The Forgotten Night (16 page)

* * *

Thanksgiving…

“So Andrew, you only have one more year of law school to complete?” Edward, Cassidy’s father, asked.

“Yes, sir, and then I have to take my boards,” Andrew said, poking around at the food on his plate. It had been a large family gathering of both the Ames and the Winbrights.

“What area of the law are you focusing on?”

Cassidy took his hand under the table and squeezed it apologetically. He squeezed back, letting her know he didn’t mind the interrogation. They had been going out for nearly a year but in her father’s eyes they had been seeing each other for only five months. Andrew was dating his daughter, his princess.

“Criminal,” he answered.

“So how are everyone’s classes going?” Susan, Cassidy’s mother, asked, trying to change the subject, sensing the obvious tension.

“Oh yes, tell us,” Delia, Andrew’s mother, chimed in.

The rest of the dinner was spent in tight conversations about class and work and anything else that didn’t involve the subject of Cassidy and Andrew. Finally they retired to the living room for drinks. Cassidy and Andrew sat talking to each other while the others got their drinks.

“Don’t you think we should tell him?” Andrew asked softly.

“That we’ve been secretly dating since last Christmas? Because that would go real well with my father and your father.”

“My father approves of us, and he’s happy that we are together. He likes you and your family.”

“It’s just my dad we’re worried about.”

“Yes, but if we tell him—”

“Tell him what? Any way we put it, he will still feel betrayed.”

“I love you, Cassie, and it feels wrong to keep lying to your father.”

“What are you two talking about over there?” Rachel asked, sitting across from them.

“Nothing of any consequence,” Andrew said.

“So, Andrew, what are your plans after graduation?” Edward asked, handing him a cup of liquor.

Andrew took it but did not sip out of it. “I’m not sure yet, there are a couple of law firms in New York that interest me, but it’s only a matter of applying and getting the job.”

“So you plan on sticking around in New York? Nothing in Connecticut appeals to you?”

“Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of amazing law firms there, but I think I would prefer to work in the city.”

“Cassidy, what are your plans after graduation? You also have one more year, correct?” Delia asked.

“Yes, but I’m not exactly sure what I want to do, I might want to go on and get my teaching credentials. I just haven’t decided. But most likely I will find work in speech therapy. There’s a big demand for bilingual speech pathologists.”

“Would you want to work in the city?” Delia asked again.

“If Andy wanted to be near the city then yes, I would find a job somewhere near the city—maybe not in the city itself.”

“Princess you can’t settle, you have to do what you want and if a city job is not what you want then don’t settle for it just because Andrew wants to work near the city,” Edward said sternly, making Andrew cringe.

“Daddy, I’m not settling for anything,” Cassie said.

“Sir, if Cassie wanted to work in Timbuktu then I would follow her. She wouldn’t have to settle for anything. I love her and would never force her to do anything she didn’t want to do…I…I…” Andrew stammered off, realizing what he had just said.

Cassidy went rigid next to him and the hand she was holding now gripped his even tighter.

“What did you say?” Susan and Delia both asked.

Andrew looked around the room and realized everyone else had realized it too. “I…I said…”

“He loves me,” Cassidy said strongly. “And I love him too.”

Both families stared at them. While the women smiled brightly back at the couple, both men narrowed their eyes.

“How can you say that, princess? You’ve only been dating for five months,” Edward argued.

“Love has no time constraints, Daddy. There is no time frame for when a person can fall in love with another, it just happens. It’s spontaneous, unpredictable, it’s timeless,” Cassidy said, looking over at Andrew, who knew he had a soft smile on his face. “We’ve known each other since we were little. And it didn’t start this summer, Daddy, it’s been going on since after New Year’s.”

Edward just stared at his daughter. “Are you sure about him?”

“I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life,” Cassie said, making Andrew’s heart beat faster.

“Sir, your daughter means everything to me. Just thinking about her brings a smile on my face. I love her and never have I ever felt this way before,” he hastened to reassure her father.

“Well, then it must be love,” Edward said softly. Cassidy and Andrew looked at each other and smiled then looked over at her father. “Did you say since New Year’s?”

“Daddy, I know what you’re thinking, but—”

“Don’t feel bad, princess. I understand why you did it, you know your mom and me. We had our own troubles with her father. I understand how it is, how protective I am of you. It’s because I love you, but somehow I think I’ve always known about you two. I’ve always thought it was inevitable. I’m just happy, happy for you, happy to know that you are in good hands. He is a good man,” he said, putting his hand on Andrew’s shoulder while looking down at the couple. “Come on, James, we have some business to discuss, no more of this emotional girly stuff,” he said, walking over to Andrew’s father, who gave an approving nod at the couple before following Edward out of the living room.

“Well, that went relatively okay,” Cassidy said, looking around at the smiling faces.

“Yeah, surprisingly,” Andrew replied, squeezing her hand.

The rest of the night their mothers asked questions about their relationship, wanting to know details. They reprimanded Andrew when they heard about his drunken stupor, but soon were congratulating the two with all the negatives forgotten.

“I still can’t believe we didn’t figure it out, all those years,” Cassidy’s mother said.

“It’s getting rather late, though, don’t you think? James and Edward are still doing business,” Andrew’s mother responded.

“They probably will for another couple of hours, you know how they love to talk business,” Susan said, standing up. “I’m going to head home, dear, are you going to join me or would you prefer to stay the night here?”

“Mother!” Cassidy gasped and the others chuckled.

“What? You’re a grown woman. I’m sure the two of you have been together before.”

“Mother!” Cassidy tried to hush her mother.

“I mean you were together since last year, you stayed here three weeks before going back to your apartment,” her mother continued.

Cassidy’s cheeks turned bright red.

“The cat is out of the bag, Cassie, might as well—”

“Just don’t tell Daddy,” she said faintly and her mother nodded while the others tried to hold in their laughter.

After her mother left, Cassidy, Andrew, and Rachel went upstairs. “You two lovebirds have fun. I’m beat. See you in the morning for cartoons and cereal.” Rachel smiled.

“
Je t’aime
, Cassie,” Andrew said, closing his bedroom door. He took off his jacket and slung it across the small couch in his room.

“My, you’ve been practicing your French.” She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. She leaned in and kissed him softly.

“
J'ai faim
.”

“You know what? You’re right, it is sexy,” she said, jumping up on him and wrapping her legs around his waist. “Even if you did just say you were hungry.” Andrew laughed and fell back into the wall and kissed her back passionately.

“Well, I am hungry, just not for food.” He smiled then moved to kiss her neck.

“I love you too, Andy,” she whispered.

Slowly he pushed away from the wall and walked toward his bed and placed her on it. His hands roamed underneath her shirt and she broke away from him for only a moment to discard it. She slowly unbuttoned his shirt as he moved back to kiss her. She pushed it off his shoulders and threw it on the ground. He kissed her and teased her until she could take no more. They made love the rest of the night and fell asleep in each other’s arms in the early morning.

Chapter Eleven

Christmas Eve…

C
assidy smiled up at Andrew then looked back at the couple who stood before them. “Your father has told us so much about you, Andrew,” the woman exclaimed. “He’s very proud of you.”

“Thank you,” Andrew said politely. Andrew really did hate his family’s Christmas party. His father had told him a long time ago that appearances were everything and the key to getting ahead in the business world. Andrew had made a promise to his dad to meet and greet some of his high executive clients and from then on, everyone assumed they knew Andrew on the same level as his father.

“And I suppose this beautiful lady is your girlfriend?” the woman asked, prying further into his life.

Andrew only smiled and looked down at Cassidy. “Yep, I’m not sure how I got so lucky.”

Cassidy smiled back and kissed him softly on the cheek.

“Aw, you two are just so cute,” the woman said.

“I believe my wife has pestered you enough, it was good to finally meet you, Andrew,” the man said and dragged his wife away with him.

Cassidy laughed and Andrew looked down at her. He loved her laugh, the way her eyes sparkled when she was happy, the way she lit up a room, the way she smiled at him, the way she knew everything he was thinking. She was everything to him, and he knew he could never live without her. He loved her with his whole heart, every fiber of his being cried out for her when they were apart. He needed her, and he knew she needed him as well.

“What is that look for?” Cassidy asked.

“I love you,” he said simply and kissed her softly on the lips.

“You keep that up and all of your father’s clients will want to talk to us.” She smiled.

“You’re right, I’m going to go get something to drink. Do you want anything?”

“No, I haven’t been feeling well lately,” she said.

“You never told me, are you okay?” he asked, concerned.

“I’m fine, that weird bug has been going around. It’s nice to see you care though.” She moved to kiss him again but he stepped out of her reach.

“I don’t want to catch the bug,” he said with a teasing grin.

“Well, whether you like it or not, if I have it, I’m giving it to you,” she said, pulling on his jacket, causing him to stumble toward her. She pulled him down and kissed him long and hard. When they finally parted, Andrew’s mouth broke into a smile.

“Baby, I would take any sickness of yours to have you kiss me like that again,” he teased.

“Go get your drink,” she said, hitting him on the arm playfully. “But do not get drunk.”

“Like I told you a year ago, I’m going to be the one to carry you up those stairs,” he said before walking off to the other room where the bar was stationed.

“You and Drew done making out for now?” Rachel asked, walking up to Cassidy.

Cassidy smiled. “For now.”

Rachel sipped from the cup she had in her hands. “I saw the bombardment of dad’s clients. What’d they say?”

“The same stuff, just wanting to know about me and Andy.”

“I know, you two are the talk of the party, it seems.” She pointed to a group of women socializing in the corner.

“Why?” Cassidy asked.

“Drew was single for nearly two years, he got the rep of being the ladies’ man and now they find out that he’s been dating you for a year. That’s big, Cass.”

“How can you have a rep of being a ladies’ man without having been with any ladies?”

“Rumors, mostly I think it was Brian and those guys though. They hated seeing Drew out of the dating scene. Where is he anyway?”

“Brian?”

“No, my brother.”

“Oh, he went off to get a drink, probably got stopped by one of your dad’s clients though.”

“Yeah, sounds about right. What about you? You’re not drinking anything, and you hate these parties.”

“I’m not feeling too good, haven’t for the last couple of days,” Cassidy said.

“Well, that stomach bug has been going around,” Rachel said. “Do you want me to get you some water? You should be drinking plenty of fluids.”

“Yes, Mother,” Cassidy said meekly.

Rachel narrowed her eyes before walking off to go get some water.

“You don’t have to get me anything,” Cassidy called.

“No, you called me mother and I’m going to mother you now,” Rachel laughed.

Cassidy watched as her friend walked away. She loved Rachel and smiled at the notion that one day they might truly be sisters. Andrew hinted at it enough. She knew their bond was so strong that nothing could break it. Everything they had gone through only made them stronger. And she knew she couldn’t live without him either. She drifted off for a moment, thinking about the wonderful cruise they’d taken this summer.

“Cass? Cass?” she heard faintly.

Cassidy shook her head, trying to focus on what was happening in the present.

“You looked like you were recalling some good memories,” Ian Morrow said with a laugh. “Did I interrupt anything?”

“I was remembering some good memories, but no you didn’t interrupt too much. What’s up, Ian?”

“Have you seen Rach?” Ian asked. Ian and Rachel had been dating since the previous summer. They had met on the cruise and fell in love shortly thereafter.

“She went to go bring me some water, mothering me,” Cassidy said.

“And where’s your knight in shining armor?” he asked.

Cassidy laughed. “He’s off getting a drink and mingling.”

“You were right,” he said, changing the subject.

“Right about what?”

“Aunt Cecile and the rest of the Winbright family.”

“Ah, so you’ve met her. I love that dear old woman, but sometimes…”

“She pinched my ass after Rach introduced us,” Ian exclaimed.

“Well, she can be eccentric at times,” Cassidy tried to explain.

“She’s not eccentric, she’s a bit crazy and a little more than scary.”