L. Marie Adeline- S.E.C.R.E.T

H
ow I left Will sleeping there I’ll never know. I guess I assumed I’d see him again a
few hours later, after I raced home, fed the cat, showered and put on a nice pair of
jeans and a sexy top to open the restaurant.
Turned out I wasn’t late. I was early, in fact, early enough that I managed to have the
coee brewed before our rst customer walked through the door, stepping over the
Times-Picayune instead of doing the polite thing by bringing it in for me. But I wasn’t
mad. Nothing could get me down that day, I decided, not the rain, nor the fact that the
girls had left the room upstairs a bloody mess, one that would likely fall to me to clean.
After all, Will and I had contributed to the mess, hadn’t we? Will and me. Me and Will.
Were we an us? I hoped so. No. It’s too soon to think that way, Cassie. There was still the
matter of collecting my charm, and telling Matilda I’d made my decision. I was choosing
a relationship with a man I loved over S.E.C.R.E.T. And I was grateful, so very grateful,
that this decision was such an easy one to make. The sexual emancipation of Cassie
Robichaud was complete.
Admittedly, a part of me would miss the excitement. And I loved the feeling of sorority
I got from the women in S.E.C.R.E.T., women like Matilda and Angela and Kit. I could
only imagine what it would be like to help facilitate fantasies for another woman, to
pass the lessons down. But I wanted a life with Will. Something in me knew it would be
fullling and loving and fun. He’d already proven to me that sex with him could be all
that I needed, wanted or ever imagined. And I was ready to do that for him too.
No, nothing could bring me down on that day, until I saw Tracina trudge around the
corner from the condo, waiting for a soda truck to pass before slowly crossing
Frenchmen, her arms tightly wrapped around her. I felt a twinge of guilt despite my
certainty that I’d done nothing wrong. They broke up. We weren’t friends. I owed her
nothing. Still, I ed to the back of the Café and busied myself with sandwich prep. My
stomach dropped when I heard the door chimes announce her arrival. She said hello to a
couple regulars. Why was she here so early? I quickly tossed out a dozen bread slices like
I was dealing cards.
“Hey,” she said, sending me to the ceiling.
“Ah!”
“Whoa, Cassie, relax. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
I let out a nervous laugh. “It’s okay. I’m just a little jumpy.”
She asked about the show. She’d heard that I danced after all.
“I made an ass out of myself,” I said, shrugging.
“That’s not what I heard.”
She knew something. I could tell by the tone of her voice. Will and I had left Blue Nile
holding hands.
“I’m just glad it’s over,” I said, slashing mayo across the bread, avoiding her eyes.
“Did Will show up?”