★Nathan★
It had been a week since Cassandra and I had started dating, though ‘dating’ still felt like a fragile word for what we were building. There had been no more formal dates after breakfast and the beach, but we talked constantly. Calls between meetings, texts late at night, and stolen moments whenever our paths crossed at the office. It was easy. Effortless, even. I liked that. It had been years since something in my life had felt simple. By Friday afternoon, my schedule had finally eased up enough for me to plan something special. Cassandra had spent the entire week dealing with new CEO responsibilities, juggling back-to-back meetings and media appearances. I figured she could use a quiet evening, just the two of us, dinner, and maybe a walk by the bay afterward. I was about to ca
