Chapter 6: Midnight Talks

It felt like she had cherries in her mouth. His lips were warm against hers. Sparks flew all over her body.

Cassidy held on to him by wrapping her legs around his waist and clasping her hands around his neck. He kissed her tenderly, nibbling on a few spots. She let her back lean on the wall and proceeded to unbutton his shirt, feeling his chest. Looking into those transparent grey eyes brought warmth to her legs.

He took her nipple in his mouth, having her release a moan. Her breath hitched when he bit down in it. She held onto his scattered hair. He pressed his hardness on her thigh. "Should I?" he asked.

"Yes," she said breathlessly.

Cassidy woke up abruptly. She facepalmed when she realized it was nothing but a dream. She groaned when she felt the wetness on her underwear. "I'll be forced to leave this bed now," she whined to herself.

Getting out of bed, she discarded the old underwear in her laundry basket. Instead of getting a new pair, she just wore a big shirt over her frame. "Much better," she whispered.

Climbing back in the bed, tears suddenly flowed down her cheeks. Why she was crying was beyond her hut she let the tears flow all the same.

'Maybe it's because I saw him after all this time,' she thought to herself. She should have known seeing him would take such a toll on her. 'Maybe I shouldn't have accepted the job.'

She discarded that thought as soon as it came. Of course, she would have it no matter what. He was offering a large sum for it, after all. She internally thanked whoever recommended her to him.

Minutes passed and sleep wasn't coming. The tears had stopped coming but she was no longer tired. Cassidy sighed. She got out of bed and went downstairs. She was surprised to see that the lights in the living room were on. 'But I made sure to switch them off before going to bed,' she thought to herself.

Stealthily, she crept down just to see there was no cause for alarm.

"What are you doing here, Brandon?" she asked the little boy, facepalming.

He jumped and turned. "Oh, hey Mom," he said quietly.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, peering into his face.

"Of course. I'm fine. I just finished doing homework a few minutes ago so I decided to stay here a while," he said.

"You must be joking if you think I'll believe an ill-structured lie such as that," she said after a long period of silence. He sighed.

"I'm going to make some coffee then I'll be back. Within that time, you can decide if you want to tell me what's bothering you or not," she said as she went to the kitchen.

Brandon followed her into their big but sparsely furnished kitchen. "I doubt I have a choice. You'd still get it out of me," he said sadly.

"I'm glad you know," she replied as she scooped the coffee into a cup, put some water in the kettle, and waited for it to boil.

He sighed as he sat at the table.

"You know, if sighing was a language, I would learn it just to understand what you're saying. You give more sighs than words." She sat beside him. "What's up?"

"It's just the kids at school. It's nothing I can't handle."

"Talk before I twist your mouth into talking," she ordered.

"They've been making fun of me again," he said reluctantly.

"What's their reason this time?" she asked as she stood up to pour the boiled water into the cup.

"Can I get some coffee too?" he pleaded.

"No, I've told you that several times. Now, stop trying to change the topic." Giving him a stern look, she sat with her cup. "Tell me what happened."

He squeezed his mouth for a long time. "I'm sorry, Mom but I can't tell you," he told her after a long while.

"Why is that?"

"Because I want to handle this on my own," he said.

"Brandon, you're a nine-year-old child. What do you know about handling things on your own?" she asked, genuinely puzzled.

"I know that you always handle things on your own without anyone's help. I want to be like you," he said, smiling sadly. "Don't worry, Mom. This is no big deal."

He gave her a kiss on the cheek and went back to his room.

'Please let this not be what I think it is,' she said in thought.

That cup of coffee woke her up some more, so she went back to her room to start her work. On her way there, she stopped at Brandon's door and opened it. He was sitting on his bed, reading something.

"I'll let you handle whatever this is yourself but don't hesitate to let me know if you need my help," she said.

"Thanks, Mom." He smiled and her heart leaped. Seeing him smile was her ultimate happiness.

"Good. And don't ever let me catch you roaming around by 2 am. You're not a wild animal," she said before closing the door and heading to her room.

In the next few hours, she spent time studying the case carefully. "Interesting," she muttered when she noticed the contradictions in the complainant's two testimonies.

"So Calian's assistant might be right," she said to herself as she took notes.

Once she was satisfied with her notes, she began to feel sleepy.

~~~

Cassidy checked herself in the mirror. She was in a trouser suit that suited her perfectly. Her hair was in a neat ponytail, which satisfied her.

"Hey, Brandon. Come on out already," she hollered as she went into the kitchen to pack both their lunches. He was out soon and took his, then they left home.

She first dropped her son off at school before going to Oakwood. Walking to Mirabella's table, she asked, "Is your boss in?"

"Yes ma'am. You can go in."

Cassidy knocked and entered the office. "I think I've hit a jackpot," she announced.