"Dude your mom said you're lettin some strange chick that you picked up on the side of the road stay with you... How hot is she?"

Caleb Danvers turned to his childhood friend Reid Garwin and shook his head. "She's new in town and just needs a place to crash till she can get on her feet and get her own place."

Reid snorted and said, "Whatever dude. You just don't wanna give anyone a fair shot at the babe."

Pogue Parry smacked the back of Reid's head. "Shut up you idiot, and where's Tyler?"

"Oh, he called me earlier today and said he was gonna be late. Said he had to take care of somethin first." Grinning Reid ran his fingers through his short blonde hair and said, "Probably just messin around with his new girlfriend. He still won't tell anybody who she is."

Pogue just laughed and ignored Reid. "So Caleb, is there anyone special in your life right now?"

Caleb shook his head and said, "Not right now. I've been too busy with school."

Just then Reid's phone rang. Pulling it out of his pocket he looked at it and said, "It's Tyler," before answering it. "Dude, where are you? What? Yeah, sure. No prob dude we'll be there." Hanging up he looked at the guys and grinned. "You guys'll never guess what just happened. Tyler proposed to his secret girlfriend today. Now he wants us to meet him at Nicky's so he can introduce her to us."

Pogue and Caleb broke into shocked grins and they all left Reid's place to go to their favorite bar. By an unspoken agreement they all piled into Reid's Jeep instead of their individual cars and headed out.

The guys were all making fun of their friend Tyler Simms and telling his fiance embarassing childhood stories when Reid looked around and whistled. "Okay guys," he said rising to his feet, "I think I'm in love."

A young woman was dancing by herself at the edge of the crowd surrounding the new D.J. She was wearing a bright blue t-shirt under a black halter vest and a pair of hip-hugger jeans. Her auburn hair hung straight down her back and her toasted caramel skin appeared to be glowing under a light sheen of sweat. She had her back towards the room so that when Reid walked up to her and grabbed her elbow she jumped in surprise. Turning around she looked at him with bright green eyes then looked over his shoulder at Caleb before smiling at Reid and grabbing his hand.

Caleb frowned as he watched the couple dance and started to stand up when Pogue grabbed him by the shoulder. "Hey man," he asked, "what's up with you? You know her or somethin?"

Shaking his head he sat back down and said, "Not really. I just know her name. That's the girl I picked up on my way home last night."

"So what's her name?"

"Cassy Thorne. There's just something about her Pogue. She has an injured spirit and I'd hate to see Reid hurt her. She's a really sweet girl."

Pogue looked up at the subject of their conversation and laughed. "I don't you gotta worry bout her gettin hurt. It looks like she can handle herself." Cassy was walking towards the restrooms while Reid stood on the dance floor staring after her covering his cheek with his hand. "I think we finally found someone who's gonna put our boy in his place."

Cassy leaned over a sink in the ladies room and splashed water on her face. She lifted her face up to the mirror in front of her and quickly closed her eyes with were purely white. "Go away, go away, go away. Please go away," she whispered, before openeing her eyes again. At the sight of her emerald green eyes she sighed with relief and sagged against the sink. "What was I thinking," she asked herself. "No, she never told me about them. This isn't my fault. I wasn't prepared. I can do this. I have to do this." Straightening up she walked back out to the bar and headed over to where all the guys and Tyler's fiance Whitney James were sitting. Smiling apologetically at Reid she said, "Sorry bout that. I kinda let my temper get the best of me out there. Oh, and Caleb. I'll be moving out by Friday. Nicky said I can waitress here and stay in the apartment above the bar. I better get going before I embarass myself even more tonight."

With that she turned around and left. Reid got up and said, "I think I'll see if she wants a ride, and don't worry I'm gonna come right back." He walked outside to ask if he could take her home when he saw her getting into his enemy Aaron Abbot's truck. He walked back inside, his ego deflated and said, "Never mind she can walk." Looking down his eyes turned black and he focused his mind on a picture of Aaron's right rear tire deflating. Instead of the satisfying knowwledge that his wish had become reality he felt a gentle nudge as he was blocked by an unknown source.