They felt sorry for the young woman they had befriended and offered her lodging in their home.
Ruby was a grandma. The silvery-grey hair that she had pulled firmly back into a bun highlighted a weathered face, imprinted from a hard-working life. Yet there was a kindness in her eyes. It was new to Cassie and it drew her in, making her feel very special. Jim was a jovial gentleman who opened the door for Ruby and always held her arm when they moved anywhere. They were the perfect couple who told Cassie they were up for their fortieth wedding anniversary. Cassie pushed the thought away that they could have been Kayden and her, many years from now. She reminded herself that love—his love—was something she had left at the river with that terrified girl she had once been.
Ruby and Jim lived in a suburb called Belmont within walking distance of a shopping centre. The next day Cassie headed off, determined to get work in one of the many stores. To her surprise the first shop she walked into had a vacancy and she began full time work in a stylish dress shop. It was okay, although there was always a constant nagging inside her that she should be somewhere else. Where though, she didn’t know.
Ruby and Jim had a grandson named Alex who came to the house quite regularly. Ruby told Cassie she thought he had a thing for her but no man was ever going to enter her heart again so she kept her distance. Alex was your tall, dark and handsome stereotypical male who probably had women swarming all over him and as far as Cassie was concerned, they could have him.
One night after dinner he asked Cassie if she was interested in a job where he worked. Alex was the floor manager at the casino and an opening had come up that he felt would suit her. She smiled politely and asked him for details. She figured anything would be better than watching people dress all day while telling them how great they looked, hoping to snag a sale. She shuddered at the thought of doing it too much longer. Alex told Cassie they were looking for a games manager. All she had to do was organise the staff on the gaming tables and sometimes help the events manager with the casino entertainment.
‘You seem to have a flair for enjoyment,’ he said. ‘You’re always so bright and cheery that it would be refreshing to have someone happy around the office. The job is yours if you want it but no pressure. I’ll give you a couple of days to think about it.’
She chuckled. ‘I hardly need a couple of days to think about getting out of that dress shop. Washing dishes would be more exciting than turning up there every day. When do I start?’ Cassie asked, flattered he had thought to offer it to her.
Fate Meeting
Cassie had been working at the casino for a few months and had a good rapport with her work mates and the regulars, even knowing them all by name. Towards the end of the shift her instincts alerted her that she was being watched, yet detected nobody unusual as she glanced around the noisy crowd. Being used to overzealous drunks perving on her, she shrugged it off and continued with her walk of the floor.
It was a good night with the casino in full swing and the room packed with gambling patrons. Flitting from one game table to the next, Cassie made sure the dealers were handling players tactfully and that they had their game faces on.
She stopped at one of her favourite tables. The patrons there were having a good night. She kidded around with a couple of the big players, soaking in their good mood before moving on. Then she felt the eyes on her again.
Why is it bothering me? Cassie was used to others watching her and she normally relied on the bouncers to keep a lookout for troublemakers and move them along for her. However, the eyes she felt on her were becoming disturbing. Scanning the gaming floor more carefully this time, she gasped as her eyes rested on a man from her past. Leaning against the railing with a drink in his hand and a slight grin on his
Ruby was a grandma. The silvery-grey hair that she had pulled firmly back into a bun highlighted a weathered face, imprinted from a hard-working life. Yet there was a kindness in her eyes. It was new to Cassie and it drew her in, making her feel very special. Jim was a jovial gentleman who opened the door for Ruby and always held her arm when they moved anywhere. They were the perfect couple who told Cassie they were up for their fortieth wedding anniversary. Cassie pushed the thought away that they could have been Kayden and her, many years from now. She reminded herself that love—his love—was something she had left at the river with that terrified girl she had once been.
Ruby and Jim lived in a suburb called Belmont within walking distance of a shopping centre. The next day Cassie headed off, determined to get work in one of the many stores. To her surprise the first shop she walked into had a vacancy and she began full time work in a stylish dress shop. It was okay, although there was always a constant nagging inside her that she should be somewhere else. Where though, she didn’t know.
Ruby and Jim had a grandson named Alex who came to the house quite regularly. Ruby told Cassie she thought he had a thing for her but no man was ever going to enter her heart again so she kept her distance. Alex was your tall, dark and handsome stereotypical male who probably had women swarming all over him and as far as Cassie was concerned, they could have him.
One night after dinner he asked Cassie if she was interested in a job where he worked. Alex was the floor manager at the casino and an opening had come up that he felt would suit her. She smiled politely and asked him for details. She figured anything would be better than watching people dress all day while telling them how great they looked, hoping to snag a sale. She shuddered at the thought of doing it too much longer. Alex told Cassie they were looking for a games manager. All she had to do was organise the staff on the gaming tables and sometimes help the events manager with the casino entertainment.
‘You seem to have a flair for enjoyment,’ he said. ‘You’re always so bright and cheery that it would be refreshing to have someone happy around the office. The job is yours if you want it but no pressure. I’ll give you a couple of days to think about it.’
She chuckled. ‘I hardly need a couple of days to think about getting out of that dress shop. Washing dishes would be more exciting than turning up there every day. When do I start?’ Cassie asked, flattered he had thought to offer it to her.
Fate Meeting
Cassie had been working at the casino for a few months and had a good rapport with her work mates and the regulars, even knowing them all by name. Towards the end of the shift her instincts alerted her that she was being watched, yet detected nobody unusual as she glanced around the noisy crowd. Being used to overzealous drunks perving on her, she shrugged it off and continued with her walk of the floor.
It was a good night with the casino in full swing and the room packed with gambling patrons. Flitting from one game table to the next, Cassie made sure the dealers were handling players tactfully and that they had their game faces on.
She stopped at one of her favourite tables. The patrons there were having a good night. She kidded around with a couple of the big players, soaking in their good mood before moving on. Then she felt the eyes on her again.
Why is it bothering me? Cassie was used to others watching her and she normally relied on the bouncers to keep a lookout for troublemakers and move them along for her. However, the eyes she felt on her were becoming disturbing. Scanning the gaming floor more carefully this time, she gasped as her eyes rested on a man from her past. Leaning against the railing with a drink in his hand and a slight grin on his
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