Henry smiles like I’ve just made his day.
“What do you say, Carl? Your boyfriend is coming.”
“Dad, I’ve told you how much I hate that nickname. Second, three of us piled into your dingy? Sounds awful.”
Henry shakes his head and busies himself with his food. Okay, some of my guilt over spoiling Carly rotten is starting to dissipate because if this is how she speaks to her parents all the time, then maybe she was always like this and just put on a very convincing front. I can’t help but feel completely conned.
“I could find us a boat for the day. Something we could take wherever we wanted to go, I’m sure?” I offer.
Henry looks up in hope that will convince his daughter and Carly returns my suggestion with a wrinkle of her nose as she stabs at the meatloaf once more.
“I’ll go, Dad. We don’t need a fancy boat, just some worms and beer, right?” Cassi says.
Henry looks to her and nods. “That’s all you need for a good fishing trip. Nico has a point. The boat has a small crack in the haul from the last time I took her out. I’ll go halves with you on it?” he says to me.
I shake my head before he can even finish his sentence.
“You have invited me into your home, for longer than you agreed upon. Please, let me.”
“Yeah, dad. Let him, he wipes his ass with hundred dollar bills,” Cassi snarks.
I look to her with a serious expression.
“I could never be so wasteful,” I tsk before looking to Henry. “I use twenties.”
Laughter erupts from the table, of course except Carly as Henry shakes his head.
“As any good man should.”
Cassi is grinning so wide it actually catches me off guard. Her teeth are so white, so perfect. Her smile transforms her face into something…else. I don’t know how to explain it. Like how people say someone lights up the room. She lights up an entire city block. Light, and joy and…something else just radiates out of her. It’s a look I’ve really never seen on the smartass twenty one year old. I didn’t think she had it in her to look anything other than irritated by me. The fact that she’s laughing, at a joke I made no less, it does something to me that I know it absolutely shouldn’t.
The plan was to go out for some evening fishing tonight since everyone had to work. I did some things on my laptop and took a few conference calls but I have my VP holding down things well enough so my presence wasn’t overly necessary. Carly set up a girl’s day with some friends from high school and honestly, I’m grateful for it. She’s been breathing down my neck since we’ve got here. I haven’t so much as kissed her since our fight, and she can tell. I’m not sure why I haven’t fucked her, she’s my girlfriend after all. Maybe I just don’t feel like it because I’m so goddamn irritated with her. Maybe by the day, her personality ruins her outer appearance for me more and more to the point where I’m losing my attraction to her altogether. Or maybe I’m shit scared that if I fuck her, I’ll wish I was inside her sister.
Say anything you want about Cassi, fuck knows I’ve said it all in my head, but that woman is…something else. Her body was so responsive, flawless. Supple curves, silky skin and a pussy that felt like it was goddamn made for me. Carly is beautiful of course but Cassi is almost ethereal. Like a forbidden goddess. Something out of my reach, out of my grasp. Two things I am not familiar with.
The first thing I did this morning was have my assistant arrange a boat to take us out for fishing. She said she found the perfect one that came with a captain and had glowing reviews from CEO’s to celebrities, even an NFL player for the Seattle Crusaders apparently used them. I told her that it sounds good enough and had her book it for today.
I’m not a huge water person. A beach house is about as involved as I get so this is definitely new territory for me but I like Henry, he seems like a good guy. The girls are lucky to have him, I’d have given anything to have the kind of dad I know he was to them. Seeing Carly shoot him down so easily bugged me and then seeing how Cassi swooped in to save the day in a sense opened my eyes. It had me watching her a little closer for the rest of the night. Every snide remark Carly would make to someone, Cassi would match it with a compliment. Every complaint Carly had, Cassi had something to thank for. Every turn, she was actively trying to right her sister’s wrongs. It must have been fucking exhausting growing up like that.
Mary and Henry met me at the house and together we drove to the docks where our boat is waiting. I was surprised at first when Mary asked if she could join this morning. She didn’t seem too interested last night but I’m glad she came. She has this warmth to her, something that reminds me a lot of my mother, and I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed being around people that carry themselves in that way.
Cassi didn’t get off work until four so she said she would meet us there and true to her word, she is waiting in the parking lot inside her silver Civic that has to be from the nineties at the newest. That color too, I can only imagine how completely invisible she becomes against the roads when it’s overcast and raining out here. One bad accident in that thing and she’s done, yet she seems completely unbothered by the tin can she rolls around in.
Cassi steps out of the car, huge sunglasses covering her face. She’s wearing a pair of blue jeans and a cropped band t-shirt. Not exactly what I picture for a receptionist at a dental office.
“Did Carly seriously not come?” she asks as she looks between all of us.
I shake my head and she scoffs.
“Fucking bitch.”
“Watch your mouth,” Henry says, his words holding absolutely not heat in them.
“I’m just speaking the truth,” she says, tossing her hands out by her sides before looking to me.
“Alright Mr. Twenties, lead the way.”
I choke on my next breath as I look to her.
