Chapter 15
“You know, I am having my car checked by a mechanic, and the mechanic told me something that shocked me…” she looked over to Cassandra to see how she’d react.
Cassandra was nervous, but she stayed as calmly as she could, “what did he tell you?”
“The car was fine this morning but for some weird reason it’s no longer turning on, he told me that a starter was missing… do you have something to do with this?”
Cassandra went pale, “why do you ask?”
“Because it’s my birthday today, and last year, I had to look for my backpack, it took me hours to find it. The year before that, my car’s tire was flat when I got out of school, it took my dad an hour to change it, please tell me this has nothing to do with my birthday.”
“Well, I have an idea, why don’t we go out, since were here, I have to tell you something, we have two things to celebrate, your birthday and Julie’s a certified business woman, starting today she’s done with her studies and she can concentrate in what she wants.”
“She’s already done?”
“Mr. Kendall, told her she was the best student he had until now. We have to go out, and celebrate plus I owe you guys, I couldn’t make it the last time because of what had happened, but how about it?”
“Ok, but do you think I don’t know what you’re doing? I know you’re changing the conversation…”
“We’re here, come on,” she got out of the car, and Cassidy followed, “Julie! Thomas! Are you guys ready? We are going to celebrate, and as I told Cassidy, we’re going out for the last time I couldn’t make it.”
“Ha, ha, I knew it! You are trying to change the conversation.”
“What conversation?” Julie was curious to know.
“Well, my car isn’t working and I think my mom has something to do with it, come on Cassandra.”
Cassandra grinned at her sister, “ok she needs more time, so we have reasons to go out, why not go out and celebrate Julie’s success, and to make up from the last time when I couldn’t make it?”
“Well, al right,” Cassidy was smiling back, “I knew you guys were up to something, don’t worry I pretty much figured it out, so you really didn’t tell me.”
Thomas was looking at the three woman talk but all he cared about was to leave and have fun, “mommy can we go now?”
“Go on, get in the car, we’ll leave right now.”
Thomas left and climbed inside the car, and the three followed, when they were done going out, Cassandra got a call from her mother, “sweety, are you on your way? You can bring her now it’s ok we’re done.”
“Ok I’m on my way, out mom we’ll be there, bye.”
They hung up and they drove off to her parents house, the cars were gone the lights were off, Cassidy got off, but she was surprised to see that no one was there. “Well I thought they’d be here…”
Julie turned to look at Cassandra, “are you sure your parents said to meet them at home? There’s no one here.”
Cassandra was surprised, “I’m sure,” they kept on walking, and Cassandra opened the door, it looked dark inside, and she had to look in carefully to not miss, the hole where the key goes in.
She went inside but the house looked strange, and there was an eerie feeling, the house was empty. Cassidy went to turn on the light, from the hall, everyone jumped out to surprise her, and she jumped back.
Everyone was there including, “Jesse Campbell, I can not believe it!”
He was wearing his glasses, “yes,” he cleared his throat, “here is your car starter, I’m sorry it’s just that, your mother needed more time and… here it is,” he handed her the starter to her car.
Cassidy was shocked, but she didn’t want anything bringing her down on her birthday. Olivia walked towards her, “happy birthday sweetheart,” they hugged, and she walked towards Cassandra, “honey, I called someone for you.”
No! she couldn’t have, why does she do this? Charlie walked towards her, “I couldn’t pass this opportunity to be with you, and meet your son, hello Thomas.”
Thomas looked at his mother and back at Charlie, “my mommy told me never to talk to strange people,” Cassandra looked embarrassed, “mommy who is he?”
“Charlie, his name is Charlie, and it’s stranger, not strange people, I’m sorry Charlie, he’s four.”
“No problem, it’s ok, right little kid?”
Thomas crossed his arms over his chest, “I’m not little kid, my name is Thomas!”
Cassandra bent down, “Thomas be nice,” she stood, “now why don’t you show Charlie the pictures you’ve taken.”
Thomas took Charlie’s hand, he sighed, “ok, but first I’ll show you the disc, I put them in there.”
Charlie smiled at him, “you did? Really?”
Thomas lead the way to the dvd player, and Charlie picked him up, while Thomas pressed play, and they were happily chatting in the sofa.
“Sweety, I called him because I wanted you to see, that you can trust again, you should be able to go out, there are millions of single parents out there, but they live out their lives, why can’t you?”
“Mother, why did you do this? I was going to let him…”
“Down without even giving him a chance. Give yourself and that man a chance, he’s a great guy, now I want you to have fun, I know you love Thomas but does he love you? Was he there when you needed him.”
“Mom, I just want my son to be happy.”
“Look at him, look at them together, now what makes you think your son is not happy? He will get to love your son, and the feeling can be mutual, you have to stop dreaming at times and look at what you have in front of you.”
“But I don’t love him, how can I be?…”
“Don’t expect to fall in love with him, at first sight, you two should get to know each other, and if you feel something for him later, great!”
Cassandra watched Thomas and Charlie happily chatting in the living room, she could see how Thomas was explaining how the plane flew them there, and telling him that he had fallen asleep coming back.
They would burst out laughing when they saw Thomas on the background of some of the pictures taken, “how did you take does pictures?”
“It’s a timer I put on the camera, sometimes my mom wasn’t ready and they came out funny,” she saw as Thomas was laughing hard and Charlie was joining him.
Maybe her mother was right, her son was happy and he needed a father, maybe she could feel love for Charlie someday. Cassandra was thinking over what her mother said.
Maybe just maybe, her mother could be right, and she hated to admit to it but she did have feelings for Thomas. She noticed when they kissed the day, that she got back. But it would never happen with him, he was with Rebecca, she had made her decision.
Thomas came to get her, “mommy come look at the pictures, Charlie liked them, he said they’re nice. He liked them mommy!” his eyes were wide with excitement.
Cassandra bent down, “are you having fun with Charlie?”
“Yeah, he says he can take me out tomorrow, can I go with him? He said he’ll take me out to eat and…”
“I’ll talk to him ok sweety,” Cassandra felt alarmed she didn’t know him that well, how could she let her son go out with him?
Charlie walked in, “it’s an invitation to both of you, I was wondering if you guys wanted to come, that way I can get to know your son better.”
“Well…” she looked back at her mother who was giving the go-ahead to her, and her father was there doing the same, and she looked at her son who was all smiles, and looking at her with pleading eyes.
“Please mommy, please, please, please it’ll be fun, please?”
Cassandra smiled weakly, “ok sweetheart, we’ll go, but not until after you go to school and you have to do your homework.”
Charlie looked excited, “ok, I’ll pick you guys up tomorrow, how about at three, I’m sure you’ll both be ready by that time.”
“Ok,” Thomas said eagerly, “will be ready right mom?”
“Right sweetheart,” Thomas went back to the living room, “I’m sorry about how Thomas greeted you, but I’m happy that you two got along.”
“Cassandra there was something I couldn’t tell you the first time I saw you, but..” he sighed, “I hope you don’t think it’s too soon, but I’ve fallen in love with you, I don’t know if you feel the same… I guess what I’m trying to say is, will you be my girlfriend?”
Cassandra was speechless, she knew he was going to ask her, but was she ready to date? She nod her head, “ok. We can try it and we’ll see how it goes.”
Charlie kissed her, but she felt weird kissing him back, she closed her eyes, but when she closed them she thought of Thomas, she separated herself from Charlie.
“I’m sorry I know it is too soon, but it was the thrill of the moment, but I won’t kiss you unless you want me to the next time, I promise,” he raised his right hand, “word of a gentleman.”
“I think we should take it slow, I really want to get to know you. And my son he needs to get to know you too.”
“Yeah, but I think your son likes me, I know I’ll win him over, and as for you I hope you can give me a chance.”
“I will,” she wished she could believe her own words, but she will make herself believe it, if she kept repeating it, she’d believe it. She had to give herself a chance, if not today when?
Her parents walked towards them and congratulated them, but she felt isolated. She was surrounded with so many people but why did she feel so empty?
No! She had to be positive, her son looked happy. And who knows maybe her sister was right Thomas needed a father, they are already getting along, she doesn’t have to worry about Charlie not liking her son, because they got along.
Jesse Campbell, was talking to Cassidy’s friends, who were going gaga over him. But he was trying to talk to Cassidy, but obviously Cassidy was busy talking to everyone in the party.
Olivia noticed, “Cassidy, sweetheart why don’t you go and talk to your friends? They’d love if you went to talk to them.”
Cassidy smiled and lowered her voice so her mother was the only one to hear, “mom, why did you invite him? I don’t want to talk to him, please my friends like him though.”
Olivia turned to look at Cassidy’s friends who were being overly enthusiastic over him, when she turned to look back at her daughter who looked watchful.
Olivia turned to wave at Mr. Campbell who was walking towards them, and she walked away leaving them to talk. Cassidy had no idea since she was observing the people outside.
“Sometimes, I get mad at him that he follows me around. I just wish he would stop I know he found my sister, but… shameless, he’s unashamed to tell me to my face that he doesn’t follow me when I face him about it.”
“Well I normally wouldn’t get too close to people, I don’t know, I just wanted to be friends but your friends treat me with too much enthusiasm, that I feel uncomfortable. What’s up with them anyways?”
Cassidy turned surprised, as she saw him, “oh, I’m sorry I didn’t know you were there.”
“Yeah, I get that a lot. But I just came here because I wanted to talk to you, trust me I didn’t know you would feel like that, I’m not so good at talking to girls, but… I know that you like to eat, I mean you should eat…” Cassidy gave him a look, “wait it’s not coming out like I wanted to, this is not something I’m good at I guess what I’m trying to tell you is do you want to go eat something? With me? Us two together?”
“Are you trying to ask me out?” Jesse wouldn’t answer, his face turned red, obviously he never spoke to a girl before, or he was the worse at asking a girl out on a date. “If I go out to this date of yours, are you going to stop going behind the bushes to spy on me and my friends?”
Jesse just shook his head, “of course,” Cassidy’s friends were there, obviously they knew, and they were all excited for them, “you go girl!”
Cassidy never felt so embarrassed the party had stopped to listen to them, her parents were there, and she started to sweat, as everyone was nervously waiting for her to answer. She felt all the eyes were on her.
Cassidy couldn’t take it anymore, she grabbed him by the hand and pulled him outside, “fine we can go out, as friends… but promise me you’ll change your look, please, haven’t you heard of contacts?”
“I never worn them before, I just think it will not be the same without my glasses, and what is wrong with the way I look?”
“I get you’re a detective, but…” she took off his glasses, “you have nice eyes,” his eyes were big and light brown, with a light green, “you shouldn’t hide them behind your glasses.”
“Well, I don’t know I didn’t think that you, were going to…”
“Or we don’t have to date, and you can stop following me, because now you know how I would feel, so you could…”
“Fine no glasses, now what?”
“Meet me tomorrow, and I’ll change your look,” Cassidy wasn’t planning to stay with him, and she thought giving him a new look would open his perspective to another girl who would like him.
“I’m not changing you, just your looks, and you’ll feel more confident, just trust me, you’re not that bad looking, but… I think it’s just the way you present yourself, I know if I change your look your inner self will come out.”
Jesse shook his head, “I don’t know, I never thought it could be such a big deal…” he looked up at Cassidy who was standing over him, “fine, but not to drastic, I don’t want to come out looking like…”
“Perfect tomorrow after school, we’re going to the mall, deal?”
“Deal,” they shook hands, what am I getting myself into?
“Now, we’ll go inside and have some fun, ok?”
“Ok,” they walked inside holding hands, and her friends congratulated them.
Her father came to talk to them, and he looked at his daughter, “well sweetheart, this guy is the guy for you, it’s the first time I don’t feel I have to take care of you bringing a boyfriend home.”
“Dad, we’re friends, and no dad you don’t have to worry, but look at him today because he’ll look totally different tomorrow.”
Her dad looked at her surprised, “sweety I’m not going to have to give you the pepper spray am I?”
“Ha, ha, ha no daddy,” she hugged him.
“Young man, I’m a general officer, I’ll see that you respect her.”
“I will sir, it was nice meeting you,” he went off to the living room to join everyone in the living room.
Mr. Hopkins turned to look at Cassidy, “here’s your spray, just in case.”
“Dad, I’m not taking the spray, we really are just friends, I’m going to help him to get a girlfriend, trust me I know even my friends will like him.”
She left to the living room to join the crowd, and her father saw her purse placed on top of the counter, he took the pepper spray and put it inside. “Harold what are you doing?”
“I told her to get the pepper spray, but she didn’t listen so I put it in her purse.”
Olivia shook her head, “Harold, Harold, Harold one of this days you’ll have to learn that our little girls aren’t so little anymore. Please Harold they aren’t bad girls.”
“I know, but I can’t just trust any guy that crosses through the door, and wants to date my daughters.”
“Harold you wouldn’t trust a saint with your daughters, of course… you’ll think the worse when every guy comes around.”
“I don’t know Olivia, she said they’re just friends, but they are going out to the mall tomorrow and they are going by themselves.”
“Well personally I think if they were to date, great I like him! Now come on, we should go before the fun’s over.”
Cassandra was dancing with Charlie, Thomas looked so happy he was playing around, and Stanley was talking to girls while Cassidy was dancing with Jesse who wasn’t use to being in the crowd.
After the party was over Thomas was sleeping on the sofa, and Cassandra was trying to carry him in to the car. Charlie stepped in, and carried him in his arms, “I’ll help you,” he lifted him in his arms and carried him out to the car, she seemed amazed as she followed him.
Cassandra looked at him, “thank you, I should leave now,” she extended her hand to shake his.
He pulled her in his arms and hugged her tight, “thank you I had a great time.”
Cassandra was still surprised, she remembered Thomas did the same thing for her, but she smiled, “yes thank you, so did I.”
Cassandra remembered living the same moment with Thomas, as she was living with him. “I have to go now, I need to get home,” Julie walked over to them, “hey you guys, it was fun, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, ok I have to leave to but I’ll call you later?” Charlie left, and Julie looked at him and back at her friend, “so I had no idea you guys had something for each other.”
“I don’t, he does,” she looked back at Julie who looked confused, “but you shouldn’t lie to him…”
“The thing is, whether I like to admit it or not I still feel something for Thomas, but I don’t want to grow old and alone waiting for someone who…” she started to cry, “he loves Rebecca, and you know what else I found out?”
“Cassandra what happened?”
“I didn’t want to tell you this, but I met with her today, and Thomas walked in on us, can you believe they’re still together? But what’s worse is his indignity to lie to my face, he has no shame!”
“Wait! What were you doing there in the first place?”
“I had to know if she told him about my pregnancy, but I found out something else…” her eyes filled with tears, “it wasn’t her, it was his mother! I asked him how she found out.”
“Oh Cassandra, I didn’t know what else to do! They cut my hours off from the coffee shop, and…”
“And he thought I was with another man, he rejected his own son, because he thought I was with another man, he thought Thomas wasn’t his! And now he wants to lie to me again.
Do you know how he got here? You know he wasn’t suppose to come back, but he followed me into the plane, and thank god Thomas was tired so he fell asleep, but after the plane landed, I told him not to get close to me or my son.
Do you know what happened? He helped me carry Thomas out of the plane and after placing him in the taxi, he kissed me, and I swear I don’t know what came over me, because for a moment I kissed him back.”
“Cassandra I…”
“I’m not mad at you, I know you just wanted to help and heck you are my best friend, more than that you are my sister, because like my sister you stayed by my side, no matter what. So thank you. Just don’t trust him or his family because they were all the same.”
“I know, I should’ve told you, but I needed the job and she needed a babysitter, with experience which I didn’t have but I explained my situation she gave me a chance.”
“Wow, I never thought she would,” somehow, it was surprising to her.