receptionist to the bright yellow roses.
“ It is. Mr. Drake’s company own this. It was a very recent takeover”, she explained still peering at Cass as though she expected her to faint any second.
Cass nodded. The air around her seemed suddenly stifling. She turned quickly to leave.
“ I’m sorry to ask this”, Cass heard the receptionist call after her, “Especially as you don’t look like you’re feeling well, but the person due to set up the cake has had to run an errand. Would it be a bother to do it? The stand is in there and everything”.
Counting to ten and plastering a helpful smile on her face, Cass turned around. “No, no bother. Where shall I put them?”
She was lead down a short, tan hallway. The plush, beige carpet was bouncy beneath her feet. Expensive paintings were liberally mixed with certificates and press cuttings. All reflecting the face of the one man she never thought she’d see again.
“ Here we are”.
The receptionist pushed open a wide mahogany door and Cass let out a low whistle. The room was covered head to toe in balloons, banners, presents and flowers of all shapes and sizes. In the middle was a large, glass oval table covered in food and in the middle sat a tall glass cake stand.
“ Will this even be enough?’ Cass mused aloud, looking down at the cake.
“ Well, that was the order,” the receptionist replied, smiling pleasantly before closing the door.
Cass walked slowly over to the cake stand. The bill for cleaning any of these carpets should a cake fall would probably be a months’ wages!
Unpacking the cake gently, she looked up, her gaze falling over a long, framed photograph in the middle of the wall. The face of the man in that photo still held traces of the boy that she knew. Except now the coffee brown eyes of Luca Drake were harder, the smile tighter, as the hands held a ‘Businessman of the Year’ award.
She couldn’t look away. The memories from that September day came flooding back as if they had happened yesterday and not 10 years ago.
Chapter 2
“ Cassandra Regence”. The piercing tannoy system of the University Enrolment announced. “Please go to Booth 8”.
Picking up her bag, Cass slowly made her way past the huge crowd of other University newbies. Quickly spotting booth 8, she slid onto the hard, plastic chair in front of it.
“ Enrolment papers please”. The woman behind the small wooden table asked, her head scanning the sheet in front of her.
Cass pulled the small folder from her bag and handed it across.
The woman flicked through, frowning. “These are the courses you are taking, not the enrolment papers”.
“ Oh, sorry!” Cass said hastily, grabbing another wad of papers from her bag.
“ First time away from home?” the woman queried, skimming through the papers and jotting down the details.
“ Is it that obvious?” Cass laughed.
“ Mmmmmm”, came the dismissive reply.
Cass looked around her. The hall was packed! If there weren’t first year students, there were second and third years urging people to join their clubs.
“ I know. I mean it’s not as if he didn’t recognise me! We had a whole five minute conversation! Yep...yeah. He’s a first year too! Destiny right?!”
The voice behind Cass stopped. ‘Mmmm...mmmmm. No, seriously, he is really hot!”
Peals of laughter accompanied this last statement.
“ No, wait. Gotta go. He’s here!” squealed the voice.
Cass wasn’t by nature a nosy person but even this she had to see.
Flicking her hair so it wasn’t, hopefully, that obvious she was spying, Cass turned around in her chair.
The voice belonged to, in Cass’s opinion, someone who clearly belonged in a fashion magazine. Tall, skinny and cascades of elegantly styled chestnut hair. She was staring in the direction of a small group of guys. All wearing what looked to be rugby shirts with faded jeans, each one more handsome then the other.
Which one was it, thought Cass. Could
“ It is. Mr. Drake’s company own this. It was a very recent takeover”, she explained still peering at Cass as though she expected her to faint any second.
Cass nodded. The air around her seemed suddenly stifling. She turned quickly to leave.
“ I’m sorry to ask this”, Cass heard the receptionist call after her, “Especially as you don’t look like you’re feeling well, but the person due to set up the cake has had to run an errand. Would it be a bother to do it? The stand is in there and everything”.
Counting to ten and plastering a helpful smile on her face, Cass turned around. “No, no bother. Where shall I put them?”
She was lead down a short, tan hallway. The plush, beige carpet was bouncy beneath her feet. Expensive paintings were liberally mixed with certificates and press cuttings. All reflecting the face of the one man she never thought she’d see again.
“ Here we are”.
The receptionist pushed open a wide mahogany door and Cass let out a low whistle. The room was covered head to toe in balloons, banners, presents and flowers of all shapes and sizes. In the middle was a large, glass oval table covered in food and in the middle sat a tall glass cake stand.
“ Will this even be enough?’ Cass mused aloud, looking down at the cake.
“ Well, that was the order,” the receptionist replied, smiling pleasantly before closing the door.
Cass walked slowly over to the cake stand. The bill for cleaning any of these carpets should a cake fall would probably be a months’ wages!
Unpacking the cake gently, she looked up, her gaze falling over a long, framed photograph in the middle of the wall. The face of the man in that photo still held traces of the boy that she knew. Except now the coffee brown eyes of Luca Drake were harder, the smile tighter, as the hands held a ‘Businessman of the Year’ award.
She couldn’t look away. The memories from that September day came flooding back as if they had happened yesterday and not 10 years ago.
Chapter 2
“ Cassandra Regence”. The piercing tannoy system of the University Enrolment announced. “Please go to Booth 8”.
Picking up her bag, Cass slowly made her way past the huge crowd of other University newbies. Quickly spotting booth 8, she slid onto the hard, plastic chair in front of it.
“ Enrolment papers please”. The woman behind the small wooden table asked, her head scanning the sheet in front of her.
Cass pulled the small folder from her bag and handed it across.
The woman flicked through, frowning. “These are the courses you are taking, not the enrolment papers”.
“ Oh, sorry!” Cass said hastily, grabbing another wad of papers from her bag.
“ First time away from home?” the woman queried, skimming through the papers and jotting down the details.
“ Is it that obvious?” Cass laughed.
“ Mmmmmm”, came the dismissive reply.
Cass looked around her. The hall was packed! If there weren’t first year students, there were second and third years urging people to join their clubs.
“ I know. I mean it’s not as if he didn’t recognise me! We had a whole five minute conversation! Yep...yeah. He’s a first year too! Destiny right?!”
The voice behind Cass stopped. ‘Mmmm...mmmmm. No, seriously, he is really hot!”
Peals of laughter accompanied this last statement.
“ No, wait. Gotta go. He’s here!” squealed the voice.
Cass wasn’t by nature a nosy person but even this she had to see.
Flicking her hair so it wasn’t, hopefully, that obvious she was spying, Cass turned around in her chair.
The voice belonged to, in Cass’s opinion, someone who clearly belonged in a fashion magazine. Tall, skinny and cascades of elegantly styled chestnut hair. She was staring in the direction of a small group of guys. All wearing what looked to be rugby shirts with faded jeans, each one more handsome then the other.
Which one was it, thought Cass. Could
Similar Books
