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Eugene was laying by his sleeping wife Rapunzel when she made a choking sound. He put the book down he was reading and shook her gently. "Hon? Sunshine?" Eugene shook her again and he got no response. He started to panic as he called for an ambulance then tried to revive his wife. After what seemed like an eternity the ambulance finally arrived. Eugene followed the ambulance and anxiety gripped him as he watched as a paramedic spend the entire trip trying to revive Rapunzel.When Eugene arrived at the hospital he wanted to go in with his wife but was held back by a nurse who told him he had to wait in the family counseling room. As Eugene waited he realized that he hadn't called Rapunzel's parents. His voice was shakey and he was holding back tears as he explained the situation.An hour later Rapunzel's parents joined Eugene in the family counseling room and he hugged them both."Any changes?" Arianna asked."No. No....""Mr. Fitzherbert."Eugene turned and faced the nurse who was standing in the doorway that led to the exam rooms. When Eugene looked at the woman's face he knew that any hopes of a miracle were gone. "I'm very sorry. We did all we could, but your wife and baby are gone."Everything went quiet for Eugene. People were talking to him then everything went black. The next thing he knew he was sitting up in his bed. "Another nightmare." Eugene looked at the clock on his nightstand and seeing that it was six A.M. he decided to go ahead and get up. He had to go and pick out a head stone for his wife and unborn baby. Rapunzel had died a month before from being hit by a car while out jogging. The driver was on her phone not paying attention. Rapunzel and her unborn child were killed instantly.After Eugene picked out the head stone he paid half up front then went to visit Rapunzel's grave. Her parents were buried beside her.When Eugene arrived he saw a woman standing in front of where Rapunzel's head stone was going to be, the woman heard Eugene's car and she turned to leave, only to twist her left ankle and fall.The woman cursed as she stood up and put as little weight as possible on her left foot. As Eugene approached her she turned her head towards him. Eugene was suprised to see that the woman was Rapunzel's ex-friend Cassandra. Cassandra and Rapunzel were the best of friends until they had a huge falling out over Eugene two years before the sudden and tragic death of Rapunzel and her unborn child. Cassandra didn't think an ex-thief was the right person for Rapunzel, and Rapunzel strongly disagreed. "Don't worry Eugene. I'm leaving." Cassandra gingerly limped to her car and drove away. Eugene was sure this out of the blue meeting was just a coincidence and he wouldn't see Cassandra again, not realizing fate was working to bring them together.Before Eugene knew it he had been at his wife's gravesite for an hour. He started to get hungry but he didn't want to leave. After another half an hour Eugene decided to leave and go get some food. He decided to go to a sports bar and have some wings, watch a game, try and relax a little bit.When Eugene got to The Glass Sipper Bar&Grill he had no issue with the crowded parking lot, it was a Saturday and it was his weekend off. He had all the time he needed.Once inside Eugene gave his name and was given a buzzer. Eugene passed the time playing a game on his phone and soon it was his turn to be seated."Sorry for your wait," Eugene's waitress said. "What can I get you to drink?"After Eugene ordered his drink and wings he listened to two waitresses talking at their station. 'She didn't just get fired for missing because of her ankle, she called in three times last week. So while I feel bad for her she brought this on herself.'It didn't take long for Eugene to figure out the woman being talked about was Cassandra, and while Eugene did find Cassandra's frequent call-in's odd, they were not his concern.'Didn't she have a black eye last week?''Yeah. I asked her about it, but she said she fell and hit the corner of her coffee table. Don't believe her though. Not that there is anything I can do about it. I only hope she can somehow get her life in order.''A black eye, Cass?' A now concerned Eugene thought to himself. 'I need to find a way to get ahold of her. Find out what is going on. We're by no means friends, but I'm not going to sit idly by and let someone use her for a punching bag.'Eugene decided to forgo his lunch and made a call to a friend he had at the Corona Police Department. Eugene said he had reason to believe that Cassandra was being abused, but that it was only word of mouth. After being told that wasn't enough to go on, Eugene got Cassandra's address so he could go and check on her. He figured she would tell him to "fuck off," but at least he knew he did the right thing.When Eugene got to Cassandra's door he knocked on it and got no response. "Cass, it's Eugene."Eugene knocked on the door again and when he still didn't get an answer he quickly picked the lock and got inside and found Cassandra in nothing but a slip laying face down in the kitchen floor. Eugene checked Cassandra for a pulse and called for an ambulance.As soon as Eugene hung up his phone, Cassandra sat straight up and mistook him for her boyfriend. She tried to fight but was quickly and gently subdued by Eugene. "Cass, it's me. It's Eugene."When Cassandra realized the man she was trying to fight was Eugene she brushed him away stood up, only to get dizzy and lose her balance. Eugene steadied her and took her to her couch.When the ambulance and police arrived the paramedics told Cassandra she probably had a concussion and that she needed to go to the hospital. "I'll be fine. I'm just a little dizzy. And why are the cops here? I just slipped and fell.""We both know that isn't true," the paramedics moved out of the way and Cassandra glared at Eugene. She really did not want to see him anymore, or talk to him, but her current state made her nauseous when she tried to move. "Why don't you tell the cops and the paramedics how you got your black eye that caused you to lose your job." Cassandra was pissed, but Eugene continued anyway. "What's his name Cassandra? The police need to know so they can put a stop to this.""Get the fuck out of my house and mind your own Goddamn business! I fell the other day and that is how I got my black eye!""So you've fallen twice, recently?" One of the paramedics asked. "Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?""All of you, out! NOW!"Realizing they weren't getting anywhere, the police and the paramedics let Cassandra be. Though they were all certain they would be back, and they were all afraid that the next time it would be too late to help Cassandra.Later that night Cassandra was awoken by a knock on her door. She got a sick feeling in her stomach and hid in her bedroom closet then called emergency services to report a break in. Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard her front door open, followed by the voice of her boyfriend. Cassandra stayed in her closet and prayed to God that her boyfriend would leave after he finished destroying her house.When Cassandra heard her bedroom door open she tried to be as quiet as possible. Surely he wouldn't look in her closet. He did and he violently pulled Cassandra out of her closet and threw her onto her bed. She tried to fight back but her boyfriend punched her hard in the face and stradled her then pointed a gun at her head. He went to fire when police arrived and stormed the house. The distraction gave Cassandra the split second she needed to knock the gun out of her boyfriends hand. Cassandra tried to run but her boyfriend shot her twice in the back just above her right shoulder blade before turning the gun on himself and pulling the trigger.When Cassandra got to the hospital she underwent emergency surgery while one of Eugene's cop friends called him at home and told him what was going on.Eugene arrived at the hospital and was told he had to wait in the waiting room. While Eugene was waiting he started to get hungry. Problem was the cafeteria was closed and the vending machines left a lot to be desired. "I guess I'll go grab a burger or something."When Eugene got back to the hospital he sat in the waiting room and ate his burger then pulled out his phone. Two hours later a nurse came into the room. "Mr. Fitzherbert," Eugene put up his phone as he turned to face the nurse. "Cassandra is out of surgery," Eugene had mixed emotions. He was more than relieved that Cassandra was going to be ok, but what about when it came time for her to leave the hospital. He knew she would need help, but just as before she wouldn't want any help from him. 'I'll cross that bridge when I come to it,' Eugene said to himself.In the recovery room a groggy and sore Cassandra woke up to the sound of monitors beeping and unfamiliar faces looking down at her. "Wh...where am I?" Cassandra asked."You're in the hospital," one of the nurses answered. Cassandra panicked as the memories of the previous night came flooding back to her tired and stressed brain. While one nurse held her down another administered another sedative then looked at the other nurse.A few hours later the sedative wore off and Cassandra woke up. This time however she was a lot more reserved. She asked the same questions and asked about her boyfriend and was scared he could find her. Cassandra was told her boyfriend was dead and she felt a sense of relief she hadn't felt in months.The next day after telling her story to two detectives from the Corona Police Department, Cassandra was trying to relax by watching television when there was a knock on her door. It was Eugene. Cassandra looked at him and then looked up at the ceiling. "Go...away! I don't want a sermon from you or anyone else!" Eugene took a look at Cassandra's lunch tray then back up at her. "You need to eat Cass..."Cassandra snapped her head toward Eugene and he got the hint. He left without saying a word and went home. He tried to sleep but he couldn't stop worrying about Cassandra because he knew she was going to go back to her house despite what had happened there.When the time came for Cassandra to leave she took a cab home but she didn't even make it one night in her house. She had to go somewhere and she couldn't afford a motel room. She only had one choice.Eugene was on his way home after pulling a twelve hour shift when his cell phone rang. He pulled over and looked at the number. "What?" Eugene was already in a mood, and he really didn't want to talk to Cassandra."I'm...nevermind. I shouldn't have called." Before Eugene could get a word out Cassandra hung up, so he went home.A week passed and Cassandra and Eugene ran into each other at a fast food restaurant, though they both declined to engage in conversation. When it came time for Cassandra to pay for her order her card that she had just used to buy gas wasn't working. Her frustration was about to reach a boiling point. She could feel her blood pressure rising and Eugene being right behind her only made matters worse. "Just cancel....""Wait," Eugene said. "I've got this."Cassandra went to argue but her growling stomach told her to shut up. She moved out of the way so Eugene could pay for her meal and his."Would you like some help?" Eugene asked as Cassandra grabbed her soda cup. Cassandra didn't even bother to look at Eugene. "I think I can get my own soda." Cassandra got her soda and her food then went and sat down at a table across the room from Eugene.After making quick work of her lunch she left the restaurant even faster. She never even told Eugene 'thank you.'Later that afternoon while Eugene was at work he got snapped at by his operator and he snapped right back at her. She had been berating him for weeks over small things while letting the bigger things that his co-workers were doing wrong go, and he had finally had enough.Mouths were agape and the operator had to leave the floor for a few minutes, and when she came back to the floor she had a smug confident look on her face. She told Eugene to go to the office and she was sure he wouldn't be back.Eugene took off his protective equipment and threw it in the trash can then went to the office. When Eugene looked inside the office his supervisor was holding a clipboard in her hand and glaring at him. Eugene was toast, he knew he was. 'I hope she makes it quick' he thought to himself."Eugene," his boss began after she directed him to sit down on a hard plastic chair. "What are the rules for working here?""Honesty, integrity, respect, and don't be insubordinate.""So...." she paused and took out a sheet of paper from her clipboard. "You should have no problem signing this sheet?"Eugene could not understand why his boss was making a show out of this. 'God can you just fire me so I can go find a new job?' Eugene thought to himself. "No ma'am. I deserve whatever punishment I get for yelling at my operator. My actions were inexcusible."Eugene stood up to sign the sheet and it was for a promotion. "Machine operator. You start Monday. You'll be taking Lisa's spot. I've been watching her and I've been talking to her and today was the last time. You aren't to say a word to anyone. Understand?"Eugene happily agreed and went back to work. His operator was not pleased, but she bit her tounge. She would just try again later.Later that night Eugene was on his way home from work when he came upon Cassandra's car sitting on the side of the road. He pulled in behind her and knocked on her window. Cassandra jumped and looked at her window and rolled it down. "It's dead, Eugene." Cassandra looked and sounded defeated. "Pop the hood and I'll boost you off," Eugene said.After Eugene hooked up the booster cables Cassandra tried to start her car but got norhing, the battery didn't even click. Cassandra waited a couple of minutes and tried again. When she got the same result Eugene got out of his car and walked up to her window as a slight ran began to fall. "What happened before it died?" Eugene asked."All the lights on the dash board lit up for a few seconds and the power steering went out, then everything died," Cassandra answered."Alternator," Eugene answered flatly. He went and got his cables and put them up then walked back up to Cassandra's window as the rain became steadier. "Call a tow truck then come get in my car. Rain is only going to get worse and the temperature is dropping quick."Cassandra agreed to wait with Eugene in his car. While she was waiting for the tow truck she got warm and fell asleep. Eugene could have woken her up but didn't have the heart to do it. He let her sleep until the tow truck arrived.After Eugene paid for Cassandra's car to be towed away she looked at Eugene and she knew he was wondering why she was out so late at night with her arm still in a sling. "I was hungry and I don't have any food at home."Eugene looked at Cassandra and rubbed the back of his head. "Ok, come on. Let's go get you some food. And, do you want to crash at my place tonight? It's getting cold and I bet you don't have any heat at your house."'Damn how did he know that?' Cassandra asked herself. Not really having any choice, Cassandra agreed to Eugene's proposal. The ride was as quiet as Cassandra was tense. And it wasn't Eugene that was the problem. Here he was bailing her out of trouble again despite how she had talked to him and treated him in the past. Guilt started to creep it's way into her psyche to the point it made her skin crawl. She wrapped her arms around herself and her body shook. "You need some more heat?" Eugene asked. Cassandra just looked at him and shook her head 'yes' then looked back out the window. "I don't have any hot water either."The ride to the grocery store and home was paced with heavy ice and wind. When Eugene got home Cassandra got another cold spell. Eugene took her to his bathroom and showed her how to work his shower. "Pull out the knob and turn it to the left until the water is as hot as you want it. While you take a shower or a bath I'm going to get your stuff put away and get the heat turned on. After which I will get you some clothes to sleep in and whip up some dinner."Cassandra waited until Eugene had left the bathroom then briefly looked at the knob and turned on the water to take a bath. After waiting for a few minutes Cassandra took off her clothes and stepped into the tub. She breathed a sigh of relief as she slowly immersed herself in her first hot bath in weeks. She felt guilty for wanting to indulge herself but her body was screaming at her to stay put and enjoy this moment. There was a good chance it wasn't going to happen again. After spending a minute arguing with herself a pain relieving pop in her lower back convinced her to stay put. She had just started to wash her hair when Eugene knocked on the door. "Cass, I've got you some clothes to sleep in. They're hanging on the door. I'll be in the kitchen.""Thank you Eugene."Eugene was not expecting a 'thank you' from Cassandra. It didn't even register in his brain that she had said it.After Cassandra finished her bath she got dressed and joined Eugene in the kitchen. He already had dinner and drinks laid out. "That actually looks really good," Cassandra said looking over the toasted ravaoli with melted cheese that Eugene had made. "I have to say I didn't think you would go to all of this trouble for me."Cassandra and Eugene sat down on opposite ends of the table and Cassandra just stared at her bowl. "Is it still too hot?" Eugene asked after he had swallowed his first bite and took a drink of his beer.Cassandra looked up at Eugene and he could see the conviction in her eyes and on her face. "Words....I don't have the words to express how sorry I am for the last two years. I was a damned fool.""I'll say you were," Eugene was always blunt and to the point. That was one of the few things Cassandra actually respected about him. "Rapunzel hoped each and everyday that you would apologize. She wanted nothing more than for you two to repair your friendship. I was hoping you would have at least come to the funeral."'I did," Cassandra confessed. "But I stood at a distance. I wasn't sure how you would react to seeing me. And now look, I'm sitting across from you at your table because I fucked my life up and almost got myself killed. I've asked myself a dozen times why God kept that bullet from missing my lung or a major artery, and I still don't have an answer. All I've gotten is fired and I'm going to be evicted from my house.""Cassandra, you could stay here until you get back on your feet. I have the room and you could focus on getting a job."Cassandra rubbed her face and looked up at the ceiling as she again became emotional. Eugene had never seen Cassandra like this. He sat in silence, unsure if he should get up and give her some emotional support and comfort or just stay put and let her storm pass.After a few seconds Cassandra looked back down at her bowl and started to get sick. She ran to the bathroom and made it to the toilet just in time to lose her lunch. "Eugene, I need to brush my teeth.""Just pick a toothbrush Cass and leave it in the sink while I get you some apple juice."After Cassandra brushed her teeth and drank her juice she again thanked Eugene and went to bed, only to get up a few minutes later and throw up again. This time her belly was cramping and she thought she might be pregnant. Her boyfriend wanted sex, and while she didn't it was better than having to cover bruises. There was a way to find out, but she would wait until the next morning. Right now she was just ready to go to bed.The next morning came quickly and whatever Eugene was cooking was making Cassandra sick. She again had to go to the bathroom and throw up. "I don't want to be pregnant. That's the last thing I need. What am I going to tell Eugene, 'Hey, my dead boyfriend knocked me up. Can you help?' Yeah, I see that conversation ending well."Cassandra cleaned herself off and walked out of the bathroom in time to catch the tail end of a conversation Eugene was having. She also noticed the smell that made her sick was gone. "We're closed for the day.....of course I want to use P.T.O......thanks boss. See you Monday." Eugene hung up his phone and turned his attention to Cassandra. "Smell is gone Cassandra. You're ok."Cassandra went over to Eugene's couch and sat down. "How did you know?" She asked. Eugene wiped his hands on a towel and stood in the door way of the kitchen. "I had a feeling last night. Rapunzel's symptoms started the exact same way. Now I know hard-boiled eggs are also off the list. Which is fine. We still have other things to choose from.""We?" Casdandra scoffed."You don't want to stay here?""I don't want us to get in trouble living together when we aren't married. We've both had enough problems." Eugene could tell that Cassandra was serious and really concerned. "This isn't a sin, Cassandra. We aren't doing anything sexual."'And it's going to stay that way,' Cassandra said to herself. "In that case I'll stay. But only until I get back on my feet. Which I hope isn't long. I hate not having a job.""You want me to talk to my boss Monday? We have a job opening in raw production.""You mean dip my hands in cold meat and try to cut it with a knife at a fairly high rate of speed?" Cassandra was feigning sarcasm. "See what you can find out."Eugene looked out his window at the ice covered road and then back at Cassandra. "We...uh....we aren't going anywhere for a while. You wanna watch some T.V. or something?""Sure," Cassandra was less than enthuised, and it was only going to get worse. Eugene went to turn on the television when the power went out. Eugene went to check the breaker in hopes that it had just been throw. It hadn't. When Eugene returned to the living room he had two heavy blankets in his arms for Cassandra and him to cover up with. "Are you comfortable with this," Eugene asked."I'll be fine," Cassandra answered. "The last thing I'm worried about is anything physical happening between us." Eugene agreed with Cassandra's sentiment and they wrapped themselves up in heavy blankets."How are you coping Eugene?" Cassandra asked."I do thearpy at a church on Friday mornings. If you ever want to talk you are more than welcome to join me. If you don't then I respect your decision. Trauma is not an easy subject to broach.""I'll think about it," Cassandra said. After a few minutes Cassandra was asleep. Eugene looked at her before he too, fell asleep. When Cassandra and Eugene woke up around lunch time the ice storm had moved out of the area but the power was still out and the roads were caked with ice. They weren't going anywhere for a while.
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"Ice storm is out of the area but I am fuc..." Cassandra paused to keep herself from swearing. "Freezeing." Eugene and her were up against each other which was closer than they intended to be."We could try exercise?" Eugene suggested through chattering teeth. It didn't help that his breath was visible. Cassandra glared at him and she started to shake violently. Eugene wrapped Cassandra in his arms and did his best to get her warm by rubbing her upper body. Cassandra hated Eugene putting his hands on her, but he was being more than respectful of her body, and he was only trying to help, which was more than her boyfriend would have ever done. He only put his hands on her when he wanted to hurt her. Not once was any contact from him loving. It was always carnal or violent, but not Eugene, Cassandra felt a sense of safety and security in Eugene's embrace. If he wanted to take advantage of her he had ample opprotunity, but his only focus was getting her body warm. Still, it wasn't working. "Please stop Eugene, this is starting to hurt. I'll be alright."Eugene backed away slowly from Cassandra and studied her face. Cassandra was looked away from Eugene, and he had good idea why. "How long have you been anemic?"Cassandra turned her head back to Eugene and gave him an incredulous look, but Eugene continued. "Did you know when you left the hospital?""Doctor said I didn't have it. Aside from my shoulder being shot to Hell I was otherwise ok.""As soon as we can I'm taking you to an Instant Care to get your iron tested."To say this level of care was a shock to Cassandra's system was an understatement. She was by no means ungreatful, she just wasn't used to it. "Can I wait until my car is fixed? I promise as soon as it is I'll go and get my iron tested.""With what money?" Eugene asked rhetorically. Cassandra absent mindedly pushed Eugene and she immediately regretted her decision and started to cry. Eugene went to hug Cassandra, and though she initally resisted she accepted Eugene's embrace and cried hard into his chest. One day turned into two and was going on three when the power and heat finally came back on. "We need showers," Eugene said. "Why don't you go first and if you want I'll wash your clothes and dry them, and give you something of mine to wear until your clothes are done?" Cassandra looked at Eugene and shook her head 'yes' and went to shower.While Cassandra was showering Eugene put her clothes onto wash then got her one of his novelty shirts and a pair of sweat pants.When Cassandra got back from the bathroom she walked back over to Eugene in her comfy sweat pants and his shirt and sat down beside him. "Eugene, health problems aside I have been mean rude and ungreatful towards you. I didn't thank you for bailing me out wirh my car, or for buying me food and giving me a place to stay until I get back on my feet. I didn't even thank you for doing your best to keep me warm. Thank you, Eugene. And I'm sorry for my behaviour. Why don't you let me cook dinner while you take your shower?" Eugene agreed and went to the bathroom.Cassandra had never cooked much of anything in her life but she did know a few quick meals she could cook. One of which was ramen noodles with eggs. No sooner had Cassandra finished cooking hers and Eugene's dinner he was finished with his shower. Cassandra had just put the bowls and drinks down when Eugene walked into the kitchen. "Looks and smells delicious," Eugene said as Cassandra and him had sat down at the table. Eugene took a second to pray and then took a bite. He loved it and praised Cassandra for the job that she did. Cassandra gave Eugene a smile-her first smile in months-and told him "Thank you."As Eugene and Cassandra ate she felt something inside her. 'No,' she chided herself. 'I am NOT getting any feelings at all for this man. I just feel really good right now. I'll be back to my miserable self in a few days.'After dinner Cassandra found herself getting sleepy. "Eugene, do you care if I take a nap on your couch?""I don't care," Eugene said. "Just let me get you some fresh blankets first."Once Eugene made sure Cassandra was comfortable he too decided to take a nap. An hour or so later Eugene woke up and heard Cassandra screaming for help. He quickly made his way to the living room and Cassandra was having a nightmare. When Eugene woke Cassandra up she sat straight up and looked at him, clutching her chest as the relief that she had been dreaming came over her. "I'm sorry Eugene. I did not mean to wake you. Go back to bed. I'll be alright."Eugene didn't have the heart to tell Cassandra that he wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep, so he went back to bed and stared at the ceiling.A few hours later Cassandra woke up and saw that it was dark outside. "What time is it?" Cassandra looked at the clock above Eugene's television: 3:00 A.M. "Might as well see if there is a late night movie on or something."Cassandra started to flip through the channels and came across a soft core porn channel. Cassandra thought that there must have been some mistake. Eugene and Rapunzel were very religious people who shunned even social drinking, and as far as she knew Eugene still attended church. Still, she found her eyes fixed on the naked man and woman having sex in the cowgirl position. Cassandra felt things she hadn't really felt before as she watched the breasts of the woman bounce. Cassandra went to play with herself but quickly changed the channel when she heard Eugene's bedroom door open. Guilt started to overtake her, but she kept her emotions in check and found a football game to watch. Despite burying her guilt as deep as she could, Cassandra was betrayed by her face. "Yeah, the Corona Chiefs give me that same look," Eugene said lightly as he stood by the bathroom door and looked at Cassandra. Cassandra looked at Eugene and feigned a laugh, which only served to fuel Eugene's curiousity. "What's wrong Cass?" Eugene's tone conveyed a genuine concern for Cassandra."I accidently watched porn," she said, her voice and eyes full of conviction. "Wouldn't have been so bad but I lingered until I heard your bedroom door open. I feel so guilty. I'm sorry. I hope I don't cause you any trouble.""That's my fault," Eugene said. "I thought all of those channels were locked. I'll change the cable plan first thing t....here in a few hours when the cable company opens." Eugene went to the kitchen and opened the door to his refrigerator. "Are you hungry," he asked."I don't really feel like eating right now," Cassandra answered. Eugene made himself a sandwich and poured a drink then joined Cassandra on the couch. "Ohhhhh, this game sucked," Eugene lamented. "This happened last season. Worst game of George Dakota's career. Decided that the second half of the Seven Kingdoms Championship Game was the best time to throw three interceptions. Watched a 24-10 lead turn into a 34-27 loss to the Ingavrr Raiders. Ingvarr would go on to beat the Arendelle Argonauts 31-10 in The World Bowl.""Wouldn't have happened if Corona had had an answer for when Ingvarr switched to Cover-2, in the second half" Cassandra argued. "George looked like he had never seen that defense before in his life. Mix in the disguised blitzes and it was a recipe for disaster.""This season will be different," Eugene declared. "We have a powerful running back and one of the fastest receivers in the league.""Keep dreaming, Eugene. Just wait until my Tundra Bay Ice Demons get ahold of your boys in the season opener. We were one blown referee call away from playing Ingvarr in the World Bowl last season and I too believe we'll go all the way this year," Cassandra was oozing with confidence and Eugene playfully narrowed his eyes. "Wanna make a bet? Non-monetary of course.""What are your terms?" Cassandra asked."Loser cooks dinner and does dishes for a week." Eugene stuck out his hand and Cassandra accepted. The bet was offical."Now what do we do?" Cassandra asked. "It's still a few hours until daylight.""First thing we're gonna do is find something else to watch," Eugene said as he took the remote and started to flip through channels. "Nothing....why did we even get cable in the first pla...." Eugene paused when he came across one of Rapunzel's favroite cooking shows, "A Taste of Corona," hosted by world famous celebrity chef Rachelle Wray. Eugene put down the remote, a small smile creeped across his face. Cassandra wasn't wild about cooking shows, but Eugene was happy, and that was all that mattered. "She also does a show where she goes to different parts of the world and eats on a certain amount of money a day," Eugene said."How much, a hundred?" Cassandra scoffed. "Let her do it on five to ten dollars a day and then she can talk.""Rapunzel watched it because of all the different locations Rachelle would travel to." Cassandra started to feel guilty. Did she upset Euegene? She didn't mean to. That wasn't her intent. "As for her other show you have a valid point. Try that on a real budget and I guarantee about the only shrimp she'll eat is the Popcorn Shrimp Meal at Calliope's." Cassandra let out a huge sigh of relief when Eugene not only didn't get upset, but agreed with her sentiment. 'I really need to watch my mouth in the future,' Cassandra thought to herself. 'Espically if I get a job.'"Sorry if I made you hungry for a place that isn't open for another seven hours.""I'm good Eugene. Just thought I had upset you.""I'm not upset. Just having some good memories."As the show went on, Cassandra laid over on her end of the couch and fell asleep. Next thing she knew she was awake with a strong urge to use the bathroom, problem was, Eugene was in the shower. Cassandra could feel the urge get stronger the longer she waited. Unable to wait any longer Cassandra went to the bathroom door and knocked on it. "Eugene I gotta pee. Please tell me you're almost done." Cassandra let out a sigh of relief when she heard the shower shut off. About a minute later a dressed but wet-headed Eugene stepped out of the shower so Cassandra could use the bathroom. Once she was finished she took a whif of herself and realized she needed a shower and some clean clothes. The fact that she hadn't brought any from her house had escaped Eugene and her both. "My fault. Not his," Cassandra said. "I'll ask him if he can take me shopping. I'll be glad when I can get a job so I can offer to reimburse him for the money he's spent on me. Doubt he'll take it, but at least I can say I offered."Once Cassandra was finished she rejoined Eugene who haf sat back down on the couch. He had an erection and was doing his best to hide it. He hadn"t had any kind of sexual activity since Rapunzel died, he didn't even masturbate. He considered the activity akin to fornication or adultrey. Cassandra noticed how tense Eugene was but was unsure of how she could be of any assisstance or if she should even ask. Without saying a word Eugene got up and went back to his bedroom. 'Something's wrong,' Cassandra said to herself. 'But if Eugene wants me to know, he'll tell me.'In his bedroom Eugene had his trembling hand only a few inches away from his still hard cock. It was so hard and full that it hurt, but instead of relieving himself Eugene pulled his shorts and underwear back up and went to the kitchen for a few seconds then stood in the doorway. If Cassandra wasn't full on concerned about Eugene before, she was now. "Eugene, you know you can talk to me if you need to. It's obvious you have something on your chest. Are you nervous about going back to work? Are you nervous about us possibly working together?"Work. It was part of the reason, but it wasn't the main part, and Eugene didn't want to lie to Cassandra, but he didn't know how to tell her what was really bothering him, so he just came out and told her. "You're doing the right thing Eugene. I'll pray for you, but I don't know if God is still listening to me or not."Despite Cassandra's doubts Eugene and her had prayer. While they were praying Cassandra did some soul searching and she repented and got right with God. After Eugene and her finished praying they hugged and it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of their shoulders. Before they knew it Cassandra had a job her car back. A couple of weeks later, she had her own apartment. But something was wrong. Something was missing. Eugene was missing. Cassandra picked up her phone and dialed Eugene's number. "Hey Eugene, if we're off Saturday, you wanna go grab a bite to eat, maybe hang out for a little bit?"Cassandra was more than suprised when Eugene said "Yes." Cassandra hung up her phone and went to bed hoping she didn't mess up anything again.Saturday came and it was the perfect day for a date: Clear sky with the temperatures in the upper sixties. "I think I'll wear my blue jean skirt with a red top. Sleeveless should be ok, it's warm enough."Cassandra met Eugene at a pizza parlor and Eugene got a catch in his breath. He had seen her before but this was different. She had no make-up on, but she didn't need any. Cassandra's face had a natural beauty to it. "Don't gawk Eugene," Cassandra chided. "I'm not that much of a looker."Eugene made no argument, he simply apologized to Cassandra and they went inside. During lunch it was obvious there was tension between Cassandra and Eugene. Neither one wanted to admit that they were starting to develop feelings for the other one. "Eugene, I'm not feeling well. I'm sorry but I need to go home and take some stomach medicine and go to bed." Cassandra took out some money for her half of the ticket and then left Eugene alone.Later that night Eugene was getting ready for bed when there was a knock on his door. He slipped on his pajama's and shirt then answered the door. It was Cassandra and it was obvious she was distraught and nervous "I'm sorry. I should have called." Cassandra went to leave only for Eugene to stop her. "You're already here and it's obvious something is wrong," Eugene said."I...wasn't sick at lunch. I mean my stomach was upset, but it wasn't sick. Truth is I was nervous because of how I felt....about you." Eugene beckoned Cassandra to come inside, she accepted and Eugene closed the door behind him then took Cassandra over to the couch and she nervously continued to express her thoughts. "I have feelings for you, Eugene. I didn't mean to get them they just happened. I'm not saying that I don't...." Now Cassandra was really nervous. "I'm such an idiot. I should just go. I'll see you Monday."Before Eugene could say anything Cassandra was gone. During Church the next day Eugene tried to focus on the sermon but all he could think about was Cassandra and him. After the setmon was over Eugene explained the situation to his pastor and his pastor told him that it was, "Better to marry than to burn.""You mean burn in Hell?!" Now Eugene really was scared. His pastor clarified his statement and that the burning was sexual in nature and that consensual sex within the confines of marriage wasn't wrong, but if Eugene and Cassandra were not going to get married then they would need to distance themselves and keep it that way.While on his way home Eugene thought over what the pastor had said and it made a lot of sense. But what would Cassandra think? And what would become of their marriage if sex was the only focus? Eugene knew better than to be worried about the last part. He also knew that Rapunzel was big on second chances. When Eugene got home he picked up his phone and called Cassandra. "Cass, I feel the same way about you. We need to talk." Cassandra agreed and met Eugene at a coffee shop. "You had the same conversation I had at my Church," a more than relieved Cassandra said. "So you thought the burn meant Hell too?""I did," Eugene chuckled. "Kinda silly huh?""Not really. As for us getting married how do you want to go about doing it? I don't have any living relatives that give a shit...sorry. That care one way or the other.""Let's just get a license and have a ceremony with some friends from work.""How soon?" Cassandra asked, more nervous than she had even been in her life."We could get married next week if you want.""Ohhhhh my goodness," Cassandra gulped. "I can't believe I'm getting married in a week."Despite having to be at work the next morning Cassandra spent most of the night tossing and turning. When her alarm went off she wanted to curse it and the noise it was making, then she thought about what was going to happen in a few short days and simply shut off her alarm.As far as Monday's go it was going pretty smooth. On Eugene's side of the plant his machine had a slow start-up, but he was able to quickly remedy the problem. Then after lunch things went down hill, fast. Eugene had a chain break and radioed for maimtenance then radioed his boss. Unbeknownst to Eugene, his boss was in the middle of a conversation with a woman named Stalyan Wales who worked on Lisa's line. Before Eugene even knew what had happened he had been called in the office to answer a sexual harrassment complaint. Eugene agreed with the events in question but did not understand how putting a hand on the shoulder of another employee to show support for them losing a pet was harrassment, but it didn't matter, Eugene was let go, and he knew it wasn't going be long before Cassandra found out and their upcoming marriage would most likely be off.