Chapter 6
Sam paced up and down her room, it was 9:30 already, mom would start suspecting things if Tom didn't hurry back. She jumped when Chris entered her room.
"Woah, calm down it's just me." Chris smiled.
"I'm just feeling a bit antsy." Sam waved it off.
"Feeling like taking a swim in our indoor swimming pool?" Chris asked, having decided that as long as she was living in the lap of luxury she might as well enjoy it. The swimming pool by the way started inside but ended outside.
"Yeah sure." Sam said, in the hopes this would distract her and her mother enough so neither would think of Tom.
"OK, I'll ask Tom." Chris said, getting a weird vibe from her too nervous daughter.
"No! No, I'll do it, you just start choosing a suit to wear, I do want to start swimming today."
"Like I can't choose quickly! I happen to do that for a living! People's lives are at stake when I make quick judgement calls." Chris huffed, making a mental note to find out what was going on with Sam.
"Yeah whatever, just shoo, start dressing." She waved her mother out of her room and followed her, then waited until her mother was safely in her room to knock on Tom's door and let herself in.
"He doesn't want to come." Sam informed Chris a minute later, sticking her head in her mother's room.
Chris came out of her walk-in closet holding three bathing suits "Which one?" She asked.
"Oh now Miss quick call wants my opinion!" Sam laughed. Then pointed to the two piece, "That one definitely."
"Done. Why didn't he want to come? He seems so down lately..." Chris said.
"He just needs to sort this out for himself, you can't protect us from everything mom." Sam assured her with a guilty heart.
"I wish I could. If you two would just stop growing up..."
"What, feeling old?"
"Me? Old? Don't make me laugh!" Chris said and fake laughed.
~
"Hey."
"Hey Cassie." He awkwardly hugged her, not knowing what the procedure was when you last saw your girlfriend, if she even was his girlfriend, while being kicked out of the room by her father.
"I missed you." She smiled shyly.
"I missed you too, a lot." He answered, and smiled back.
"I uhm... never got your phone number."
"I think I can explain why... I have something to tell you, but you must swear never to tell this to anyone, not even if we break up."
"I shan't breath a word." She said, feeling quite poetic upon the sight of her boyfriend.
"I'm serious."
"So am I, I won't tell."
"Alright." He took her hand and led her to an empty bench where they both sat down. "Well, it's a rather complicated story... When Sam and I were five years old..." And he continued to tell the whole story.
"Oh my god! I never would have guessed. It must be so hard for you all!"
"Sometimes, like when I met you." He said.
"Well, I guess I know why your mom is so protective of you. Did she allow you to tell me?"
"No, she doesn't know I'm here. She thinks I'm in my room brooding."
"And Sam?"
"Is covering for me."
"Oh my... I mean this is true isn't it? You're not pulling my leg or anything."
"I swear it's true. I wish it wasn't."
"But then you'd never have met Chris, or me in all probability."
"I'd never have lost my parents, I wouldn't need Chris to be my mother. I never would've known her so wouldn't be able to miss her. Who knows, she might have been your mother."
"That's a bit harsh, isn't it?" Cassie frowned
"Oh don't get me wrong, I do love her as if she was my own mother but still I'd rather have had a normal life with my own parents." Tom tried to explain.
"Then by now you probably would have been in the mafia."
"My parents were killed because they wanted to get out." He explained.
"That's what you have been told as a five year old." Cassie commented.
Tom was silent for a minute. "I guess... But Cassie, I want to see you more often, I can't give you the number to my phone, the numbers are saved, I just found out how to change the numbers of out-going calls..."
"I want to see you too. Just be careful, let at least Sam know where you're going, I don't want to be the cause of your death."
"Of course I'll be careful." He said, then leaned in to kiss her, a kiss she was happy to answer.
~
"And what were you doing out so late?" Michelle put her book down and looked sternly at Cassie.
"Nothing." Cassie said defensively.
"You have a hickey on your neck." Cassie blushed and tried to pull up her shirt a bit.
"Don't worry, there is no hickey." Michelle then said "It was that boy from the hotel wasn't it?"
"No, I just met this guy on the beach." Cassie shrugged. "Why do you care anyway?"
"Because if your father finds out you are still seeing that boy he will not be happy. And whatever else you may think of me all I want is for your father to be happy."
"You won't tell him will you?" Cassie asked, more concerned with her own happiness at the moment.
"No, but you will have to be more careful, make up better excuses, fix your make-up before coming in. I could help you."
"Are you going to?"
"Truce?" Michelle suggested.
"Truce." Cassie nodded and shook her father's partner's hand.
"So tell me everything." Michelle smiled and to Cassie's own surprise she did and had a good time doing it too. She was beginning to warm up to Michelle.
~
"I am not covering for you anymore, I won't lie to mom." Sam said coming into his room.
"How did you know I was back?" He asked.
"I saw you climb up the terrace, and I bet half of the security camera's did as well."
"Don't worry, I have it covered." He said. "I brought a book with me and that shows on the camera's as well, if anyone wants to know where I was going I just needed some air and went for a walk on the grounds, then stopped half way to read a bit."
"Then why didn't you just use the front door?" Sam asked.
"Why should I if I have my own way out?"
"Whatever, just from now on I am not going to lie for you anymore."
"Alright, I won't ask then... Just don't tell on me."
"Are you going again?"
"Yes."
"Well don't let me know when." Sam said, sulking.
"I have to, I promised Cassie that I'd always tell at least you where I was going."
"Smart girl, just leave a note in the pocket of the second jacket on the right in your closet and if you aren't back before mom starts to get worried I will get it."
"Deal. I owe you one."
"You owe me about a million." Sam unhappily said.
"If there is ever anything I can do for you just give a shout." Tom grinned.
"Believe me, I will."
"This intercom is so cool!" Chris voice came over the intercom "Now I don't have to holler that dinner's ready!"
"And why is she so happy?" Tom asked his sister.
"Beats me." Sam shrugged, then went over to the intercom "We're coming... If we can still find the way back."
"Hurry up, I'm hungry!" Chris answered.
~
"What's this?" Tom asked looking at the greyish blubber on his plate, adorned with some stripes of green veggies.
"No idea, the chef explained it all before you arrived... It's something with a French name, that is supposed to be a delicacy." Chris shrugged, poking at the grey slobber to see if it was still alive.
"Snails are supposed to be a delicacy." Sam said.
"Brain and tongue are too." Tom added.
Chris looked a bit disgusted, but stabbed her fork into the mass and lifted it. A piece of greyness came with it. She looked like she was daring herself to eat it, brought it a little closer but then threw her fork back down.
"Who's up for pizza?" She asked, a bit guiltily. She was supposed to raise these kids properly, have them eat what was for dinner and all that stuff. But really, grey slobber with a French name?
Tom grinned, Sam sighed in relief. "I do." They said simultaneously and rather chipper, then looked at each other, some annoyance evident.
"Who'd a thought?" Chris dryly answered.
~
TC absently poked in his vegetable pie. Michelle and Cassie were chatting amiably, really bonding it seemed. Which didn't really fit his agenda.
"TC, aren't you hungry?" Michelle asked, a bit concerned.
"What?" He asked, only looking up because he heard his name.
"You haven't eaten anything." Michelle pointed out.
"Oh..." He said, looking down at his now messed up pie. "If you'll excuse me..." He said, and rushed away from the dinner table. Michelle and Cassie shared a surprised look, then Cassie moved to stand up and go after her father.
"No, I'll do it." Michelle said, standing up a bit quicker then absolutely necessary "You just finish your meal."
~
He stood in his study, his arms crossed, looking out the window, leaning against the frame. Michelle silently approached him and put a, what she thought to be comforting hand on his shoulder. His muscles were tense.
"Want to talk about it?" She asked, trying to keep her voice light.
How could he tell her? That sometimes it just pained him to see what the world was coming to. Every youth in his district seemed to have spent some time in jail. If not that, they at least have fake ID's, smoke, drink, do drugs and whatnot. And then the adults, thinking up great schemes on how to cheat the law in the most brilliant and awful ways. There was just too much wrong with the world. He couldn't stand the thought that Cassie lived among all that impurity. How could he possible explain to her that Cassie was too good for this world? That she was an angel, not meant to like lower beings like Michelle.
He hated himself for thinking so. He didn't think Michelle too low for himself, he actually used to like her. But not Cassie, she should be surrounded by only the finest. That didn't mean he thought he was the best the human race had to offer, far from it, he viewed himself more as her protector. Entrusted with the important job of shielding this little girl from the evils of the world. And he really didn't want his precious girl ending up like Michelle.
"No." He answered, poker face on. He shrugged her hand off.
"But you know I'll be there for you when you do want to talk right?" She persisted.
"Don't mind me." TC turned, smiling a bit sadly "Just a melancholy attack. I hear they come more often when a man reaches my age." He put his arm around her shoulder and went back to the dinner table.
"You okay daddy?" Cassie asked, a bit concerned.
"I am, sorry to run out on you like this." He apologized.
"Don't worry, I'd run away from this pie too... Where did you buy it anyway?" She said, wishing they had a dog to sneak the food to.
"I made it myself actually." Michelle informed her.
"Oh uhm... It's lovely?" Cassie tried to take back the blatant insult she had unwittingly bestowed upon Michelle.
~
Cassie grabbed her phone the minute it started ringing. "Hello?" she immediately said, a rush running through her, anticipating who it was on the other side.
"Hey beautiful." Tom answered, smiling into the phone.
"Hey Sarah, what's up?" Cassie said, to fool her father, then took the phone back to her room to have a bit more privacy. TC would have caught it under normal circumstances but he was distracted by Michelle. Who really was invading his personal space at the moment. He really felt like just shoving her out of his house and telling her never to come back but he knew he wouldn't. He wasn't that insensitive a man.
"TC?" Michelle poked him.
"What?" He grumpily answered, moving away from her a bit on the couch.
"I asked you a question! What's with you today?" Michelle snapped.
"Nothing, I am just a bit tired, alright?" TC avoided her question.
"Well, don't take it out on me. I am only trying to help you!"
"Well don't!" He snapped at her.
"You know what, I am sick of being treated this way. Call me when you have come to your senses." Michelle said, grabbing her purse and moving away from him quickly. He made no move to stop her.
~
"I missed you." Tom said, wishing he had come up with a better line to start the conversation with.
"I missed you too; we HAVE to meet again, soon." Cassie answered, letting herself fall on the bed, grabbing her old teddy bear for cuddle material. Wishing for the real thing.
"I know, I am doing my very best to find a better escape route." Tom sighed.
"You're not the only one, it's like every cop in town knows who I am! Look, sometimes I go up to my mom, my dad knows that, we could meet there."
"Uhm... Isn't your mother dead?" Tom hesitantly asked.
"Well yeah, I meant her grave. It is near the bus stop where we met today. It is very secluded so there is little chance of anyone seeing us. And well... There's a motel near there." She giggled, not believing how forward she was being.
"But at a graveyard... isn't that a bit weird?" He asked, the whole motel thing appealing to him much more.
"It is beautiful, this green slope overlooking the ocean. You really need to see it."
"OK, so pick me up from the bus stop the day after tomorrow. I think I'll be able to sneak out effectively." He agreed.
Cassie smiled into the phone "Great! I can't wait to see you!" She practically squealed.
"Me either." To her Tom sounded as charming as that French dude with the nose, but more handsome of course.
"Hell, I've got to go, dad's coming." She rushed to say, then turned off the phone and pretended to be really interested in her teddy bear, checking for lint and all that.
"Cassie, honey, you decent?" TC asked, knocking on her door.
"It's eight PM, of course I am decent, what you think, I suddenly had an urge to run around naked?" Cassie said, teasing her dad a bit.
"Wouldn't be the first time, I distinctly remember an instant when a kindergarten teacher called me, in a panic because you had taken all your clothes off and refused to put them back on." TC grinned, sitting down on her bed beside her.
"I was 4 dad! And still embarrassed about it! So stop teasing." She chuckled "What are you doing here anyway?"
"I was just wondering if you were alright. You know go all paternal on you." He shrugged.
"Yes daddy, I am alright. Question is, are you? As far as I know you don't run out on dinner without a really good reason." Cassie stated.
TC sighed, wishing women wouldn't ask so many questions.
"You are getting tired of her, aren't you?" Cassie asked. Knowing her father pretty well.
"Would I be a horrible person if I said yes?" He asked.
"Yes, but I love you anyway." She kissed his cheek for effect.
"Don't you ever fall in love with a guy like me. You deserve so much better. So does Michelle for that matter." He sighed, finding the world not very fair at the moment, even though he was the one about to break someone's heart, not get his own broken.
"You are a good enough man, daddy. You are just a bit lost when it comes to women. But don't worry, the moment I meet the one girl that's perfect for you, I'll send her your way." Cassie chuckled.
"Please, no more girls! They have a tendency to be a bit brain-dead." TC let himself drop backwards on her bed, feeling heartily sorry for himself.
"OK, that is totally prejudiced. I am 16 and in no way brain-dead. It is just the type of girl you pick. But OK, someone your age then, who has a brain. That shouldn't be too hard. Any other requests?"
"You aren't going to call a dating service are you?" He asked, warily.
"No daddy, when I find the perfect woman I want to be able to take full credit. So what else do you look for in a woman?"
"Strength of character; You know, she has to be able to hold her own. But not too much, she shouldn't mind my being a bit protective. She has to have a good sense of humour. When we're at one of those boring dinner's thrown by someone high and mighty, I want her to get and make funny comments between the two of us, so that we're sitting there like two giggling idiots." TC closed his eyes and started picturing her.
"Let me just get my notebook." Cassie said. Quickly scribbling down everything he had said so far, then from her new spot at her desk turned back to him. "What else?"
"She should know how to cook, that pie tonight belongs in the toxic waste!" He muttered.
"I know! I thought you were going to be sick when you rushed away from dinner. Just when we didn't hear you vomiting..."
"Yeah, I get the picture, thank you. Anyway, she should like you. Maybe have a grown kid that has long since moved away herself." TC continued.
"Daddy! You are being totally selfish, if she has to like me, you have to like the other kid."
"And I'll like it even better if it's far away." He chuckled.
"You are not taking this seriously!" She protested.
"Should I? It would look bad if I had my 16 year old daughter get me a date! Everyone would assume I couldn't do it myself!"
"You are such an ass! You worry more about your reputation than any other man I know!"
"And yet you love me." He grinned at her.
"Yeah yeah, just continue with the list will you. And seriously this time!" She threateningly pointed her pen at him.
"Right, serious. She has to be sweet, know when to just back off and let me be and when to be there. She has to have a bit of a caring streak, and surprise me sometimes. Then there are the little things. I can't stand a woman that tugs her hair all the time. She has to have a nice laugh and smile, if she sounds like a horse I am out of there. She has to look nice too." He said, then looked over at his daughter who was scribbling furiously.
"You got all that?" He asked.
"One sec." she said and wrote on. "Right, now I have it. Describe, nice looking, which by the way is totally chauvinistic of you."
"Well, I prefer blonds but it's more about the eyes, if her eyes are really beautiful, and smile when she smiles then I am happy. Oh and she has to be tall, I'll get a hernia if I have to bow down three feet just to kiss her. And well... There should be something else to her, a sparkle, something just makes you admire her."
"Dad, you are so shallow." Cassie summarized when reading the notes.
"I thought the sparkle thing was very deep really." TC disagreed.
"Yeah well date Tinkerbell."
"I would, but goes against one of the other items on that list. She isn't very tall now is she?"
"One thing though." Cassie remembered.
"What?" TC asked.
"Dump Michelle first, and do it nicely, I don't want her creeping about at night with all kinds of vengeance in mind."
"Yes mom." TC smirked, standing up from the bed and walking over to her. He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "love you baby girl." He muttered, then left.
"Yeah yeah... I mean it! Dump first!" Cassie called after him. Then chuckling turned back to the notes. Her father really was a selfish man. And looking for the impossible, how would a woman with strength of character react if she heard all the things TC had just said about women?
~
OK next up: TC tries to dump Michelle, Cassie and Tom continue seeing each other and the summer is over, back to school for the kiddies.
PS French dude with nose obviously is Cyrano de Bergerac.
Sam paced up and down her room, it was 9:30 already, mom would start suspecting things if Tom didn't hurry back. She jumped when Chris entered her room.
"Woah, calm down it's just me." Chris smiled.
"I'm just feeling a bit antsy." Sam waved it off.
"Feeling like taking a swim in our indoor swimming pool?" Chris asked, having decided that as long as she was living in the lap of luxury she might as well enjoy it. The swimming pool by the way started inside but ended outside.
"Yeah sure." Sam said, in the hopes this would distract her and her mother enough so neither would think of Tom.
"OK, I'll ask Tom." Chris said, getting a weird vibe from her too nervous daughter.
"No! No, I'll do it, you just start choosing a suit to wear, I do want to start swimming today."
"Like I can't choose quickly! I happen to do that for a living! People's lives are at stake when I make quick judgement calls." Chris huffed, making a mental note to find out what was going on with Sam.
"Yeah whatever, just shoo, start dressing." She waved her mother out of her room and followed her, then waited until her mother was safely in her room to knock on Tom's door and let herself in.
"He doesn't want to come." Sam informed Chris a minute later, sticking her head in her mother's room.
Chris came out of her walk-in closet holding three bathing suits "Which one?" She asked.
"Oh now Miss quick call wants my opinion!" Sam laughed. Then pointed to the two piece, "That one definitely."
"Done. Why didn't he want to come? He seems so down lately..." Chris said.
"He just needs to sort this out for himself, you can't protect us from everything mom." Sam assured her with a guilty heart.
"I wish I could. If you two would just stop growing up..."
"What, feeling old?"
"Me? Old? Don't make me laugh!" Chris said and fake laughed.
~
"Hey."
"Hey Cassie." He awkwardly hugged her, not knowing what the procedure was when you last saw your girlfriend, if she even was his girlfriend, while being kicked out of the room by her father.
"I missed you." She smiled shyly.
"I missed you too, a lot." He answered, and smiled back.
"I uhm... never got your phone number."
"I think I can explain why... I have something to tell you, but you must swear never to tell this to anyone, not even if we break up."
"I shan't breath a word." She said, feeling quite poetic upon the sight of her boyfriend.
"I'm serious."
"So am I, I won't tell."
"Alright." He took her hand and led her to an empty bench where they both sat down. "Well, it's a rather complicated story... When Sam and I were five years old..." And he continued to tell the whole story.
"Oh my god! I never would have guessed. It must be so hard for you all!"
"Sometimes, like when I met you." He said.
"Well, I guess I know why your mom is so protective of you. Did she allow you to tell me?"
"No, she doesn't know I'm here. She thinks I'm in my room brooding."
"And Sam?"
"Is covering for me."
"Oh my... I mean this is true isn't it? You're not pulling my leg or anything."
"I swear it's true. I wish it wasn't."
"But then you'd never have met Chris, or me in all probability."
"I'd never have lost my parents, I wouldn't need Chris to be my mother. I never would've known her so wouldn't be able to miss her. Who knows, she might have been your mother."
"That's a bit harsh, isn't it?" Cassie frowned
"Oh don't get me wrong, I do love her as if she was my own mother but still I'd rather have had a normal life with my own parents." Tom tried to explain.
"Then by now you probably would have been in the mafia."
"My parents were killed because they wanted to get out." He explained.
"That's what you have been told as a five year old." Cassie commented.
Tom was silent for a minute. "I guess... But Cassie, I want to see you more often, I can't give you the number to my phone, the numbers are saved, I just found out how to change the numbers of out-going calls..."
"I want to see you too. Just be careful, let at least Sam know where you're going, I don't want to be the cause of your death."
"Of course I'll be careful." He said, then leaned in to kiss her, a kiss she was happy to answer.
~
"And what were you doing out so late?" Michelle put her book down and looked sternly at Cassie.
"Nothing." Cassie said defensively.
"You have a hickey on your neck." Cassie blushed and tried to pull up her shirt a bit.
"Don't worry, there is no hickey." Michelle then said "It was that boy from the hotel wasn't it?"
"No, I just met this guy on the beach." Cassie shrugged. "Why do you care anyway?"
"Because if your father finds out you are still seeing that boy he will not be happy. And whatever else you may think of me all I want is for your father to be happy."
"You won't tell him will you?" Cassie asked, more concerned with her own happiness at the moment.
"No, but you will have to be more careful, make up better excuses, fix your make-up before coming in. I could help you."
"Are you going to?"
"Truce?" Michelle suggested.
"Truce." Cassie nodded and shook her father's partner's hand.
"So tell me everything." Michelle smiled and to Cassie's own surprise she did and had a good time doing it too. She was beginning to warm up to Michelle.
~
"I am not covering for you anymore, I won't lie to mom." Sam said coming into his room.
"How did you know I was back?" He asked.
"I saw you climb up the terrace, and I bet half of the security camera's did as well."
"Don't worry, I have it covered." He said. "I brought a book with me and that shows on the camera's as well, if anyone wants to know where I was going I just needed some air and went for a walk on the grounds, then stopped half way to read a bit."
"Then why didn't you just use the front door?" Sam asked.
"Why should I if I have my own way out?"
"Whatever, just from now on I am not going to lie for you anymore."
"Alright, I won't ask then... Just don't tell on me."
"Are you going again?"
"Yes."
"Well don't let me know when." Sam said, sulking.
"I have to, I promised Cassie that I'd always tell at least you where I was going."
"Smart girl, just leave a note in the pocket of the second jacket on the right in your closet and if you aren't back before mom starts to get worried I will get it."
"Deal. I owe you one."
"You owe me about a million." Sam unhappily said.
"If there is ever anything I can do for you just give a shout." Tom grinned.
"Believe me, I will."
"This intercom is so cool!" Chris voice came over the intercom "Now I don't have to holler that dinner's ready!"
"And why is she so happy?" Tom asked his sister.
"Beats me." Sam shrugged, then went over to the intercom "We're coming... If we can still find the way back."
"Hurry up, I'm hungry!" Chris answered.
~
"What's this?" Tom asked looking at the greyish blubber on his plate, adorned with some stripes of green veggies.
"No idea, the chef explained it all before you arrived... It's something with a French name, that is supposed to be a delicacy." Chris shrugged, poking at the grey slobber to see if it was still alive.
"Snails are supposed to be a delicacy." Sam said.
"Brain and tongue are too." Tom added.
Chris looked a bit disgusted, but stabbed her fork into the mass and lifted it. A piece of greyness came with it. She looked like she was daring herself to eat it, brought it a little closer but then threw her fork back down.
"Who's up for pizza?" She asked, a bit guiltily. She was supposed to raise these kids properly, have them eat what was for dinner and all that stuff. But really, grey slobber with a French name?
Tom grinned, Sam sighed in relief. "I do." They said simultaneously and rather chipper, then looked at each other, some annoyance evident.
"Who'd a thought?" Chris dryly answered.
~
TC absently poked in his vegetable pie. Michelle and Cassie were chatting amiably, really bonding it seemed. Which didn't really fit his agenda.
"TC, aren't you hungry?" Michelle asked, a bit concerned.
"What?" He asked, only looking up because he heard his name.
"You haven't eaten anything." Michelle pointed out.
"Oh..." He said, looking down at his now messed up pie. "If you'll excuse me..." He said, and rushed away from the dinner table. Michelle and Cassie shared a surprised look, then Cassie moved to stand up and go after her father.
"No, I'll do it." Michelle said, standing up a bit quicker then absolutely necessary "You just finish your meal."
~
He stood in his study, his arms crossed, looking out the window, leaning against the frame. Michelle silently approached him and put a, what she thought to be comforting hand on his shoulder. His muscles were tense.
"Want to talk about it?" She asked, trying to keep her voice light.
How could he tell her? That sometimes it just pained him to see what the world was coming to. Every youth in his district seemed to have spent some time in jail. If not that, they at least have fake ID's, smoke, drink, do drugs and whatnot. And then the adults, thinking up great schemes on how to cheat the law in the most brilliant and awful ways. There was just too much wrong with the world. He couldn't stand the thought that Cassie lived among all that impurity. How could he possible explain to her that Cassie was too good for this world? That she was an angel, not meant to like lower beings like Michelle.
He hated himself for thinking so. He didn't think Michelle too low for himself, he actually used to like her. But not Cassie, she should be surrounded by only the finest. That didn't mean he thought he was the best the human race had to offer, far from it, he viewed himself more as her protector. Entrusted with the important job of shielding this little girl from the evils of the world. And he really didn't want his precious girl ending up like Michelle.
"No." He answered, poker face on. He shrugged her hand off.
"But you know I'll be there for you when you do want to talk right?" She persisted.
"Don't mind me." TC turned, smiling a bit sadly "Just a melancholy attack. I hear they come more often when a man reaches my age." He put his arm around her shoulder and went back to the dinner table.
"You okay daddy?" Cassie asked, a bit concerned.
"I am, sorry to run out on you like this." He apologized.
"Don't worry, I'd run away from this pie too... Where did you buy it anyway?" She said, wishing they had a dog to sneak the food to.
"I made it myself actually." Michelle informed her.
"Oh uhm... It's lovely?" Cassie tried to take back the blatant insult she had unwittingly bestowed upon Michelle.
~
Cassie grabbed her phone the minute it started ringing. "Hello?" she immediately said, a rush running through her, anticipating who it was on the other side.
"Hey beautiful." Tom answered, smiling into the phone.
"Hey Sarah, what's up?" Cassie said, to fool her father, then took the phone back to her room to have a bit more privacy. TC would have caught it under normal circumstances but he was distracted by Michelle. Who really was invading his personal space at the moment. He really felt like just shoving her out of his house and telling her never to come back but he knew he wouldn't. He wasn't that insensitive a man.
"TC?" Michelle poked him.
"What?" He grumpily answered, moving away from her a bit on the couch.
"I asked you a question! What's with you today?" Michelle snapped.
"Nothing, I am just a bit tired, alright?" TC avoided her question.
"Well, don't take it out on me. I am only trying to help you!"
"Well don't!" He snapped at her.
"You know what, I am sick of being treated this way. Call me when you have come to your senses." Michelle said, grabbing her purse and moving away from him quickly. He made no move to stop her.
~
"I missed you." Tom said, wishing he had come up with a better line to start the conversation with.
"I missed you too; we HAVE to meet again, soon." Cassie answered, letting herself fall on the bed, grabbing her old teddy bear for cuddle material. Wishing for the real thing.
"I know, I am doing my very best to find a better escape route." Tom sighed.
"You're not the only one, it's like every cop in town knows who I am! Look, sometimes I go up to my mom, my dad knows that, we could meet there."
"Uhm... Isn't your mother dead?" Tom hesitantly asked.
"Well yeah, I meant her grave. It is near the bus stop where we met today. It is very secluded so there is little chance of anyone seeing us. And well... There's a motel near there." She giggled, not believing how forward she was being.
"But at a graveyard... isn't that a bit weird?" He asked, the whole motel thing appealing to him much more.
"It is beautiful, this green slope overlooking the ocean. You really need to see it."
"OK, so pick me up from the bus stop the day after tomorrow. I think I'll be able to sneak out effectively." He agreed.
Cassie smiled into the phone "Great! I can't wait to see you!" She practically squealed.
"Me either." To her Tom sounded as charming as that French dude with the nose, but more handsome of course.
"Hell, I've got to go, dad's coming." She rushed to say, then turned off the phone and pretended to be really interested in her teddy bear, checking for lint and all that.
"Cassie, honey, you decent?" TC asked, knocking on her door.
"It's eight PM, of course I am decent, what you think, I suddenly had an urge to run around naked?" Cassie said, teasing her dad a bit.
"Wouldn't be the first time, I distinctly remember an instant when a kindergarten teacher called me, in a panic because you had taken all your clothes off and refused to put them back on." TC grinned, sitting down on her bed beside her.
"I was 4 dad! And still embarrassed about it! So stop teasing." She chuckled "What are you doing here anyway?"
"I was just wondering if you were alright. You know go all paternal on you." He shrugged.
"Yes daddy, I am alright. Question is, are you? As far as I know you don't run out on dinner without a really good reason." Cassie stated.
TC sighed, wishing women wouldn't ask so many questions.
"You are getting tired of her, aren't you?" Cassie asked. Knowing her father pretty well.
"Would I be a horrible person if I said yes?" He asked.
"Yes, but I love you anyway." She kissed his cheek for effect.
"Don't you ever fall in love with a guy like me. You deserve so much better. So does Michelle for that matter." He sighed, finding the world not very fair at the moment, even though he was the one about to break someone's heart, not get his own broken.
"You are a good enough man, daddy. You are just a bit lost when it comes to women. But don't worry, the moment I meet the one girl that's perfect for you, I'll send her your way." Cassie chuckled.
"Please, no more girls! They have a tendency to be a bit brain-dead." TC let himself drop backwards on her bed, feeling heartily sorry for himself.
"OK, that is totally prejudiced. I am 16 and in no way brain-dead. It is just the type of girl you pick. But OK, someone your age then, who has a brain. That shouldn't be too hard. Any other requests?"
"You aren't going to call a dating service are you?" He asked, warily.
"No daddy, when I find the perfect woman I want to be able to take full credit. So what else do you look for in a woman?"
"Strength of character; You know, she has to be able to hold her own. But not too much, she shouldn't mind my being a bit protective. She has to have a good sense of humour. When we're at one of those boring dinner's thrown by someone high and mighty, I want her to get and make funny comments between the two of us, so that we're sitting there like two giggling idiots." TC closed his eyes and started picturing her.
"Let me just get my notebook." Cassie said. Quickly scribbling down everything he had said so far, then from her new spot at her desk turned back to him. "What else?"
"She should know how to cook, that pie tonight belongs in the toxic waste!" He muttered.
"I know! I thought you were going to be sick when you rushed away from dinner. Just when we didn't hear you vomiting..."
"Yeah, I get the picture, thank you. Anyway, she should like you. Maybe have a grown kid that has long since moved away herself." TC continued.
"Daddy! You are being totally selfish, if she has to like me, you have to like the other kid."
"And I'll like it even better if it's far away." He chuckled.
"You are not taking this seriously!" She protested.
"Should I? It would look bad if I had my 16 year old daughter get me a date! Everyone would assume I couldn't do it myself!"
"You are such an ass! You worry more about your reputation than any other man I know!"
"And yet you love me." He grinned at her.
"Yeah yeah, just continue with the list will you. And seriously this time!" She threateningly pointed her pen at him.
"Right, serious. She has to be sweet, know when to just back off and let me be and when to be there. She has to have a bit of a caring streak, and surprise me sometimes. Then there are the little things. I can't stand a woman that tugs her hair all the time. She has to have a nice laugh and smile, if she sounds like a horse I am out of there. She has to look nice too." He said, then looked over at his daughter who was scribbling furiously.
"You got all that?" He asked.
"One sec." she said and wrote on. "Right, now I have it. Describe, nice looking, which by the way is totally chauvinistic of you."
"Well, I prefer blonds but it's more about the eyes, if her eyes are really beautiful, and smile when she smiles then I am happy. Oh and she has to be tall, I'll get a hernia if I have to bow down three feet just to kiss her. And well... There should be something else to her, a sparkle, something just makes you admire her."
"Dad, you are so shallow." Cassie summarized when reading the notes.
"I thought the sparkle thing was very deep really." TC disagreed.
"Yeah well date Tinkerbell."
"I would, but goes against one of the other items on that list. She isn't very tall now is she?"
"One thing though." Cassie remembered.
"What?" TC asked.
"Dump Michelle first, and do it nicely, I don't want her creeping about at night with all kinds of vengeance in mind."
"Yes mom." TC smirked, standing up from the bed and walking over to her. He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "love you baby girl." He muttered, then left.
"Yeah yeah... I mean it! Dump first!" Cassie called after him. Then chuckling turned back to the notes. Her father really was a selfish man. And looking for the impossible, how would a woman with strength of character react if she heard all the things TC had just said about women?
~
OK next up: TC tries to dump Michelle, Cassie and Tom continue seeing each other and the summer is over, back to school for the kiddies.
PS French dude with nose obviously is Cyrano de Bergerac.
