Chapter 14
Ivan
The next two weeks came and went in a blur. I spent most of the time just focusing on farm work at Mom’s and at Miss Young’s, mostly just supervising the farm hands so I could rest my injury more. Cassy and I treated each other as friends and colleagues, nothing more. We simply kept on pretending that nothing had happened--- again.
Cassy continued to get more orders for custom dresses from the women in town. She had also been busy coming up with her country-inspired collection designs as well as designs for Rosie’s wedding gown. At times, she would become so comfortable with me that she’d begin sharing about her growing passion for the business, but more often than not, she would choose to keep a distance.
It was actually killing me, and I don’t know why. I was very much happy for her and proud of what she was becoming. But the fact that she didn’t want to face what was happening between us was driving me nuts.
One afternoon, I found myself drinking at The Pub, pondering what to do with Cassy and my life. After my second bottle of beer, I felt I couldn’t deny it any longer. My feelings for her had grown into something deeper. It wasn’t just physical attraction anymore.
“Women problems?” Craig, the bar owner, asked.
“Sort of,” I said, chuckling.
He chuckled too as he handed me a shot of scotch. “Women problems always give me a lot of customers. But for you, buddy, that one’s on the house.”
“Thanks, man,” I said, downing the hard drink. The liquid burned a bit in my throat, but it somehow had a soothing effect.
“You know, you should just act on it,” Craig suddenly uttered, looking serious. “You ain’t got plenty of time. You might regret it.”
I simply looked at him and shrugged.
He continued, though. “If you feel like something’s there, just face the music. Take the leap. If you wait longer, it might be too late.”
I laughed. “You sound like you know something.”
“Word gets around fast in here,” Craig said. “It’s a small town.”
“Really? So the whole town’s gossiping about us, huh?”
“Sort of,” he answered with a grin. “Town folks got no other thing to talk about, I guess. A brewing romance between the daughter of Burchnell’s richest man and the town’s football star makes for good gossip.”
That made me laugh again. “I guess you’re right,” I agreed. “Seems interesting enough.”
He filled two shot glasses with scotch and handed one to me. “Drink up, Ivan. I’m feeling extra generous today.”
“All right,” I said, grinning. We raised our glasses to each other. “Bottoms up.”
The bell at the door jingled. I didn’t turn around, but Craig naturally checked who his new customer was. His eyes gave away his curiosity and interest. “And look who the cat just dragged in.”
That was when I turned around, my eyes widening at the sight of the beautiful woman in pink who was making a beeline for me. “Great,” I muttered as I stared at Andrea who was back again from Windfield.
“What do you want now, Andrea?” I asked in an exasperated voice when she approached.
She actually gave me a big smile, tossing her hair behind her shoulders. “Oh, hi, Ivan. Fancy seeing you here,” she said casually. “Actually, I’m not here for you, though you might find that hard to believe. I arrived yesterday with my handler. We’re doing a series of photo shoots in this boring town. Can you believe it?”
I was definitely surprised. “I see,” I simply answered. “Well, it’s a nice town.”
“I guess, if you’re into cows and chickens and endless meadows,” she said with slight sarcasm. She ordered a glass of vodka and actually sat on the stool beside me, crossing her legs in a seductive way and showing off her lean, tanned legs.
I wasn’t affected. She wasn’t attractive to me anymore.
As Craig handed her another glass, the bell sounded again. He looked up and then shifted his eyes to me. “Must be your lucky day, buddy,” he whispered, winking at me. “Good luck.”
My heart seemed to plummet to the ground, somehow sensing who had just entered the bar even before I turned around.
Suddenly, Andrea had sidled up to me, her hand resting on my thigh as she eyed me with interest. “You know, I’m willing to forgive you for what you did to me before, Ivan. Let me help you forget all your troubles, even just for tonight.”
Ignoring her, I downed the rest of my third shot of scotch and stood up abruptly to get her hand off my thigh.
Cassy, who looked stunning in a sleeveless top and a pair of ripped jeans, had not seen me yet. She seemed to be scanning the tables for someone.
My head was throbbing and beginning to spin. I hadn’t drunk this much since I got to town, so the alcohol was taking its toll on me fast. I took a step forward to approach Cassy, but I felt a little bit woozy. I reached over to the seat to steady myself.
Andrea took advantage of the situation, rushing to my side to support me. Just my luck that Cassy spotted us looking a bit intimate. And a while back, I was already contemplating having a serious talk with her and laying my real feelings on the table.
Our eyes immediately locked on each other. She turned around about to leave, when Andrea suddenly left my side and came after her. “Cassy, wait!” she said, catching up.
I followed, of course, afraid of the pending cat fight between the two badass city girls.
“What do you want?” Cassy asked in an irritated tone.
“I’m the one who sent you a message,” Andrea explained in an obviously fake sweet voice. “Your designs are just so stylish. I was wondering if you’d make some dresses for me.”
Cassy glared at her. “I don’t have time for this,” she said.
“Wait!” Andrea called before she could leave. “I’m here for a photo shoot revolving around a countryside theme. I was told you’re working on a collection with this same motif.”
“Yeah, so?” Cassy said defiantly. “I’m not letting a crazy slut like you model my clothes. So no thanks!”
“That’s enough, Andrea,” I said, trying to pull her back.
But she wasn’t done yet. Looking furious and insulted, she snapped, “How about designing a dress that Ivan could easily take off? I’m sure he’d love that.”
“Andrea!” I warned, tightening my grip on her arm. “Enough!” My head throbbed even more. I had to get some fresh air.
“You two do whatever the hell you want,” Cassy said, her eyes flashing with controlled anger. “I don’t give a shit.”
She walked out then, while Andrea stood there looking smug with her arms folded across her chest.
“You’re impossible,” I told her with apparent disgust. “Don’t even try to follow me, Andrea.”
The look of triumph on her face turned to anger at once. I walked off without turning around, rushing outside to catch up with Cassy despite my mounting headache and weakening balance.
She was just getting ready to drive off on her aunt’s car when I called out to her. I took out my keys to get in my car, which was parked on the opposite side. She probably missed it earlier when she’d parked.
I was suddenly determined to make her understand that there was nothing going on with me and Andrea. Just when I got to my car, a wave of dizziness came over me. I held on to the hood and closed my eyes.
“Are you crazy too?” someone demanded from behind me. It was Cassy’s voice.
Flabbergasted, I opened my eyes and faced her. There was a mixture of anger and concern on her face.
“You’re in no condition to drive,” she said sternly.
That actually made me grin. “You sound like my mother,” I kidded. “Never knew you had it in you.”
“Shut up! Your mom’s never going to forgive me if I let you get into a car crash.” She took my keys then and dragged me to the passenger’s side. “Get in. I’m driving,” she commanded.
I smiled at her, which made her glare at me even more. I simply chuckled and got into the car. She went to the driver’s side and started the engine. “Can’t believe I’m about to drive you home. Where’s your bitch, anyway?”
“She’s nothing to me, Cassy,” I told her honestly, leaning back on the seat to rest. “She just came in a while before you and said she was here for a modeling assignment. I didn’t know she was in town.”
Cassy didn’t answer, but just began driving. I couldn’t tell if she believed me or not.
“So she sent you a text then?” I asked. “She must have planned the whole thing.”
“Well, I don’t care,” Cassy said adamantly. “Whatever. It’s your business, not mine. She shouldn’t have involved me.”
“She thinks we’re an item,” I said, looking at her. She kept her eyes on the road, though.
“Why would she think that?” Cassy muttered.
“The same reason the rest of the town is thinking that,” I said, shrugging.
That made her pause. I could almost hear a million thoughts rushing through her head.
“Seems like we’re the only ones who can’t see it for what it is,” I said, my voice softening and turning serious.
“You’re seriously drunk,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief.
I chuckled and said nothing. We were silent the rest of the way to my house.
When she stopped the car, I leaned over to her and took her hand. “I’m not drunk, Cassy. I can definitely think straight.”
“Really,” she said. “You look terrible.”
I pretended to be hurt. “You don’t honestly mean that. Look at me. I know you’ve always had a thing for me. Don’t tell me you’re not attracted to me.”
“I’m not,” she insisted. “And please don’t annoy the hell out of me. I’m being a good friend here.”
“Are you going to take care of me then?” I asked with a grin. “I may be a little tipsy.”
She groaned and rolled her eyes. Then she got out and helped me hobble to the front door. It was really touching that she was so concerned, though she didn’t want to admit it. Perhaps I played out more drunkenness so she would actually bring me up to my room. She did, which sparked home within me.
The house was dark and quiet. I stumbled to my bed while she got me some water. Lying down there, I knew how much I wanted her to be with me. And when she brought me water to drink and also began wiping my face with a damp cloth, I realized how much I actually cared about this woman.
For a while I felt like throwing up because of the alcohol in my system. But luckily it went away.
“I need to go now,” Cassy said quietly, standing up from my side.
“Wait,” I said, sitting up. The abrupt movement made my headache act up again. I groaned in pain, pressing on my temples.
“I told you to just lie down and rest,” she said with annoyance, which just make my heart beat faster. She looked really cute when she was annoyed. “You’re a hardheaded pain in the ass,” she muttered.
I took her hand then and squeezed it, surprising her. “Don’t go, Cassy,” I implored. “And besides, how are you going to get home?”
“I’ll bring your car back to the bar and tell Craig you’ll get it tomorrow. Then I’ll drive Aunt Ellen’s car back home. That good enough for you?”
I shook my head, leaning closer and taking both of her hands. Looking into her eyes, I said, “Please tell me you don’t honestly believe that I still have a thing for Andrea.”
“What does it matter?” she asked. She didn’t, however, pull away.
“It matters to me,” I said.
That made her stop and think. She gazed back into my eyes, seemingly trying to read what was going on in my mind. “Fine,” she relented. “I really don’t believe it, okay? Now can I go?”
“No,” I said firmly. Before she could protest, though, I held up a finger to her lips. It shushed her quickly as she waited for me to go on. “I think it’s about time we talked about us, Cassy.”
She remained silent, probably just waiting to hear what I had to say.
“It’s been one hell of a roller-coaster trying to be friends with you one minute and then getting intimate the next,” I said seriously, the alcohol helping boost my boldness. “As much as it’s a lot of fun arguing with you and exchanging insults and stuff, I’d much rather be with you.”
She took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. I continued. “It sounds off and you may not believe me, but I really do care about you a lot. I mean it, Cassy. I have never felt this attracted to anyone before.”
She looked surprised, but still remained quiet, looking like she was mulling over my words or weighing their truth perhaps. As for me, I felt relieved just letting it out. Now the ball was in her hands. I didn’t want to expect anything, though.
But to my bewilderment and utter pleasure, she took my face in her hands and planted a sweet kiss on my lips. The kiss lingered, my heart soaring like an eagle.
When we came up for air, I asked, “Does this mean you feel the same way?”
She nodded. “Now shut up and kiss me.”
Our lips met in a passionate kiss as we hungrily explored each other’s bodies again, our desire escalating with our feelings for one another. That night, we had our best sex ever.