Chapter 5 – Cassie's Secret

"I can't believe you just said that." The unfamiliar voice drifted across from the other booth.

"He needs to tell her what's going on," said Cassie.

"I know," the other voice said. "But considering the fact I've been badgering you to tell him your little secret for the last month, I think it's rather unfair of you to pester him about something like telling the truth."

"Don't start Beth," Cassie grumbled. "You aren't allowed to bully me before my daily caffeine intake."

"But why don't you tell him?" Beth asked curiously.

"Because there's no point," answered Cassie.

"So you admit you like him?" Beth crowed.

"So what if I do?" Cassie sighed. "There's no point telling him. I'm not his type."

"You don't know that," Beth pointed out. "You get along great and he's always coming by to see you."

"Actually I do know that," Cassie sighed, ignoring the other comments. She knew why he came round the diner. "Just leave it."

"So what is his type then?" Beth pressed on regardless of the dangerous tone in her friend's voice. Tru shifted in her seat a little. She felt awful to be eavesdropping but it was impossible to leave without being seen. Besides which she was now very curious as to what was going on. Harrison had been dating Cassie for a little over two months now, but the conversation in the other booth was more indicative of someone who liked someone else but was unwilling to let them know. What was going on?

"Well?" Beth asked again.

"Pretty little blondes if you must know," Cassie finally replied.

"You think he's still hung up on his ex, er...L...Lesley?" Beth asked.

"Lindsay," Cassie confirmed, "and no, he's over her now."

"So you think because his ex is a 'pretty little blonde' he won't be interested in dating you?" Beth snorted and waited in silence for Cassie to respond.

"It's not just that his ex fits that profile," Cassie explained. "When I'm out with him in public just lately his eyes tend to wander wherever the blondes are." She gave a bitter sounding laugh. "That's how I know he's over Lindsay. At first he was still so cut up over her he never looked at any other women. Now he is ready to start dating again and he's made it clear what his type is. The only thing stopping him properly dating is me and our little web of lies."

"So that's why you're pushing him to tell Tru what's really going on?" Beth asked.

"It's the only way he can bring this to an end."

"You do realise that if he does tell her the truth, and if you're right about him not being interested, that he won't have a reason to stop by here any more. That you won't see him again."

"He's not interested," Cassie replied. "If he was he'd have..."

"What?" Beth asked.

"Well he'd...it's not like he's ever..." Cassie faltered.

"Yes...?" Beth pressed on.

"He only plays at being interested when it's for the benefit of someone else. When we're alone he never..."

"Makes a move?" Beth guessed.

"Not once," Cassie confirmed, breathing a sigh of relief that she didn't have to say it out loud herself. "And it's not like he hasn't had the opportunity."

"Okay..." Beth hesitated. "But hasn't it occurred to you that perhaps he doesn't think you're interested and he was just being a gentleman."

Cassie snorted. "You have to be the only person who has ever met Harrison that would describe him as a gentleman."

"But if you don't tell him you like him, then how...?" Beth sighed. "We seem to be going round in circles, don't we?"

"Come on girls," the manager called from behind the counter. "Back to work."

Cassie and Beth stood up and picked up their empty cups and plates.

"Just one more question," said Beth as they moved away. "How in the world did my innocent suggestion become this whole mess?"

Tru watched Cassie shake head and roll her eyes as they moved towards the kitchen. Beth's question was a valid one. Tru wondered the same herself but after the previous evening she couldn't ask Cassie. There was only one other person who could tell her what was going on and getting up from the booth she hurried out the door to track down her younger brother. There was plenty of time to find Cassie again later before she wound up in the morgue.