Yesterday & Forever (2 page)

“
It’s completely my fault”, the rich voice murmured near her ear. Cass felt the goose bumps re-new their journey up her arms. “Let me get you another”.

“
No need, really. I’ll just...erm”, she stopped, her face flaming.

They stood up and Cass realised he was taller than her original estimation, more 6’2 to her petite 5’3.

He smiled and Cass’s senses went into over drive.

“
Do you always turn down a free coffee?” he asked, grinning cheekily down at her. His smile was infectious and Cass found herself grinning back.

“
Not always. I try not to limit myself to hot beverages, sometimes cold ones too”.

He laughed, causing two small dimples to appear in the corners of his mouth.

“
Mmm well that does make it difficult. How about a drink and some food? A muffin maybe?”

“
No, really that’s fine”, Cass replied, trying to motivate her body to move past him when all it really wanted to do was stay.

“
Excuse me but if no-one is ordering then can I ask you to move! You’re holding up the line!” barked the barista.

Cass turned around to find a long line of people behind them.

“
There’s another coffee shop on the lower floor. I’m Luca by the way, Luca Drake”.

“
Hi, I’m Cassandra Regence, but most people call me Cass”.

He smiled, the dimples appearing once more.

The barista coughed loudly behind them.

“
Guess that’s our cue to go. You can cancel my order”, Luca called over his shoulder as they turned to leave.

“
That’d be a fine thing, since you never made one!” the barista grumbled.

Cass looked up at Luca. He shrugged his shoulders, as if to say ‘I’ve no idea what they are talking about’, despite the gleam in his eyes saying otherwise.

Chapter 4

Cass frowned at the cake in her hand, remembering those early days. They had talked about everything. He told her how he was an only child and his parents had passed away in a car crash in Italy whilst visiting his mother’s family. How he was raised by his paternal grandfather, the CEO of Drake Asset Management, one of the largest broking businesses in London and how he never wanted for anything except maybe a sibling. Though he informed her, he’d make that up by having a large family of his own. Cass blushed at the memory of that, just as she had done at the time. She told him about her family. How both her parents were teachers and she was the eldest of three, one sister and one brother, who were just as annoying as each other. How she’d planned to travel the world. He’d offered to come along and be her guide, citing his credentials as having travelled everywhere with his grandfather to learn the family business.

Soon days turned into weeks and weeks into months and months into years. Each year more blissful than the last. Memories travelled at light speed through her mind. Their first kiss, the first time he’d met her family, their first prom, the first time they’d made love.

Soon graduation came. Luca had presented her with a yellow rose corsage.

“
Oh Luca, they are beautiful!” she’d exclaimed with joy.

“
They are Midas Touch Roses. They remind me of you”.

She’d raised one eyebrow at him, questioning, “Really?! Because everything I touch turns to gold!”

“
No, because being with you makes me feel like the richest man on earth”.

She smiled even now at the memory. “Mmmm. I’ll buy that, but you kind of are the richest man on earth.”

He’d become serious at that, “It’s my grandfather’s money, not mine. Yeah sure I’ll go into the business but it’s not mine at the moment”.

Graduation. The first time she’d met his grandfather. Up until now he’d been a shadowy figure on the horizon, always spoken of but never seen, never real. He resembled Luca in height and build though sported grey hair where Luca’s was brown, light blue eyes where Luca’s were a coffee brown.

Those however weren’t the only differences Cass found. He was cold where Luca was warm, distant where Luca was caring and considerate. In fact he never even spoke directly to her. Luca insisted he was nice when you got to know him, though Cass was doubtful that would ever happen.

“
Grandfather, this is Cassandra Regence. My girlfriend”.

Light blue eyes moved slowly over her.

“
Hello Mr Drake. Luca has told me so much about you”.

A curt nod was only her reply.

“
Luca my boy, the majority shares have been transferred. Remember the meeting tomorrow 9am sharp. It’s down to you. Miss Regence”, his Grandfather said with one last nod in her direction, before turning to walk away.

Luca frowned at his retreating form.

“
No worries. One month to go before our big trip!” Cass squeaked happily, tucking her hand into his.

Luca smiled down at her, making her insides turn to jelly.

“
Yeah, one month. One whole, long month! Why can’t it only be one week!” he burst out, before grabbing her in a bear hug and spinning them around, both laughing at the joy of the present and the promise of the future.

Chapter 5

Cass should have known it was all too good to be true.

Although her parents said no-one could have known, Cass was sure she did somewhere deep down.

Within the month, Luca’s Grandfather had passed away. The doctors said it was a heart attack brought on by stress.

Luca, as the majority shareholder and heir apparent was the next in line.

She went to the funeral with him. Was by his side holding his hand as the board members offered their condolences on his loss with one hand, while congratulating him on becoming the youngest CEO with the other.

She remembered the conversation straight after.

The one that turned her world upside down.

“
Cass, this isn’t going to work”.

They were sitting in his Grandfather’s house. Mansion would be a better word thought Cass.

“
I can’t come travelling with you. This isn’t going to work”.

His eyes were dark and troubled.

She laid her hand on his, “I know a lot is going on at the moment. I know you can’t come away with me. I wasn’t expecting you to. I get it”.

He pulled his hand away and stood up, tugging at his tie. A gesture Cass knew he did when nervous or upset.

“
No, I don’t think you do. This changes everything. I’m the youngest CEO this company, hell, most companies have seen! They will expect me to be him. He worked hard to get the business where it is now. I can’t let them down”. The raw edge in his voice ran straight to her heart.

“
Right. So being with me is letting them down?” Cass whispered.

Luca sighed, “I can’t be with anyone. Not right now and it wouldn’t be fair to ask you to wait for when things have settled down”.

“
No, it’s not fair,” Cass said quietly, “I guess I should thank you for being so honourable”.

Grabbing her bag, she stood up. “I am sorry for your loss Luca, but more than that I’m sorry for your future. You are giving up the only person who really loved you for you and not for what you could give them”.

She didn’t stop to look back, not even when he called her name.

And the tears didn’t stop long after the hour it took her to reach home or when she was lying on her bed, her family murmuring comforting words.

She had made the trip. She’d promised herself that she was going to live her dream. From the Taj Mahal in India to the Statue of Liberty in America, she’d seen it all. She’d been informed every now and then of what Luca was up to by mutual friends. Read in the financial sections of the newspapers how his company was going from strength to strength.

At last it was time to head home. Only a year had passed but to Cass it may as well have been an eternity. As the plane touched down in London, she had made a vow to herself to forget Luca Drake once and for all, even though the small crinkled photo hidden in her back pack from the graduation day, mocked her otherwise.

Chapter
6

She shook her head, trying to clear memories that had no right being there. Especially today and especially now when she was standing smack bang in his office building.

Cass examined the huge chocolate cake on the glass cake stand.

It was her best piece yet. The small details of a marzipan calculator, tie, and pair of specs carefully put on. She was sure, Mr. Swans, the retiring accountant would love it.

She heard a bevy of loud, excited voices coming down the hall way. Quickly stashing the box into her oversize carrier, she turned to leave, just as the mahogany door swung open.

“
Oh this looks amazing!”

“
Do you think he’ll like it?”

“
These flowers smell gorgeous Bex!”

“
Take a look at this cake! Wow!”

A sea of people rushed in and headed towards the glass, oval table that was weighed down by all the food. The cake placed neatly in its centre.

“
Did you do this?” a pregnant woman asked Cass, jostling past the small group that had already taken up residence next to it.

“
Yeah, I did. I’m from ‘CC’s Bakery”, Cass replied, reaching into her pocket to retrieve a business card.

“
It’s delightful. Do you do baby shower cakes? I’ve still to throw this one a party”, she said softly, gently rubbing her bump.

“
Yeah, one for yours and one for Luca’s new addition, eh Liz?”

She turned to see a portly gentleman in his mid-fifties approach the table.

Thoughts as fast and mixed up as a whirlwind swept through Cass’s mind. Luca, a daddy! Her Luca. Now a father to someone else’s baby?!

She felt bile rise up in her throat.

“
Excuse me”, she muttered, pushing past the throng of people.

“
Ssshhh. He’s coming in”, someone whispered loudly.

Before she knew what was happening, all the blinds were pulled down and the lights shut off, swamping Cass into darkness.

She managed to push past the people nearest her and bumped against a wall.

“
Phew”, she whispered to herself, sliding down and sitting on the floor.

“
The meeting is in here Henry”. The rich, deep timbre voice of Luca Drake carried through the closed door.

Even though it’d been ten years, ten years of deliberately not listening to the voice tapes he’d made her at the start of University. Ten years of not watching the silly videos that they’d made of each other and their friends, Cass could recognise that voice anywhere. The goose-bumps now rising on her arms, reminded her of the effect he had on her all those years ago and still had on her now.

“
What...oh!” came the surprised voice of Mr. Swans as the doors were pushed open to a loud chorus of ‘Surprise!’

Chapter 7

From her position on the floor, Cass could get a glimpse past legs of an elderly man, in a dark brown suit. Very expensive shoes, Cass noted as they walked past her.

Behind him stood the man Cass thought she’d never see again.

His dark brown hair cut shorter than when they were at University, spiked up from where he had been running his hands through it. He had the same athletic build, now hidden under a black, designer pair of suit trousers and shirt rather than the favoured University outfit of jeans and Rugby top. He looked tired, she thought. A 5 o’clock shadow began to make an appearance where it would normally have been clean shaven.

She pushed herself further against the wall as he walked past.

She was clearly not the only one to have noticed him or how his lack of tie added to his appeal, judging from the sighs of the girls in front, as he moved past them.

Congratulations and exclamations of how much Mr. Swans would be missed echoed around the room.

“
A party! You shouldn’t have”, she heard Mr. Swans say, “Especially with the project you’ve got on at the moment”.

Project! That’s how he thought of parenthood! Cass thought disgustedly.

“
It’s no bother, really. You’ve been with this company a long time. All the employees will be sad to see you go. My Grandfather would have done exactly the same”, Luca replied. Cass rolled her eyes, remembering his grandfather the last time she saw him. That was highly doubtful! Thoughtful enough to throw a retirement party? Yeah right, who was he kidding!

Seeing the crowd move forward towards the cake, she decided now was the time. Standing up with her giant pink bag would probably draw attention from the one person she was hoping to avoid, she reasoned.

Taking up a pose she thought she had left behind her in her childhood days, Cass positioned herself on her hands and knees and prepared to shuffle across the floor to the open door.

With just enough people to create a screen, she started her perilous journey. She gave a snort of disbelief. How could she, Cassandra Regence have gotten herself into this mess! She knew she should have let someone else do the delivery. What’s more, it didn’t help that she had the theme song from ‘The Great Escape’ playing in her head.