Pretending? (EDITING)

Chapter 4

CASSEY (P.O.V)

Unknown: Goodnight.

Unknown: Good morning.

Unknown: I know you’ve my messages Cassey.

I go over the messages from the unknown number again, I’m sure they were from Andrea. She must have gotten my phone number from my application documents. I wouldn’t have given it to her. I really don’t understand what game Andrea was playing at, she was already married to that guy.

I decide on not answering them and chug the phone into my handbag. The bus reaches my stop and I alight preparing for the short walk to the office. I had arrived at work early by at least half an hour. I didn't need Andrea nagging me about time-keeping.

On my way up I meet Kate the receptionist and we exchanged a few pleasantries. I just hope Andrea hasn't arrived yet. With twenty minutes to spare I go upstairs and open her office door only to find my boss already seated and working on some papers.

"Good morning Ms. Andrea,"

"Good morning Cassey," she answers without looking up from what she was doing. The rays from the sun filtering in through the curtains making her sleek black hair shine from the lighting. She looked divine I couldn't help but stare at her for a bit.

A cleared throat draws me from the awkward stare.

"Did you lose something on me," Andrea asks looking at me amused. What a jerk.

"Mm No...Not at all," I stuttered trudging to my desk. I still couldn't understand why she insisted we share her office. It felt so small for the both of us despite it being a grandeur office suit.

“Good. Where’s my coffee?”

“Huh? What coffee.”

“I texted you Cassey.”

“I’m aware Miss, but you didn’t mention anything to do with coffee?” I reply looking at her from my desk.

“Well if you had bothered to reply you’d know Cassey,” she says narrowing her eyes at me.

“I’m sorry Ma’am,” I say getting up, “What would you like me to go get you?”

“Just a black coffee with two sugars and no cream. Go make me some in the kitchen.”

“Sure Miss.”

I make my way out of the office fuming internally. I hated how cocky Andrea was being with me this morning. God how I detested her smug face, thinking she was right and all.

What I wouldn’t give to pound it so freaking hard till it turned into pancake. I make my way downstairs into the kitchen to make f*****g coffee.

If Andrea wanted coffee she could have texted ‘bring me coffee assistant’ not that stupid s**t she’s been texting me since last night. Those were clear violations of work ethics. That had to be a form harassment. Right?

Inside the kitchen I find Kate and Jimmy huddled in a corner all smiles whispering about something, at least they were having a great morning. I finish my task and head upstairs with a hot steaming cup of Andrea’s coffee. I wish it burns her tongue or she chokes on it.

“What took you so long,” Andrea says as I set the cup before her.

“I just went down a few minutes ago,” I whine.

“No you didn’t…if I knew you’d take this long, I could have done it myself,” she says in a rude tone, “What took you so long, did you have to harvest the coffee beans yourself?” Andrea makes a horrid face after taking a sip from the cup.

“It doesn’t ev…”

“I don’t like the way you are talking to me Ms. Andrea,” I tell Andrea in an exhausted voice. She needed to just get off my case so we could work. I didn’t have to take any of the s**t especially from her.

“If you don’t like the way I what…tal…”

“Come on Andrea. You know I hate it when you talk to me in a condescending manner right?” I lean over the desk and face her eye to eye

“I don’t frankly,” Andrea says getting up, “I don’t know because apparently we never met before. So I don’t know what you like, what you don’t like.”

“Yes. You are right. You don’t know me just as I don’t know you,” I reply moving away. You don’t know s**t because you never cared enough to stay

"So there’s your desk. I had Parker move it and prepare it for, you can start working, file those papers but go through them first. There are contracts for two new apartment buyers. I need them by the end of this workday," she said proudly.

Just as she promised my desk was at the corner. It was a white polished desk, smaller than hers obviously. It looked amazing with a computer, a grey vase with three red roses and pens arranged neatly. I wanted to still insist that I be allowed sit outside her office but Andrea being Andrea wouldn't budge at my request.

"Do you like it" she asked.

"Yes I do Andr… ma'am," I corrected myself as I tried to cover it with a fake cough.

My other works were mainly to pick some of her calls then assign visitation days with prospect buyers of the apartments. Fetch her more coffee. Then there was also answering of some business emails. I also learnt that other days we'd go out with buyers to check out the apartments for sale and houses.

Lunch came by quickly and I excused myself to go eat with Kate. Andrea's half showed up with lunch. Kate later on told me it was kind their routine. Apparently Andrea and Blake from time to time had lunch together. I also gathered from Kate that he was an established attorney in women and children's issues. Such a perfect couple.

I wonder how long the two have been together. Did she meet him after she left me all broken up? I couldn't help but feel anger and resentment by the mere fact I was just I was just a phase or just an experiment to her.

"Hey Cassey, hey are you ok," Kate asks snapping her fingers in front of my face.

"You look so lost in your thoughts. Then your facial expressions keeps changing from anger to hurt then more hurt," Kate continues saying while looking at me with worried eyes.

"I'm fine Kate. Just bad memories I'm trying to shag off,"

"Shag off...huh, what does that even mean, it sounds pretty s****l if u ask me" she says in laughter.

"Hey don't you laugh at me. Ok I’m trying to ‘shake off’ is that more appropriate for you," I state while giggling. Talking to Kate was easy. She was fun to be around with.

Some of the anger had subsided. Thinking about Andrea Night would just bring me ulcers. The day ended uneventfully apart from the make out session from the married coupled that I was graced with while returning from lunch.

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Days turn into weeks. It had now been one month as Andrea's assistant and the good thing was that she never bugged me about our past. Things seemed to be falling into place. We fell into the normal boss-employee routine I had hoped for.

Tommy and I were moving steadily. Our tenth month anniversary would be tomorrow evening. Tommy being very much of a romantic guy I knew he'd make that night a memorable one. On my part I was going to do finally sleep with him. Tommy had been patient with me.  He never pushed me into anything s****l. He actually stayed with me whenever I turned him down romantically. Tomorrow night he was really gonna get the surprise he always wanted. I also bought him a watch. I just hope he likes it.

I couldn't wait for the day to end. I turned from my desk to see if Andrea needed anything. She looked to be in deep thought as she stared at something in her hand.

"Ma'am Andrea is there anything I can do for you," I ask her.

I couldn't wait for her to dismiss me or send me somewhere. Sharing the office space was really irritating the s**t out of me. She'd start humming the tune from 'hey soul sister' our theme song in high school or she’d start narrating the best times we had together, even after I told her multiple times that I wasn’t interested. It was beginning to tick me off. Looking back to Andrea she looked completely spaced out. I stood from my desk and walked to her.

"Ma'am do you need me to do something for you. I've finished all the work you assigned me," I say tapping her shoulder.

"Huh sorry. I didn't mean to phase out. Do you need something," Andrea asks looking at me with me her murky grey eyes. From looking into her eyes I could tell her thoughts were miles away.

"Huh... I asked if you needed me to do anything else…" I stammered and broke the eye contact. Andrea hesitated but then nodded. She then handed me a pink picture frame.

"What’s this..," I ask her.

"Just do me a favor and tell me if you recognize it," she asks in a small voice, “or if you know the people in the picture.”

"Ok"

I slowly turned the picture and I was shaken to my core. There stood two girls looking as happy as ever. I thought I destroyed every picture of us together. How come she still had this? My heartbeat picked and I felt like I was suffocating.

I looked to Andrea and found her looking at me patiently as my walls crumbled before her.

"Cassey Bookner does this picture jog your somehow lost memory?" Andrea asked with a low voice. I felt dizzy and trotted back to my desk.

"Huh what’s the meaning of this," I ask dumbly still not believing what was unfolding before me. Obviously Andrea had not given up on digging up our past together. I was floating on an ocean of disbelief and shock.

"Cassey, that's us," Andrea answers, “you and me, together and happy.”

"Frankly I don't get why you are keep pushing that old agenda Ms. Andrea, and why should I believe that this picture is real? Huh? For all I know it could be Photo-shopped. I did do photojournalism…" I tell her whilst trying to regain my tough stance.

"Damn it! When did you get this stubborn Cass, even in the face of truth you remain adamant Cassey!" Andrea shouts from where she was. "You could never lie to me Cassey, even in the past your eyes always spoke for you most, like they are now."

“I guess you reading the wrong person’s eyes then. So just drop it. Go look for your Cassey coz sure as hell isn’t me Ms. Andrea.”

"This is like drawing blood from a stone, even a blind man can tell the picture is real," Andrea exclaims looking hurt. I remained silent watching her.

In that moment I looked like a deer caught in the headlight. I took a few steps back as she still sat on her chair looking triumphant. She had managed to break down my resistance. I scurried to get my bag and sped out of the room. She didn't follow me and I was glad for that. 

I took my phone dialed Stacy's number. I hurriedly tell her to meet me at the 700s club downtown for some drinks. I really needed alcohol to deal with my current status. I just wanted to erase that image from my mind. I waved down the cab and gave the driver my destination giving him a twenty dollar bill. 

As I alighted the cab I saw Stacey heading across the street towards me. Good thing her workplace was a few blocks from the club.

"Any reason you sounded so panicky on the phone," she asked kissing my cheek. We walked into the bar and ordered. We sat on the booth at the far end of the room.

I drank the entire whiskey content in my glass at one go and closed my eyes as I felt the drink slip down my throat. Stacey looked at me with raised eyebrows waiting for me to start talking.

"Remember when I told of my boss and I's past relationship," I asked her and she nodded sipping her gin and tonic slowly “Well its back to haunt me Stace”.

"Yes. But you always refuse to talk about, you always avoid that subject, we don't have to talk about it if it’s still a raw subject for you," she said caressing my hand on the table. I waved down a waiter and asked for a whiskey bottle instead of constant refills. 

"Are you ok?" Stacey asks looking worried.

"She was my first girlfriend...actually my only girlfriend but she just left me without a word. I was in love with her but Andrea just up and left. I thought she loved me too but boy was I in for a rude awakening," I say once.

Stacey didn't say a word she just let me continue talking as I downed more alcohol.

"Then today she had the guts to dig up old wounds by showing me a picture of us 7 years back, I f*****g hate that b***h," I shout as I let tears cascade down my cheeks. My phone chimes and I lift it up to see why, but it’s a message from the same unknown number, meaning it was Andrea.

Unknown: Hey Cassey.

Unknown: Are you Ok.

Unknown: Please answer.

Getting tired off her insistent messages I switch off my phone. How could Andrea think things would be OK if she just swooped into my life after being gone for so long? She disappeared with not much as a goodbye, an explanation or even ‘I’m sorry I'll be gone’ message. Then she shows me pictures of memories of us I'd rather erase. That was pretty low, even for her.

Stacy could see her friend suffering but she didn't know what to say. She'd only gathered bits and pieces from Cassey's fit. She decided to pay the bill and take her friend home but one thing for sure she'd be there to protect her from this Andrea girl.

To Stacey it was obvious those two shared a deep past that was still fresh wound to Cassey. No one ever affected her best friend this much the way her boss did. She somehow suspected Cassey was harboring some feelings for Andrea. But time would tell, knowing Cassey she wouldn't be able to bottle it forever since they were practically working together.

Once tucked in bed Stacey put some Advil and a glass of water on the bedside table and left her friend to rest. Tomorrow, would be a new day for her. She just hoped Cassey would be able to face it headstrong.