Table for Two (26 page)

Drake didn't ask what because he knew his brother probably wouldn't tell him.

Eric pushed up his glasses. "As you can probably guess we're not friends anymore."

"Hmm. What about Kristin?"

He shrugged, nonchalant. "Gone."

"You don't seem sorry."

"I'm not. I never make a big investment in people." He cleared his throat. "You should do the same."

He paused. "Why?"

"Makes life easier."

Drake clasped his hands behind his head. "If you have a point, make it."

Eric hesitated. He hated getting involved in other people's relationships, but Drake was his brother after all. "I think you see your relationship with Cassie in a different way than she does."

"I know she's hesitant about marriage, but in time she'll come around."

"So you don't mind being friends?" he asked cautiously.

He frowned. "Friends?"

"That's what she says you are."

"Like buddies?"

He nodded.

Drake let his hands fall. "She said that?"

Eric nodded again. "I know she likes you, but I don't think she's serious. You've already told me she has other guy friends. How do you know she doesn't sleep with them too?"

"She doesn't." His voice was ice.

"Fine." Eric was in no mood to argue. "So you are the only one she sleeps with. Do you really think that's enough to make you different?"

Drake stared at the TV.

"I'm not saying you should dump her. I just think you should lighten up, perhaps get some girlfriends of your own."

Drake dismissed the idea. "She's just confused." A malicious grin swept across his face. "Fortunately, I know how to make it clear for her."

* * *

Cedric pulled his cap lower as he watched the girl come out of the restaurant. She really bugged him— always looking so good and cheerful. He wouldn't admit it aloud, but he missed his job. He'd liked wearing a uniform and being part of a team. It hadn't always been fun, but it was better than hanging with his boys all day. They were getting old and some of the stuff they did made him nervous. If Henson hadn't tried to show him up he would still be there. He hadn't even been given a second chance because
she'd
taken it from him.

"You think you're something, don't you?" he sneered when she passed him.

She ignored him; he followed.

"You know this used to be my job. You don't have to act like all that. I know how much you're making and could make a lot more."

Pamela stopped and stared at him. "You're not bad looking for a stalker."

He gazed at her, stunned. "What?"

"Although I guess stalkers don't have a certain look, do they? I'd have to say I'd rather have you stalking me than someone else. You don't look scary, just angry."

"I'm not stalking you."

"Then why have you been watching me after work all week?" She suddenly smiled. Cedric blinked. The girl was crazy, but cute. "I know why," she said. "You're afraid to ask for your job back."

She was supposed to be angry or defensive, not grinning at him as if he were her new best friend. He had come for a fight and she was ruining it for him. "You have my job."

"No, I don't. You quit." Pamela lowered her voice. "Bad move. You had it made. I bet you know that now. Fortunately, you're in luck. We need a new dishwasher. The hours are good and I know Mr. Henson can make the work fit into your schedule when school starts." She dug into her backpack and handed him a card. "He's at his main office right now. I wouldn't wait."

Cedric stared at her, amazed. Girls like her never talked to guys like him. Let alone gave some advice. He knew that he probably looked like an idiot. But he didn't know what to say.

She smiled shyly. "Well, bye."

"Why are you being nice to me?" he asked as she turned.

"I had a cousin like you." She hesitated. "We buried him three months ago." Pamela lowered her eyes, but he already saw the building tears. He had a strange urge to comfort her, but instead buried his hands in his pockets and watched her walk away.

* * *

Drake had to stop himself from rubbing his ears in disbelief when his assistant announced that Cedric had come to see him. He thought for a moment, then called him in.

Cedric came through the door wearing a cap low on his eyes and an extra-large T-shirt. "I want a job," he announced.

Drake leaned back in his chair, quickly remembering why he had gotten rid of him in the first place. "So?"

"I heard that you needed a dishwasher."

He nodded. "That's right."

"I could do it."

Drake straightened his tie and watched him.

Cedric came toward the desk. "Come on, man, give me a break."

Drake rested his elbows on the armrest and placed the tips of his fingers together. "What's my name?" he asked quietly, his eyes unreadable.

"What?"

"Oh, I forgot." He let his gaze fall. "Hearing loss comes with an attitude problem."

Cedric sighed. "Mr. Henson."

He looked up. "Yes?"

"I want a job."

Drake leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "I don't care what you want I'm a businessman. What can you give me?" He smiled coolly. "I've already seen what you can do and haven't been impressed."

Cedric shifted from one foot to the other, feeling awkward under the intense gaze. "I messed up big time and I was wrong."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"You don't have to be so hard, man."

Drake rubbed his chin. "The door is right behind you."

Cedric threw up his hands—frustration, anger, and helplessness evident in the gesture. "Man, I don't need this." He stormed out, slamming the door.

Drake sighed and returned to his work, fighting a small amount of guilt. Perhaps he'd been too hard. But then again life wasn't kind.

"Mr. Henson?" He glanced up and saw Cedric peering from behind the door. The smug arrogance was gone from his tone. "I really need a job. I'm a good dishwasher, I wash all the dishes at home. I'll arrive on time and everything."

"Why should I give you a second chance?"

"Because you won't regret it."

Drake held out his hand, wanting to smile with pride but frowning instead. "You make sure I don't regret it or you will."

After Cedric left, he lifted the phone to call Cassie, but immediately replaced the receiver. Cedric wasn't the only one who needed to learn a lesson. He buzzed his assistant and scheduled a business trip to Florida instead.

* * *

Cassie slammed down the telephone. Nearly two weeks and Drake hadn't returned her calls. Kristin must have changed his mind about her and he had chosen the coward's way to dump her. Damn him! She had thought about calling his cell phone but didn't want to appear desperate. She would not bow to him again. She would not allow him to handle her emotions this way. So it was over, huh? Good riddance.

The doorbell rang expectedly. She had invited Adriana over for a serious session of male bashing. She opened the door and in a fit of anger, lunged at the person standing there. "Get out of my sight!"

Door 712 swung open. "What's going on out there?"

"We're fine," Drake said in a quiet voice. He removed Cassie's grip on his shirt.

"We're not fine," Cassie countered. "I want him to leave."

Mr. Gianolo glanced from Drake to her, then back to Drake again. "Seems like everything is under control." He shut the door.

"Men," Cassie said, disgusted.

Drake frowned down at her. "Why are you so upset?"

She hit him in the chest. "You don't call for nearly two weeks and you ask me why I'm upset?"

"I was busy. I had to travel to Florida on business."

She held up her hand in the shape of a phone. "And you couldn't call to tell me this?"

"Well, I—"

"I would have understood," she cut in. "But no. You didn't have the decency to call. One moment you're everywhere I turn and then poof, you're gone."

"Things got crazy. I rehired Cedric."

Her anger subsided into surprise. "You did?"

Drake nodded. "He came to my office and asked for a job. At first the staff wasn't pleased to see him again, but he's doing very well."

"I'm glad. I know how much—" She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Wait. That's not the point."

He rested against the door frame and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I also had to meet with a new delivery service since our old one is under new management. There was a menu change and a new assistant manager to break in, plus a big catering affair. I didn't think I needed to call you. We're just friends after all."

Cassie narrowed her eves, suspicious. "What are you up to?"

Drake pushed himself from the frame and walked into the apartment. "I'm not up to anything, babe."

She closed the door and glared at his back. "Don't call me babe."

"Sorry, buddy. You liked it when Kevin did. What do your other male friends call you?"

"They call me Cassie. Now listen here—"

He sat. "How's your book coming?"

"Fine." She sat next to him, determined to get answers. "Why didn't you return any of my calls?"

He yawned. "Are we back to that? I explained that I was busy. Besides, I didn't think it was urgent since you didn't call my cell phone." He leaned forward. "I'm not staying long. I just came by to say hello and see if you'd be free for a bazaar later this week."

A bazaar was too public. "How about a movie?"

"Are you free?"

"I don't know."

He stood and patted her on the shoulder. "Call me when you do."

"Drake, stop acting like this," she demanded, annoyed.

"Like what?" He rested his hands on the back on the couch. "A friend? I thought that's what I was."

"You know you're more than that."

He looked surprised. "Do I? You told Eric we were just friends."

"He misunderstood me."

"He misunderstood 'We're just friends'?"

"Okay, I admit I sort of misled him," she confessed with shame.

He sat down, "Why?"

Cassie let her shoulders slump. "It seemed a good idea at the time."

"Why?"

She shrugged helplessly. "I don't know."

"Yes, you do," he insisted.

She shook her head. "No, I don't."

His voice was hard. "Yes, you do."

"I was humiliated, okay!" she admitted, feeling all the hurt of that evening rushing back. "I couldn't stand his pity. He felt so sorry for me that I wanted to make him feel better and I didn't want him to take me seriously. I didn't want any of you to take me seriously." Tears welled in her eyes. "I wanted to laugh about it, but you all refused and made me feel worse."

His voice softened. "We didn't mean to make you feel worse, but what happened wasn't funny. We couldn't even have forced ourselves to laugh if we tried."

She covered her face, her thoughts as jagged and painful as Kristin's words had been. "But it was so embarrassing. How could you not have been embarrassed to be seen with me?"

"The only person who should have been embarrassed was Kristin because what she said wasn't true."

Cassie shook her head, wishing it were as simple as that.

Drake removed her hands, forcing her to look at him. His amber eyes were tender. "What she said was not true."

She squeezed her eyes shut, but a stream of tears still escaped under the lids. Drake let out an audible breath and held her close. His lips brushed her forehead. "Why didn't you tell me she hurt you this much?"

"You were so angry and ashamed," she whispered miserably.

"I wasn't angry at you and I definitely wasn't ashamed." He rubbed his cheek against her hair. "I could never be ashamed of you." He briefly shut his eyes, battling the anguish her tears caused. He should have known how much Kristin had hurt her. How her flippant attitude was just a mask. He should have been there for her. "Can you forgive me?"

"You didn't do anything."

He shook his head, disgusted with himself. "I know." He held her face and wiped away her tears, then gently kissed her. Her lips were salty and sweet. "Open your eyes, Cassie."

She opened her eyes and saw such tenderness reflecting in his she had to turn away. "It's no big deal really," she said, needing to make light of it all. "I'm okay. I just... wished you'd call."

"I'm sorry I didn't call."

She turned to him and blinked. "Are my eyes red?"

"As a mango."

She rubbed them with the back of her hand. "Now you see why I prefer laughing to crying."

"Well, the next time you need to cry, let me know," He placed a finger on her lips to keep her from smiling and making light of his words. "Do you understand?"

She buried her face in his chest and nodded.

"You feel like crying again?"

"No." Her voice was muffled against his shirt. "But I feel a giggle coming on."

He sighed, knowing she was ready to change the subject. He tossed a package on the table.

She lifted her head. "What's that?"

"Never mind." He lifted her chin. "Kiss me again."

She brushed her lips against his. "Now what's that?"

"I think you're beginning to take me for granted," he said dryly.

She lifted the package. "This had better not be food."

"It's not."

She flipped it over. "What is it?"

"Open it."

She eagerly opened the package and smiled. "Pictures!"

"I thought since you showed me your family, I would show you mine. There isn't much."

"It's enough. Are there any naked baby pictures of you?"

"No. Why would you want to see me naked then when you can see me naked now?"

She made a face. "It's not the same."

He lifted a brow. "I should hope not."

She looked through his handful of pictures with the same reverence he had given her album. "Are these the pictures of your parents?" she asked, staring at a young couple.

"Yes."

She brought the picture closer and studied the happy pair. "They look so in love."

Drake stretched his arm the length of the couch. "For all the good it did them."

Cassie turned to him, hearing the disgust in his tone. "What do you mean?"