Reflections on Ice Ch. 07

Cassia's eyes widened and she giggled.

"Anyway, there's no reason for us to share. It's not like we can't each afford a place of our own. Tristen called the building manager and there's actually a place available two floors down."

"Oh, that'll be an easy move."

"Yup." Dylan's hold tightened and he leaned close. "We can spend nights there, without anyone else around."

Cassia shivered and nodded. "I do like that idea. Too bad he's not gone already."

"It's all right." Dylan's eyes narrowed and he put his lips to her ear. "I got us a room upstairs."

"Are you serious?"

Dylan nodded and planted a kiss to her neck before drawing back to look in her eyes. "I knew the second I saw you in this dress that I needed to have you all to myself for the night."

She stared at him, held by his dark blue gaze, her mind already fast-forwarding to them alone in the hotel room. She swallowed and nodded. "I feel the same way." As she spoke, she pulled her hand from his and touched the knot of his tie, her fingers brushing over his neck. "I can't wait to get you out of this suit."

His eyes narrowed and his other hand closed on her waist. Now they were barely moving on the floor, the slow song's final notes fading into a loud pop-dance rhythm. For a long minute, they stayed as they were, feet shifting back and forth in a slow move, as people left the floor and more came on to dance around to the new tune.

"You're beautiful, Cassia."

Cassia felt heat wash over her cheeks but she didn't look away from his eyes. "So are you."

He chuckled, his hand sliding lower over the curve of her ass. "I'm glad you think so." Then he lifted one hand and reached into his coat pocket. He pulled out a key card and while she continued to stare into his eyes, he slid the card into her bodice, tucking it out of sight against her breast.

Her mouth dropped open when she realized what he'd done. "Dylan!" She glanced around, hoping no one had seen that.

He laughed again, and pulled her close, his mouth at her ear once more. "Room 436. Why don't we go up there in an hour?"

"A whole hour?" Cassia should have been embarrassed by the note of pleading in her voice but she didn't care.

He jerked his head back to look into her eyes. "Half an hour?"

She nodded. "Yeah. That's better."

"OK. Let's get a drink and you can say your good-byes."

"What about you?" Cassia followed as he took her hand and led her from the dance floor.

"No one will care if I'm gone." Dylan smiled over his shoulder at her. "I'll slip out shortly and we can meet up in the room."

Cassia nodded and they made their way through the crowd to the bar. Cassia ordered a drink but didn't do more than take a single sip. Dylan kissed her once before weaving through the people away from her. She watched him go, before turning and setting her drink on the nearest table. She wasn't going to wait half an hour.

She found Janis, sitting at a table with her fiance, Matt, and some other friends. She pulled Janis away and hugged her.

"Are you leaving already?"

Cassia nodded. "Yeah. I need to get out of these shoes. They're killing me."

Janis grimaced in commiseration. "I get it. Where's Dylan? I haven't seen him all day."

Cassia hesitated before replying, the key card burning against her skin. "He went to pull the truck around."

Janis hugged her again. "Well, have a good night. We'll talk next week." She pulled back with a smirk. "Maybe by then you'll need a break from your new boy toy."

Cassia laughed and swatted her friend's arm. "Whatever, as if you're not going to rip Matt's suit off the first chance you get."

Janis' responding grin was cheeky and they both laughed before saying good night.

Cassia sought out Vivian and Troy, hugging and congratulating them. "You're beautiful, Viv."

Vivian hugged her tight in return. "So are you, Cass. Have fun with Dylan."

Cassia shook her head and turned to go. She spotted Olivia on the dance floor but didn't want to make a big production out of saying good night, so she just headed for the coat room. She wondered where Carol had disappeared to, but didn't care enough to look for her. She was still smarting from her friend's comments, no matter how she'd tried to push them from her mind.

She walked up to the coat check desk and leaned over it. "Hello? Anyone here?"

The attendant was nowhere in sight. Cassia shrugged and walked around the corner to open the door on the side. She heard something rustling in the back corner and wondered if the attendant had maybe chosen to hide away for a break. Then she heard a giggle and the sound of a zipper and froze. So... maybe the attendant had taken a break with someone else.

None of my business. Cassia swept one rack with her eyes, looking for her plain black jacket, cringing as her search took her closer to the back corner.

She didn't want to see what the two people were actually doing, so she cleared her throat before rounding the last rack. "Don't mind me, I'm just grabbing my coat. I'll be gone in a second."

There was a muffled exclamation, a man swore, and Cassia dared to look over, and froze in her tracks.

"Alex?"

Cassia almost laughed. She had thought only a few hours ago that he could find someone at the wedding to hook up with. He had, and the woman was rising from her knees in front of him as he struggled to do up his zipper. Then the woman turned around and Cassia blinked, her mouth dropping open.

"Carol?"

Carol rubbed the back of her hand across her mouth before meeting Cassia's shocked gaze. "Hi, Cass."

"'Hi, Cass'? That's all you have to say?" Cassia let out a startled laugh and shook her head. "OK, OK. This is totally none of my business, but you realize this is Alex, right? The guy who cheated on me just last year?"

Carol's eyes narrowed and she tugged at the straps of her dress. "Yeah. Well, you're not together anymore."

"Because he cheated on me!"

"It was a year ago, Cass."

Cassia rubbed her forehead. "I don't believe this. Carol, you can do so much better."

"You know I'm standing right here, right?" Alex's tone was wry.

Cassia glanced over at him, where he leaned against the wall, his shirt and tie still messed up from whatever else had been going on before she'd shown up. "Yeah, I see you. Did you really think hooking up with one of my best friends was the way to get me to see the light?"

His eyes narrowed, his patience at an end. "Believe it or not, Cass, I don't need you to like me. I can get any woman I want. Carol just happened to be tonight's willing participant."

"I'll bet. If she was sober, she'd have told you to take a hike."

"I haven't had anything to drink tonight, Cassia." Carol's tone was indignant and Cassia turned to her friend with a frown.

"And for the record, it was Carol's idea to come in here." Alex picked imaginary lint off his lapel before straightening away from the wall. "And her idea to get on her knees."

Cassia's face burned in humiliation. Not for herself, but for her friend. "How dare you talk about her that way."

"Cass...."

She swung her hand between them, making a cutting gesture. "No. I'm so done with you. Get out."

"You can't tell him to leave." Carol took a step towards Alex, as if he needed defending.

Cassia whirled on her friend, angry beyond belief. "I can, actually, and I don't know why you're not."

"I don't answer to you, Cassia." Carol crossed her arms over her chest.

"And you're here with Dylan anyway. What do you even care?" Alex's tone was mocking and Cassia shot him a narrow look.

"I care because Carol is one of my best friends. I don't want you treating her as badly as you treated me."

"Cassia, this is none of your business." Carol brushed her hair from her face. It had started to come loose, presumably from their activities before Cassia had bust in on them. "Why don't you just leave us alone. Go find your boyfriend."

Cassia didn't like the way Carol said that. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh please." Carol sniffed. "You told me yourself he's only pretending to be your boyfriend."

Cassia froze, drawing her head back as if Carol had shoved her. "What? I never told you that."

"Yes, you did. When you drove me home after lunch that day." Carol smiled, her expression smug. "You forget that I remember everything, drunk or not."

Alex started to laugh. "Oh man, you're pretending to date that guy? That's so pathetic."

Cassia stared at her friend, unable to process what she'd just said. "You don't understand."

"Did you hire him or something? Is he a gigolo?" Alex was still laughing. "I bet you hired him after dinner that night. You wanted to show me up?"

Cassia shook her head. "No, that's not why." Then she clamped her mouth shut. "I mean..."

"Don't bother. I totally get it." Alex took a step towards her. "Why don't you call me when you're done here. I've got a room upstairs and we can work it all out, Cass." He slapped her on the ass before she could react, and walked away.

Cassia watched Carol turn to him with a shocked look on her face. What she wanted to do was stalk out of there and punch Alex in the face, not only for slapping her ass, but for hurting her friend. But she stayed where she was, facing Carol, her mind reeling.

Carol turned back to her, blinking several times. "Well. I guess that's that. Thanks a lot, Cassia." She started to move around her and leave, but Cassia wouldn't let her go.

"I can't believe you told him."

"What?" Carol laughed, brushing Cassia's hand from her arm. "He would have figured it out, just like everyone else."

"You told everyone else?"

"Not yet." Carol lifted her chin. "But I could."

Cassia sighed. "Yeah. But it doesn't matter anyway."

"Not now that you'll be joining Alex in his room in a few minutes?"

"No." Cassia shook her head. "Hell no. I never want to see him again."

"Then why did you bring Dylan around as your fake boyfriend, if not to make Alex jealous?"

"I didn't do it to make Alex jealous!" Cassia threw her hands in the air. "It had nothing to do with Alex. I just... didn't want to do all this wedding stuff alone."

"Yeah, it sucks, doesn't it?"

Cassia took a step towards her friend. "Carol..."

"Don't touch me. I knew someone like Dylan would never be with someone like you, not for real."

"What?" Cassia drew back, hurt. "What do you mean?"

"He's a sophisticated, educated gentleman." Carol looked down her nose at Cassia, a look that was diminished only slightly by her red eyes and messed up hair and make-up. "You're a mechanic."

Cassia felt her stomach clench. She opened her mouth and closed it, unable to come up with a retort. Carol had just voiced all her doubts in a second. After another moment, Cassia cleared her throat. "You've only met him a few times."

"It was enough to realize that a fake relationship with someone like that is all you'd be able to manage."

"Why are you saying this? Is it because of Alex?" Cassia let out a short, mirthless laugh. "Because I meant it when I said you could do so much better than him."

"Better than a professional athlete, with a pay check like he's got?" Carol smirked. "Hardly."

Cassia shook her head. She'd always had trouble getting really close to Carol and over the years, they'd grown even further apart. Even so, she'd never have thought Carol was this much of a snob.

"Well, I wish you all the best, then." Cassia crossed her arms over her chest. "You and Alex deserve each other."

Carol narrowed her eyes. "Yes. We do." She turned to go.

Cassia couldn't resist one last comment. "But maybe keep your blow jobs private from now on."

Carol's steps faltered and she shot a dirty look over her shoulder before stalking away.

Cassia stood alone in the coat room for a long minute. She took several deep breaths, one hand over her eyes, before she straightened and finished looking for her coat. There it was, on the end of the first rack she'd come across and she picked it off the hanger, shaking her head at the craziness of the situation.

She walked out of the coat room, pulling the key card from her bodice as she headed towards the elevators. She wanted to get to Dylan, wrap herself in his arms and forget about the drama for now.

****

When Dylan left the reception, he didn't immediately head up to the room. He lingered in the lobby, near the elevators, waiting to see when Cassia could make her escape. If he knew she was right behind him, he could deal with the near crippling anticipation, but if he went straight to the room, he'd be outside his mind within minutes.

He didn't have to wait long. She came hurrying out of the ballroom, little black purse in hand as she headed to the coat check room. Dylan turned to the elevators but a wicked thought crossed his mind and he crossed the lobby towards the coat check room instead.

He caught sight of Cassia just as she disappeared around the corner, and inside the room. Dylan paused, wondering why she was going in, but realized a moment later the attendant was nowhere to be seen. He continued to walk that way, thinking instead that he could surprise her in the coat check room, instead of on the elevator.

Then he heard raised voices from out of sight in the room and stopped, frowning. He recognized Cassia's voice and Carol's. Then he heard someone say the name Alex, and his scowl deepened.

This can't be good.

"...Because he cheated on me!"

Dylan winced at the tone of Cassia's raised voice. Someone responded in a quieter register and then he heard Alex's deeper voice.

"You know I'm standing right here, right?"

"Yeah, I see you. Did you really think hooking up with one of my best friends was the way to get me to see the light?"

Dylan blinked. That wasn't what he'd been expecting. Carol? And Alex? No wonder Cassia was so worked up. Then his eyes narrowed. But why was she so worked up?

"...I can get any woman I want. Carol just happened to be tonight's willing participant."

"I'll bet. If she was sober, she'd have told you to take a hike."

Dylan smirked. Maybe, maybe not. He didn't know Carol well enough to know for sure. The volume lowered for a few seconds, and then he heard, "How dare you talk about her that way."

"Cass...." Alex's voice was imploring.

"No. I'm so done with you. Get out."

Dylan felt his heart swell at Cassia's words. He shouldn't have worried, even for a second. Cassia wasn't a fool, to fall for Alex's lines, especially after what Dylan could only imagine she'd walked in on.

"...Here with Dylan anyway. What do you even care?"

Dylan held his breath, waiting for the response, even as he felt a twinge of guilt for eavesdropping. What he should do is go in there and break this whole thing up.

"I don't want you treating her as badly as you treated me."

"Cassia, this is none of your business." That was Carol responding now. "Why don't you just leave us alone. Go find your boyfriend."

Dylan frowned. He didn't like the sound of that. Then his breath left his lungs in a whoosh when he heard what followed.

"...You told me yourself he's only pretending to be your boyfriend."

Dylan blinked, pushing up from the counter in shock. Cassia had told her friend about their arrangement?

There was laughter from Alex. "Oh man, you're pretending to date that guy? That's so pathetic."

Dylan jerked away from the counter, ready to stalk into the room and tell Alex what he thought was pathetic.

"...I bet you hired him after dinner that night. You wanted to show me up?"

Cassia's response was slow in coming, making Dylan's stomach clench. "No, that's not why. I mean..."

"Don't bother. I totally get it. Why don't you call me when you're done here. I've got a room upstairs and we can work it all out, Cass."

Dylan stared, listening to Alex's footsteps and the door open and close, before the man appeared around the corner, heading away from where Dylan stood. Alex didn't look back, just smoothed a hand over his hair before heading for the elevators.

Had Dylan heard that right? Did Alex just suggest Cassia join him upstairs?

Cassia and Carol's voices still carried towards him, low at first and he couldn't make out what they said. Then he did hear and his heart dropped.

"...He would have figured it out, just like everyone else."

"You told everyone else?"

"Not yet." Carol's voice dropped so Dylan couldn't hear again.

"It doesn't matter anyway." That was Cassia.

"Not now that you'll be joining Alex in his room in a few minutes?"

Dylan's blood roared in his ears for a moment, long enough that he didn't hear Cassia's response.

"Then why did you bring Dylan around as your fake boyfriend, if not to make Alex jealous?"

"I didn't do it to make Alex jealous!" Cassia's voice was raised, upset. Dylan understood, feeling as if his whole world was crumbling. "It had nothing to do with Alex. I just... didn't want to do all this wedding stuff alone."

That's it. Dylan had heard enough. And not enough, all at the same time. He stalked away from the coat check room, everything he'd overheard ringing in his head. He punched the elevator button and rode the elevator to the fourth floor, his mind reeling.

Had Cassia been lying? Had she still been putting on an act, this whole time? Just to keep him close, to keep him with her through the wedding? And he'd been so crazy for her that he'd gone along with it, letting himself feel that she was really into him, and found him attractive, instead of a bumbling fool.

He let himself into the hotel room a few minutes later, storming to one end and back, and did it again, pacing until he heard the lock click a second time.

He stopped, facing the window, with the curtains open to the street scene below. Dylan listened as Cassia let herself in and locked the door behind her.

"Hey."

He turned to face her as she kicked off her shoes and came towards him, a smile on her pretty face. Dylan ached looking at her, knowing now that she'd played him for a fool. He supposed it was his own fault, as much as anything. He'd let himself believe there had been more to her offer of a fake relationship.

"I missed you." She hurried up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

When he didn't hug her in return, she pulled back with a frown. "Is everything all right?"

"How's Carol?"

Cassia rocked back on her heels. "What? Carol? Why?"

Dylan sighed and gently extracted himself from her grasp. "I overheard your... conversation in the coat room."

Cassia's face froze, her mouth hanging open. "Dylan..."

"Save it." He turned away from her, pacing a few steps away. "I heard you tell her that it was all fake."

"No, that's not..." She shook her head and took a step in his direction, stopping when he moved further away. "You don't understand."

"What was it? Were you upset that Alex had moved on with one of your best friends or that she'd outed us to him?"

Cassia shook her head again, lifting her hands. "Dylan--"

"You know, you really had me fooled, Cass." He shook his head, looking away from her. "When you took me on that drive to the country, to look at the stars, and you kissed me, I thought it was real."

"It was real!" Cassia reached for his hand and he let her take it. "Dylan, it was all real, I swear."

He looked at their hands and then at her face, taking in her stricken expression. "Then why did you tell Carol it wasn't?"

"I didn't."

"Cassia, I heard you."

"It's not what you think."

He huffed out a laugh. "You don't know what I'm thinking right now."

She bit her lip. "Please, just let me explain."

He waited, saying nothing. He wanted her to explain, and maybe he could find a way through it, to keep on pretending, even though he'd been in love with her almost from the first moment they'd spoken.