dinner, Tony and Casey stopped by Casey's apartment so she could pack some clothes to bring to Tony's place.
Her lease on the apartment was up the end of March and
she would give her landlord a thirty-day notice that she was
not renewing it. Tony's apartment was larger and had recently been renovated, so that's where they would live for
the time being.
Tony kept talking about her quitting her job at The Globe
and staying home to have babies. Of course Tony was still
under the impression that the inheritance that enabled Casey
to join Crescent Hills Country Club was large enough that
she didn't need to work.
The three Cs had thought ahead to the end of the master
plan and come up with a story that Casey could use to explain the evaporation of her wealth once Prince Charming
had fallen in love with her.
Casey was supposed to say, "The bulk of my uncle's estate was invested in a pyramid scheme that has now collapsed. I'm broke again"
If Tony started asking questions about the pyramid
scheme, Casey was supposed to start crying and say that she didn't have any details. All she knew for sure was that
the money had suddenly vanished.
Although Casey had imagined the scenario dozens of
times, she never actually had the courage to broach the subject with Tony. It was just another lie to add to the larger deception that had allowed her to attract Tony in the first place.
Casey found a can of coffee in one of the cabinets and
soon had a pot of coffee brewing. However, the refrigerator
was barren and so was the pantry and every other place Casey
looked for food.
Taking up a place at the window that looked out over a
walled courtyard, Casey hugged herself. Marriage should
be based on mutual trust and honesty and she would find
the right time to tell Tony the truth about herself and her financial assets. If he truly loved her, and she believed that
he did, it wouldn't matter how they had come to know each
other and fallen in love.
"Hey, the coffee smells wonderful," Tony said as he appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. Casey spun around,
startled out of the thoughts and doubts that haunted her.
"Good morning," she said, crossing the room to walk
into his arms.
"Good morning. What are we going to do with this fine
day?"
"Well, first of all, I think we need to go grocery shopping. Your cupboards are bare"
Tony laughed. "That's why I married you. I can't cook
and don't know the first thing about grocery shopping."
"I'll teach you everything I know," she promised.
A few hours later, they had breakfast in the deli section of Sunflower Market. Ham-and-cheese quiche with sliced
fruit was served on plastic plates.
George came out of the storeroom pushing a hand truck
loaded with produce cartons. "Hi, George," Casey called out.
Like Dana, Casey shopped at the Sunflower on a regular basis and was acquainted with George.
George stopped and waved at Casey. Then, he noticed
Tony sitting across from her and walked over with a curious expression on his weathered face. "Who's this guy?"
George asked. "I thought you were my girl?"
Casey laughed. "This is my brand-new husband, Tony
Hunter. Tony, meet my friend George. Gee, George, I'm
sorry I don't know your last name."
"Last names are not important here," George said, reaching across the table to shake hands with Tony. "You're a
lucky man, Tony Hunter. Casey is a beautiful person."
"I know it," Tony said. "It's nice to meet you"
"So, are you kids going to be living in the neighborhood?"
"For a while," Casey answered. "Tony has an apartment
in the Rialto building on Sixteenth Street"
"Don't know the place," George admitted. "Well, I'd better get this lettuce put up before the big rush starts. My
good wishes to you both"
George hurried off to the produce department guiding the
handcart expertly through the aisles that were already beginning to fill up with Saturday-morning shoppers.
By the time Tony and Casey finished their breakfast and
got to
Her lease on the apartment was up the end of March and
she would give her landlord a thirty-day notice that she was
not renewing it. Tony's apartment was larger and had recently been renovated, so that's where they would live for
the time being.
Tony kept talking about her quitting her job at The Globe
and staying home to have babies. Of course Tony was still
under the impression that the inheritance that enabled Casey
to join Crescent Hills Country Club was large enough that
she didn't need to work.
The three Cs had thought ahead to the end of the master
plan and come up with a story that Casey could use to explain the evaporation of her wealth once Prince Charming
had fallen in love with her.
Casey was supposed to say, "The bulk of my uncle's estate was invested in a pyramid scheme that has now collapsed. I'm broke again"
If Tony started asking questions about the pyramid
scheme, Casey was supposed to start crying and say that she didn't have any details. All she knew for sure was that
the money had suddenly vanished.
Although Casey had imagined the scenario dozens of
times, she never actually had the courage to broach the subject with Tony. It was just another lie to add to the larger deception that had allowed her to attract Tony in the first place.
Casey found a can of coffee in one of the cabinets and
soon had a pot of coffee brewing. However, the refrigerator
was barren and so was the pantry and every other place Casey
looked for food.
Taking up a place at the window that looked out over a
walled courtyard, Casey hugged herself. Marriage should
be based on mutual trust and honesty and she would find
the right time to tell Tony the truth about herself and her financial assets. If he truly loved her, and she believed that
he did, it wouldn't matter how they had come to know each
other and fallen in love.
"Hey, the coffee smells wonderful," Tony said as he appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. Casey spun around,
startled out of the thoughts and doubts that haunted her.
"Good morning," she said, crossing the room to walk
into his arms.
"Good morning. What are we going to do with this fine
day?"
"Well, first of all, I think we need to go grocery shopping. Your cupboards are bare"
Tony laughed. "That's why I married you. I can't cook
and don't know the first thing about grocery shopping."
"I'll teach you everything I know," she promised.
A few hours later, they had breakfast in the deli section of Sunflower Market. Ham-and-cheese quiche with sliced
fruit was served on plastic plates.
George came out of the storeroom pushing a hand truck
loaded with produce cartons. "Hi, George," Casey called out.
Like Dana, Casey shopped at the Sunflower on a regular basis and was acquainted with George.
George stopped and waved at Casey. Then, he noticed
Tony sitting across from her and walked over with a curious expression on his weathered face. "Who's this guy?"
George asked. "I thought you were my girl?"
Casey laughed. "This is my brand-new husband, Tony
Hunter. Tony, meet my friend George. Gee, George, I'm
sorry I don't know your last name."
"Last names are not important here," George said, reaching across the table to shake hands with Tony. "You're a
lucky man, Tony Hunter. Casey is a beautiful person."
"I know it," Tony said. "It's nice to meet you"
"So, are you kids going to be living in the neighborhood?"
"For a while," Casey answered. "Tony has an apartment
in the Rialto building on Sixteenth Street"
"Don't know the place," George admitted. "Well, I'd better get this lettuce put up before the big rush starts. My
good wishes to you both"
George hurried off to the produce department guiding the
handcart expertly through the aisles that were already beginning to fill up with Saturday-morning shoppers.
By the time Tony and Casey finished their breakfast and
got to
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