Enchanted Dreams (33 page)

For some reason this message caused Georgia to laugh, and to her surprise, she heard Cassie, who was normally so serious, chuckling right along with her. Craig really did have a very appealing way of approaching things. Georgia was glad to see that Cassie appreciated his thoughtful manner as much as she did. And she also noticed that Cassie had singled out his message from the many in her in-box, yet again, to read first. She watched excitedly as Cassie replied to Craig.

Georgia clapped her hands together with delight. She congratulated Cassie on a response that was better than she could have done herself. Everything she said was perfect. Georgia watched her with renewed admiration. She had an old-fashioned, practical attitude that appealed to Georgia. And her solitary lifestyle which had been, until lately, made up primarily of her work, was also something Georgia could relate to.

Many of the other candidates were quickly being sifted out. Some of the men were becoming too aggressive for such a new acquaintance. Others had already become blatantly sexual. Cassie instantly terminated all future correspondence with those. Georgia continued to monitor the remaining candidates, but she was confident that there were no real contenders for Craig.

Georgia glanced at the clock and gasped. Her workday had elapsed and she hadn't done any work. She could suddenly see what Donald meant. When it was no longer imperative to keep going, it was terribly easy to let the work slide. And yet, Georgia reminded herself that the sooner she stopped entering data into the program the sooner it would lose its accuracy and run off course. But what did that matter? She could not keep the program running without the funding. And anyway, she found herself unable to move away from the screen. It wasn't every day that a woman came across an event like the incentive program! She simply had to keep watching. It felt like all she had. She fast-forwarded, yet again, to Craig's next message to Cassie. He must have been working on the road that day because he did not answer her until later that afternoon.

Georgia read along as Cassie typed her reply to this message. She wondered what Cassie would say to Craig's last question.

This was happening so fast. Georgia was on the edge of her seat. Yet she hadn't eaten anything all day and she was exhausted. She forced herself to stand up and nearly fell down. One of her legs had fallen asleep from being in one position for too long. She stretched, glancing back at the screen longingly. But luckily, she had access to the program from her computer at home, so the most logical thing to do would be to go home and get comfortable before watching more. She opened the refrigerator at the office but there was little inside that wasn't covered in mold. It wouldn't do to stay longer. She was already getting weak from hunger.

Georgia was suddenly thrust into motion, rushing around absently to get just the bare necessities done before leaving the office for the day. Then she stopped for fast food on the road and ate it in the car. She knew it was insane, to be so connected to Cassie's life—far more connected than she was to her own, in fact—but she couldn't seem to control herself. It was as if Georgia were living a part of Cassie's existence, a part that was more intriguing to her. She almost choked on her cold, tasteless sandwich when she realized suddenly that Cassie's existence
was
more important to her than her own! She hadn't taken the slightest interest in her own life since the inception of the incentive program. She was forced to think about this as she drove the rest of the way home.

Georgia felt depressed when she walked through the door of her apartment. What was she doing, allowing herself to become so involved in a program that wouldn't even exist in a few months? She moved listlessly through her apartment, noticing for the first time how messy and unappealing the rooms were. She pulled off her work clothes and quickly covered up her neglected body in sweatpants and a T-shirt. When she was finished, she glanced at the computer longingly. She had promised herself in the car, during that moment's revelation, that she would avoid the computer for as long as she could once she got home. And although she had known she wouldn't be able to hold out for long, she had expected that she would be able to find something else to do for a few minutes at least. She told herself that she would have to wean herself off the program slowly. Yet, looking around her dismal apartment, she wondered how she was ever going to give the program up. What else did she have?

She moved toward the computer as if being drawn by an invisible force. She made another promise to herself that she would read the information Donald left her first thing in the morning. Perhaps there was something in there that would pique her interest enough to lure her away from Cassie and the program. These thoughts reassured her as she logged in and updated the program.

She felt the blood once again warming her veins as she forwarded through the events of Cassie's life, searching for the next correspondence from Craig.

Georgia's introspection was instantly forgotten upon reading this message from Craig. Her earlier excitement came back in a gush. Craig and "the boys" were becoming real to her. She could see that it was the same for Cassie. She waited impatiently for her to answer. Cassie actually got up from her computer and walked around before responding. She seemed nervous and Georgia could imagine why. Craig made things seem so easy while at the same time making them easier by being so thoughtful and kind. But the practicalities of the situation were frightening. Cassie, like Georgia, had been completely without a man for a very long time. It had to be overwhelming to contemplate suddenly having three. And in spite of Craig's easygoing manner, it really was all happening very fast. In a few minutes, Cassie became composed enough to respond to Craig's e-mail.

Immediately after the message was sent, Georgia hit Fast-Forward and watched Cassie in high speed trying to stay busy between checking the computer for Craig's next message. It didn't take long for him to get back to her with his number, but he suggested she wait until Peter got there before actually calling. They had about two hours to wait, as Peter was still working. Cassie looked dejected. But Georgia merely pressed Fast-Forward once again. So much had happened in such a short span of time that Georgia was getting farther and farther behind in the future events while she watched. In the back of her mind, she was aware that Cassie and the boys might actually be together somewhere by now, but she desperately wanted to see the events unfold as they occurred. As much as it tempted her, she resisted her urge to sneak ahead and peek at where all of this would lead. She was always aware that the program was moving ahead at an accelerated rate while she lingered to watch the details.

She stopped fast-forwarding when she saw Cassie entering Craig's code for their virtual call. Both she and Cassie took a deep breath as they listened to the first ring.

"Cassie!" Craig's voice was just as Georgia had imagined it, gentle and kind. He smiled up at Cassie from her computer screen. "Right on time. Say hello to Steve and Peter."

"Hi, Cassie," both men said at once.

"Hi." Cassie stared back at the three handsome men like a deer caught in the headlights.

Craig chuckled. "We're all a little nervous, but I can only imagine how you must feel, Cass." He paused a minute. "We can take this as slow as you like, you know. Give you a chance to get used to us." Cassie smiled at him. Georgia knew that Cassie must be overwhelmed, seeing the three of them all at once. She was a bit overwhelmed herself! She found that she couldn't pull her gaze away from Craig's piercing blue eyes. They seemed to touch something deep inside her, stirring it to life.