A/N Well I have a lot of pages typed, so hopefully I'll be able to update more often. Glad you are all still hanging with me and enjoying it. And all your reviews mean a lot. Please keep them up. And remember, if you ever need a character refresher, just let me know. There will be some new characters coming up in near future chapters, so just tell me. I don't want anyone getting confused. Thanks again.
Chapter 54
Roger sat at the bar watching Cass at her laptop while Izzy was picking out notes on his bass. He watched her type some more and then tell Izzy to do it again. He got up, walked around to the other side of the bar and poured himself another soda as Krystal walked in and sat down in front of him.
"Hey. Want something while they finish up?"
"Yeah, give me a diet coke." He poured it and handed it to her while she watched Izzy and Cass. "Thanks Rog. Is she really making a CD of you guys through the computer?" Krystal asked looking back at him.
"Yep! She made a whole one of my stuff the other day. It sounded as good as a regular CD. Apparently this is a little more complicated with all the mics and the amps."
"But it will really come out as good as a studio version?"
"Well, it won't be as clean, and it will have a live version sound, but she can control the levels and stuff, just like on a sound board. And it will come out way better than any tape recording."
"Wow, that's pretty impressive. Only thing I ever figured I'd hear Izzy on was my answering machine." Krystal watched for a few more minutes before turning back to Roger. "She's pretty good, huh?"
"She's like brilliant. She can do anything on a computer."
"I can see that, but I meant overall. She's really good for you Roger. Don't fuck this up, you know?"
"Yeah, thanks Krystal, I really didn't have any intention of doing that."
"Few guys ever do." She laughed as Cass and Izzy joined them at the bar.
"Okay, we're set. Nobody touch anything if you can help it."
"Can we eat now?" Roger asked, walking around the bar and grabbing Cass, biting at her neck. "See, I'm starving." He grinned and did it again.
"Just give me a minute to tell Dave some stuff and I'll be ready." Izzy walked back toward the storeroom to talk to Dave who was head bartender that night.
Krystal sighed and sat back down on a stool as she watched him walk away. "Sometimes I hate this bar." She saw the looked that went between Roger and Cass. "Sorry. It's just… you know," she shrugged, "I spend my weekdays dealing with fourth graders and my nights and weekends dealing with a very over grown fourth grader. Who by the way, sometimes I think loves this smelly dump and that stupid hunk of polished wood and wires more than me."
Roger saw the confused look on Cass' face and got a small grin. "She means his bass." Cass nodded to say she understood.
"Sorry. Needed a vent moment."
"Don't sweat it Krystal. I'm getting used to hormonally unstable psycho women."
"Hey!" Cass swatted at him.
"I'm just kidding!" He hugged her from behind. "But don't ever call my guitar a stupid hunk of polished wood."
"Okay, just don't ever suggest naming this baby Fender or anything stupid like that!"
They all laughed at that as Izzy came back and they left for dinner. After awhile the conversation turned back to Roger's joining the band tour.
"Izzy isn't there anyway we could go see Roger and Trey in Philly? We could take Cass?"
"Sure Krystal, no problem. We'll go."
"Really?" She asked shocked.
Roger looked at Cass and bit his lower lip. He had a bad feeling about where this might be going. Roger leaned back in the corner of the booth and sipped his beer. He pulled Cass in closer to him with the arm he had wrapped over her shoulder.
"Sure, no problem. All I got to do is have my head back up bartender cover the Iguana."
Oh crap, Roger though. Considering that was him, he knew Izzy was about to be a total jackass.
"Oh wait, that's Roger, so that won't work now will it?"
"Fine Izzy be a total ass! I was just asking."
After a moment or two of awkward silence Izzy poured more beer for himself and Roger. "So are you guys moving out of that dump or what?"
"Way to be tactful Iz." Krystal snapped at him.
Roger laughed. "Um yeah, I guess. I mean we have to considering the lack of heat."
"We have heat." Cass said.
"No, we really don't." He told her, playing with her hair. "I guess we'll start looking when I get back.
"Well," Cass was stalling, "we can just buy some space heaters."
"We need to move Cass."
"But I don't want to move." She told him, looking up at him. "I like it there."
"Why?" Roger, Izzy and Krystal asked at the same time, producing laughter from all of them.
"I don't know, I just do. Let's just not talk about it now okay?"
"Fine. Eat your dinner."
"I am, I'm not that hungry."
"How do you feel Cass?" Krystal asked her, watching her pick at her food.
"Okay." She shrugged. "It kinda comes and goes. I did get a treadmill though so I can start running again. Maybe that will help. I don't know."
"You run?" Krystal asked.
"Uh huh. Off and on for years. I haven't in awhile. Like the last three months. I was too busy, on deadline, in Italy the last month I was there. And then, well…" she trailed off, leaning into Roger who squeezed her.
"Mark used to actually run with her." Roger told them, trying to get out of Italy and back to a better time for her.
"Camera boy? Can't see it." Izzy said shaking his head.
"Yeah well, apparently he only did it to watch her ass in spandex shorts." Roger laughed as Cass shushed him.
"Oh yeah, speaking of Mark, when is your new doctor's appointment?" Roger asked her.
"This Wednesday. They were able to move it up a week. She said we should still be able to hear it though."
"Hear what?" Izzy asked pouring another beer.
"Heartbeat." Cass told him eating one of Roger's fries.
"Oh, that's cool. Can they tell you what it is?"
"Duh. Not from the sound of a heartbeat Izzy." Krystal told him, rolling her eyes at him.
Roger was amused at Izzy. He knew he shouldn't be, a few weeks ago he didn't know anymore about babies than Izzy. He pulled Cass close against him again, still leaning against the corner of the booth. He realized his right hand was resting on Cass' stomach again. "Anyway," Roger began, "what time is your appointment?"
"Um," she thought for a second, "Wednesday they have late hours. It's either four or four thirty. Either way, it's enough time to go, then meet everyone for dinner and be done in time for you to play at the Iguana."
"Cool. I gotta remember to tell Mark so he can meet us."
Cass looked up from her plate. "Why is Mark meeting us?" She had a feeling she wasn't going to like this answer.
"Um, I sorta told him he could come with us." Smooth Davis, he looked at Izzy who was starting to laugh.
"Roger," Cass said slowly, "when you say 'come with us' do you mean as in come along for the ride or more like come with us, come with us?"
"Um, more like the second one." He gave her a pleading grin.
"And when you say Mark, do you mean Mark or Mark and his camera?"
"Well… he asked and what was I supposed to say? You know how excited he gets. Especially when he's got an idea for a film. I think he wants to make you a star."
"Roger!" She sat up and looked at him. "Like he doesn't point that stupid thing at me enough!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'll talk to him, I promise."
Izzy and Krystal were laughing at them again. "Oh I can see it now." Izzy laughed. "Delivery room footage, up close and personal."
"Roger!" Cass whacked him in the chest as if he had said it.
"Ow! Okay, okay, I'll talk to him!" He laughed at her. "Nothing up close and personal, I promise."
**********
Mark walked along the sidewalk, following Roger and Cass in the viewfinder of his camera. After all the years, he had gotten very good at walking and filming at the same time. He filmed them talking as they walked along towards the Life Café to meet everyone for dinner. Watching them he realized, since Roger announced he was going away for two weeks, barely a moment had passed when they were together that Roger didn't have his hands on her. Almost as if he was afraid he'd forget what she felt like while he was gone.
The walked on, Roger's arm around her waist. Cass had on his old leather jacket, her arms crossed in front of her, blocking out the slight wind coming down the street. Roger looked back at Mark, realizing he had fallen more than ten feet behind them. "Mark turn that damn thing off! Geeze! You bitch you get left out of stuff, well what do you expect when you're a block away?"
"Sorry." He flipped off the camera and caught up with them, walking next to Cass as she took his hand.
"Well Joanne was supposed to be back by now." Cass told them.
"That's good." Roger said giving Mark a look over Cass' head.
"Uh huh." Was all Mark said. He and Maureen had sort of kept their distance in the last week and a half since that day in his office. They have still talked on the phone, but Mark decided he didn't want to be alone with her if he could help it right now. Not till both of them worked through some stuff in their own brains. He didn't think he completely trusted himself alone with Maureen. Not right now. He knew he didn't trust Maureen alone with him.
Roger was right, give her time and she gets what she wants. Mark knew both of them well enough to know that could be bad. He knew how her mind worked. If things were not going well with Joanne, bad enough that Maureen needed someone to treat her with the praise and respect she so often felt she deserved, she'd come to Mark. He used to call her a goddess and she ate that up. She loved it. Pretty much anytime she was looking for a little adoration, she always went to him back then. The scary thing was he realized back then he meant what he told her. Even after all this time, he didn't know if he could turn her away.
Cass hesitated for a moment before going on about Joanne. She needed to talk to them about what she had going, and what she had planned, but she was afraid they would freak out. She had to tell them. They were involved in it whether they liked it or not.
However the timing on this was tricky. She had to wait on Joanne and Allison. And then there was Roger's leaving. That was going to make it a little difficult too. Cass didn't want them thinking she was keeping stuff from them, but she was afraid they wouldn't understand about the confidentiality issues, as well as some of the other aspects in a business deal.
And that was what it was, a business deal. It wasn't personal. Mark would be able to accept that, given a minute or two. Roger however, he would see it as personal. Cass was afraid he'd see it that way and not be able to get past it. Worst would be that he would see it as her using her money to settle his scores. Fight his battles. Cass didn't see Roger accepting that real well. She would just have to convince him otherwise.
"Remember how I told you I was starting a side business? Pick up some work outside of Andre?" She asked hesitantly.
"Uh huh, but if you do that, does that mean you're going to have to work more thane you already do?" Roger asked her. He thought she was already in front of the computer way too much. Add that to the way she gets mad at the computer too. None of that seemed like it could be good for her.
"No actually it should cut back on some of it. I'm slowly letting go of some of the smaller stuff I do for Andre. And this side company is more for investment and tax type purposes anyway."
"Good, you spend too much time in front of that thing."
"Well it's not all work. Sometimes I'm just playing around on it or something." She tried to explain. Cass knew he thought she worked too much on the computer. "Anyway Joanne emailed me and said she had everything set up. I need to get all the papers signed. I also need to take care of some investment stuff, shift a little money around."
"So you have to go back to her office? When?" Mark asked.
"Um, she said either tomorrow or Friday morning we could come in and sign everything." She slid that we part in.
"Okay, I'll take you down there tomorrow." Roger told her.
"Ah, okay. Marky are you coming with us? Yes?" Please say yes.
"I don't know, I'll have to see. Depends on what time you go."
"Oh." She sighed. This was going to be hard. She could feel it. God, I'm too tired for this she thought.
"You okay Baby?' Roger asked her, hearing her sigh.
"Yes. I'm just so tired is all." She sighed again.
Roger gave her his famous mischievous grin. "Poor Baby!" He grabbed her, scooping her up in his arms.
"Roger! Put me down!" She laughed at him.
"But I don't want you all worn out before tonight." He told her as she put her arms around his neck.
"Please! By the time you get home, I will have been asleep for a couple of hours!"
"Actually," he laughed at her as he kissed at her neck. "I meant to come back to the Iguana tonight to hear me play awhile, but now that you mention when I get home…" he trailed off starting to kiss her. "I mean it's not like you wouldn't have had a nap by then." He kissed down her neck.
Mark rolled his eyes at them. "Oh for God sake, get a room!"
"I'm working on it." Roger grinned, still kissing her. "I'm working on it."
**********
"That fuck!" Maureen declared, slamming the letter Leslie just handed her to read down on the table. "I'm sure he enjoyed deliver those too. The bastard. I wish Roger had been there when he did!"
"Let's just be grateful he wasn't or this whole thing would be worse." Collins said, setting down his coffee. "We don't even know what it means. Wait till Joanne gets here and let her read it."
"She should be on her way." Maureen looked at her watch. "And where the hell is Mark? Maybe he knows something. I mean he's the damn building manager."
"God Maureen," Jason looked at her, pouring himself a beer. "You don't even live there anymore. What are you getting so up tight about."
"Because Benny's a total ass!"
"Here comes Jen and Joanne now." Jason said pointing at the door. "Hey sis. How you doing sweetie?"
"Other than it sounds like I may be homeless soon." Jen dropped into the chair. "Oh and work sucked. Pour me a beer. Where's Mark? What did he say?"
"Nothing, we can't find them." Leslie said.
"Hey Pookie." Maureen pulled Joanne down next to her.
Joanne gave Maureen a kiss as she sat down. "I talked to Cass this morning. She had a late doctor's appointment. They should be coming here directly from that."
She looked around at the group of friends. "You guys all need to relax. No one's going to be homeless. Benny's just trying to show off. Besides, new owners are better than Benny, right?" She was trying to sound optimistic, without giving away vital information.
"But this says it's a company. Why would a company want that dump unless they want to knock it down or something." Jen whined. "God I don't want to deal with moving. Mark didn't say anything?"
"I'm sure he didn't know anything." Collins told them.
"Yeah," Jason laughed, "otherwise he would have called Joanne to meet him at the hearing."
"What hearing?" Jen looked at him.
"Roger's bail hearing for beating the crap out of Benny." He laughed and everyone joined in knowing it was true. "There they are." He told them looking up and seeing Roger and Mark, Roger still carrying Cass. He put her down outside the door and they walked in.
"Hey!" Cass said with a huge grin on her face as she sat down in the booth, dragging Roger behind her. "Hey Joanne. How was Washington? Are you back for a while now I hope?"
"Washington was fine. And for at least two weeks. What did the doctor say? Did you hear it?" Joanne was trying hard to skip past the Benny issue.
"Mark what the hell is going on?" Jen demanded.
So much for that Joanne thought. "Benny, uh, delivered some letters to the building today apparently." She began to explain, more to Cass then Mark or Roger.
"Really?" Mark looked up.
The grin on Roger's face instantly turned into a scowl as he leaned forward, his arm going protectively around Cass. "Letters saying what?"
"Well, all the letter says is the building has had an offer made on it and it is seriously being considered by the current owners." Joanne explained.
"And all that jackass said when he saw Leslie was he was making a chunk off selling that dump and how none of you knew how good you had it with him as a landlord." Maureen told them all bluntly.
Oh shit! Cass thought. They are all taking this personal she could tell already. Business is not personal. She knew she would never be able to really convince them of that. She didn't even believe it completely. Benny would make it personal.
"I didn't believe he could, ah, do anything like that Joanne?" Cass shot her a look.
"Well he is supposed notify the building of things like the sale. However, implying what he did is somewhat outside the area of good business practice. Especially if there is any type of confidentiality."
"Damn him." Roger said, picking up a beer glass. "Well now we are definitely moving, but I say we beat the crap out of him first, just for fun."
"We're not moving." Cass said, still looking at Joanne. "If he violates a confidentiality agreement, isn't there something we, I mean whomever, can do about that?"
"Well I suppose they could contact the managing partner of the property as well as any uh, silent partners."
Collins sat back in his seat and looked around. Jen, Maureen, Leslie, Jason and Roger were grumbling and sulking to each other. Mark was watching and listening to all of them, as well as Cass and Joanne. Cass and Joanne however seemed to be having a somewhat different, somewhat obscure conversation. Collins had a feeling they knew more than they were letting on.
Mark looked around the table taking in what everyone was saying. Everyone but Collins, who was sitting there silently listening to Joanne and Cass. Mark started paying more attention to the two of them. After a minute or two he knew something was up.
"What's going on?' He asked firmly. Everyone else looked up surprised at the tone of his voice.
"Duh Mark? Benny's being an ass, yet again. Welcome back to reality." Maureen told him.
"What's going on Cass?" He asked again. "Joanne?"
"Um, Mark we're just, you know talking." Joanne started to babble.
"Cass?" He said firm enough to grab Roger's attention and he started watching her as well.
"Um, nothing Mark." Her eyes at the table.
"Cass?' He said again, looking to Roger for back up.
"What's going on Babe?" Roger asked her.
"Um, well, nothing, really." Cass looked to Joanne for help.
"It was a buyer instigated confidentiality agreement." Joanne said to Cass. "Which has been broken by the seller."
"But what about the other part? We don't even have papers yet?" Cass went back to Joanne, the two of them speaking again as if they were the only ones there.
"I know I'm thinking. Look even if we had the papers you need the signature of all partners, no matter how minor to sign on the closing. They are willing to move it all up, which I think is a good thing, but him being gone may make that difficult."
"Well," Cass thought, "What about Friday? Is that enough time? I know it's quick, but she wants out, he doesn't count for squat in this, plus he broke the confidentiality clause. Can't we use that as leverage?"
"Maybe. But are you sure you want to use leverage? I thought you were friends."
"This is business, not personal. She'll get that. Probably a whole lot better than some other people."
"What the hell is going on?" Roger broke the silence of everyone else at the table.
Cass just looked at him for a second. "Just let us figure this out. We'll explain. I promise."
Roger wasn't thrilled, and was definitely confused, but he decided he would wait. She'll tell him. And he was definitely getting curious.
"Okay. I can get that part together, but we still need to set up the partnership agreement." Joanne told her.
"What about temporary status, until we can file full term papers? It's only this one thing and it' more name then practice."
"Okay." Joanne opened up her briefcase and pulled out a yellow legal pad and started writing. "How about a deposit on investment?"
"What are you two doing?" Mark asked again. He had been following the conversation from almost the beginning and succeeded at only becoming more confused.
"Something I should have done years ago." Cass told Mark before turning back to Joanne. "How much?"
Joanne thought for a moment. "Ten percent for good faith. Say $100. Each."
"Cass…" Roger started.
"How much money do you have?" She asked him.
"What?"
"Roger how much money do you have? Mark too?"
"I don't know." He was definitely confused.
"Look. Please. Mark?" She was almost pleading.
Mark pulled out his wallet, as did Roger. "I've got seventeen dollars." Mark said.
"I've got forty – eight dollars now what's going on?"
Joanne looked up at Maureen. "Give them all your money. You guys too." She told Collins and Jason. "They need two hundred dollars." Maureen stared to say something but closed her mouth. Collins and Jason silently did as they were told.
After a minute or two, and the emptying of a few wallets with the exception of Cass and Joanne there was a pile of two hundred dollars on the table. Everyone was staring at Cass and Joanne, waiting.
"Now what the hell is going on?" Roger was really starting to get pissed. Not really at her, but at not knowing what was going on.
Cass looked at Joanne, who ripped two sheets off the legal pad and handed them to her. "Well, um… okay. Just remember business is business, it is never personal." She gave both Mark and Roger a pleading look.
"Just tell us what's going on." Mark said.
"Okay, well remember what I said about starting a side company? For investments and tax stuff? And how I was looking into investment properties, for tax reasons? Well, I found one. An investment property."
"Uh huh." Roger said hesitantly, never taking his eyes off of her.
"But to get this investment property, it's easier with a company name, for tax and zoning reasons. And a company is easier with partners."
"Cass…"
"Just tell them." Joanne told her.
"Okay," she hesitated and in one breath spit it all out. "So to make the company I made you two secondary partners with a thousand-dollar investment, because I found an investment property, this property. The building." She bit her lip as she finished and waited for the flashback she knew was coming.
"What?" Mark almost yelled with surprise.
"You fucking bought that bastard's building from him!" Roger did yell as he tried to get up, but was blocked in by Mark who wasn't moving.
"Roger sit down and be quite." Mark told him, surprised not only at his own voice but the fact that Roger sat down and shut up.
"You don't understand! I needed to buy something! And this has nothing to do with anything else." She was getting upset.
"I can't believe you're giving that bastard money!" Roger almost spit the words out.
"Roger I don't want to have this conversation here, now, like this!"
"Fine then let's go home and have it!"
"Fine!"
Roger looked at Mark. "Well get the fuck up, we're going home."
"Roger."
"Mark!"
Mark sighed and got up. The three of them walked out the door. Jason looked at Joanne. "What the hell was that?"