He smiled and took her shoulders, wishing life were that simple. Leaning down, he placed a soft kiss on her lips. “You are incredible.”
She smiled up at him, and he knew that smile would help him get through the next two days.
A few hours later, he parked at Crystal Shores and sat out in his car, looking at the place. It was huge, and it was home. He couldn’t remember a time in his life when he hadn’t thought of the large white building with all its shiny windows as such.
He leaned back in his seat and frowned. Why couldn’t he feel the same way about this place as Cassey felt about her place? He closed his eyes and wondered what would make him feel that much desire in his life. So far, only an image of Cassey’s face as she smiled up at him came to mind.
He shook his head clear. Was he was beginning to care too much for her? He’d researched her for three months before meeting her face-to-face, so he felt like he’d known her for longer than a few days.
And sex had a way of filling those little gaps in relationships as well. For whatever reason, when he looked into her eyes, he felt like he wanted to be with her longer.
Riding the elevator to the top floor, where his father’s office sat on the east side of the tower, he imagined walking into the large room and telling his father he quit. Maybe his father would accept it, hug him, and wish him the best in life. He knew that was never going to happen, so when he walked into his father’s office after waiting three minutes for his receptionist to announce him, he held his shoulders back and prepared for the chewing out he knew was coming.
Cassey stood in her office looking down at the almost empty dance floor. She knew that bad nights happened as often as good ones did, but Saturdays always used to be busier than Fridays. Ever since the shuttles had stopped, it was hit or miss.
Over half of her dining floor sat empty as well. Sighing, she crossed her arms over her chest and calculated in her head. She’d been juggling the finances for a few months now. Even with the amount she had in savings, she would be running low a lot sooner than she had previously calculated. She needed those shuttles, or at least for the season to start sooner.
She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the one-way glass. There was a call she needed to make, but she’d been dreading it for the last few weeks.
Walking over to her desk, she picked up the phone and dialed her brother’s number. Roman picked up on the first ring.
“Hey, sis. What’s up?” She could tell he was working outside, something he’d always had a fondness for. He ran his own landscaping business, one of many businesses he owned, and worked a lot with her brother Marcus, who ran his own housing construction company. They were an unbeatable team when it came to new construction in the area.
“Hi, I don’t mean to bother you. It sounds like you’re working,” she said.
She heard him take a breath and step away from the noise. “You are never a bother. Besides, I needed a break.”
“I hate to do this, but I’m going to be a little behind on my checks to help out with the home this month. Actually,” she sighed, “it might be some time before I can get you the full amount again.”
“Are there problems?” She heard the concern in his voice.
“Nothing that I can’t handle. Just some setbacks. I’d really hoped to avoid this, especially with the holidays just around the corner.” She bit her bottom lip.
“Cassey…” Her brother’s voice broke into the calculations she was doing in her head. She was desperately trying to figure out how to get the extra money so she could continue helping her brother with his halfway house. She and her brothers did what they could to financially support the home Roman ran for kids in need. “Don’t worry about it. Marcus and I have had a very successful couple of months. We can cover for you until things pick back up.” She sighed and closed her eyes as tears started to form. She hadn’t expected anything less from her brothers. “If you need anything…”
She shook her head, holding in the emotions. “No, really. I just have a few things to figure out, and then I’ll be back in full swing.” She smiled. “Thanks, Roman. Tell Marcus thanks, too.”
“Sure thing, sis. Well, Marcus is yelling at me to get these damn cabinets in, so I better get back to it. We’ll swing by sometime soon.”
“I’d like that. See you then.” She hung up and walked to the glass and looked down again. If only she could get her numbers back up so she could pay Roman and get rid of this empty feeling in her heart.
The next morning, she walked down the boardwalk before many of the shops opened. There was a bakery at the end of the breezeway that baked the best cinnamon rolls. The rolls were the size of your fist and tasted like heaven. The owners were friends of hers and some of the nicest people she’d ever met. Alfred and Marvin weren’t a couple, but they were the closest of friends. They had told her that they’d tried to be more than friends a few years back, but now they just had a working relationship. It seemed to work. The Lunch Box was the best thing that could have happened to them. Marvin was a recovering coke addict and Alfred had gone through a messy divorce after his wife of twenty years had found out that he was gay. She’d taken his kids, his house, and his heart. The Lunch Box was his one and only love now.