My Stubborn Mistress

But seeing her reflection on the café"s window she does not look the beautiful Ca.s.sandra, Quinn met years ago, but she is in the body of twelve years old. It was crazy to introduce herself to him. She looks away as Quinn crosses the street and halted in front of the window where she seated.

No… Quinn should not see her when she looks like this. She completely looked horrible with her shaven head, that is why she is wearing a hat from now on. And Quinn was there now, so close to her. But could he even recognize once he saw her?

"Ca.s.sie? Are you crying?" Martin asked while taking a seat at the chair across her. He went to the washroom earlier after they gave their orders.

She can"t find any excuses. "Um…"

Martin reaches her hand and squeezes it. "I know you miss them," he said.

Ca.s.sie peered at Martin. He was like guessing correctly. Truly she misses her family, especially Quinn. She wonders if he was still there. Ca.s.sie peeks to the window, and Quinn wasn"t there anymore. He"s gone.

"What"s wrong?" Martin asked then also looking outside the window when Ca.s.sie was like searching for someone.

"Ah. Nothing uncle," she said, feeling relief when their orders arrive. Martin had a black coffee while she ordered a cappuccino.

"After this, let us buy those croissants in my favorite pastier. You will like their bread am sure of that."

"Okay, Uncle," she told him. "Thank you."

Martin is a little confused but smiled. They finish their coffee then Martin takes her to a bus stop, and they take the ride. This is bad, she misses Quinn even more.

Before she"s trapped inside this dream; She and Quinn take a double-decker bus and seated above. Her tears wanted to fall again. She only misses Quinn even more.

They continued taking this road when she saw him again! He took the bus where they ride as well. Ca.s.sie prayed that Quinn won"t climb here, and she"s glad that he takes the seats below them. She peeks below where Quinn seated. He is very handsome even his beard is growing. She never saw Quinn have these longer beards, but he still very handsome.

Now she had an idea, she will request Quinn to grow his beard when she goes back to her reality. With a longer beard, he still good-looking. He looks younger. 

What age must he be in her dream? She tried to guess while peering at him. Ca.s.sie rested the chin on her arms she rested on the bus railing top. Then Quinn notices that someone stare at him keenly from above of this bus. Ca.s.sie quickly hides.

That was close! Quinn almost caught her! She giggled. She"s been naughty again. Silly smile tore her lips. Somehow, she feels better now.

"Am glad you smiled now," Martin commented.

"Thank you, Uncle Martin," she said.

"Everything will be fine. Hm?"

She nodded. Quinn just below her. And her heart knows it was him.

***

At the next bus stop, they get off. But Ca.s.sie makes sure that Quinn would not see her. She cannot face her yet having this look, she is not beautiful.

"Ca.s.sie, what"s the matter?" Martin notices that she is holding her hat like covering her face.

She shook her head. "Ah, nothing, uncle."

"Okay then, let"s go."

She followed Martin, then she notices, she is not familiar in these streets. No. She did not notice where they got off. And she also not familiar with this part of Paris back in her reality. She did not pay attention anymore because she just stared at Quinn, stealing glances at him. Oh well, she is happy today.

But her happiness is not every day. One day when she woke up, she realizes, she jumps into another time. Maybe like a week or two? Her shaven head has visible hair today. So it will be like this? She will just wake up one day like a fast-forward?

And she found herself listens to Lydia telling her what to buy and go to these stores. She just nodded and left. The address and store name is like the store she and her Uncle Martin visited before. She tried to remember the bus they ride. But she didn"t notice where they got off before. So she showed the address to the bus driver, and he dropped her at the next bus stop.

Why does everything be familiar? Like it happens somewhere like this? And looks like it will rain soon. Now she needs to ask someone for a direction.

Wow. She feels déjà vu. 

It could be possible to dream the book you were reading?

She was walking on this street when she saw a familiar face. It was Cara"s mom! She is a native English but knows French. Although she already knew how to speak and read a little in French but still better to ask someone she knew in her reality.

"Excuse me, ma"am? Can I ask the direction of this address? Maybe you also knew this store?" She asked Cara"s mom.

"Oh, let me asked my husband," she said with a smile in her face, then she asked her husband, and he began making a sketch.

Wow. This is exactly like that book! Is it?

If will going to rain later, then it was similar to the story of that book.

"Here, just follow that street, okay?"

"Thank you, ma"am!" she thanked the couple in French, then made a hasty step.

And then it began showering, she walks faster. Until Ca.s.sie runs. She runs and then b.u.mped into someone.

"Oh, I"m sorry Mis—" she froze.

It was Quinn!

He stared at her in shocked and seems s.p.a.ced-out while staring at her face. She knew it, she looks horrible.

No. Quinn should not recognize her in this look! So Ca.s.sie turned around then run to hide. She found a corner so then she hides there. After a few minutes, Ca.s.sie peeping to check out but Quinn wasn"t there anymore.

Okay, she is not hiding. She was just ashamed to show to him having a look like this. She sighed.

Ca.s.sie resumes following the sketch and finally, she found the store. She quickly buys all she needed, then hurrying to go home. But she lost again. She can"t find the way to the bus stop.

AGH, why so unlucky! Now rain pouring so hard. Ca.s.sie runs once again to find a shelter. She was standing in a corner taking a shed when two children approached her and shared the shed she"s sheltering. They look cold from only wearing thin clothing. Feel pity, she gave her coat as she wears a jacket underneath.

Wait— this is really from that book! After these two kids left, three teenagers will hara.s.s her. And she could already spot them.