Champagne Heart of Glass

CRASH!

“JOHN, WHAT IN THE HELL DID YOU BREAK THIS TIME?” The exasperated yells from Robert Garinolli, head chef of Garinolli Family Restaurant, and Cassandra, his 18-year-old daughter, echoed in a seemingly harmonic tone. Robert put a champagne glass down on the table and looked at him. John Wilkins, the clumsy yet friendly worker looked down.

“N-Nothing sir, j-just a bunch of…expensive ceramic plates that you specifically told me not to break…” he muttered. His hair fell down into his face, which was shining with sweat from the heat and the stares from his colleagues. The different colored ceramic pieces that were once elaborately decorated plates lay on the black and white tiled kitchen floor before him.

“Dear God, John, get a grip…” Cassie sighed and threw him the ever so trusty broom at him. While John fumbled for it a bit, Robert turned back to his work, putting all his effort into perfecting his latest recipe. Cassie looked out the wooden double door windows. They were currently helping at a birthday party for one of Robert’s distant relatives. Young bratty kids were running around, people were line dancing until they dropped dead in their shiny polished shoes and stilettos, and some of the seniors were yelling at the waiters that they didn’t have enough prune juice in the recipe. Or something to that extent.

It was the perfect atmosphere. She was used to it.

Beside her, waiters were bustling in and out with papers, trays, and food. 80 years of culinary excellence, passion, and effort swirled in the air all around them. The various smells of meat, cheese, and pasta, so pleasing to the nose and palette, mingled in with it. Cassie didn’t mind that it felt like 90 degrees inside and that the window was only open about an inch; she LOVED the feeling.

“Cass! Mr. Garinolli said to deliver this new bottle of wine to table number 3,” John muttered, coming up behind her.

“Fine, fine…” Cassie took the bottle, pushed open the double doors, and went to the table.

And of course, he had to be there.

Who exactly? Well you see, prior to this party - about two weeks ago, exactly - Cassie had a wonderful loving boyfriend. His name was Jake Mathers. He was everything she looked for in a guy - sweet, adorable, sarcastic but not too much, athletic…and he didn’t mind that she always came to him smelling like pasta and cheese. That is, until they ended things two weeks ago. They both said it was good and done. With one final kiss it ended. He was serious. She didn’t mean it. His eyes said goodbye; her heart said stay.

The heart does have a funny way of working, doesn’t it?

Cassie didn’t look at him for too long. Instead, she poured everyone a glass of the fizzy drink and headed back for the kitchen where she could hear her father yelling.

“John! Clean up the mess! Ay yay yay, you broke my champagne glass…”

~

During those breaks in between hectic serving and John breaking two more plates, Cassie stared at Jake longingly through the windows in the double doors. She watched him walking towards the bar to get a drink, walking towards the dance floor, congratulating the birthday celebrant…everything. It would have been so romantic if it wasn’t so stalker like.

John suddenly came in carrying a tray of empty glasses and three champagne and wine bottles. He slammed them down on the table and let out a sigh of relief before Robert started barking orders again.

“John! Fill half of those glasses with red wine and deliver them to table 5!”

“Yes, sir…” He held the bottle and slowly filled glasses halfway. The red liquid swished and the glasses clinked. Then he walked out the double doors.

Cassie remained staring at Jake and took in his whole appearance. He was standing in the middle of the dance floor, talking to a couple his friends. He threw his head back and laughed, and to her it was the most beautiful thing she had seen. Around her there was lively, noisy activity, but the only thing she could hear was the faint, yet distinct sound of his laugh. It seemed to transcend above all of the noise and hover just above Cassie’s head. She sighed and continued on. How she wished he stayed. His eyes were bright, his hair wavy and perfect…he walked with that sort of endearing confidence she wished she had.

“Cass! Take this extra bottle of Bacardi Big Apple to the bartender!” John yelled and handed her another bottle before rushing back to talk to Robert. She snapped out of her reverie long enough to understand what he was saying and did her job. When she was walking back, she accidentally bumped into that one person.

Jake.

“Oh…hey Cass! How’s life been treating ya?” Jake said eagerly with a huge grin lighting up his face. She missed seeing his smile everyday, that smile that was meant just for her.

“Oh, nothing much, I just…it’s-it’s been great, you know?” Cassie stumbled through her words. She couldn’t look at him for too long without staring and getting lost in his innocent glance, so she shifted her gaze constantly.

“Ah. That’s good…hey, I need to tell you something. I-” he began.

“Hey Jake.” Cassie’s cousin Justine came up. “Watcha doing?” She asked with a sweet smile.

“Ah, nothing, babe. Just talking to a friend of mine,” He replied, motioning to Cassie.

“Babe?” she asked incredulously.

“Yeah, she’s my girlfriend now.” Jake replied with a half hearted shrug followed by a questioning glance. “Why?”

“Oh nothing,” Cassie replied quickly. “Nothing at all…”

She‘s my girlfriend now.

“So uh, I’ll see you around, Cass, okay?” Jake said, and came over and held her in a tight embrace. Cassie was sure her heart dropped into her shoes, and it took all her effort not to break it off and kiss him. It took almost as much effort to not give Justine, who was giving her the evil eye, the finger. In the background she could see John dropping another champagne glass.

“Okay, I better get going now…” she turned around and headed towards the bar before she could get all the words out. Jake headed towards the dance floor, hand in hand with Justine.

Cassie could remember how she felt that crisp autumn day when Jake awkwardly fumbled for her hand during a walk in the park. How she felt when he turned to her and looked her in the eyes.

How she felt when he placed his hand softly on her cheek and kissed her for the first time.

Now, Jake was wrapped up in the arms of her own cousin. Her cousin. She was giggling, her long blonde hair cascading down her shoulders. She was more beautiful than Cassie had ever remembered. Or noticed, for that matter.

It sickened her. Jake was being his usual charming self, charming the life out of her. He was making her laugh, making her smile. Cassie was caught in a tangle of what used to be and what really was. And what she really wanted.

She placed his head on his chest. He sighed and a smile touched his lips. It was supposed to be that smile meant for her, not Justine.

But God, didn’t he look so fucking beautiful in the light.

Cassie wished it was her hands that were touching his. She wanted those words coming out of his mouth to be for her. She wanted to feel safe in his arms again, to feel loved, to feel needed. It should have been her in his arms. She should have been the one stroking his hair, kissing his lips, making him happy.

She knew she didn't have a chance.

CRASH!

John seemed to materialize out of nowhere.

“Crap, I broke the champagne glass.”