No Such Thing As True Love (8 page)

            The two of them noticed the time and headed toward the café to meet Markus. They arrived a few minutes before he did, and stood outside in the sun while they waited. Cassandra looked at Maritess, and decided to call her bluff. “Hey,” she said. Maritess looked up with a smile as Cassandra continued, “So, if you feel absolutely nothing for Markus, I could maybe take him off your hands for you.” Cassandra stated her proposal as if she were in front of a hard-sale client. Maritess was impressed, outwardly relieved, but couldn’t quench the sudden rise of jealously she felt. She stamped out the squandering, little flame, and gave Cassandra her blessing. If Cassandra wanted to date Markus, that was fine with her.

…

CHAPTER 13

            By the time Markus met them at a table, the two women had decided to seamlessly transfer Markus between them. Maritess rose to give him a hug when he approached, but turned her cheek when he went to kiss her. Cassandra rose as well, and Markus had no choice but to hug her, too. They sat down and, after they’d placed their order with the server, Cassandra dropped a confession in their laps.

            “So, I know that I said I’d taken a few personal days, but that was kind of a white lie. They’re actually called ‘re-acclaimation’ days. I’m supposed to be finding an apartment and getting all my stuff moved over from Seattle,” Cassandra said. Maritess was stunned and waited for her to continue. “It turns out that this contract with the mill is going to take a few months of work. Since I’m from here, and it was my idea, they made it my project. So, I’m going to be moving home for a while,” she said as she turned to Maritess. “What do you think?” she asked.

            Maritess was speechless. Happiness resounded through her entire being, but she couldn’t ignore a dissonant note in her emotion. Cassandra had known she was going to be moving here, but didn’t tell Maritess until just now. Maritess knew that if Cassandra was living here for a while, she was serious about dating Markus. Maritess felt surprised when she felt a bit of jealousy rise up in her again. Quickly, she snapped it out of her mind and allowed the joy to sweep forth from her.

            “I can’t believe it,” Maritess squealed. “For how long?” Cassandra laughed and returned the hug Maritess gave her. She answered that it was scheduled to be twelve weeks, but would probably round out to a little under five months. She had already found an apartment, and had a moving truck pack up her old house. When she said that it would be arriving the next day, Maritess volunteered both herself and Markus to help her unpack. Markus was happy to help.

            Over the rest of their lunch, Maritess and Markus filled Cassandra in on the town and what things went on there now. It hadn’t been that long since Cassandra had visited, but she hadn’t lived there in well over a decade. By the time their dessert coffee had cooled to room temperature, the three of them had a list of things to do before the weather got too bad for the year. They emerged from the restaurant into the late afternoon sun, full and happy.

            Maritess had decided that Cassandra should stay with her until her apartment was unpacked, and Cassandra agreed it was a great idea. They decided to walk around town for a while. Maritess and Markus each got to show Cassandra a couple of their favorite spots. One place in particular, a coffee shop, was on both of their lists. Even though both Markus and Maritess visited the establishment at least once a day, and had for years, they had never before run into each other there. Cassandra even had a chance to tell a story about her last high school sweetheart as they passed his father’s bakery. When the sun threatened to disappear behind the rise of buildings, they decided it was time to head back to Maritess’ place.

            The walk and the climb to the third floor had invigorated them. They were each cracking jokes and laughing as they walked into Maritess’ apartment. Tike was alarmed when they entered. Maritess was typically such a quiet housemate, so the additional ruckus deserved a few good barks. However, when Tike recognized Cassandra, he was a loving, jumping, slobbering puppy again. Maritess grabbed the leash to take him out, and left Cassandra and Markus alone in her apartment.

            Cassandra crossed the living room and sat on the couch. Markus’ mind flashed back to the moments he hovered above Maritess. Seeing Cassandra on the couch was a stark contrast. She was just as beautiful as Maritess, but much more easy-going. Markus was very comfortable around her, but felt a sudden pang of guilt. The emotion he felt for Maritess was still just as strong, but it was no match for the intrigue he felt towards Cassandra.

            “So,” he said to her as he took a seat in the rocking chair perpendicular to the couch, “has Maritess always been so…”

            “Stubborn and controlling?” Cassandra offered. Markus nodded his head as she continued, “Yea, but the iciness is kind of new…” Cassandra let her voice trail off as her eyes traced the pictures that ran in frames across the wall.

            “Do you know what made her so icy?” Markus asked, hoping that Cassandra would shed some light on what made Maritess so confusing to him. He studied her as she studied the pictures. They only had a couple more minutes before Maritess would be back with Tike.

            “Of course, I do,” Cassandra answered. Nothing followed. Markus was about to ask her to elaborate, but Maritess opened the front door. Markus felt a dashing disappointment as his opportunity was blown. He hoped that he would get another chance, and decided to befriend Cassandra.

            Befriending her was extraordinarily easy. Maritess made sure it was that way. She helped guide their conversation, and rarely interjected. By the time the pizza arrived, Markus and Cassandra were so involved with each other that they almost forgot to eat. Maritess smiled at them, and felt comfortable enough to pull out her laptop to work on the club’s schedule. She felt grateful that her emotions seemed to be mostly of relief, with not a hint of jealousy in sight.

            When the pizza was cold and the beer was warm, Markus decided to say goodnight. He hugged Maritess tightly, and hugged Cassandra the same way. Maritess felt a slight longing as he walked out the door, but she chalked it up to being tired. She turned to see Cassandra open up her briefcase and pull out her laptop. She had always been a night owl, and Maritess was glad to see that it hadn’t changed about her. She made sure Cassandra had pillows and blankets, and would be okay for the night. Assured, Maritess made her way to her room, closed the door and went to sleep.

…

CHAPTER 14

            Maritess woke up the next morning excited for Cassandra’s moving day. She emerged, dressed and bushy-tailed from her room to find Cassandra still asleep. Maritess tried not to make much noise as she left to take Tike for a walk. When they got back upstairs, Maritess grabbed her keys and bag, and scribbled a note for Cassandra. She wrote that she was stopping by the club to set things up for the day, but would probably be back before Cassandra woke up. She instructed Tike to be on guard, and giggled her way down the hall.

            Maritess felt refreshed as she stepped outside. The trip to the club was pleasant, and so was the Zen feeling Maritess got as she opened up. She tacked the amended schedule in the break room, and met with her managers for a while. When everything was in order, Maritess walked out of the building. It had been a long time since she had taken any personal time off. Most of her managers had more free hours than she did, but Maritess thought that was only right. The club was her baby, and she never really liked leaving. Yet, when she boarded the bus to go back home that morning, she felt a sense of freedom and excitement that she realized had been missing from her life.

            She stopped at the corner store to grab some food for breakfast, as well as the chocolate bars she and Cassandra couldn’t live without as kids. When she unlocked her door, she wasn’t surprised to see her friend still passed out on the couch. Cassandra worked more typical business hours, so she wasn’t normally awake until about seven-thirty. Maritess opened the club every day at five am. It was only six now, and she knew that Cassandra had probably stayed up until way after midnight working on her contracts. Still, it was difficult being quiet. Maritess tried to busy herself with marketing work, but only held out for another hour. At seven, she was holding a candy bar in front of Cassandra’s face while she gently poked at her side with a banana. When Cassandra opened her eyes, she laughed.

            “Breakfast of champions,” Maritess joked. Cassandra stood up and went to the bathroom to get ready. The wrapper on the candy bar crinkled as she opened it when the two of them were both seated at the table. After all these years, Maritess still remembered all of her little favorites. Cassandra knew hers, too, and went to her bag and pulled out a gift. Maritess smiled as she held the package and instantly knew what it was.

            “In tradition,” Cassandra stated as Maritess carefully removed the artful wrapping paper. Some time in their early twenties, when they were both fully leaving the nest, they realized that each time they said goodbye, it could be their last. One time, Cassandra snapped a picture of them just before they parted ways. The next time she visited Maritess, she gave it to her in a frame. The picture Maritess now held in her hands was at least five years old. She remembered not even wanting to pose for the photo, but had swung her eyes towards the camera lens at the last moment; her face was a wash of sadness, pain and frustration. Cassandra’s expression wasn’t much better. Her brow was furrowed and she was obviously angry. The photo was perfectly framed in a sparkling array of stones. The phrase ‘No Matter What’ was attached to the bottom of the frame in a row of carved, wooden letters. Maritess smiled, and blinked away a tear. She hugged Cassandra, and was truly happy to have her friend close by again.

            Once Maritess had hung the picture on the wall and they had finished munching their breakfast, Cassandra brought up Markus. She told Maritess how impressed she had been by him. There was obviously a dazzle in her eyes as she spoke. Maritess was relieved to feel only happiness for her friend. Even when Cassandra asked her again if it was okay to date Markus, Maritess assured her that it was. Soon, they were both ready to head out for the day. While Cassandra had stored a few things in Seattle, most everything else was going into her new apartment. She had most of what she needed, but the apartment was bleak. She and Maritess made their way to all the hardware stores looking for paint and things to decorate with.

            When they got to Cassandra’s new apartment, the movers were only a few minutes away. Cassandra had them move everything to the center of the living room and bedroom, making it easy for her and Maritess to paint. It only took them a few hours to cover the two rooms of the apartment, and soon the fans were on and the walls were drying. Maritess and Cassandra got changed in the chaos of boxes and furniture, and were soon on their way out for dinner. Markus was meeting them after he left his office. Their plan was to return to Cassandra’s apartment to help her start unpacking once they were finished with their meal.

            Markus showed up right on time. He was in a great mood. He had finally started to really feel the benefits of training with Maritess. Markus had more stamina, and didn’t feel so tired by the end of the day. Apparently, it had even affected his work performance. His boss had put him in the lead for their next big case. While it meant that he had some extra work to do, it was a big step for him in the firm. Cassandra and Maritess each congratulated him. Combined, the three of them had every reason in the world to celebrate.

            Drinks, funny stories and incredible food passed among them. It seemed too soon when dinner was over and the server was bringing them the check. Each of their hands flew out to grab it first, but Markus was quickest on the draw. The two women thanked him graciously, and together they returned to Cassandra’s apartment. After a few minutes of getting oriented, everyone was at work. Markus needed no assistance with her furniture. Most of it were simple wood frames with elaborate cushions. Her bed was full-sized, but the frame and headboard were only a few pieces. Maritess unpacked the kitchen, and Cassandra started emptying boxes into drawers and on to shelves.

            They called jokes to one another. Maritess marveled at how Cassandra had grown up. She was sure that Cassandra felt the same about her. In the few short years since they’d seen each other last, they had both changed immensely. As she unpacked boxes of pots, pans and cutlery, she noticed that Cassandra had almost a complete kitchen set. She wondered if the woman had ever learned to actually cook for herself. She was about to make a comment about it when she heard Cassandra laughing in the bedroom with Markus. It sounded only playful, and soon they emerged and walked into the kitchen. Maritess gave her a hard time about cooking, and Markus joined in. Then Cassandra turned the tables and challenged Maritess’ culinary skills. Well, while she may not be a master chef, Maritess was very sure of her mixing abilities.

            After a quick run to the store, she returned with a couple bottles of booze and juice, a bag of ice and some lime. The apartment was mostly put away, except for Cassandra’s enormous wardrobe. Still, the kitchen was functional and so was the living room. Together, they decided that a good day’s work had been done by all, and drinks made for a great course of action. Maritess had an awesome time playing bartender, and for once, didn’t feel guilty about all the empty calories. Markus and Cassandra held their liquor well, and the three of them rolled in rounds of laughter, intrigue and discovery.