Chasing Destiny

by Nikki Rittenberry

“A little sore, but hey… I can’t complain. I’m still breathing.”

  Cassie crossed her arms beneath her breasts and smiled. “I hope you know of a good repair shop. Your car took a pretty bad beating as well.”

  “It’s not mine… It’s a rental”, he explained.

  “Oh boy—”

  “It’s ok. I purchased the extra insurance.”

  Cassie looked down at the ground and smirked. His optimism was almost predictable. “So, what brings you to Chicago?” she asked curiously.

  “I came here on business for a couple of days—how about you?”

  Cassie hesitated for a moment. She tucked a stray strand of her behind her ears and cleared her throat. “I live here now. I started my own physical therapy practice with a colleague from Denver. I was on my way to the hospital to see several of my patients when you had your accident yesterday… I helped pull you from your car.”

  Jacob’s eyes widened. He remembered seeing her hovering over him before he lost consciousness, but he was unaware that she’d extricated him from the mangled vehicle. “I guess I was probably the last person you expected to see once you got there, huh?”

  “Yeah… um… I guess you could say that.” Cassie smiled and as if on cue, Maxine entered the room and began tinkering with Jacob’s I.V. bag.

  “Alright honey, I gave that gentleman whose card you gave me earlier a call. He said he’d be by to see you in just a bit.” She then handed him two more pain pills and proceeded to document her actions in his chart.

  “Well, I should go. I have a therapy session on the sixth floor in ten minutes. I’m glad you’re alright.” Cassie grabbed her paperwork and walked toward the door.

  “Hey Cass… Thanks… for everything.”

  Cassie smiled and nervously tucked her hair behind one of her ears. “I’ll stop by later on my way out and check-up on you.”

  * * *

  Cassie spent the rest of the afternoon working with her patients. She had always been very good at preventing outside stimuli from affecting her work, but today, she found herself flashing back to her earlier visit with Jacob. Time seemed to pass rather slowly and although she did not want to admit it to herself, she was looking forward to seeing him again later that day.

  She was unquestionably crushed five years earlier when he’d broken off their relationship and acknowledged that the events that transpired deeply affected who she was today. She kept the men she had dated since at arm’s length, finding it difficult to let any man get too close and her current relationship was no different. Cassie took pride in her ability to put her personal feelings aside while attending to Jacob after his accident. She was, after all, a healthcare professional. She reaffirmed that stopping by this morning to make sure he was alright was the respectable and ethical thing to do, however the logical side of her brain questioned if making a second appearance on her way out later that evening was still such a good idea. She had done her best to bury the memory of Jacob long ago; in fact, the thought of him rarely seeped into her mind—that is until yesterday.

  She acknowledged that witnessing him lying helplessly on the pavement after his accident, and again that morning in his hospital room had made an impact on her. It generated an overall unrest within her, affecting her focus and making her everyday assignments exponentially more complex. This was nonsense, she thought. She was currently involved with a wonderful and compassionate man that absolutely adored her and she deeply cared for him as well. Jacob’s unexpected arrival back into her life had been unforeseen to say the least. Soon he would be released from the hospital; he’d head back to New York City and she would be free to carry on with her life. She convinced herself that her anticipated visit later that evening would provide closure; nothing more, nothing less.

  Cassie finally finished-up with her last patient of the day roughly around five-thirty. She thoroughly recorded her dictations and stacked the completed charts neatly on her desk. She glanced at her watch and let out a deep sigh. Butterflies fluttered vigorously within her gut and she instinctively placed her hands on her stomach, attempting to settle them. After gathering her belongings, she hung up her lab coat, and maneuvered down to the fourth floor where Jacob’s room was located. As Cassie approached the door her hands began to tremble. She forcefully shook them and began adjusting her skirt and blouse; making sure everything was perfectly in place. She raised her hand and softly knocked three times before cautiously opening the door.

  * * *

  Jacob spent the afternoon drifting in and out of consciousness, an unmistakable side effect from the powerful pain medication he’d been given earlier that morning. However, no matter what state of mind he was in, he thought of Cassie. He thought about the vivid, erotic dreams he’d been having, as well as the short visit they’d shared earlier in the day. After ending their relationship five years earlier, he had painfully accepted that he would probably never see her again. Before his accident, he had been intensely focused on his upcoming business meeting and now after her brief visit earlier that morning, the last thing he wanted to think about was his presentation.

  Landon Woods arrived promptly at five-thirty. He looked to be in his early to mid forties with thick, salt and pepper-colored hair. He was well dressed in his gray Armani Suit and just as Mr. Anderson had previously revealed, Landon was a lucrative entrepreneur with an abundance of charisma. Jacob thought about how refreshing it was going to be to partner with a fellow, ambitious businessman, particularly one that wasn’t an arrogant bastard like he had encountered so many times in the past. Jacob did his best to present him with some of his ideas for one of the largest shopping malls in the country; recalling as much as he could by memory. Without warning, they heard three delicate knocks and the door slowly opened. Cassie peeked from behind it; smiling at first and then all of a sudden, her vibrant expression faded, appearing as though she’d seen a ghost.

  “Cassandra…? What are you doing here?” Landon asked.

  Cassie smiled nervously as the door slowly shut behind her. Landon moved toward her, taking both of her hands in his, and gave her a quick peck on the lips. Jacob’s smile steadily faded as well at the realization that both Cassie and Landon were undeniably involved. She opened her mouth to speak, but seemed unable to enunciate her words. Landon led her to the foot of Jacob’s bed.

  “I’m so sorry—how rude of me. Jacob, I’d like you to meet my girlfriend. This is Cassandra.”

  Jacob attentively observed Cassie. Her eyes appeared to dance around the room, landing on varying objects, until finally connecting in astonishment with his as he began to speak. “Actually you’re too late—we’ve already met”, he announced.

  “Really…?” asked Landon.

  “I um… I was one of the first on the scene after his accident. I dropped by this morning on my way to see my patients to see how he was doing”, she explained.

  “Yeah, I’m sure she was pretty surprised to see me slumped over in my car like that. We haven’t seen each other in like—what—five years?” Landon’s eye’s narrowed with confusion. He turned his head and looked at Cassie. “We both went to college back in New Orleans”, Jacob added.

  “Is that so?” Landon asked curiously. Cassie smiled apprehensively and shook her head, confirming Jacob’s statement. “Well, that’s great! Cassandra, I can’t believe you didn’t mention anything about this at dinner last night!”

  “It must have just slipped my mind, I guess. It was really not that big of a deal”, she replied.

  “Not that big of a deal? You very well may have saved this man’s life—and he’s a former college friend of yours! That’s one of the things I love about you, honey… you’re unbelievably modest”, Landon exclaimed. “Jacob and I are going to be working on a new project together. He was in town to present me the plans... and well… the rest is history.” Landon turned his head and began speaking to Jacob. “I have to admit, I’ve never heard a proposal strictly by memory in a hospital room before, but I’m incredibly impr
essed! I would like to see the blueprints and take a look at the numbers before I would be able to fully commit, though.”

  “Not a problem, Landon. I can contact the firm back in New York and have them overnight those documents to you right away.”

  “That would be great—oh, that reminds me… Cassandra—Jacob lives in New York City. Maybe he can show you around a bit while you’re there in a few weeks for your therapy convention.”

  “You’re coming to New York?” Jacob asked Cassie.

  “Uh-huh”, she replied.

  “Jacob, I hope I wasn’t being too forward. It’s just… Cassandra’s never been to New York City before and since I won’t be able to travel with her, I sure would feel better knowing that there was someone there she knew that was familiar with the city. You know… watching out for her. There are a lot of crazies out there.”

  Jacob looked at Cassie, utterly bewildered by Landon’s recent statement.

  That was interesting—had she forgotten about the weekend they’d spent in New York together five years ago? “So… you’ve never been to New York, huh?”

  Cassie made eye contact with Jacob and replied. “Nope—this will be my very first visit.” Cassie sharpened her focus on Jacob, as if telepathically preventing him from revealing more of their past.

  “Business or pleasure?” Jacob inquired.

  “Strictly business”, she replied.

  “Oh, lighten up Cassandra. This is going to be your first time in the big apple. Don’t be so uptight! You can’t show up in New York and refuse to venture out into the city—especially when Jacob here is more than willing to escort you around.”

  “I understand that—but this is a business trip. I have a lot of material to look over and I just don’t think—”

  “Honey, it’s settled. Jacob’s already agreed, right?” Jacob nodded. “See? Besides, no one’s suggesting that you pull an all-nighter.”

  Cassie felt defeated; her objections were completely disregarded. Landon was compassionate and genuine, but he was terrible at compromising. When he had his mind made up about something, there was usually no reason to expend any amount of energy trying to alter it. He preferred dominance and admittedly had difficulty relinquishing control of situations, even those events that he had no authority to command.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  There was nothing quite as scenic as traveling through New York City on a brisk, fall evening, Cassie thought. It had an almost therapeutic effect and allowed her to reflect on the events that transpired just four, short weeks ago. She felt guilty about misleading Landon regarding her past with Jacob, but she saw no reason to expose all of the memories that she’d struggled so relentlessly to suppress. She acknowledged that if Landon had been aware of the truth from the beginning, he probably would have never suggested she and Jacob re-unite in New York. As much as she wanted to criticize Landon for coming up with the demented idea and Jacob for encouraging it, she knew she was probably more to blame than either of them. After all, she was the one that rejected the opportunity to confess that she and Jacob were once romantically involved.

  The taxi came to a halt in front of the lavish Times Square Hotel, and to Cassie’s surprise, Jacob was standing underneath the awning, just outside of the main entrance. Once she was out of the taxi, he moved toward her and offered to take her luggage. As they walked into the elegant lobby, they engaged in small talk; as if both of them were strangers, meeting for the very first time. Jacob settled next to the elevator while Cassie checked-in at the front desk. Once she received her key and directions regarding which conference room her upcoming convention was located, she leisurely walked toward him.

  “So, are you all set?” Jacob asked.

  “I think so. Thanks again for bringing in my luggage. That was really kind of you to do that.”

  Jacob leaned his good shoulder against the wall. “No problem—I’m glad I could help”, he replied. They gazed into one another’s eyes and for a moment said nothing.

  “Well… I should probably go.” Cassie motioned her hand toward the elevator and picked up her luggage.

  “Wait, Cassie… do you want to grab a bite to eat?”

  “I don’t think so… It’s been a really long day and I still have some paperwork to get through for the convention tomorrow.”

  “Oh c’mon, you’ve got to eat, right?”

  “Look, Jake… I understand that Landon put you in an awkward position by asking you to keep an eye out for me, and I really appreciate what you’re trying to do… but, I really don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

  Jacob looked down, in an attempt to thoroughly process her statement and then locked eyes with her before responding. “Cassie, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be.”

  Something was different about him. The sincerity in his voice and his intense gaze resonated with her and she thought perhaps she had been acting somewhat infantile. She wanted to believe that deep down Jacob was a good person and though their relationship had ended imperfectly, she was certain his intentions tonight overall appeared genuine.

  “What about tomorrow night? I know a great place a few blocks from here with the most amazing seafood.” She tucked her hair behind one of her ears and he couldn’t help but smile. He recognized the gesture—she was nervous.

  “Um… Okay. I should be finished tomorrow around six.”

  “How about I swing by around seven? We can meet in the lobby.”

  “I’ll see you then”, she said.

  Jacob watched her until the elevator doors closed. He was delighted that she’d finally accepted his dinner invitation and felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the opportunity to obtain a fresh start.

  * * *

  Business at the firm was somewhat chaotic these days. After Jacob successfully persuaded Landon’s commercial development company to employ the plans he and his team devised for one of the largest shopping malls in the country, he found himself almost drowning in corporate formalities. He had worked nonstop for months crafting his latest masterpiece and believed he had done everything he could to lay the foundation for his future with the firm. He spent most of the following afternoon in the main conference room, alongside Mr. Anderson and Mr. James, discussing details of the design with the engineers and contractor; his focus involuntarily divided between his duties as lead designer in the current project and Cassie.

  After the meeting, Jacob hustled back to his office. He was sifting through a pile of documents when his secretary and most recent one night stand, Ava, approached his desk. She stood quietly for a few moments and when her presence still went unnoticed, she placed both of her hands on the front edge of his desk and leaned forward toward him.

  “So… I couldn’t help but notice that you didn’t order out for lunch today… You must be starving”, she said seductively.

  Jacob continued shuffling his paperwork, oblivious to her flirtatious undertone.

  “Yeah, I’m looking forward to a great meal, that’s for sure”, he replied.

  Ava removed her hands from his desk and walked around it, sitting on top of it in order to gain his attention. She swept her fingers along his shoulder as she spoke. “I was thinking… maybe we could grab a bite on our way out? Maybe even have a few drinks?”

  Jacob placed his paperwork down on his desk and then leaned back in his chair. He studied her for a few, long beats and finally understood what she had been insinuating. “Actually Ava, I already have plans this evening… maybe some other time, alright?”

  “Okay, I’ll let you get back to work then.” Ava stood up from his desk and left the room.

  * * *

  Jacob was eager to spend the evening with Cassie. During his ride from Lower Manhattan to the hotel in Times Square, he thought about how excited he was to spend time with her again. He didn’t want to read too much into her acceptance to his dinner invitation. She was, in spite of everything, presently in a relationship with another man. Cassie was uniquely refined and her ab
ility to conduct herself in a courteous manner was one of her many attributes. Whatever her reasons were, he was determined to show her he wasn’t the insensitive and egotistical monster that she most likely thought he was. He thought about the way their relationship had ended and he couldn’t help but wonder what might have been if he had only boarded his flight to New Orleans five years earlier.

  The taxi arrived several minutes before seven o’ clock and he kindly asked the driver to wait for him while he briefly went inside. He entered the majestic lobby and stood several yards in front of the elevator. He loosened his tie slightly and rolled the sleeves of his light blue, long sleeve shirt to make himself more comfortable. The heavy thud in his chest accelerated like a car traveling on the Autobahn and his anticipation grew with each passing minute. He unfastened his collar and placed his clammy hands in his pockets.

  Why are you so nervous? It’s just dinner, he reminded himself. But it was so much more than that. She wasn’t just any woman; she was Cassie.

  Just then, the heavy elevator door slid open and revealed the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. His mouth instinctively dropped as Cassie walked toward him. She was holding her coat and wearing a slim, dark green shift dress with taupe-colored heels. Her long, shiny golden hair was down and had been swept to one side; revealing one of her bare shoulders. She smiled as she approached.

  “Wow! You look… you look absolutely beautiful”, he managed.

  “Thank you”, she replied.

  Jacob stared for a moment longer before emerging from his brief reverie.

  “So, where are you taking me?”

  “It’s called Oceanaire… They have great oysters and the most amazing salmon in the city. You’re going to love it!”

  “I can’t wait. It sounds delicious!” Jacob placed his hand on the small of her back, guiding her toward the main lobby doors. Once inside the taxi, he began pointing out landmarks and shared compelling facts he thought she might find interesting. He joked about taking his newest position as her personal New York City tour guide seriously and she gave him a playful scowl in return.