Authors: Nikki Rittenberry
Jacob stepped away and picked up a glass of champagne from a nearby tray before joining the groomsmen on the other side of the deck. They were engaged in conversation about the upcoming NFL season opener, which just so happened to
be the day of the wedding. He listened as
the two men were verbally battling over speculations into whether an insider from the New York Jets was secretly selling offensive plays & strategies to the New
England Patriots. The story had broke
late last week but hadn’t been officially validated as of yet.
“Well, it isn’t a party until the best man shows up”, Tanner shouted as he approached from behind. They clasped their right hands together and then embraced in a masculine-type hug.
“Hey, bro—nice party”, Jacob said.
“Thanks, man—I wish I could take credit for it, but unfortunately I can’t. My mother and Emily just told me what time to show up! So, on a more serious note, have you spoken to Cassie yet?”
“You don’t waste any time getting to the point, do you?”
“Nope.”
Jacob took a sip of his champagne and then observed the glass in his hand as he spoke. “We briefly said hello—that’s about the extent of it.”
“Well, then you were probably unaware that she’s here
alone
.”
“
What are you talking about?”
Jacob asked.
“You heard me—
Landon didn’t come with her
. She said it was a ‘last minute business complication’, but I think there’s more to it than that. I’m sure she’s probably filling Emily in on the details as we speak. I think this is the perfect opportunity for you—”
“Look man, I was on the brink of establishing a friendship with her last fall before I royally screwed everything up by kissing her. The only thing I’m interested in is clearing the air so that we can carry-on with our lives. The last thing I want is for her to feel awkward around me for the rest of the week.”
“So, are you saying you’re finally over her?”
Jacob hesitated for a moment
before answering, choosing his w
ords carefully. “She’s clearly moved on… She’s not in love with me anymore.”
“But, you still love her…”
Jacob threw his head back and
emptied his glass of champagne. “It doesn’t matter.”
* * *
The crowd receded as the evening grew later. Jacob walked to the edge of the deck, resting his elbows against the railing, when he caught a glimpse of Cassie. She was sitting alone on an Adirondack chair in front of the cobble
stone fire pit on the lower deck. He
studied her for a moment, something was obviously troubling her. After obtaining two glasses of champagne from a nearby tray, he journeyed down the steps and took a seat beside her.
“You look like you could use one of these”, he said as he offered one of the glasses to her.
“Is it that obvious?” she asked. Jacob took a sip and chuckled softly. “I
heard about your promotion—
congratulations!”
“Thank you, I appreciate that.” There was an awkward moment of silence and he felt as though this was an appropriate time to apologize. “Um… Look, Cass… I want you to know how sorry I am about what happened last fall.”
“Jake, really—you don’t need to apologize.”
“Yeah… I think I do. It was completely disrespectful for me to put you in that predicament.”
“It’s okay—
“No it’s not… I want you to know that I value our friendship and that will
never
happen again.”
“I’ve never been one to hold a grudge…” She gazed into his light, green eyes. “You’re forgiven.”
Jacob raised his glass. “I think this deserves a toast… to
fresh starts
.” She
raised her glass and tapped it against his.
“I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship”, he said, in his best Humphrey Bogart voice.
Cassie smiled. “I think so, too.”
* * *
With just a handful of guests remaining, Emily and Tanner reunited on the deck and shared a loving embrace.
Entertaining their families and other
distinguished guests hadn’t left much
time for them to spend together. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck
when she heard a familiar sound of
laughter coming from the small, lower deck.
“Well, would you look at that”, she said.
Tanner turned his head, focusing his attention on the lower deck. “I just don’t understand why the two of them try to fight it…”
Cassie and Jacob were immersed in conversation and appeared to be enjoying each other’s company. After sharing a quick kiss, Emily and Tanner descended down the steps and joined them.
“It’s good to see the two of you sitting here, laughing together! Mind if we join you?” Tanner asked.
“Not at all”, Cassie replied. “So, what’s on the agenda for tomorrow?”
“I’m glad you asked—how about a trip up the coast in my father’s sailboat?”
‘Tanner, are you serious?” Cassie asked.
“Of course I’m serious!”
“Well, count me in!”
“Me, too”, Jacob added. “What time are you planning to set sail?”
“I don’t know… nine o’clock?”
The four friends conversed around the fire for over an hour when suddenly they realized that the handful of remaining guests had left. Cassie glanced at her watch: eleven fifty-two.
“Well guys, I hate to break up our reunion—but, I should probably head back.”
“Jacob, you should follow her back. It can get pretty dark out here and it’s pretty easy to get lost—especially when you’re not familiar with the area”, Tanner suggested.
“That really isn’t necessary—I have a pretty good sense of direction. Besides, there’s no need for him to go out of his way.”
“Oh, it’s not out of his way… you both are staying at the same bed and breakfast.”
Cassie met Jacob’s gaze. She suddenly became aware that it wasn’t a coincidence. Tanner had arranged their reservations and judging by Jacob’s reaction, he was just as shocked as she was. This was typical of Tanner—always playing cupid with the two of them. She should probably be offended, but she wasn’t. Tanner meant well and besides—she’d buried the hatchet with Jacob and agreed to a fresh start.
“Um, okay”, she said softly.
The drive took longer than it had earlier. Tanner was right, she thought,
one could easily get turned around in the dark. After pulling into the gravel lot, they
abandoned their rental cars and approached the front porch steps of the historic inn. They kept a certain amount
of distance between them as they
continued down the lengthy hallway and stepped aboard the elevator. Jacob made sure to close the gate and as if on cue, they both reached for the third floor button simultaneously, their fingertips
touching for a moment before they
quickly pulled away. Her touch sent a surge of electricity up his arm and it spread like wildfire throughout his body. They laughed nervously before Jacob held out his palm, offering for her to proceed.
After she pushed the button the elevator jerked slightly, causing them both to reach for the railing for balance. They ascended to the third floor in silence, avoiding eye contact at all costs. When they’d reached their destination, he held out the palm of his hand, motioning for her to exit.
“Ladies first”, he said.
Cassie smiled and then stepped off of the elevator. She continued down the hall, aware that Jacob was still following behind. She reached into her clutch and retrieved her room key as she approached her suite and looked back, only to find that Jacob was staying across the hall, two doors down in the Sapphire Suite. He met her gaze as he reached for his door.
“Goodnight, Cass.”
“Goodnight.”
CHAPTER TEN
The alarm sounded loudly, playing U2’s
Beautiful Day.
Jacob raised his arm, patting the nightstand with his hand until he felt the alarm clock. Once it was turned off, he reached for a pair of loose, khaki linen cargos, a white V-neck, and a pair of flip-flops. It was early, but he wanted to see the sunrise from the back terrace while he enjoyed a cup of coffee. He grabbed
The Wall Street Journal
and found a café table nestled along the railing and took a seat. The innkeeper, Janice, greeted him with a smile and a steaming hot cup of freshly brewed coffee. She placed a basket on the table containing sugar and cream for his morning beverage and warm croissants.
The sun peaked over the horizon, casting its brilliant reflection upon the quiet river below. Beams of light filtered through the colossal pine trees residing along the bank, allowing the morning dew to glisten on the expansive lawn beneath. He took a sip of his coffee and opened his paper, attempting to catch up on the latest news from what seemed like another world. He was captivated by the Dow Jones Industrial Average; it had closed the day before with an astounding two-hundred eighty-four point gain, signaling that it was hopefully on the mend. He held the newspaper close to his face, searching for the status of his personal stocks when he sensed that someone was standing in front of him.
“Is this seat taken?” Cassie asked.
Jacob lowered his paper and smiled. He remembered asking her that same question when they’d first met on campus back in New Orleans years ago. “It is now”, he replied. Jacob folded his paper and placed it back on the café table as Janice came by and handed Cassie a large mug filled with coffee. “How did you sleep?”
“Pretty good—I can’t believe how quiet it was. My condo back in Chicago is on the sixth floor and it’s not unusual to wake up in the middle of the night from traffic below or noisy neighbors!”
“I know what you mean! My old apartment was notorious for that.”
“I remember…” Their eyes met for a moment, recalling her first trip to New York before their separation. Cassie looked away and took a sip of her coffee. “So, are you excited about sailing today?” she asked, attempting to change the subject.
“Yeah—it should be fun. Have you ever been before?”