Author's Note: It has been a while since I updated this. This will likely be the last PG chapter in a while.
Nothing looked good enough.
Casey had changed her outfit for the twentieth time. Everything was either too big, too small, a little too loose, a little too tight, not sexy enough or way too appealing.
Casey berated herself for not asking Bombay about their dinner reservation. She had thought the element of surprise would be romantic, but now she was left with trying to figure out what to wear.
She had sent Charlie to the Banks' household earlier that day, but her mother, who had a habit of dropping in unannounced, decided to do so at the worst possible time.
"Wear the red one," Casey heard her mother call from the kitchen.
Casey stood before the mirror, examining her reflection. She smoothed the fabric of her red dress and adjusted the strap of her black heels. The dress was form-fitting and exposed a little more cleavage than she was comfortable with.
Satisfied with her choice of dress, Casey applied the final touches to her makeup. Then, she heard her mother's voice drifting up the stairs.
"Casey, dear, come down here for a minute. Let me take a look at you before Gordon gets here."
With a sigh, Casey descended the stairs to the kitchen, where her mother sat on the couch with a glass of wine. She looked up, her eyes full with excitement.
"You look stunning, Case," She said, setting her wine down and standing up to inspect her daughter more closely. "That dress shows off your figure nicely. Gordon won't be able to take his eyes off you."
"Thanks, Mom," Casey replied, ignoring her mother's comment.
Her eyes sparkled. "Now, remember what I told you. You gotta talk Gordon out of this minor-league nonsense before he goes ahead and does something stupid and sign with one of those teams."
Casey fidgeted with her hands uncomfortably. "Mom, that's not why I'm going out with Godon. He's a good man. He's handsome, too. And he's good with Charlie.
She waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, don't be so naive. It's a tough world out there. If you're so concerned about Charlie, you'll want to be with someone who can provide for the two of you. That way, you don't have to work at that god-forsaken place you call Mickeys. A girl like you shouldn't have to work backshift to support your family. Not with your looks."
Before Casey could respond, there was a knock at the door. Peering through the peephole, she saw him holding a small bouquet of flowers. As expected, Bombay was right on time.
"What are you waiting for?" she asked. "Let the man in."
Casey rolls her eyes at her mother's comment before opening the door. As the door swung open, Bombay stood there, mouth agape, unable to speak. Casey Conway was gorgeous.
Casey, unsure of what to say, took the flowers in Bombay's outstretched hand. "They're beautiful. Thank you."
Remembering the last time she met Bombay, Casey seized this opportunity to send her mother away before she could say anything inappropriate. "Would you be able to find a vase for these?"
Her mother took the flowers and disappeared to find a vase, leaving Casey and Bombay alone, if only briefly.
Bombay relaxed a little. "Where's Charlie?"
"At the Banks'. I dropped him off a little early," Casey explained.
Casey was about to go in for a kiss when her mother returned. "I can't find a vase anywhere," she complained.
"Did you check in the closet?" Casey said, wanting to leave.
"I'm sure I'll find it. Anyway, you kids, go have fun. It's not every day that Casey lands a catch like you, Mr. Bombay. I imagine you're looking forward to getting back to being a lawyer? Now that you're done with all this coaching nonsense," she said to Bombay. "Now, doesn't my daughter look lovely tonight?"
Bombay nodded. "That she does."
Casey blushed at Bombay's comment. "We need to go. We don't want to be late."
As Casey went to leave, her mother pulled her to the side and whispered in her ear, "Remember, Case, a man like this can give you and Charlie an easy life. Don't waste this opportunity!"
Casey glared at her mother before closing the door behind her. Casey had always made it work with just the two of them—she and Charlie were a team. As much as she appreciated her mother's concern about making sure that she and Charlie would be looked after, she couldn't agree with her outdated and shallow views on relationships.
Casey wanted to believe in love, in finding someone who cherished her for who she was, not for how she looked or what she could offer sexually.
Once in the Bombay's van, she leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. Gordon smiled at her with a warm smile that made her heart flutter.
"I'm sorry about that," Casey apologized as they drove to a cozy Italian restaurant. She was starting to feel comfortable with Gordon and enjoyed his company. He was funny, intelligent, and kind—everything Casey had hoped for.
"Sorry for what?" Gordon said absentmindedly.
"My mother," Casey responded. "She can be a little..."
Casey paused while she searched for the right word.
"Intense?" Bombay suggested.
"Yeah," Casey sighed. "That."
"She's just looking out for you," Gordon reasoned.
" I bet," Casey said glumly. "I bet your parents are the same. "
Bombay exhaled deeply as he pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine. "I don't know about that," he admitted. "I'd like to think they'd like you a lot."
That comment intrigued Casey. "Like'd to think?"
Bombay closed his eyes. "My Dad died when I was Charlie's age."
Casey went quiet. "I'm sorry," she mumbled.
"Let's get going," Gordon said, avoiding the conversation. "We don't want to be late."
Over dinner, their conversation flowed effortlessly. Casey found herself laughing more than she had in weeks. Gordon shared stories about his work as a lawyer.
As they finished their meal, Gordon reached across the table, taking Casey's hand. He knew that although they had talked around it, it was only fair to Casey that she knew that he had already signed with the Waves.
"I've really enjoyed tonight. You're incredible, Casey."
Casey smiled, her earlier nervousness melting away. "I've had a wonderful time, too, Gordon."
"I have something to talk to you about," Bombay said, turning serious.
Casey frowned. "What is it?"
Gordon took a deep breath. "Case, I got the offer to try out with the Minnehaha Waves and decided to go for it. I signed the contract a few days ago."
Casey was upset. "Gordon, what are we doing?"
Bombay was dumbfounded. "We're having a nice dinner. Or at least I thought we were."
Casey was exasperated. " I thought you wanted a relationship. "
"I do," Gordon insisted.
"I know we're just starting, but you can't just start a long-distance relationship from the get-go. That's not how things work," Casey said.
It was Bombay's time to frown. "I remember mentioning it to you."
"There's a difference between mentioning it and then going out and signing a contract," Casey said.
"Is this about your mother?" Bombay asked.
Casey snorted. "No. This is about us. You know why I can't start anything casual with you."
"Charlie ."
"Yes, Charlie," Casey said.
Bombay didn't say anything for a minute. He pondered on what to say. "I'm sorry about not including you in his decision, but it's what I want—what I've dreamed of. And if you are concerned about the money, once I make it to the NHL, I'll be able to give you and Charlie a great life."
"Despite what my mother says, this has never been about the money, " Casey said, exasperated. "This is about me and you. And you making decisions that affect both of us because we even start."
Bombay squeezed her hand. " I want this, Casey. I've wanted it my whole life. It's all I've ever dreamed of. But I want us to work, too. I know it means long distance, and that's going to be hard. But I believe we can make it work if we try."
Casey looked down at their hands intertwined. "Gordon, I don't want to be the reason you are unable to follow your dream. But this is going to be tough. We barely know each other, and you're asking us to be long-distance."
"I know," Gordon said. "But I promise you, I'll do whatever it takes to make it work. We can talk every day and see each other as much as possible. It's big, but it doesn't have to mean the end of us."
She looked up at him, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Okay, Gordon. Let's give it a shot. But you have to promise me one thing."
"Anything," Bombay said earnestly.
"Regardless of whatever is going on in our lives, no matter how busy we get, we'll keep talking and keep being honest with each other. No more secrets, okay?"
"I promise."
When they had finished, Casey felt calm and happy. Glancing over at Gordon, she felt hopeful about the future.
Her mother's words echoed faintly in her mind, but she pushed them aside. She would navigate her own path. And as she held Gordon's hand, she felt confident that anything was possible.
"One thing," Casey said as they drove off. " When are we going to tell Charlie?"