UNEDITED
Between his semi-committed addiction to smoking and his role as CEO of Elemental Coffee, Cassian Russell has spent the majority of his life running one of the most popular coffee shops on the Island with his best friend, Jake Swift. After a...
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Penelope
Lunch isn't awkward. Cassian and I keep the conversation going without succumbing to silence.
The awkwardness sets in about three hours later, when I'm sitting alone in the hot tub with Harry Styles playing the background. I try to hum along with "Sweet Creature," but my mind won't allow me to. Although kissing Cassian seemed like a good idea, I'm regretting it. Have I ruined things between us? Today's events in the kitchen are what led me to kiss him. I didn't intentionally use a banana and Nutella to tease him. That appears to be the case, though. I could tell by the way he licked his lips. By how his nostrils flared at the sight of my tongue. He had to ask me who Rocco was, for God's sake!
Tilting my head to the cloudy sky, I groan with embarrassment. Morgane has always flirted with men and women without thinking twice. I've seen her in action. Every move she makes doesn't seem out of the blue—and I've witnessed her kissing someone she thought was attractive. She's precise with her methods. I wanted to possess the courage Morgane does. Which is why I kissed Cassian. I thought taking a page from her book would benefit me. But now all it's done is mortify me—even if Cassian reacted this morning.
Sick of background noise and music, I scoop up my iPhone and dial Gemma's number. She has better things to worry about than my calamities, but oh God, this embarrassment is sedating my emotions. I feel like I'm falling down a rabbit hole with nothing but replays of our kiss surrounding me. There are no floating tables or chairs. No wacky patterns that send me into a tizzy. Just the feel of Cassian's lips moving against mine and his thumb skimming my collarbone. And the mortification. That's hellishly potent.
"Hello?" Gemma asks.
"Hey," I reply, keeping my voice airy. "How's it going?"
Gemma takes a moment to ponder my question, which leads me to believe I've screwed up. My tone sounds fake. Damn it. The truth may as well be spoken.
"I kissed Cassian," I blurt.
"WHAT?!" Gemma gasps. "WHEN?"
Her enthusiasm causes me to hold the phone several centimetres away from my ear. I wait until she's calmed down before I respond. "Earlier today," I reply, securing my grip on the glass of wine. I can't afford to break another one. I hope Gemma doesn't have any news to spring on me this time. "After he got a haircut."
"I need more details than that, Nell!"
Sighing, I take a sip of wine. I need liquid confidence to spill the events of last night and today. I do this while subconsciously judging myself. Unwinding with a glass of wine after a stressful day is acceptable. I could, however, be doing better, more productive things with my life. But hell, in a handbasket, do I love my red wine. "Yesterday was rough for Cassian and I. We met up with Patrick at Utterly Uncorked to see how renovations were progressing..." I trail off, recounting the drama that followed. Although Ophelia has a right to be distraught—she did just find out I'm her cousin—she had no right to disregard my feelings and mistreat me.
