The producer waited until the sign above the door signaled A.J. was off the air, then opened the door and walked in. Cassie tried to hide behind the large man, but he stepped to the side, held out a chair for her, and gestured for her to sit. “Andy, this is your guest, author C.W. Loveless.”
Andy’s eyes bugged out when he saw her. He pulled off his headphones, leaving his dark hair rustled. “Cassie? What are you doing here?”
Cassie rubbed the back of her neck and pulled the book toward her chest. She could only imagine what Andy had been saying about her since she’d left.
“She’s your guest this morning. Remember the book I gave you?” The producer slapped Andy on the shoulder. “Come on, man. Get with it this morning.” Then the producer hurried out of the room.
They sat in silence for several seconds, neither one making a sound, both staring at the switchboard in front of them.
“Congratulations on getting the morning show,” Cassie squeaked out, keeping her eyes forward.
Andy turned to her and stared until she peered at him from the corner of her eyes. “You’re the author of that book? Jack has been raving about it. He’s actually planning a trip to Europe now. Seriously, Cassie? What are you doing here?”
Cassie turned in her chair and faced him. “I’m sorry, Andy. I did want to talk to you, but not like this. I thought Mindy would be interviewing me this morning. I had no idea.”
“How could you know? You’ve been gone a while.”
Cassie met his eyes, the smooth caramel ones that stole her heart. “I’ll go if you want me to, Andy.”
“You said you came here wanting to talk to me? Is it about whatever is in this letter?” Andy shoved an envelope across the table at her and she took it.
“You didn’t read it?”
“What can you possibly have to say to me, Cassie?”
“I apologized for leaving and explained why.”
“You told me why to my face, remember? I need space. Does that sound familiar?” Andy turned to look at his computer screen, then watched the numbers counting down on a digital sign. “We can’t talk about this now, we’re on in five seconds.”
He placed a microphone in front of her and hit a few buttons on the switch board in front of them.
“We’re back with our guest this morning, local author, C.W. Loveless. Her book is…” He reached for a copy of her book on the other side of his computer. “My Heart’s Journey: Travels through Europe and Asia.”
Andy pressed his lips together tightly in a pained expression. He laid the book down in front of him, then looked at her, making her heart tremble. “Tell us about it, Miss…Loveless.”
“It’s about my adventures abroad. I traveled all over Europe and Asia writing for Travel There Magazine. The book is a compilation of everything I learned.”
Andy’s jaw was tight, and Cassie’s stomach twisted in a knot. This was a mistake. Talking about her travels without him would only pour salt in the wound.
“It’s filled with travel tips, hotel and restaurant recommendations…” Yet she wondered if she could use this for something good. Could she appeal to him this way?
“I made a lot of mistakes in my life. This journey gave me time for plenty of introspection.”
Andy raised his eyebrows at her, but she pressed on. “It was incredible, all the places I went, people I met. I journaled the entire time and a lot of that went into this book. I did spend time reflecting on my life…and my regrets.”
Andy tilted his head and watched her closely. “What regrets?”
“I was pretty stupid. It was a job opportunity of a lifetime, but in taking it, I didn’t think there was room for anything else in my life.” Cassie stared at him, heart beating painfully. “It was a mistake to believe that.”
“We’ll be right back, folks.” Andy flipped a switch and the ‘On the Air’ sign on the side wall switched off.
“Cassie, this isn’t a good idea.”
“What isn’t a good idea?”
“You being here, trying to make up with me on the radio.”
“I wanted to apologize. Especially since you didn’t even read my letter. I’ve missed you, Andy.”
“Thank you for this, but we can’t happen again, Cassie. It’s too much. How do you expect a man to recover and trust you again after three refused proposals?”
“Three?”
“Yes, three.”
“It was two, Andy. Once at high school graduation and once on the radio before I left. How was I supposed to take a publicity stunt like that seriously?”
“It wasn’t a publicity stunt. I was never more serious about anything in my life. Then I played “Endless Love”.
Cassie groaned. “It was in the middle of the segment on Christmas proposals. You’re telling me you didn’t do that to spike the ratings?”
“I did not. And I was crushed when you said no.”
Guilt washed through her. He could have chosen a better time and place to propose, but if he really had been serious…she’d absolutely soundly rejected him and told him she was leaving for Europe. “What was the alleged third time?”
“It was the first time. We were sixteen, I think. I proposed to you the night we went to go see that chick flick you were so excited out. What was the name of that?” Andy shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. We were driving home and started talking. I proposed…then realized you were asleep.”
Cassie glared at him. “You proposed while I was asleep? How does that count?”
“It takes a man a great deal of thought and anxiety to work up to a proposal. You were awake when I began expressing how I felt about you. Falling asleep in the middle of that was rather offensive.”
Cassie was in shock Andy was sharing so much. He proposed while driving? Cassie felt her blood warming in her veins. She remembered one night they’d gone to a late movie to get out of the house away from her parents loud arguing. “I don’t recall you saying anything about marriage.”
“I was telling you my feelings. Something you were relentless in complaining that I never did.”
“Well, I’m sorry if I was tired and you proposed while I was asleep in the car. At midnight. If I didn’t hear a proposal, it doesn’t count.”
“It was a mistake.” Andy shook his head and massaged his temples.
“You think? We were sixteen.”
“While you have a valid point, the fact is, you were conscious for two proposals, and that is still too many to rebound from.”
“You’re right, Andy. I screwed up and I’m sorry I came here. I’ll go.”
“What about the interview?”
“Just plug my website. It’s on the inside flap.” She stood and clung to the back of her chair. “I won’t bother you again.”
She turned to leave, feeling the crushing force of a waterfall of emotions falling on her.
Her eyes began to water. She hurried to her car in the parking lot and hopped in. The air was frigid and she turned on the heat quickly so it could start to warm up.
What was she doing here? She must have lost her mind somewhere along the way when she was traveling all over the world.