Kasey Laine Page 5

  Thinking of you,

  Austin.

  Blushing again, Kasey sits down in her chair. She has never received such a sweet, romantic gesture from a man. It renders her weak.

  Jennifer walks back to Kasey’s desk, and excitedly sits in the chair next to her. “Okay, the newbie’s gone. Now you can tell me the truth. What’s going on? Who’s the boyfriend you couldn’t tell one of your closest friends about?”

  “Shut up. I don’t have a man. It’s nothing. Forget it.” Austin seems sweet to Kasey, but he is not a romantic interest.

  “I don’t think it’s nothing, by the way you’re acting.” Jennifer notices the card in Kasey’s hand. She leans over and snatches it. After reading the card to herself, she rolls her eyes in amazement.

  “Excuse me, this sounds like a whole lot of something. You have somebody, and you didn’t tell me.” Jennifer crosses her arms and looks at Kasey sternly.

  “I don’t have anyone, I swear. It’s just this guy from the other day. He dropped off a package, and he was flirting with me.”

  “Well, it sounds like he’s got a major crush on you. If he took the time to notice your plants were dying.” Jennifer is impressed by Austin’s attention to detail. She is interested to find out more about him. Kasey, on the other hand, is no longer paying attention to Jennifer. She looks down at her desk. Jennifer waves her hands in front of Kasey’s face in an attempt to regain her attention. “Hello?! Oh my GOD, that’s so cute, and not to mention thoughtful too.”

  Kasey looks up at her. “Yeah I guess. He left his card the other day, too.” Kasey puts the carnations on her desk. She reaches over to open one of her desk drawers and takes out Austin’s business card.

  Jennifer’s eyebrow rises. “And why haven’t you called him yet? I’m sorry. You know I love you, but your love life has been in the dumps lately.”

  Jennifer loves her friend, and would love it if Kasey found someone to be close to. She only wants the best for her, and hopes she finds love one day. But as is often the case, Jennifer has been a bit too blunt. Kasey goes silent, showing her displeasure by way of body language.

  “All I’m saying is, give him a call. What’s the harm in having one dinner? If you don’t like him, then don’t go out with him anymore. At least give him one chance.”

  When Kasey was a young child, her father molested her repeatedly for years. Her mother often participated and would even hold her down. Desperate to keep a man, her mother did whatever it took to appease him, even if it meant harming Kasey in the process. Kasey was taken away from her parents at the age of nine. She has been alone since that day. The abuse she experienced has left her distrustful of people, especially men. She avoids relationships like a disease.

  Processing Jennifer’s reasoning, Kasey looks defeated. Jennifer is the closest thing she has to family. She always hears her out, even when she does not want to.

  “It might be good for you. If nothing else, call him just to thank him for the flowers.” Jennifer gives Kasey an endearing look.

  “Okay, I will,” Kasey agrees.

  “Okay. Well, I have to get back to work. I’ll see you later.” Jennifer hands Kasey back Austin’s business card. She gets up and heads back to her office.

  Kasey stares at Austin’s card. She decides to call him, but not now. She has to process her thoughts first. She puts the card in her purse for a later time.

  After work, Kasey pulls into her driveway and turns off her car. She made it home with a couple of hours of daylight to spare, which is a rare occurrence. Exhausted, she makes her way into her living room. The color pink ignites a deep passion in Kasey. Her entire house is pink-themed with pink furniture and black paint on the walls. She tosses her tote bag on the ground and flops onto the couch with her purse still on her arm. Her body sinks into the couch. Her head begins to throb from the stress of her workday. She massages her temples and begins to relax a bit. As she lays back on the couch to rest, she accidently knocks over her purse. The contents of her purse spill onto the floor. This further irritates her. She bends over to clean up her belongings. As she cleans up her belongings, she notices the business card with Austin’s number on it. This helps her remember Jennifer’s advice. She replaces her belongings into her purse, but keeps the card in her hand as she sits back on the couch. Now is the time. She decides to go for it. She picks up the phone next to the couch. She takes one last moment to think her decision through. With her composure in check, she dials Austin’s number. After a few rings, a voice answers.

  “Hello.”

  “Hi, it’s Kasey.” She hopes Austin cannot tell how nervous she is.

  “I’ve been waiting on your call,” Austin admits in a chipper voice.

  Kasey relaxes. “I just wanted to call and thank you for the flowers. They were beautiful.”

  “You’re welcome. I was thinking of you.” Austin is confident when he talks to Kasey. This helps reel her in.

  “Well, it’s very thoughtful. I appreciate it.”

  “Well, you’re welcome.” Austin pauses. “I’m getting the feeling that thanking me was not the only reason why you called.” He pauses for another moment. “I want to see you again.”

  Now Kasey pauses, as her guard continues to drop. “I guess that wouldn’t hurt.”

  “Is Friday good?”

  Kasey blushes. “Yeah, that’s good. I’ll see you then.”

  “I’ll look forward to it.” Austin means it. He cannot wait to see Kasey.

  “Okay, bye.” Kasey hangs up. She feels wrapped up in a fantasy world. This is the type of world she thought she would never allow herself to experience.

  That Friday night, she sits in front of the vanity in her master bedroom. She gently strokes blush onto her cheeks. She uses every second before Austin arrives to put together the final touches. She is beautifully put together, from head to toe.

  She stands up and walks over to a full length mirror. She smiles, knowing her looks are impeccable. She turns around to check out her backside. At that moment, the doorbell rings.

  Kasey takes her makeup and puts it all back in its proper place on her vanity. Everything has to match in her home, and everything has an assigned place. She did not have control over what happened to her as a child, so she makes sure to control every detail that happens in her life as an adult. She looks in the full length mirror once more, for final confirmation. She feels confident and optimistic.

  Before long, Kasey and Austin sit at a beautifully decorated table at an expensive, romantic restaurant. Kasey takes a bite of her salad. She looks up, and notices Austin admiring her every move.

  “What?” Kasey covers her mouth while she continues to chew.

  “You’re so beautiful.”

  “And you’re wonderful. I have to admit, I’m glad we did this.”

  “I hope we can continue.” Austin reaches over the table and grabs Kasey’s hand. “I have a surprise for you.” Austin waves at the host, who picks up the phone from his podium and begins to dial.

  “What’s going on?” Kasey turns around, trying to figure out what the surprise could be. Three violinists walk up behind her. She quickly turns to face Austin.

  “I just want this night to be perfect and never end. I just want something more with you. I think these guys can explain it better with this song.” Austin signals, and the violinists begin playing. They play a beautiful love song. The sensual music causes the entire restaurant to stop and listen. Charmed, the women in the restaurant cannot take their eyes off of Austin. But Austin’s eyes remain on Kasey.

  “I’m speechless. No one has ever done anything like this for me before.”

  “Get used to it. My mom used to play the violin. I miss her music. Violins make such beautiful sounds.” Austin gazes into her eyes.

  The violinists continue to play soft serenades, as a few women whisper to their dates about how romantic the scene is. While most of the patrons turn their attention back to their meals, a few continue to stare at Kasey and Au
stin. “What’s your mother’s name?” Kasey is smitten. She wants to know everything about him now.

  “Tracie. Tracie O’Neil. She passed away a long time ago.” Austin pauses for a moment. “I just miss her, and I wanted to share some things with you that are very special to me.” Austin begins to get emotional, as he always does when he talks about his mother.

  Kasey puts her hand over her heart. Her eyes start to well up. Austin grabs her hand and gently kisses it. When Kasey looks into Austin’s eyes, their bond is sealed.

  The next morning, Kasey sits on Jennifer’s bed while Jennifer sits in front of a vanity nearby, applying makeup. “It was amazing.” Kasey falls back onto the bed.

  “I can tell. You’re acting like a little girl.” Jennifer continues to apply her makeup.

  “I can’t help it.” Beaming, Kasey twiddles her hair.

  “So...tell me what happened.” Jennifer turns around to give Kasey her full attention.

  Just as Kasey is about to spill all the juicy details, Jennifer’s son barges into the room. Brent is an energetic child who has trouble staying still. Although he is hyper, he has a sense of maturity. Growing up without a father, Brent has learned a lot on his own. This is evident in his expansive vocabulary, among other things. Having just returned from baseball practice, he is still wearing his baseball uniform. He was too anxious to see his mother to bother changing. Kasey and Jennifer turn to face him.

  “Excuse me. I didn’t know you had company. I’m sorry.” Brent’s eagerness turns into embarrassment.

  “No, it’s okay honey.” Jennifer gets up and walks over to hug him.

  Brent then walks over and hugs Kasey. “Hi, Kasey.”

  “How did practice go?” Kasey tickles Brent, who giggles loudly.

  “It was awesome. I hit two deep in the outfield. It was incredible.”

  Jennifer sits back down at the vanity. “I’m so proud of you. When’s your next game, sweetie?”

  “It’s next Saturday at three o’clock. I have to be there two hours early, so I can practice.”

  “Okay, calm down. You will be there early. Go clean up and get something to eat, so Kasey and I can finish talking.” Jennifer kisses her son on the cheek.

  “Okay. Bye, Kasey.” Brent waves and leaves the room.

  “Bye, sweetheart.” Kasey waves back. Once he is out of the room, she turns back to Jennifer and laughs. “I swear he gets bigger every day.”

  “As often as I have to buy clothes for him, trust me I know. Okay now, finish what you were saying.”

  “Oh, where was I?” Kasey pauses. “Oh, yes. Well we had a really nice dinner. The whole night was magical.” Her giddiness returns.

  Listening to her friend’s story, Jennifer becomes giddy, as well. She is excited to see a spark in Kasey’s eyes.

  “And a violinist played soft music,” Kasey concludes. She smiles with pride.

  “Oh my GOD, are you kidding me?” Kasey shakes her head no.

  “How romantic! That was so impressive.”

  “I know. The night was perfect. He was just---perfect.” Kasey blushes yet again, thinking about all that might happen in her future with Austin.

  “It looks like you got a winner.” Kasey and Jennifer are both smiling from ear to ear. “Aren’t you glad you took my advice?”

  “Yeah.” Kasey nods. Kasey and Austin’s love seems to be destined to stand the test of time.

  Love always comes by surprise. When love happens, you take it and run with it. When love happens, they say, follow your heart. But how can you when your heart is blinded? This is where the advice of friends can give us perspective. Friends can give us advice about love, family, and even other friends. We cherish this, because our friends mean us well. Although our friends mean us well, we must choose carefully which advice to listen to.

  Kasey leans back on Jennifer’s bed in a blissful state. The seed Austin planted has turned into a blossom of love.

  Chapter Ten:

  All Advice

  Is Not Good Advice

  K asey is working on her computer, when Felecia walks up to her desk. “Hey, girlie. What are you doing tonight?” Felecia leans against her desk. Kasey looks up at her friend. “I haven’t really thought about it.”

  “Come out with Jennifer and me. We’re going to go out to eat and catch a flick. You have to come and have a girl’s night. It’ll be so much fun.”

  Kasey picks up a stack of sealed envelopes, and they walk down the hall towards the break room. “Are we going to sit up all night and talk about boys?” Kasey teases Felecia, drawing a laugh. “No, seriously, that sounds like fun. Count me in.”

  They enter the break room, where Jennifer is already at the refreshment table talking on her phone. Jennifer waves to them, while still continuing her conversation. Kasey walks over to the mailbox on the wall and starts to put sealed envelopes in their designated boxes. Felecia goes to the refreshment table and pours some coffee. After Jennifer finishes her phone call, she joins Felecia at the table. “What are you two doing?”

  “I’m just trying to convince Kasey to come with us tonight.”

  Kasey finishes filling mailboxes and joins the conversation. “I said, I was all for it.”

  “Okay, then it’s settled.” They make their way out of the break room laughing. Their laughter is soon interrupted, when Jennifer notices a man standing at Kasey’s desk. She points him out to Kasey. “Who is this at your desk?”

  Kasey looks up, surprised. “It’s Austin.” She runs to Austin and leaps into his arms. She greets him with a warm hug and kiss. “Hi, baby. What are you doing here?”

  Austin smiles. “I just wanted to surprise you.”

  “Well, you certainly did.” Kasey bats her eyes.

  “I feel like I know him from somewhere,” Felecia whispers to Jennifer as they approach. Kasey eagerly motions for them to come closer.

  “I want you guys to meet my boyfriend.” Kasey hangs onto Austin’s arm and smiles gleefully as she gazes up at him.

  Felecia reaches out to shake Austin’s hand. “You’re Chase, right? It’s been awhile. How have you been?”

  Austin, Kasey, and Jennifer are all puzzled. Austin seems particularly alarmed.

  “No, actually, it’s Austin. It’s nice to meet you.” Austin reaches out to shake Felecia’s hand.

  “Felecia, it’s nice to meet you.” Felecia shakes Austin’s hand. They exchange a chilling glare.

  Austin reaches to shake Jennifer’s hand next. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Austin.”

  Jennifer returns the handshake. “It’s nice to meet you, too. I’ve heard so much about you.”

  Austin turns to Kasey and puts his arm around her waist. “I wanted to take you to dinner, love.” He pulls her in close.

  “That sounds great, but I had plans with the girls tonight.” Kasey looks over at her co-workers, with disappointment in her eyes. She wants to keep her plans with her friends, but she also wants to nurture her budding relationship.

  Austin grabs Kasey from behind and holds her firmly. “I hope you two lovely ladies don’t mind me stealing Kasey away for the evening.” Austin looks directly at Jennifer as he kisses Kasey on the cheek. Kasey smiles.

  Jennifer and Felecia look at each other. “No, enjoy yourself. We’ll do it some other time.” Jennifer cannot shake the feeling that Austin was trying to steal Kasey away just so he could rub it in their faces. She got the creeps from the way Austin looked at her while kissing Kasey.

  “Okay, it was nice meeting you ladies. Have a good day.” Austin and Kasey walk off, hand in hand.

  Jennifer looks over at Felecia, who suddenly looks paler. Felecia stands frozen in place. She is consumed by an overwhelming sense of confusion as she watches Austin walk away with Kasey. She knows Austin from somewhere; the sensation nags and eats away at her.

  “Felecia. Hello? Girl, snap out of it.” Jennifer gives Felecia a little shake to get her attention. “What’s wrong with you?”

  “I kno
w him. I swear I know him.”

  Jennifer lowers her voice. “What are you talking about?”

  “You didn’t notice the way he looked at me when I called him Chase? I know him.”

  “His name is Austin. Maybe you’re just thinking of someone else.”

  “Yeah…maybe you’re right.” Felecia shrugs.

  Jennifer is certain Felecia is experiencing a case of mistaken identity. We come across people that remind us of other people on a daily basis. Some people just have the kind of friendly, familiar looking face that brings out a sense of nostalgia. Jennifer brushes off Felecia’s suspicion as just a case of déjà vu. Despite her initial uneasiness about Austin’s exaggerated display of affection, Jennifer has a great feeling about him. His charm is working on her, as it has done on many others. Jennifer advised Kasey to pursue a relationship with Austin...but sometimes all advice is not good advice.

  Chapter Eleven:

  It Is Not a Dream

  K asey stands on an exercise mat, in a yoga class with about ten other people. The instructor enters the room. She walks to the front of the class to set up. Kasey looks around the class, comparing herself with the other people in the room. She usually devotes most of her free time to the gym, but she has lost focus since her relationship with Austin began. This is her first workout in three months. Although her physique is still chiseled, her stamina has suffered greatly. After a few minutes, Kasey begins to sweat profusely.

  After the class, Kasey heads straight for the locker room. Today, she decides to shower before leaving the gym. She usually waits to shower when she gets home, but today is a special occasion. Kasey and Austin are celebrating six months together this evening. She decides to shower before leaving the gym, because their date is just a few short hours away. After showering, Kasey quickly puts on a spare set of gym clothes. She rushes out of the locker room with her cell phone in hand.

  Before she leaves, Kasey walks up to the front desk to pay her monthly bill. She hands her credit card to the receptionist, who informs her that the machine is down. Unfortunately, her payment will have to be entered manually. Austin hates it when Kasey is late. Fearing the worse, Kasey’s frustration begins to build. As she takes out her phone to kill some time by texting friends, a well-muscled gentleman walks up next to her at the desk. He looks at Kasey up and down, examining her alluring curves.