Chapter 3: The Way You Look At Me
None of them said a word, or could even move, for that matter. It was Jack who came to his senses first.
"Cappie, can we help you with anything? You see, we're all tired, and I think that everyone should head off to bed now" the smile on Jack's lips seemed poisonous
"Oh- Right. I was just checking- someone reported a noise." Cappie still couldn't tear his eyes away from Catlin
"No, everything's alright here, Cap. Good night" Casey said pulling her daughter close to her as if Cappie would grab her and make a run for it.
Cappie finally looked at Casey.
"Oh, ok. If everything's fine here, I'll just go up to my room now. I had no idea you were staying here. If you need anything, anything at all, just let me know." With that, Cappie shut the door before anyone of them could get another word out.
"Who was that, mom?" Catlin asked as her mother tucked her into bed. Jack was in the bathroom. He still hadn't said anything since Cappie left. He just headed straight to the bathroom to get ready for bed.
"No one Cate, just go back to sleep" Casey was the only one who called her daughter Cate, and Catlin liked the fact that her mother had an exclusive nickname for her.
"If you promise no more fighting" Catlin yawned.
Casey looked at the bathroom door nervously. Would there still be fighting? She didn't know exactly. She didn't know how Jack would be when he got out of the bathroom. Casey thought she knew every inch of her husband, but this was a side she never got acquainted with.
Casey hugged her daughter. "I promise"
When Jack got out of the bathroom, he still wouldn't say a word. Casey didn't want to talk about what had happened anyway. She thought she would just let all of the drama fade. Maybe if Jack slept on it, he would realize how stupid he was acting—accusing her of sneaking off with Cappie.
The following morning Jack still hadn't said a word to Casey. To Catlin, he was being perfectly normal, offering to cut her pancakes ("Dad, I'm 10 years old! I'm not a child anymore"), setting her clothes out neatly for her and taking her to the candy shop while Casey checked out for them.
"You're Mrs. Thompson?" the girl at the counter asked, checking her file on the computer after Casey gave her their room number.
"Yes. I'm here to checkout and settle my account"
"Oh, everything's been taken cared of ma'm. Your account has been settled, and," she typed and clicked away, "now, you are officially checked out" the girl said smiling at her
"I'm sorry. I don't believe I understand. Did my husband pay for everything already?" Casey was confused
"No ma'm. Mr. C, the owner of the hotel, told us to charge your expenses under his name" she explained
"Oh—But—," Casey was cut off when the girl slipped her a piece of hard paper.
"He had also personally told me to give this to you" It looked like the girl, Sarah, was passing her something illegal. When Casey opened her hand, she saw that it was a calling card. Cappie's calling card.
"He told me to give it to you discreetly as possible and said that if ever you needed anything, at least you know how to reach him, and where to find him." Casey's eyes watered. She knew that Cappie was really truly back this time.
"Mommy! Mommy!" it was Catlin, running up to her with Ashleigh in tow
Casey turned to look at the girl at the counter, "Thank you Sarah" she smiled and tucked the calling card into one of the pockets of her wallet.
"Good morning Casey! Look what if found destroying her teeth right before lunch!" Ashleigh said laughing at the little girl
"Dad said it was ok!" Catlin said defensively.
"Case, Lewis and I were thinking of having lunch here, would you care to join us?"
"I don't know Ash. I think you better ask Jack. He kind of wants to go home already"
Ashleigh got it. It was about Cappie. She didn't miss the scene that was playing last night, that's why she had stopped them from leaving the ballroom last night. Then again, it was a domestic problem that she couldn't do anything about.
"Where is your father?" Casey asked Catlin
"Over there" Catlin said pointing east.
But instead of seeing Jack, the first thing she saw when she looked up, was Cappie. He was engaged in what seemed to be a funny conversation with ex- girlfriend, Rebecca Logan- Chambers.
Casey was shocked.
She knew too? Catlin knew about her real father? She knew of course, that Jack wasn't her real father, and when she was younger, Catlin would often ask about her dad, Casey would tell her that he was a good man who had big dreams. She told Catlin that he had no idea he left Casey with a baby, and that it wasn't his fault that he wasn't there to see her grow up. Casey told Catlin that if she would blame anyone, it should be her mother, but Catlin loved her mother with all her heart and understood what she had done. Casey had let the man she loved go and be happy. Catlin admired her for her selflessness.
"Wha—What do you mean?" Casey wanted to hear it from Catlin herself.
"There he is mom, by the Candy shop with Lewis! See?" So she was wrong. It was Jack. He was standing a few feet away from where Cappie and Rebecca were talking.
Casey heard Ashleigh stifle a laugh. Her best friend was never far behind her own thoughts.
The three girls made their way to the two men, unavoidably passing by Cappie and Rebecca.
"Hey big sis" Rebecca greeted as she saw Casey approaching
"Why good morning Rebecca, Cappie" she wanted to thank Cappie for taking care of their expenses, but she could see Jack eyeing her suspiciously from the corner of her eye.
On the other hand, Cappie just gave her a nod as a sign of greeting it was weird because right before that, he was noisily laughing at something Rebecca had said.
"And who is this?" Rebecca asked looking at Catlin with a smile
"This is Catlin, my daughter" Casey declared proudly, but she couldn't seem to meet Cappie's eye.
"Hi Catlin, I'm Rebecca. I'm your mom's little sister" Rebecca stuck out her hand towards the little girl
Despite the quizzical look Catlin gave her, Catlin took the hand and shook it
"Okaaay, little sister, right. You're not so little, are you? And I'm guessing you're going to explain it to me because my mom doesn't have any sisters, besides, you look nothing a like, unless, you have the wrong Casey." Catlin looked from Rebecca to her mother and back
Rebecca had to laugh at this
"Honey, what Rebecca means, is that she was my little sister when we were back in Zeta Beta Zeta, remember? The sorority I told you about back in college"
"Oh, yes. I remember now. Rebecca, so very charmed to meet you. And you, I remember you from last night," Catlin said turning to Cappie
This gesture turned Casey wide- eyed
Cappie laughed though
"Yes, I'm sorry for intruding on you and your family" Cappie smiled at the outspoken child
"It's alright. It's your job, after all"
Everyone laughed at the charming little girl
"Well, we had better be going. Thank you for everything," Casey was motioning to Cappie.
"Bye Casey, Bye Catlin, Bye Ash" Cappie and Rebecca said.
When the girls finally got to Jack and Lewis, Jack didn't seem pleased at all.
"What was that all about?" Jack growled
"Please Jack, not here" Casey whispered
"What? You don't want your boyfriend to hear?"
"Stop it Jack"
Seeing that Catlin could hear another upcoming fight between the couple Ashleigh suggested to Lewis that they should treat Catlin to some more candy.
"Jack, what is wrong with you? It was nothing. I was just talking to a couple of my old college friends. I don't get it. You've been like this since last night. The whole morning you haven't said a word to me until what was that all about comes out from your mouth? Talk to me, Jack. You and I have always been open about our feelings. We had never had any problems communicating before." Casey was frustrated with the way her husband was acting. Also, she didn't want to fight in the lobby of the hotel, especially so close to Cappie.
She could see that Cappie and Rebecca were still talking in the same spot where they had greeted each other.
"The problem is, one of those college friends of yours, Case, is your ex- boyfriend" Jack was much calmer now
"So what, I was talking to Evan last night and it didn't seem to bother you one bit"
"Casey, you don't understand!"
"That's why I'm asking you to explain to me, Jack!"
Casey could feel the eyes of the passersby bore a hole through the both of them. She wouldn't dare look at the place where she knew Cappie was standing. She was humiliated enough.
"It's the way you look at each other!" Jack hissed.
