Coming Home

“I’ll see you later?”

“What are you, in high school? I’ll come over to your place,” Cassadee rolled her eyes as Derrick walked her to her next interview destination. Smiling lightly, he leaned down to kiss her forehead and she returned his affection with a shy smile.

“No hanky panky,” she muttered as she fished for her phone. It was a gruesomely tiresome week for Cassadee, packed with interviews and wedding preparations. She had been arranging flowers, wedding gifts, her own gift for Dave, family business and Wendy’s bridal dressing services. On top of that, work called and her next political commentary was due this week.

She was just glad she didn’t have Derrick to worry about anymore.

As she walked into the clean, shiny building of the RPA- the Republic People’s Association. Cassadee didn’t like their name, like they were trying too hard to be more things than they actually were. Regardless, she had planned this and she had to go through with it.

“Hi I’m-“

“Cassadee Adams? Level 3 please, Mr Anderson is waiting for you already,” smiled a particularly young looking receptionist. She eyed him warily, it was too early to be wide-eyed and bushy tailed. Maybe the girl just really liked her job.

Making her way to her destination, Cassadee tried her best to not stare at herself in the elevator mirror. She had on a blue working top that Derrick told her to button up more because apparently now that she had the sexual prowess, he was suddenly afraid of what he called ‘lecherous political teenagers’. She had rolled her eyes at him while shrugging on her parka and a scarf, but not before flashing a little bit of her chest to him- in which he replied to by rolling his eyes and reminding her that she had a reputation for giving slimy hand jobs.

She liked it. The way their new relationship progressed. It all seemed to be developing quickly, but Cassadee was okay with it. Because they weren’t attached hip and bone, there were boundaries that were once barricaded with sensitivity that were now open for discussion and joking.

She had to remind herself again and again that she could not at any given moment jump his bones and have sex with him. She didn’t think they were ready yet.

As the elevator rang open, she stepped out into a glass room.

“Ah, Miss Adams,” greeted what seemed to be like a young boy. He had impeccably coifed hair, and he was dressed in a proper business suit- inclusive of a coat and tie. She didn’t like him very much because he looked like the sort of person who thought too highly of himself.

“Mr Anderson,” she smiled tepidly back as she reached out her hand to shake his. Only she noticed that when he grabbed her arm, he held on for a moment too long.

“I really admire your work,” he said again, smiling at her- his lips stretching far too wide for his child-like face. Cassadee returned another smile, her cheeks stinging as she pulled out a notepad.

“Let’s get down to business shall we?” She asked. As she shifted herself into a chair, man-child hastily removed his suit and loosened his tie. The sort of quick action that suggested something tactile.

“Sorry, just getting acquainted,” he replied. She didn’t return his smile this time, staring meaningfully into his eyes. Whatever he was up to, didn’t seem to be impressing her so far. Then after a moments of waiting, man-child realised that she wasn’t really moving much, other than picking at the sleeves of her parka.

“Are you not removing your coat?”

“I’m pretty comfortable thanks,” she said placidly, tapping her pencil on the table.

Silence. She was jotting something down in her notepad, the phrase ‘aimlessly impeccable’ struck her about this entire set up and Cassadee made sure to underline it. She looked up and noticed that man-child was looking at her very deliberately, his eyes never breaking eye contact with hers. She looked back, despite her calm demeanour, her veins and blood burning.

Suddenly he was on his feet, striding towards her. Taking a sharp breath, Cassadee gathered her notepad, shoving it violently into her purse.

Up close, she could see a mole lining man-child’s jawbone, and a few stray facial hairs marking his face. He could be attractive if she were still a fawning teenager, but there was something awfully gross about his behaviour.

“Let’s get this over and done with Miss Adams,” he husked, his palms gently prying her scarf apart. Cassadee gave an ugly yelp, before slapping his hands away.

“Jesus! What the hell?” She yelled as she slapped him away. Man-child took a step-back, confused.

“Get away from me, are you even legal? Jesus Christ, and button up your shirt!” Cassadee yelled, her voice reverberating through the levelled glass room.

Man-child looked angry for a moment before speaking.

“Are you serious?”

“What?”

“Isn’t this what you do?”

“What on earth?”

“Don’t lie to me, everyone can see through your act. You’re obviously sodomizing with Derrick and Tobias- the little political prostitute,” he snapped. Cassadee’s head swam. Political prostitute, repeating again and again in her head. Was that how they saw her work? As mere boot-licking because she was some sexual puppet?

“Come any closer to me and I’ll upload the sound clip online,” she said again, her voice warbling.

“What?” Man-child said again, this time pushing the distance between them even further.

“Honestly Mr Anderson, its basic reporter etiquette. If I wanted to be a porn sensation, I would have brought a video camera,” Cassadee said, before taking the stairs as a quick escape, her heart palpitating wildly in her chest, her eyes burning.

She felt humiliated, ashamed and used. She had worked so hard to try to tell the truth, and this was where she was now? Nothing but a political slut? She heard her heels smacking heavily against the concrete steps, ringing around her. Man-child didn’t follow her and she let herself rest between the first and second floor, breathing in deeply, trying to swallow the tears that were coming.

She had to tread carefully with this. Calming herself, Cassadee pulled her phone out- there was in fact, no recorder. She had forgotten to turn it on. She plugged in Tobias’s number on her phone, he would be only one that could calmly deal with this. Derrick would blow his top, Caleb would scream.

As she yanked herself out of the RPA building, she felt the cool air on her hair- ruffling through her. And she felt better. There was no misogyny here to trouble her anymore. She didn’t even know if it was called misogyny, because to her it really did seem like they were picking on her gender.

Pressing her phone to her ear, Cassadee waited for Tobias to pick up his phone. After a few rings, he did.

Tobias: So you and Derrick huh?
Cassadee: Not now Tobias.

Cassadee is aware that her voice is shaking, and she realises that her calves are trembling as she sits down by a road kerb and tries to stop shaking.

Tobias: Are you okay?
Cassadee: No. This dwarf boy from RPA just tried to have sex with me.
Tobias: What?

Somehow Tobias didn’t seem very shocked. That was ironically, how they both met.

Cassadee: He wasn’t very sensitive about it Tobias, in case you were wondering.
Tobias: Right. What did he say?
Cassadee: That everyone thinks I’m the political prostitute.
Tobias: Ouch.
Cassadee: What do I do? Sorry, I know there’s nothing you can say. I just really need to talk to someone about it.

Cassadee hears Tobias sigh across the line.

Tobias: There has been some political back chat. Everyone thinks you banged me, and now everyone thinks you’re banging Derrick.
Cassadee: Oh my god.
Tobias: Sorry honey, this is how it works here. If you’re a girl, sex is your biggest asset.
Cassadee: Well I don’t want it to be.
Tobias: Then be honest, change it.
Cassadee: Are you even allowed to tell me this?
Tobias: After that article you wrote about me, I can literally say anything I want to shut my seniors up.
Cassadee: Someone write an article about me then.

Tobias keeps quiet for a moment, and Cassadee hears him take a gulp of whatever he was drinking.

Tobias: What. Are you expecting an answer to what you just said?
Cassadee: Nope, I got it. Thanks man.
Tobias: Yeah whatever. Don’t get your panties in a twist, see you at the wedding.

~

“He did what?!”

“Yeah… I got it under control Derrick, it’s nothing,” Cassadee smiled at Derrick across their table. He was paying because of his comment about her giving slimy hand jobs in the morning.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, fight fire with fire right?”

“Not unless you have a death wish.”

Derrick sighed and watched Cassadee twirl her pasta thoughtfully. She didn’t seem very affected by it, and chances were that she already had her breakdown and was on the road for something bigger.

“Sometimes I worry for you,” he sighed. She looked at him across the busy dinner and chewed her food.

“I used to worry for you too,” she replied, her mouth full of food.

“Don’t change the subject. You’re literally just telling me that someone tried to have sex with you, and last I saw it, we’re kind of dating.”

“Dating again.”

“Details.”

“Semantics.”

“Don’t use that lingo on me. Anyway, I’m just worried okay? Like all boyfriends are.”

Cassadee sighed and Derrick looked at her, suddenly looking very small behind her bowl of food.

“You can be my Prince Charming when we’re watching The Notebook and I’m crying okay? But right now, I kind of want to be a rebel,” she winked.

Derrick rolled his eyes before laughing.

“As long as our relationship doesn’t overlap with whatever we’re working for okay?” He asked her, reaching his hand across the table. Cassadee placed her small palm in his larger one and nodded slowly, squeezing his hand.

“So Mr Fieldings, how does it feel to be dating the political prostitute?” Cassadee asked, a twinkle of a laugh in her voice. Derrick liked the way she said it, like she was strong enough to handle anything.

“We get along better than I expected,” he shrugged. Then her wry smile broke into one that made her eyes shine, and he liked it. The way when she smiled, nothing else mattered.

“Is that an L or a P?”

“I’ll let you decide on that one Miss Adams,” he winked.