begged me to let her tag along with a date." Nora peeked her head out of her bedroom and made a face at me. "I told her it wouldn't be a problem, but I wanted to check with you."
I held my breath waiting for the ball to drop, expecting him to tell me the whole deal was off and that would be the end of things. I heard nothing for a minute or two, and I could almost feel the hesitation in his silence.
"You know what, that's fine, Cassie. As long as I get to be with you tonight, that's all that matters. I'll just call Celestino's —"
"Celestino's! Wow, nice, Caleb!" Celestino's was one of the finer Italian restaurants in the area. A couple of years ago, some famous food critic came in and gave it rave reviews. Apparently, this critic didn't hand them out lightly. Ever since then, reservations were hard to get, especially on the weekends. Sometimes you had to book almost two weeks in advance to get a table. "What time is the reservation for?"
"Hey, I told you I wanted to take you somewhere nice this time. Besides, I'm looking forward to seeing you in a dress."
I was happy he couldn't see how much I was blushing through the phone.
"Reservations are for six o'clock. I'll call and change the reservation to four people. How about we meet there, though? I think I may be a little late. It's pretty crowded here this afternoon, and I don't want to leave my uncle to tend to this himself. They're in my name, if I don't make it right away."
My heart swelled a little at his desire to be with me even though I'd changed our plans at the last minute. I checked off understanding and easy going on my "reasons to date Caleb" list. But at the same time, it made me feel that much worse knowing I was keeping the fact that Hunter was coming from him. I felt like scum, but I hoped he would get over it and enjoy the evening with me anyway.
"Okay. Thanks for understanding, Caleb. We'll see you at six then. Can't wait."
"Me either, Cassie. I'll see you soon."
"Oh, wait, Caleb! You never told me your last name. I assume I'll need that for the reservation if you're not there."
"It's Walker."
"Caleb Walker. Got it. See you then."
I hung up the phone and went into Nora's room. She was knee-deep in clothes just inside her closet door.
"Nora, just pick something! You look good in anything you wear anyway, so what does it matter?" I laughed at her, as she continued to fan through the remaining dresses hanging on the rod.
"Oh, I already know what I'm wearing. I'm looking for you !" Holding one dress in her hand, she grabbed at another and turned around. "Okay. Red...," she began as she held up a skimpy, spaghetti-strapped contraption that I wouldn't be caught dead in, "or black?" The black dress was much less scanty, so I pointed to it. It was made of a flirty chiffon material that seemed to sway in a breeze of its own. It was sleeveless, with halter-style straps that met in light folds of material at the cleavage. A beautifully detailed, satin and jeweled belt banded around the middle, cinching the waist to reveal hourglass curves on the right frame, before ending in wavy fabric just above the knees.
"Chicken," she taunted me for my conservative choice. I laughed. "Well, if that's the case," she continued, "then you have to wear those shoes I bought you last year with it." My smile faded as I pictured myself attempting to decipher the strappy puzzle that made up those shoes.
"Only for Celestino's will I endure that kind of suffering," I said with a smile.
"Caleb made reservations for Celestino's? Ohhh, I like this guy, Cassie. If you don't take to him, can I have a shot?" I threw a shoe at her that found its way across the room, where she was working on some kind of de-cluttering system.
"So he's cool with me and Hunter coming?"
"Um, he's okay with you and a date. I didn't tell him Hunter was coming. They didn't seem to hit it off very well at the bar the other night. There was a bit of tension between them for some reason."
"They know each
I held my breath waiting for the ball to drop, expecting him to tell me the whole deal was off and that would be the end of things. I heard nothing for a minute or two, and I could almost feel the hesitation in his silence.
"You know what, that's fine, Cassie. As long as I get to be with you tonight, that's all that matters. I'll just call Celestino's —"
"Celestino's! Wow, nice, Caleb!" Celestino's was one of the finer Italian restaurants in the area. A couple of years ago, some famous food critic came in and gave it rave reviews. Apparently, this critic didn't hand them out lightly. Ever since then, reservations were hard to get, especially on the weekends. Sometimes you had to book almost two weeks in advance to get a table. "What time is the reservation for?"
"Hey, I told you I wanted to take you somewhere nice this time. Besides, I'm looking forward to seeing you in a dress."
I was happy he couldn't see how much I was blushing through the phone.
"Reservations are for six o'clock. I'll call and change the reservation to four people. How about we meet there, though? I think I may be a little late. It's pretty crowded here this afternoon, and I don't want to leave my uncle to tend to this himself. They're in my name, if I don't make it right away."
My heart swelled a little at his desire to be with me even though I'd changed our plans at the last minute. I checked off understanding and easy going on my "reasons to date Caleb" list. But at the same time, it made me feel that much worse knowing I was keeping the fact that Hunter was coming from him. I felt like scum, but I hoped he would get over it and enjoy the evening with me anyway.
"Okay. Thanks for understanding, Caleb. We'll see you at six then. Can't wait."
"Me either, Cassie. I'll see you soon."
"Oh, wait, Caleb! You never told me your last name. I assume I'll need that for the reservation if you're not there."
"It's Walker."
"Caleb Walker. Got it. See you then."
I hung up the phone and went into Nora's room. She was knee-deep in clothes just inside her closet door.
"Nora, just pick something! You look good in anything you wear anyway, so what does it matter?" I laughed at her, as she continued to fan through the remaining dresses hanging on the rod.
"Oh, I already know what I'm wearing. I'm looking for you !" Holding one dress in her hand, she grabbed at another and turned around. "Okay. Red...," she began as she held up a skimpy, spaghetti-strapped contraption that I wouldn't be caught dead in, "or black?" The black dress was much less scanty, so I pointed to it. It was made of a flirty chiffon material that seemed to sway in a breeze of its own. It was sleeveless, with halter-style straps that met in light folds of material at the cleavage. A beautifully detailed, satin and jeweled belt banded around the middle, cinching the waist to reveal hourglass curves on the right frame, before ending in wavy fabric just above the knees.
"Chicken," she taunted me for my conservative choice. I laughed. "Well, if that's the case," she continued, "then you have to wear those shoes I bought you last year with it." My smile faded as I pictured myself attempting to decipher the strappy puzzle that made up those shoes.
"Only for Celestino's will I endure that kind of suffering," I said with a smile.
"Caleb made reservations for Celestino's? Ohhh, I like this guy, Cassie. If you don't take to him, can I have a shot?" I threw a shoe at her that found its way across the room, where she was working on some kind of de-cluttering system.
"So he's cool with me and Hunter coming?"
"Um, he's okay with you and a date. I didn't tell him Hunter was coming. They didn't seem to hit it off very well at the bar the other night. There was a bit of tension between them for some reason."
"They know each
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