Invasion

Inside the apartment the alarm went off next to Cassy's head. The alarm was on her side of the bed because Beau had a bad habit of turning it off so quickly that neither of them truly woke up.

Cassy's hand snaked out from beneath the covers and hit the dream bar. The alarm fell silent for ten luscious minutes. Rolling onto her back, her hand extended toward Beau to give him a shove, the first of many. Beau was not a morning person.

Cassy's exploring hand found empty, cool sheets. The searching arc was extended. Still nothing. Cassy opened her eyes and looked over at Beau, but he was not there!

Surprised by this unexpected turn of events, Cassy sat up and listened for any tell-tale noise from the bathroom. The house was silent. Beau never got up before she did. Suddenly she was worried that his illness had returned.

After slipping on her robe, Cassy padded out into the living room. She was about to call out his name when she saw him over by their fish tank. He was bending down, studying the fish. He was so intent he'd not heard her. While she watched he placed his right index finger against the glass. Somehow his finger concentrated the fluorescent aquarium light so that the tip of his finger glowed.

Mesmerized by this scene, Cassy just stood there continuing to watch. Soon all the fish flocked to the point where Beau's finger touched the glass. When he moved the finger laterally, the fish all dutifully followed.

"How are you doing that?" Cassy asked.

Surprised by Cassy's presence, Beau stood up, letting his hand fall to his side. At the same instant the fish dispersed to the far ends of the tank.

"I didn't hear you come into the room," Beau said with a pleasant smile.

"Obviously," Cassy said. "What were you doing to attract the fish that way?"

"Damned if I know," Beau said. "Maybe they thought I was going to feed them." He came over to Cassy and draped his arms on her shoulders. His smile was radiant. "You look wonderful this morning."

"Oh, yeah, sure," Cassy said jokingly. She tussled her thick hair, then patted it into place. "There, now I'm ready for the Miss America Pageant." She looked up into Beau's eyes. They were a particularly effulgent blue, and the whites were whiter than white.

"You are the one who looks wonderful," Cassy said.

"I feel wonderful," Beau said. He bent down to kiss Cassy on the lips, but she ducked out from beneath his arms.

"Hold on," she said. "This beauty contestant has yet to brush her teeth. I wouldn't want to be disqualified on account of morning breath."

"Not a chance," Beau said with a lascivious smile.

Cassy cocked her head to one side. "You're feeling chipper today," she remarked.

"As I said, I feel great," Beau said.

"That was sure a short course of the flu," Cassy said. "I'd say you made a remarkable recovery."

"I guess I have you to thank for hauling me over to the medical center," Beau said. "That's where things took a turn for the better."

"But the doctor and the nurse didn't do anything," Cassy said. "They admitted so themselves."

Beau shrugged. "Then it's a new strain of a rapid flu. I'm certainly not going to complain about its short course."

"Me neither," Cassy said, starting for the bathroom. "Why don't you make coffee while I take a shower."

"Coffee is already made," Beau said. "I'll bring you a cup."

"Aren't we being efficient," Cassy called on her way through the bedroom.

"Nothing but five-star service in this hotel," Beau said.

Cassy continued to marvel at Beau's quick turnaround. Remembering how he looked when she'd climbed into the car in front of the Anna C. Scott school, she never would have suspected it. She turned on the shower and adjusted the temperature. When it was to her liking, she climbed in. The first order of business was her hair. She washed it every day.

No sooner had she gotten her scalp full of shampoo when she heard knocking on the outside of the shower door.

Without opening her eyes, she told Beau to leave her coffee mug on the back of the sink.

Sticking her head under the jet of water, she began to rinse. The next thing she knew was that Beau was in the shower with her.

She opened her eyes with disbelief. Beau was standing right in front of her in the shower fully clothed. He even still had on his loafers.

"What on earth are you doing?" Cassy sputtered. She had to laugh. It was such an unexpected, zany thing for him to do.

Beau didn't say anything. Instead he reached out and hungrily drew Cassy's wet, naked body to him while his lips sought hers. It was a deep, sensual, carnal kiss.

Cassy managed to come up for air, laughing at the absurdity of what they were doing. Beau laughed as well as the water flattened his hair against his forehead.

"You're crazy," Cassy commented. Her hair was still full of soap suds.

"Crazy for you is more accurate," Beau said. He started to fumble with his belt.