The Henson Brothers: Two Complete Novels by Dara Girard Page B

herself for the put-downs she knew would come.
    He didn't disappoint her. He stepped back and measured her outfit and face with cold eyes. Eyes that used to turn her legs into hot butter, eyes she had thought reflected desire, but only showed possession. "Hmm, you really must like this guy. You're wearing glitter and eyeshadow." He folded his arms and leaned against the railing, a malicious grin crossing his face. "So how long do you think you can fool him before he figures out how you really are? That you can't pass a cheesecake without taking a taste or that you try and fail a new diet at least every three months? Does he know that you and your mother never speak because you're a constant embarrassment to her?"
    Cassie wanted to leave, but her legs wouldn't move. "That's not true."
    "Oh, but it is, darling."
    The word darling cut through her paralysis. She pushed past him, refusing to subject herself to his vicious tongue anymore. "I'm not listening to any of this." It was a lie of course. His words repeated in her mind like an echo.
    "Fine, Cass," he said softy, mockingly. "But I know all about you and still want you. You can't say the same about him."
    * * *
    Cassie hurried to the metro, making her way through the crowded platform and squeezing onto the train, trying unsuccessfully to push Timothy's words from her thoughts. But they clung like sticky tape and continued to reverberate in her mind, covering her thoughts until they were all she could think of.
    She pushed through the heavy glass doors of the restaurant and saw a woman devouring a twenty-four-dollar salad under the cool glow of the dining hall, the sound of bubbling water from the large shimmering waterfall on the distance filtered through the low hum of voices. The plush purple seats and turquoise carpeting spoke of quiet elegance and an enjoyable dining experience. Cassie saw Drake at a table look impatiently at his watch. A server came up to him and he waved her away in a quick, brusque manner.
    She remembered the night he was dressed all in black as though a walking silhouette. Now, in its place, she saw an ardent, wealthy businessman who was entertaining himself with a funny woman he had accidentally crashed into. Their kiss two nights ago had been part of a fantasy she did not wish reality to tread on. She did not want to spend the afternoon trying to convince him why he thought he was attracted to her or giving him tips for his reunion. She didn't know what he imagined her to be, but she knew that she would only end up disappointing him.
    "May I help you?" the maitre d' asked with eager attention.
    "Oh, no. I was just leaving." She glanced in Drake's direction once more and silently thanked him for his attention that for a while had made her feel more alive than she had in months, then turned and left.
    She returned home, tossed her bag on the couch, and slipped out of her shoes, half relieved and half disgusted with herself. She would not cry or feel sorry for herself, she thought, building an inner resolve. She had to accept life as it was. She would not worry about Drake. He was fine. He would realize that she wasn't coming, shrug, and eat a delicious meal. Perhaps he would even catch the eye of some sleek beauty sitting at the bar, use some skills he had learned from her class, and forget about her. She was used to being forgotten. Her mother had made a habit of it.
    Angela Graham despaired of her middle daughter's struggle with weight. On family trips her mother would take her other children on outings, but leave Cassie in the hotel with the caretaker and her studious father. Her father was more absentminded than forgetful of her presence. He would pat her on the head occasionally, as he would a beloved pet, and would then add to her problem by secretly offering her sweets, which she ate with fervor.
    Her attempts to be close to her mother by losing weight always ended when the weight snuck back like a bad rash. The only time she thought they had a