Cassandra Vitale
I had pacified Candice to try and get some sleep because she drank way too much alcohol at the club. I looked at Kevin through the windscreen from inside the car, his eyes widening while staring at his phone screen. I looked at him keenly full of curiosity.
He put his head inside the car through the car window. He stretched the phone towards me to see the name displayed on the phone screen. 'BOSS'
"Cassandra, the boss is calling," he said, fidgeting.
I was hesitant at first to take the phone, but seeing Kevin fidget that way I just had to take the call. I collected the phone from Kevin and answered the call.
"Is she sleeping?" He asked, his voice devoid of emotions.
"Switch it over to video call, I wanna see her face" he said, not giving me an opportunity to answer his first question.
"Anthony" I replied, unbothered by what he has to say next.
He was silent for a while over the phone, I turned to look at Kevin who still stood outside the car, pacing the environment.
He must really fear Anthony that much for him to be fidgeting this way. I mean who wouldn't fear one of the greatest mafia gods in shadowbrook.
"Are you still on the phone?" I asked, getting pissed by the silence.
"Hello Cassandra, I actually thought you would be sleeping by now" he said, over the phone.
"I couldn't sleep, I told Kevin to take me out of the house, I wasn't feeling too comfortable" I said, rolling my eyes. I just wanted the call to be over.
"Oh, that's fine. Be safe out there, I had to send you over to that place cause I don't think over here is safe at the moment" he said.
"What's happening over there?" I asked, not like I cared one bit.
"Nothing to worry about love. I'll settle things soon and you'll be back home. For now enjoy the new environment" he replied, avoiding my question.
I smirked, lifting my legs and placing them on the dashboard.
"There's nothing to enjoy over here Anthony. How long I'm I going to be here for? I have a life in Shadowbrook you know."
"Cassandra can we go now please" Candice said, sitting up on the chair, still very much drunk.
I blocked the mouthpiece of the phone to prevent Anthony from hearing, I guess it was too late for that.
"Cassandra, where are you guys? Why does Candice sound like she's drunk?" He asked, the tone of his voice a little higher.
How did he know the way Candice sounds like when she's drunk? Maybe one of those days when I came home drunk with Candice he must have realized how she sounds when she's drunk.
"It's nothing for you to worry about. We'll be back home soon" I replied sarcastically.
"Give Kevin the phone" he said, his voice sounding more authoritative.
"Why? I thought you've spoken to me already, what else do you have to say to him again?" I asked.
"Cassandra, please give Kevin the phone. We don't have to fight over this" he said, the sound of his voice a little relaxed.
"Whatever!" I said, rolling my eyes.
I stretched out my head, through the car window and called out to Kevin.
"Kevin! He wants to speak with you" I shouted from inside the car.
I watched him run towards the car, collected the phone and continued the conversation.
"Yes sir!" Kevin said, replying to Anthony at the other end of the phone.
"That's right sir" he replied again.
I wondered what Anthony was telling him at the moment.
"We're about to leave soon sir," Kevin replied.
"Cass, I think I'm about to throw up," Candice said, alerting me.
"Wait, don't puke in here please" I pleaded, stepping out of the car. Opened the door to the passenger seats and assisted Candice out of the car.
While Candice puked, I gently patted her back. I turned to look at Kevin who was still having a conversation with Anthony.
By the time Candice had finished vomiting, Kevin was already walking towards our direction.
Candice clasped her head tight due to the hangover.
"Cassandra, my head hurts like crazy. Let's go home"
"We'll be home soon, i promise" I said, patting her back slightly and assisting her into the car.
We all got into the car, Kevin started the car, driving us home. Candice fell right back to sleep and Kevin's eyes just remained fixated on the road. The car was silent throughout.
I was really enjoying the night, before Anthony came with his shenanigans and spoiled it for me. I sighed loudly in frustration.
"Are you okay?" Kevin asked, breaking the deafening silence.
"Yeah, I guess," I said, looking out the window. I could feel his burning gaze on me, so I turned to look at him, as our gaze met till he fixed his gaze back on the road.
"Thank you for making me feel better tonight Kevin, I'm really grateful" I said, smiling at him. He was grinning from ear to ear.
"It's no issue cass…." He said, smiling back at me.
"Sorry, I meant boss, it's no issue at all" he said, his smile changing to a little frown.
I laughed out loud.
"Boss?" I asked, perplexed at the new title he was calling me now.
"I've been ordered to call you boss ma'am" Kevin said, his eyes still fixed on the road.
"Wait, you're being serious?" My eyes widened, seeing his dead serious face.
"C'mon Kevin, we've known ourselves for far too long now for you to start calling me boss"
"Just obeying orders ma'am" he said, not batting an eye from the road.
"Kevin.."
"Ma'am?"
"Please, I beg of you and for the sake of our friendship don't call me boss or ma'am. Can you do this for me please" I pleaded with him, looking at him in anticipation for his response.
His knuckles tightened on the steering wheel, I could see through him, the contention he was having inside. I do not blame him one bit, it's just the circumstances surrounding our friendship and I really wished he had met under a different circumstance. But now I wanted him to just choose me instead of Anthony.
I needed someone to choose me, stand for me rather than for Anthony.
Ever since my mom died, my life changed drastically not for the good but the bad. She was my safe place anytime, any day. She would choose my happiness over anything, But my dad's decision to marry Anthony was something I couldn't fathom. He didn't choose my happiness, rather the happiness of another man over me. He just married me off like I'm some piece of shit. My marriage with Anthony has been living hell on earth.
I wouldn't be surprised if, when push came to shove, Kevin would choose that stupid command over our friendship. I continued looking out the window awaiting his response.
"Cassandra…"
I turned to see who called out to me, and saw Candice sitting up, her hand on her head, grinning in pain.
I felt a little disappointed, I really thought Kevin chose me over that command.
"Yes Candice?" I replied, looking at her sitting in the back passenger seat.
"Are we home yet?" She asked, grinning.
"Almost dear, almost," I replied.
"Okay," she replied, drifting to sleep again.
Candice really is a lot whenever she's drunk, she wakes up innumerable times, acts like a possessed person sometimes. And she's hard to control too.
I turned to look at Kevin, he still was unresponsive about what I told him. I was foolish enough to think that he would choose a friendship that we had lost for ten years now over his boss's command.
We finally got to the house, I stepped out of the car, opened the door to the back passenger seat to see Candice sleeping again. I sighed in frustration carrying Candice along with me was going to be a whole lot of work Kevin rushed to assist me.
"No leave her! I can handle her" I said, with a dismissive tone.
"Just let me help you ma'am" he said, trying to carry Candice.
That's goddamn ma'am. I'm guessing i got my answer already, he chose his boss's command over our friendship. I shot him a deadly glare, stopping him from touching Candice.
"Do not test my patience, leave her alone! I never asked for your help" I said, my voice laced with anger. He stepped back, away from me.
I swung over Candice left arm over my shoulder, using my right arm to assist her body to walk into the house.
"Miss Cassandra….." he called out. I stopped in my tracks and looked over my shoulder, anticipating what he had to say.
"I… erm…I—" he stuttered, his phone ringing distracting him.
"I'm sorry ma'am, I have to take this call" he said, walking away.
Hmph, I knew it.