise for his parents’ anniversary present. He and Cassie had picked up a few trinkets, a picture frame, a photograph album, and a vase for them to take to dinner.
He had a month to go until the dinner, but everything was booked, ready, and he was all set.
Sitting in his backyard, soaking up the sun on a Saturday morning, he tried not to listen to Jessica, Cassie, and William as they spoke about online dating. The kids were playing around, and he didn’t like not being there, being part of it.
Finally, after twenty minutes of only hearing little snippets of conversation, he lifted up their fence, and entered her yard.
“Isn’t that trespassing?” Jessica asked. William and Jessica were sitting on either side of Cassie as she had a laptop perched on her knees.
“No, he calls it friendship access,” Cassie said, smiling up at him.
Damn it. He was really loving her smile, and he found himself giving her reason to. “What are you all doing?” he asked, moving behind Cassie, to see a dating website was pulled up.
“Jessica said I needed to meet new people, so I started a page for a dating website.” Cassie pointed at it.
The picture was a cute one taken when she’d been gardening in her little vegetable patch.
Slade didn’t like the stab of jealousy that washed over him at seeing her picture on a dating site.
“Anyone pinged you yet?” he asked.
“Three guys. One is an accountant—”
“Boring. Those guys do nothing but talk about numbers, taxes, and rules. Next one,” he said.
“A teacher of science—”
“You do not need to get lost in chemicals and shit. Move on.”
“You’re being a pain, Slade. This is serious, and if you’re not going to take it seriously, you can make your way through the fence.” Cassie looked up at him and glared.
“Fine, fine, fine. The next one.”
She did some clicking, and then pulled him up. “A firefighter.”
He couldn’t say anything about the firefighter.
“I think we have a winner,” Jessica said. “Organize a date, and make it close so you’re safe. William will watch the kids, and I can drop you off for your date.”
“I’ll drop her off,” Slade said. “I’ll even stick around so if the guy turns out to be a total loser, and dangerous, he doesn’t know where she lives. Can I get some iced tea?” he asked.
“Sure, it’s in the fridge. You know where I keep it.” He nodded, and left, going toward the fridge to fill a glass. Jessica followed him into the kitchen, and he gave her a smile.
“You know, Slade, you’re acting all jealous of Cassie.”
“I’m not jealous, just being cautious. Do you know how dangerous those online sites are?”
“We all know how dangerous they are.”
He took a sip of the lemon tea, and stared at Jessica. She had her arms crossed, and was staring at him. “What is it?” he asked.
“You know, if you like Cassie, you could just ask her out on a date.”
“I don’t date, and Cassie and I are friends. Nothing more.” He didn’t like the bad taste he had in his mouth from saying those words.
“How long has it been since you had a woman, or went on a date?”
“I’m taking a break,” he said.
“You know, this house and your house, have seen many single couples find—”
“Romance, I know. I’ve heard the rumors, but it’s all bullshit. Cassie and I are friends. I care about her, and I don’t want to see her get hurt.” He took another long drink of his tea, and glanced out of the kitchen window.
Cassie was chasing after one of the children. She wore her bathing costume with a pair of shorts. His cock thickened at watching her tits bounce, and his gut twisted at seeing her pick one of the girls, and swing her up in her arms. In that moment, Slade could see her doing that with their children.
Yearning unlike anything he’d ever known woke up inside him, and he no longer wanted to watch other couples with their kids be happy families. He wanted it himself. He wanted it so much that he had to hold onto the counter as the reality began to set in.
He’d not been with another woman, and he’d found himself drawn to Cassie, more and more.
Shaking his head, he refused to believe that he was falling for her.
“No,” he said, turning to find the space where Jessica had stood was now empty.
There was no way he had any feelings for Cassie. They were friends, and other people needed to stop thinking they could interfere with them.
Leaving the kitchen, he took a seat on Cassie’s chair. William sat beside him, and for several seconds neither of them spoke.
“You’ve got a wonderful family,” Slade said.
“Thank you. When Jessica and I realized we were pregnant at such a young age, we were scared as well.”
“You’re only twenty-five?”
“Yes, and we’ve got three kids. My parents own one of the businesses in town, and I’ve been working my way up since I was eighteen,” William said. “I would do anything for my family.”
Jessica and Cassie were running around laughing.
“You know Cassie tried to give me and Jessica this place,” William said.
Slade turned toward him. “She did?”
“Yes, put the down payment on it, and came to our house, about to hand over the keys. We both knew what this place mean
t to Cassie. As much as we wanted a bigger place, we’ve finally found a place of our own. We’re in the process of getting all the documents in order. We told Cassie to keep this for herself.”
Everything he was finding out about Cassie was just proving to him how damn good of a woman she really was.
Chapter Seven
“Do you need to wear the dress?” Slade asked.
Cassie gave a twirl and chuckled. “Do you like it?”
“I think you look beautiful.”
“You don’t sound happy about that.”
“I am. I’m very happy for you.”
“Then what’s the problem?” she asked, tucking her hair behind her ears. “This is my very first official date.”
“What about Chuck?”
“That was a double date. So not the same thing. At least I don’t think so. We’re meeting at an Italian restaurant.”
“I know. I’ve got all the details, and I will be sticking around to make sure everything is okay.”
Cassie moved toward Slade, and threw her arms around his neck. “I really do appreciate you being an amazing friend.” She pulled away, and when she went to move, he grabbed her tightly.
Closing her eyes, she tried to ignore her own reactions to his closeness. She didn’t want him to pull away, or leave her alone.
He released her, and she didn’t look straight at him. She couldn’t, not right then.
“If at any point you’re not happy, I want you to let me know.”
“You want me to give you a kind of code?” she asked.
“Yes.” He stared at her for several moments. “I want you to wave at me.” He lifted his hand and gave a wave.
She laughed. “You want me to do that.”
“Yes, and then I’ll come to your rescue and get you out of there.”
“You’re such a good friend.” She was so nervous. “Are you ready to go?”
He hesitated, and she waited. “Yeah, I’m ready. Let’s get this show on the road.”
“I’m so nervous.”
“What is this guy’s name?”
“He said it’s Greg.”
“And you don’t believe him? If you don’t believe him now, there’s no chance of you ever doing so.”
She laughed. “I don’t know. I guess right now, I’m kind of freaking out because all I’m seeing are all the horror stories of what other women have gone through.” She also didn’t like the fact that she was feeling guilty.
That one hug from Slade had caused a lot of mixed feelings in her.
Pushing some of her hair out of the way, she licked her lips, and then clasped her fingers together. All the time she was aware of Slade sitting next to her.
They spent a lot of time together now. When they were at work he’d often join her while she was finishing the crossword. For lunch if he wasn’t out, they’d eat together. Somehow their grocery shopping had also come together. In fact, she spent more time with Slade than with anyone else.
Daniel had even commented on how they finished each other’s sentences.
“So, erm, any special woman going to be paying a visit?”
“Nope. No woman.”
She hadn’t heard any of his sexy adventures in his backyard for some time. He always found a reason to visit her, and they’d sit for hours, chatting, laughing. He’d even helped her maintain her vegetable patch.
He found a parking space near the restaurant, and they walked together. She wore a modest heel, and a really tight dress that showed off her curves. This had been a luxury purchase that Jessica convinced her to buy.
Once inside, she told the maître d’ that she was waiting for someone, and it turned out Greg was already there.
“I’ll be at the bar,” he said.
The maître d’ took the lead, and then she was moving toward the window seat of the restaurant, but still close to the bar. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Slade take a seat, and it helped her to relax a little.
“You’re Cassie Love?” the man said, standing tall.
“Greg?”
“Yes, that’s me. Your picture didn’t do you justice.” He took her hand, and pressed a kiss to her cheek. He moved the maître d’ out of the way, and pushed her seat under the table.
She felt a little uncomfortable, but she had put that down to all this newness.
“I’m really sorry. I’m so nervous. If I say something stupid, please ignore me,” she said.
“Is this your first online date?” Greg asked.
“Yes, it really is. Does it show?”
He laughed. “Just a little, but that’s more than fine.”
“Is this your first?”
“No. You’re my fourth.”
“Oh, well, then you should be a pro, and can totally lead the conversation, right?” She smiled, and this made him laugh.
“I wouldn’t call myself a pro. Fourth date could mean I’m really bad.”
“Or I’m really lucky. Fourth time’s the charm.” She grabbed her water glass, and took a sip.
Why did I let Jessica talk me into this?
I’m so fucking nervous.
She was so nervous she was even thinking curse words. Her heart was racing, and at the same time, she felt like she was betraying Slade. She looked toward the bar, and saw him playing around with his cell phone.
He wasn’t paying her all that much attention.
“Would you like some wine?” Greg asked.
“No, no, thank you. I’m not much of a big drinker. I think it said that on my profile.”
“Yes, it also said you worked as a receptionist in a sheriff’s office. That must be exciting,” he said, leaning forward.
She didn’t know what to do with her arms. Should she cross them, and lean forward, showing interest? That would put her elbows on the table, so wouldn’t that be rude? What about if she crossed her arms? No, that would show that she was defensive.
What were the damn rules?
Resting her hands in her lap, she forced a smile.
“I wouldn’t call it exciting. It’s a small-town sheriff’s office. A couple of drunk kids, or the occasional, erm, graffiti person. The odd drunk, that’s about it. What about you? You’re a firefighter. That must be really scary but rewarding.”
He nodded. “It is. For the most part, it’s scary. Running into burning buildings isn’t easy, and then when you lose people, that’s even harder.”
“I can imagine. I wouldn’t ever be able to do a job like you do.”
There was a topic that Greg was more than happy to talk about, and she sat listening to him. He spoke of some of the people he’d saved, and showed her a few pictures of cats he’d rescued. There was even a dog as well, a rabbit and a guinea pig.
They enjoyed their meal. She had some kind of pasta dish—she couldn’t even remember the name—while he had a large steak. By the end of the meal, she was ready to go home, and she knew there was no way a second date. It had been fun, but there wasn’t a spark.
“Do you need me to call you a cab?” he asked.
“No, no, my friend is here, waiting to drive me home.” They stood from the table and smiled. “This was fun.”
“Fun but not again?”
“I…”
“Don’t worry about it. We didn’t have that spark really.” He nodded toward her, and left.
It was a strange end to one of the most uncomfortable experiences of her life. She took a seat beside Slade, and ordered herself a shot of whiskey.
“He’s gone?” Slade asked. “What did you say to him?”
“That you’re my pimp and if he doesn’t get gone, you’re going to beat him to a pulp.”
Slade laughed. “What did you really say?”
“That it was fun, it wouldn’t be happening again, bye.”
“Really?”
“Pretty much. It was so uncomfortable, and I didn’t know what to talk to him about. We’d read each other’s profiles, and it all just felt so cold. It was so weird I didn�
��t even know what I ate.” She shook her head. “Never again. I’m not doing the online dating. Jessica even mentioned speed dating as well. Not happening. This has been a real eye opener.” She thanked the bartender, and knocked back the stinging liquid. “Ready to go home?”
“Yep. I certainly am.”
****
Slade had wanted to do a victory dance when her date had got up and left. He sat down in her sitting room, waiting for his iced cold beer that she’d promised him. His shoes were already kicked off, and he placed his feet on the coffee table in front of him.
They had sat in her sitting room many times eating a box of cheesy chips, and drinking a cold beer.
Cassie entered, carrying two bottles of beer, and a tub of chocolate ice cream.
“Hold on a second.”
He watched as she kicked her shoes off and sighed as she made her way toward him. She handed him a beer and a spoon, taking a seat beside him. Her bottle of beer was on the coffee table. Her feet were curled up underneath her. She rested the ice cream tub on a pillow, and then they were diving in.
“I don’t even know why I let myself be talked into it.”
“You wanted to date,” he said.
“That wasn’t it.”
Slade looked at her, and he saw her cheeks were already bright red. “You can’t just say something like that and not elaborate. I’m a guy. I don’t know what the whole blushing thing means.”
“It doesn’t matter. Forget I said anything.”
He sighed. “What is it? If it wasn’t for the date, then what was it for?”
She took a bite of chocolate ice cream, and her brown eyes stared at him. He saw the conflict in her gaze, and he held his hands up.
“You can say whatever you like, and I won’t judge. I won’t say anything. I’ll keep my opinions to myself.”
“You promise?”
“I promise. I don’t say shit I don’t mean.”
She bit her lip, and he watched as she squared her shoulders. “I’m twenty-five years old.”
“I know.”
“I’ve only been with one guy, and he completely smashed my heart.”
Slade stared at her. “You’re looking for someone to fuck?”
She nodded her head, surprising him. “I’m a woman. I have needs just like everyone else. I don’t want, nor do I need, forever. I just … I want to make memories, different ones than what I remember with Andrew. He wasn’t that great, and I was blinded by lies. I want to feel something. I heard you with those women out back. It sounded like it felt good, and I guess, I don’t know, I figured I’d find someone to do it with.”