13
Cass
Monday went just as I thought it would. I spent the whole day focused on my thesis so by the time I was ready to hit the hay that night, I’d gotten more done than I thought possible. I was sure to make my deadline, no problem.
Tuesday was a different story. My undergrads seemed particularly grating, Jeannie was acting strange and my doctoral adviser was MIA all day. When the work day finally ended I told Jeannie I just wasn’t up to going to the faculty party.
“What? No, Cass, you have to come.”
“Why? A bunch of drunk math nerds in costume doesn’t sound like my idea of a good time,” I said, feeling really guilty about bailing on her.
“Cass! You promised. I covered your classes yesterday. Now you’re coming to this thing if I have to drag you there myself. Got it?”
I smiled at my friend. “Fine, you win. I’ll be there at seven.”
“Screw that. I’ll pick you up,” she said and walked away before I had a chance to argue.
At home, I only spent a few hours on the thesis before I started to get ready for the party. As much as I hated to admit it, I was looking forward to it just a little. I mean, aside from Jeannie, the company would be terrible and there was an open bar. Plus, I had to remind myself that it was good for me to step out of my head once in a while and get out into the real world.
I looked up a picture of Linda Carter from the 70’s and thought about trying to recreate her makeup look but decided to emulate Gal Gadot’s more natural look. My eyes were dark like hers and the costume was more like the new version anyway. Five tutorials later I came to the realization that I was not a makeup artist. I didn’t look nearly as good as the girls in the videos but I’d done a pretty good job anyway.
I put on the costume, realizing that Jeannie had spent a pretty big chunk of cash on this. It wasn’t a polyester one-piece Halloween store costume. This thing had multiple pieces including a corset, metal bracers and boot covers and the skirt. The headpiece even looked like the one Gal wore. Hell, it looked almost as good on me as it did on her. Well, maybe better, I had a lot more ass in my costume.
The intercom buzzed just as I was hooking my lasso to my belt. “Hey, I’ll be right down.”
“Hurry, I’ve got a cab waiting.”
I grabbed my ID and some cash and stuffed it in my corset. Where else was I gonna put it?
“Holy smokes, girl you look fantastic!” Jeannie said when I exited the building.
“Thanks! But look who’s talking.” I made a turn around motion with a finger and Jeannie spun in her Michelle Pfieffer-era catsuit.
We piled into the cab and headed to whatever place the Economics Department rented for the night. “Seriously, Jeannie, these costumes are fantastic.”
Jeannie only nodded and crossed her arms.
“What’s going on with you?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re acting weird again,” I said.
“No, I’m not.”
“All day you’ve seemed kinda cagey. What’s going on?”
Jeannie shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe you’re the one being weird.”
I gave her a look but didn’t press the issue.
Both Jeannie and I were disappointed when we arrived. “I thought you said the department sprung for something nice,” I said as we entered a catering hall without a stitch of ambiance or Halloween decorations.
“That’s what the email said. Jesus, this is sad,” she said as we made our way to the bored looking bartender in the corner.
“What’ll it be?” he asked.
Jeannie and I shared a look. “Vodka,” we said in unison. There was only one way we were getting through this night. And that was with some social lubrication.
“Sure thing. That’ll be fourteen dollars,” he said as he set out two shot glasses.
I rolled my eyes. “They couldn’t even spring for an open bar?”
Jeannie grabbed my arm and yelled, “Jesus hates a cash bar,” as we walked away. “What were they thinking? I can’t believe I dragged you out here for this bullshit. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. Not your fault,” I said absently because all attention was drawn to a masked man in the most expensive suit I’d ever seen entering the party. “Who’s that?” I asked.
Jeannie let go of my arm. “I dunno. Why don’t you go find out.”
He seemed so familiar, like someone I’d known all my life but hadn’t seen in ages. I just couldn’t place him. I walked over to him and asked plainly. “Do I know you.”
“Yes, Cass. You do.”
My heart dropped straight into my stomach at the sound of his smooth, baritone. “Landon?” I asked, feeling my knees go weak.
He nodded. “I only went out for coffee,” he whispered.
I wobbled on my feet but Landon caught my elbows. “How did you... what are you doing here?”
“Are you kidding me, honey? I had to find you. I had to make this right...”
Landon said more words. I know he did because his lips kept moving. But I couldn’t hear them. All I could hear was a weird ringing as my vision went blurry and my knees buckled.
Holy shit. I’m going to faint. Like a goddamn damsel in distress.