Full Circle Ch. 02: Chauncey

She was staring at his chest and a sad smile crossed her face. "Chauncey, you're a total sweetheart, but David didn't break my heart, well he didn't JUST break my heart." She looked up into his eyes, "He hurt me Chauncey." She said it so quietly but matter-of-facially, that it was like a punch in the gut. It took his breath away.

She looked away and went on. "If George hadn't come back to grab a couple of steaks when he did, he might have hurt me worse than he did. George chased him off and took me to the hospital when I wouldn't let him call 911. Then he and Molly took me in until I recovered."

She paused for a moment and he finally remembered to breathe again. "That day we met in Admin and you offered me this place as a new home. That was the first day I was able to make myself leave their house." Chauncey was stunned and felt close to tears. He noticed her eyes were teary as well when she said. "When you touched me. It was like a benediction. Like the universe was telling me that I'd survive. Until that moment I wasn't sure that I would."

He started to ask just what the hell David had done but she shook her head. "I'm starting to heal but I'm not ready to really talk about it. And I'm not ready to date yet either."

There was another small pause and she looked off into the trees before continuing. "Earlier when I was sitting out here alone. I was remembering the day I met David and instead of shrinking in on myself I got horny. David and I did have some really good sex. But even that first day there were hints, and I ignored them." She gave herself a little shake. "Anyway, when I saw you sitting in the tree as I went it, I thought what the hell." She looked back at him and gave him a smile, one of those smiles you give when you're really trying to get past the tears you don't want to shed.

She took a deep breath before going on. "So you see, I'm not ready to trust my judgment with men. Well, except you, considering the special circumstances. The sex really was good, so incredibly intense that I ignored the signs that were there and plunged headlong into it. I can't do that again Chauncey."

She was silent and looking out into the trees again. This time he had the feeling she was done talking so he finally spoke up. "Shit Cassie! After what I just experienced, I think I understand that part intensity part at least a little. And I'm truly glad that I was in the right place at the right time for you. Knowing that cools my desire to find the bastard and shoot him. I haven't seen him on campus lately you know, and I hope I never do. I think I'd be very tempted to do something stupid."

Cassie smiled at him and stood up. "Like masturbating in public?"

"Hey, this isn't public." He laughed. "And it felt rather brilliant to me." He picked up the olive oil and the gloves and put them on the chair with the dirty towel.

By the time he grabbed the chair and made it inside Cassie was stepping into the bathroom. "Laundry basket is in the bottom of this cupboard, she tapped the one she meant. Make some more tea while I grab a quicky shower?"

"You got it. Spiked or virgin?" He asked.

Cassie laughed and poked her head out "Me a virgin? Seriously though, if you don't have any place to be and will drink with me, then spike 'em. I feel the need to get silly."

"I can do silly." He told her.

"Okay! Let the silliness begin. Well, as soon as I get my shower." And she pulled her head back into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

Chauncey made their drinks, spiking them pretty hard. After the intensity of their encounter and the revelations that followed he thought they both needed to get a little blurry. He couldn't quite wrap his head around what she'd said about her and David. He felt a need to know exactly what had happened to her. He remembered that day in Admin again with what he now knew and he frowned at the fact that Cassie used almost the same exact words to describe herself as he'd thought of her that day. Some instinct in him must have picked up on something without knowing what it was. Remembering her calling his touch a benediction made his heart skip and his stomach tighten. He was even happier now that he'd made his rash offer.

In all the time Cassie had been here and through the many times they'd talked, there had been no hint that Cassie's break-up with David had been anything other than that. He gathered that she'd been heart broken more from what she hadn't said than what she had. Now going through various conversations they'd had he could see her self doubt and knew that at least in the beginning she'd been covering up a lot of pain. He really knew now what she meant when she'd said that she'd needed today and he understood why he had once again been just the right person in just the right place.

Chauncey hadn't really given much thought to fate before today but he was convinced that fate had brought them together a year ago so they could help each other heal. Though that thought made him laugh at himself. His parents had spent a lot of time and money and he had spent a lot of time in over sized chairs while people tried to 'fix' what was wrong with him.

He'd gotten well enough so that he could get by but he didn't think anything could ever truly fix him enough to be normal. Even after what he'd just shared with Cassie the thought of physical contact with her made his heart race and his breathing skip. He took another drink and tried to think of something else to head off a panic attack. Picturing Cassie's face as she said his touch was a benediction did the trick. The feeling and naked honesty with which she'd said it tugged at his heart in an unexplained way. He knew that one day she'd get herself back together and when that happened she'd probably take her tiny house and move on to somewhere else. Knowing that he was helping make that possible was enough for him.

When Cassie came out of the bathroom a few minutes later Chauncey said, "That was quick." and handed her her mug of spiked tea. He'd put the cushions back where they belonged and was sitting on couch.

"I didn't need to wash my hair, just a body scrub." She was wrapped in a towel but she dropped it into the laundry basket and walked up the stairs in the nude.

"You're becoming a total exhibitionist." He called after her.

She laughed. "I promise to wear clothes during harvest season. Well at least until dark, then all bets are off." She trotted down the stairs in the sundress that she'd been wearing earlier. She grabbed her mug off the counter and joined him on the couch. "I think it's just for you. For all that I was kind of slutty, I was never publicly slutty before now."

"Again, it's not really public." He frowned at her in mock seriousness.

"Yeah yeah yeah, well it certainly felt public out there on the porch. Not so much when I was in my bedroom and knew you were watching from the tree. I gotta say it was quite a thrill doing it outside. A first for me. I liked it."

Chauncey's face was contemplative as he said "Okay, before we get silly can I ask a serious question?"

"As long as it's not about David, go ahead."

"Do you think we could do this again some time? Now that I know what I've been missing I can't help but want more."

Cassie nodded and smiled. "I was serious when I said I was tired of being alone. I'm not ready to date yet and this was a lot of fun. No reason we can't make it a regular kind of thing."

"Good!" He smiled back. "Now, let's get silly."

Chauncey had one more spiked tea to Cassie's three. Somewhere along the way they'd named them Minty Pirates. He'd made all the drinks and he went heavy on the alcohol for her trying to make sure she'd sleep and not brood after he left. She eventually did fall asleep on the couch and Chauncey covered her up. The nights were still chilly and he didn't want her to wake up from the cold. He gently touched her hair with the back of his hand his acknowledgment to himself that she was also a benediction to him.

They had gotten very silly while he plied her with alcohol, coming up with more and more elaborate scenarios. Chauncey was thinking of one Cassie had mentioned in passing as he sat on the porch to put on his shoes. Cassie was pretty tipsy by then but she'd said they should build a sexzebo and find a masseuse that would give her a happy ending and while he watched. Both ideas stuck in his head. He really liked the idea of the sexzebo. He imagined it as more of a glass room, the kind of glass that lets you see out but blocks people from seeing in. He'd studied architecture for a little while and was drawing up plans in his head. There was still some daylight so instead of heading to his car he started walking the property looking for a likely spot.

After thirty minutes he found it. There was a small clearing at the edge of his property, maybe ½ an acre, it was on the other side of a small ravine which is probably why no trees had been planted there. He'd have to build a bridge, as he knew the ravine filled up in the rainy season, but the space was more than big enough for what he had in mind. It would take a little doing but one thing money was good for was getting things done and he had more than enough money to get this done. Chauncey had a feral sort of smile at the thought of spending the guilt money his mother gave him on a sexzebo. His father had given up on him years ago, calling him a pansy ass. So the thought of using their money to build a place to get laid, well as close as he would get to it anyway, was amusing. He couldn't wait to get to his computer to put his plans on paper.