Cassie didn’t know what to do. She was beginning to really hate this woman. Cassie felt frumpy, large, and dumb compared to her. Kristie was beautiful, smart, and talented. If Cassie had to compete with Kristie, she would never get a man.
There was a rumor going around the bar about Cassie pulling a train with some guys at a party. It wasn’t true. She had slept with both guys, but separately not together. Kristie would have been the first one to stand up for her, protect her, and negate the gossip if she only knew. But Cassie bristled whenever Kristie walked into the room.
Cassie herself was surprisingly prudish. She hated the way Kristie talked and joked using provocative language salted with expletives. Kristie had blown it early on unaware of Cassie’s Puritan leanings. Kristie told a long involved, truly off color joke about “The Aristocrats” which featured sordid details about incest and defecation.
Cassie needed a boost in the self-esteem department. She had a pretty face, but an ill proportioned body with nice boobs, unfortunately large thighs, and a huge ass. Still, she usually had a lover – not that they were quality candidates; drunks, drug addicts, violent men with tempers in and out of the county jail for one infraction or another – drunk driving, outstanding warrants, over due traffic tickets and the like.
The latest guy she had hooked up with was actually nice. Rick was a regular at the bar. He had a job, a new truck, and owned a house. He was recently divorced and needed a roommate. Cassie needed a place to stay that would accept her enormous slobbering dog. They fell together one night because they were both available and things moved forward from there.
One night at the bar, Rick confided to Kristie that he really didn’t want to stay with Cassie, but he needed the rent money. He didn’t plan on being a father, however. After about five months, Cassie contrived an hysterical pregnancy that trapped Rick back into the old ball and chain.
Suddenly there was a wedding, a miscarriage, and a new pregnancy. Kristie understood that relationships were founded on many different things. She knew that in cultures where arranged marriages were the norm, the couples often ended up truly in love and happily together. She hoped Rick and Cassie would be happy.
Sadly she already had a premonition about what the outcome would be. Most probably they would end up in divorce and poor Rick would live the next eighteen years trying to survive on the leftovers after paying half his income to child support. She hoped the marriage would work out. She really did.
Kristie invited the couple over for dinner one night. She embraced Cassie with open arms and a smile. Cassie didn’t want to be there obviously and humped down on the arm of the couch with her arms crossed in defiance. She looked at the table setting; china, cloth napkins, table cloth… and scoffed.
Kristie’s little ten pound dog was barking a welcome and dancing around the feet of the guests. “Your dog is scaring her,” Rick said. “You should discipline your dog.”
“Oh boy,” Kristie thought as she locked the poor little beast in the back bedroom. “This is going to be a fun evening…”
When drinks were offered, Cassie refused. When the salads were served she said, “I don’t eat salad.” It was obvious she hadn’t wanted to come.
“You sure are looking pretty,” Kristie offered to try to clear the air and change the tone. She was met with a deep sigh and another huff. Then Cassie just walked out the front door leaving all the individual Caesar salads, lobster tails, steaks, mashed potatoes, asparagus spears, and carrot cake for Kristie to devour by herself.
Kristie was too sick to eat. She cried and cried for hours and days later she was still crying. What in the hell had she done to piss Cassie off so royally? At some point Kristie had to save herself. She would simply end any further attempt at friendship with this couple. She let them go with a blessing of love.
