It’s a long way down the hall once I exit my office, & Cassey’s got quite a head start on me, but I catch her just before she walks out of the building. “Cassey!”, I call out for what seems like the millionth time tonight.
She turns around, & seems to burn a whole through me with her eyes. “Was that one of your exes?”, she shouts. “Yes,” I answer. “How’d you know?”
Cassey retorts, “I saw the kiss. That wasn’t one shared on the first-timer!! Let me guess. She’s the one that got away?”
“Yes,” I reply. “I knew it!!”, Cassey throws back. But I am able to block her from exiting. “No! Don’t go,” I say. “Why?”, she asks. “Your ego won’t allow two girls to get away from you? One’s OK, but not two, for some reason?”
“No, that’s not it. Cassey, you gotta believe me. She’s not the one that got away. She decided she didn’t need me. Or I decided I didn’t need her. Or it was kind of obvious that we both needed some time away. But Cassey, I need you!!”
“You need me?! You need me?!”, she asks. This doesn’t look good, I think to myself. “Why do you need me? So you can finish the case, get the money, & go spend it on some other girl who’s not me?!”
“No, Cass,” I respond. “I don’t mean I need the case. I mean what I said… I need you.”
“Oh, yeah?! Well, I’m not so sure I need you now. You obviously trusted me, or you would’ve told me to go find another guy to handle my case a long time ago. And I certainly trusted you, to go where you said, do what you said, all when you said it. Then, I’m all set to say forget the problems & work with you, & I see you kissing your ex? If all that mutual trust we grew to have for each other can all be shot to hell in five seconds, maybe it’s not what I thought, & I should just move along.”
“I understand, Cass. But I assure you that what you saw was the definite final move of that game. If you’re prepared to trust me again, I’m ready to work with you.” I pause, waiting for a response, & wondering if it’d be more right to move in for a kiss, or duck a right hook. |