Chapter 11
Cassy
One minute we’re slitting each other’s throats, the next minute we couldn’t get our hands off each other. He was like fire and ice, all mixed up, confusing me but pulling me closer even more.
We found Aunt Ellen rocking in her chair, knitting a sweater. It was such a sweet, classic grandma scene, but I couldn’t ever imagine myself or even my mom growing up like that.
Suddenly, a picture of myself hunched over the dated sewing machine upstairs rushed to my mind. I realized the scene was a lot similar to how Aunt Ellen looked. Wrinkling my nose, I brushed off that image of me.
I will have to buy a modern sewing machine soon, I thought. That’s my next target.
“Hello, you two,” Aunt Ellen greeted with a kind smile. “I baked some cookies in case you’re hungry.”
“Thanks, Miss Young,” Ivan said. “I’ll just set this down and---“
“What is that?” Aunt Ellen asked, peering through her glasses and standing up to have a better look at my mannequin stand. Ivan and his big mouth.
“It’s nothing,” I answered briskly, pulling Ivan’s arm up the stairs. “We’re bringing it to my room now.”
She watched curiously as we went up to the second floor.
“Why don’t you tell your aunt about your project?” Ivan said as we entered my bedroom. “I thought she used to be in fashion too or something.”
“I don’t know,” I replied honestly. I pointed toward the sewing machine and the pile of sewing stuff on the floor. “Just place it somewhere there.”
He put it down near the window, through which we could see the sun now peeking out again. “Anything else I can help you with?”
“Yes,” I quipped. “You can go now.”
“Oh, come on, Cassy,” he said, actually laughing. “I can help you cut or trace or whatever. It’s still early, anyway.”
I hesitated. I could definitely use an assistant, but he might just become a major distraction instead of help. We might end up either pricking each other with needles or kissing again. Damn.
“Out,” I said, pushing him out the door. “Let’s just grab some cookies first. I’m starving.”
He was chuckling all the way to the kitchen. We plopped on the stools at the counter and began munching on the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies while Aunt Ellen prepared coffee for the three of us.
I took a sip, relishing the hot bittersweet taste. “God, I miss Starbucks,” I said. “But this is way better.”
That made Aunt Ellen smile.
She sat down to join us. “So, Cassy, what’s up with the mannequin stand?”
I looked at her with a nonchalant shrug. “Um, just something I sort of stumbled upon in college. Fashion, making clothes, designing bags. That sort of thing.”
She seemed really interested. “Tell me more,” she said, leaning forward.
“Well…”
“She made a dress for Jenny,” Ivan interrupted. I rolled my eyes at him in disbelief. He simply ignored me. “The stand is Jenny’s payment.”
“Wow,” Aunt Ellen said, looking impressed. “Can I see some of your designs? I used to be really interested in fashion too.”
“Why didn’t you pursue it?” I wondered.
“My sister and I, we were really good,” she shared. “We made and sold some clothes on consignment downtown. But then, she got married and had to move out. Meanwhile, I got busy tending to the farm because nobody else was left among us siblings. I didn’t want to let this farm go because it was our parents’ business and it’s still home.”
“Dad would never approve of this,” I told her.
“Oh, you don’t know that,” she said. “I’m sure he’ll support you if he’d see the benefits. That man has always been a mean businessman. You’ll have to show him some sort of, uh, business plan.”
Hope filled my heart. Just maybe I could really pursue this passion and succeed in it. I wasn’t really interested in his business, even if I had studied IT and had even excelled in it. Or later on, I could just do both. It was possible.
“You’re an adult, Cassy,” Aunt Ellen said gently. “But he’s been treating you like a kid still because you’ve been acting like one. It’s time to show him you can stand on your own two feet. I know you can make him proud.”
I met her caring eyes, touched by her words. It gave me inspiration. Suddenly, I wanted to begin working on my samples. Maybe I could do a consignment deal too, for starters.
“By the way…” Ivan casually injected. “Mom wanted me to ask the two of you if you could join us for dinner tomorrow night.”
I looked at him with surprise.
“We would love to, of course,” Aunt Ellen answered. “How is Lisa? She’s probably doing a lot better now especially since you’ve been home for some time now. I was actually worried about her for a while back.”
“She was lonely and miserable for months,” Ivan agreed. “But she’s coping better, yes. And Owen came home yesterday, so the three of us are together again. That’s been doing her some good.”
Owen. I thought I remembered him mention a brother named Owen before.
“Ahh, that’s why you couldn’t come yesterday,” Aunt Ellen said with a smile. “That’s wonderful, Ivan. I’m glad you’re all together now, even for a while.”
My mind was whirring, my heart in chaos too. So that was the reason he didn’t come. It was certainly a valid one. But somehow, I felt disappointed. That meant he hadn’t really been affected by our moment of passion as I had been thinking.
That afternoon, Ivan and I worked in my room together. He helped me mostly with the manual stuff. Aunt Ellen didn’t seem to mind since she trusted Ivan a lot, but we still kept the door open out of respect.
I was so engrossed in my work I hardly spoke at all. As for Ivan, he was surprisingly keeping his end of the bargain, helping with his mouth shut.
Hours passed. I’d almost forgotten about our kiss earlier. Almost.
At times, our eyes would meet. His seemed to be communicating something to me, words he couldn’t utter for some reason. I don’t know…maybe I was just imagining it too. I would simply look away and forget about it.
I was working on one design that I had sketched a few days back. It was for a peasant-styled top and skirt ensemble that would look fabulous with the rural background. Hmmm, I could do a whole collection of stylish countryside outfits.
Ivan watched me with great fascination as I used the sewing machine. “Have you never seen anyone use this thing?” I asked.
“I have,” he said. “I’m just amazed at your talent.”
I beamed. He didn’t seem to be mocking me at all. I couldn’t resist mentioning the insult he’d thrown at me earlier. “You’re amazed that a spoiled brat can actually do something productive rather than party and shop the whole day.”
He laughed. “I didn’t say that.”
“Yeah, right,” I retorted. “You were thinking it, anyway.”
He simply laughed in response, which made me frown. This was a man who constantly had me on a roller-coaster of emotions and guesswork. I guessed that was part of his charm.
Finally, when I finished the ensemble I was working on, I dressed up the mannequin and started pinning some of the parts.
Just as I was about to be done, I accidentally pricked my finger with a pin. “Oh, shit!” I exclaimed as blood began to gush out from the wound.
“Hey, you okay?” Ivan asked, standing up from the bed and inspecting my wound. “Wait here.” He went out quickly before I could say anything else.
I sat on the bed, pressing hard on the skin around the cut. Blood was still coming out, making me feel queasy.
Ivan was back in a jiffy, carrying a small basin with water, plus some cotton, an antiseptic solution, and a band aid.
“Hey, don’t worry about it,” I assured him. “This is nothing.”
“I know, but it could still get infected,” he said, sitting beside me. I let him take my hand. He pressed on the area for a while to stop the bleeding, then he cleaned it afterward and wrapped my finger with the band aid.
“Thanks,” I whispered, my heart soaring at the simple gesture of kindness.
His hand lingered on mine for a while before he let go. “I just don’t want you dirtying your work with your bloody mess.”
I laughed. “And why would you even care?”
Shrugging, he said, “If you succeed and start earning a living for yourself, you’ll be allowed back to Windfield. I won’t have to babysit you any longer.”
Although his face had a serious expression, there was a glint of mischief in his eye. I was sort of getting used to his remarks. This time, I wasn’t incensed. I grinned and patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, Ivan. I’ll be out of here before you know it.”