Cassie's Night Out

I know, I know… like most male writers, I tend to write most of my work with a male lead. Well, not this time….

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Cassie read the text message over and over again as if doing so would somehow change the meaning of the words. It didn't help. Their meaning was clear: "I can't do this anymore, I'm sorry."

Granted, they had only been dating for a few months, but she genuinely thought things were going well. They laughed often, shared much, and had developed an intense physical relationship. Or so she thought. It seemed things weren't as intimate for him as they were for her. She had been used, again, and had her heart broken, again. The pattern she'd vowed she'd not repeat nevertheless repeated itself in spectacularly devastating fashion.

"You're not sorry, you son of a bitch," she said to herself as she wiped the all too familiar tears from her eyes. "Fuck you!" she screamed and threw her phone across the room, startling the cat that had been napping peacefully on the ottoman. Cassie fully intended on spending the evening with a bottle of pinot grigio and watching a Love Boat marathon on Nick at Nite when the phone she had just hurled across the room began to ring. Against her better judgment, she got up to retrieve it. It was Gina.

"Hey."

"Wow, you sound chipper. What are you doing?"

"Getting ready to drink myself to sleep. You?"

"Oh my God, stop. I told you he was a jerk from the beginning. You didn't listen to me!"

           

"Gee, thanks."

"I'm coming over, and we're going out. Get dressed. I'll be there in twenty." Gina didn't give Cassie a single second to protest. By the time Cassie could even think of a response, Gina had already hung up. She was probably already in the car.

"Fine," Cassie said with a sigh as she went to the bathroom to freshen up. Her eyes were puffy from crying. "Great, I look like a drowned raccoon." Doing her best to cover the evidence of her shame and regret, Cassie applied as much makeup as she could without looking as if she'd applied it with a spackle knife. Satisfied, she changed into a loose fitting blouse, her favorite skinny jeans and a pair of knee-high, black leather boots, she had made herself up as good as it was going to get. Gina rang the doorbell two minutes later.

"You look great," Gina remarked as she gave her friend a hug.

"Where are we going?"

"Tapas. Come on, it will be fun. Rebecca and Dana will be there, too."

Reluctantly, Cassie followed Gina out of the apartment. Before shutting the door she turned back to say goodbye to the cat, whose indifference took the form of licking himself with his right rear leg sticking straight up in the air. "Typical male," she lamented as she shut the door and went off with her friend for some forced frivolity.

Cassie had to admit that she felt much better once she was there with her girlfriends. They always had a way of cheering her up, even when she didn't want to smile. It was fun, relaxing night, right up until the point when he walked in with another woman.

"Take me home, now," Cassie demanded.

           

"Cassie, come on! Ignore him. It's his loss. If he wants to give you up for that skank, he doesn't deserve you anyway."

Cassie ignored her friend and stared. She loved him, and truly believed that he had loved her. Date. Get dumped. Repeat. It was her life's story. "I want to go home."

Gina stood and frowned, dismayed. "Fine. Give me a minute to settle up." Gina walked off towards the bar while Cassie headed for the door. She'd seen enough and decided that she'd wait for Gina outside. Although she had been trying to quit, Cassie placed a cigarette to her lips just the same.

"Need a light?" a voice asked from behind her. Startled, she turned to see a strikingly beautiful man.

"Um, sure." He held out a lighter and she inhaled deeply. As much as she hated herself for smoking, there was still something soothing about the practice. "Thank you."

"My pleasure. You don't remember me, do you?"

Cassie looked at the man and strained her memory for any kind of familiarity. Troubled that she couldn't remember him, she had almost given up when and was about to admit her failure when she looked at his eyes more closely. There was no mistaking those eyes.

"Jimmy?"

He rolled his eyes. "Nobody has called me that since high school, but yea."

"Wow! Hi!" She said and gave him a hug. "How are you? My God, how long has it been? You look great!"

"Probably about fifteen years. Since Brandon's wedding. You look fantastic too, by the way."

Cassie blushed. "Thanks."

"You leaving?"

As he asked the question Gina came out the door. As subtly as she could, Cassie turned to face away from Gina and waved her hand behind her back to shoo her friend back inside.

"Bloody hell," Gina remarked under her breath as she rolled her eyes and headed back into the bar.

"Um, no, just came out for a smoke," Cassie replied. "So, if I can't call you Jimmy anymore, what should I call you?"

"James, please and thank you," he quipped.

"James," she repeated with flirtatious emphasis. "So formal!"

"Yeah, well, with what I do, I kind of have to be formal."

"And what do you do, exactly?"

"I'm a male escort."

"What?" Cassie exclaimed.

James burst out laughing. "I'm just kidding. I'm an insurance broker."

"Still the comedian, I see," she replied with a glare.

           

"Yeah, well, I try."

James winked at her and they stood in an awkward silence as they finished their cigarettes. Cassie was about to say something when Todd and his new slut walked out of the bar. Cassie panicked. "Kiss me!" she blurted out.

"What?" James answered with confusion.

"Just kiss me!" Cassie reached up and pulled James into a passionate kiss. Their tongues met and something stirred within her. What was supposed to be nothing more than a feigned moment of passion turned into just that. Todd noticed, and stared. The kiss had had the desired effect. Todd glared with jealousy until his new girlfriend pulled him away. Cassie didn't even notice as the pretend kiss lasted until long after Todd had gone.

"Um, wow," James remarked. "What was that all about? Not that I'm complaining, mind you."

"I just, um, needed that. I'm sorry, I," Cassie started to say. All at once she was overcome with anxiety and emotion. "I, Todd, I don't know," she continued. James did the only thing he could think of to calm her – he kissed her again. This time it was Cassie that wowed.

They just stood there, neither saying a word. Cassie parted her lips to speak, but still no sound filled her voice. James stared into her eyes. That was all he needed to say.

To be continued….

           

© J.J. Goodman 2014. All rights reserved.