Talisman's Fate (Closed to yaturtle and shy_child)

[shy_child2]

Name:Cassandra
Age: 30
Build: Long and Lean

The morning had been chaos, a new coffee had been released at her job. A dual coffee shop and used bookstore "Cup-a-Book". It was cliche but the place was eclectic. Old and well loved books lined the walls filling the place with the small of old paper, ink and roasted coffee beans. Cassie hated her job, but she loved the shop. On her days off before getting her position as head barista she had spent many days curled up in one of the old, overstuffed armchairs reading books and people watching. Today was no different even if she was exhausted from the mornings events. Leaning back against the counter, apron tied tightly around her slender hips, she stared out at the patrons sitting along the wall of windows. Fingers absently playing along the new trinket around her neck. It's smooth edges were calming to the touch and the worn leather sat comfortingly against her neck. Her friend, owner of the small antique shop two blocks down, had sold it to her last night while they had drank wine and complained about their lives. It was a pretty little bobble, well worn and greenish gray it was tinged with flecks of what looked like copper. At one time it had most likely been stunning. Now it was a pretty piece that seemed to call to her.

She had ran herself to near exhaustion attempting to keep up with orders that morning. Now she seemed to have a hard time keeping her mind focused on work. The hand not occupied with her new necklace rose to brush her long auburn bangs from her eyes. She should have pinned them back like she usually did when she wore her shoulder length hair up. It was a pet peeve of hers to have hair in her face when she was working or trying to focus. The shop had finally begun to slow down as people continued trickling in to wander among the books. Ashley her coworker seemed just as tired from the mornings sale, taking her place beside Cassie she pulled her book from the counter. It was not uncommon for the two of them to read while waiting for customers. Cassie on the other hand was beginning to mentally wander. Thumb running along the back of the pendent her eyes became unfocused.

Mind wandering to the last scene in her latest read she could almost see herself before the leads interest. A tall, domineering man with stark eyes and a set jaw. Stepping into the lead characters roll she could almost feel his fingers traveling up her arms, enticing her body to react to his touch. His lips finding their place against her throat his fingers slipped up and into her hair, taking hold to pull her head back. He wanted more of her neck, wanted to lick and nip the soft skin. A reminder that she belonged to him and his every urge. "You are not going to disobey me again." The deep tamper of his voice vibrating her body. Releasing his hold of her hair his fingers traced the line of her jaw, down her neck as they wrapped-

"Cassie!" Startled out of her own daydream she gasped turning to look at Ashley. "W..what?" She sighed, her flushed cheeks giving away her not so innocent thoughts. "Sorry. What do you need Ash?" Standing from the counter she ran her fingers down her flat stomach, smoothing her apron. "This man is asking to speak with you." Turning to the man standing at the counter she smiled. "Hello, I'm Cassie. I'm the head barista here. Is there something I can help you with?"

 

[yaturtle]

Dan couldn't believe it. Dan had always been a collector of sorts. After his wifes passing five years ago he had become more fixated with his collections . Usually antique auto or Naval historical Items were his main focus but , on a layover in Bangkok While he was still enlisted he had found a small statue . It could have been Jade of some sort and appeared to be very old. The old man selling it from his street cart assured him it was ancient Chinese and had mystical powers. He wasn't buying that story and it wasn't something he normally cared about but something about this thing called to him and he got it at a very cheap price. His wife julia had taken a shine to it and it became one of her favorite bobbles she used to say. After she passed it sat on desk until one day he saw a similar one on a website and began to read the folklore attached to it. The Chinese made them in pairs and believed if two people had possession they would be able to see each other's dreams and thoughts.Depending upon the translation they were called Dream weavers , Dream catchers, or Talismans. He had found many replicas out there but authentic ones were extremely rare and none matched the one in his possession. Then yesterday he spotted one in an online catalogue that looked to be a match to his own and unbelievably only a couple of hours from his home. The next morning he pocketed the Talisman and headed into the city to find the place.

He checked himself in the mirror behind the counter of the shop while he waited for the customer in front of him to finish her transaction. At 38 with little flecks of gray had begun to appear in otherwise jet black hair.
He still cut a fine figure at 190 lbs and with his penetrating blue eyes still carried the air of a Navy officer. When the woman behind the counter finished with the customer she turned her attention to him . He flashed her his warmest smile and explained what he was looking for. When she told him she had just sold it that morning to a friend the disappointment in his face must have made her feel bad as she blurted out her friend just thought it made a cute necklace and maybe she would sell it .He promised if it looked like a match to the one he had bought his wife he would double her money . He didn't expect her to give a stranger her friend's name and tell she worked just down the block but she did.

In the coffee shop he found a girl working but her name tag said Ashly and she said she would Cassie for him.. Her friend Cassie was stunning and left him at a momentary loss for words as he introduced himself. She also had the Talisman hanging from a strap around her neck.

"Hello Cassie, my name is Dan Stafford. Your friend from the Antique store told me where to find you. I went there to buy that small piece you have around your neck only to find you had purchased it already."

Dan could see she was a little uneasy . " maybe I could order some coffee and a muffin ..... when you have a minute we could talk . You see I would like to buy it from you"

 

[shy_child2]

The man that stood before her was not only tall but handsome. The beginnings of salt and pepper graced his dark tresses, his vibrant eyes seeming to cut through her. Anxiety bubbled up in her chest, she had never met this man. Had never set eyes on his handsome face, that she was sure of. How did he know who she was, or that she had the talisman. At the mention of her good friend her stomach began to unravel, her nerves calming even if just for the moment. Reaching up to the pendant around her neck she listened to his words. "I'm sorry it's...not for sale." Her voice came out in a soft murmur of words. When he didn't back down she quickly rang up his muffin before pouring him a cup of coffee. "My lunch break is in half an hour. If you want to wait I'll speak to you then but I make no promises that I will sell this. I've grown to like the way it looks." She gently pushed the items towards him before glancing to Ashley.

She watched him walk to an empty table, feeling Ashley's eyes on her. "That was different." She breathed walking back over to where she had recently vacated at the counter. Her mind was a buzz of curiosity. Why was this man so interested in a little trinket that he would walk the few blocks to find her. Or to ask her friend where he could find it at that. Shaking her head she sighed, she didn't need to worry about it. Unless he was going to offer her the world there was no reason for her to part with the small item. In truth she had begun to cherish the little idol around her throat. It was cool to the touch no matter how long she held it, a comforting feeling as if it grounded her as she went about her day. Something had called to her to buy the item, now something called for her to keep it.

Mind wandering again she was back in her daydream. Strong hands catching the backs of her thighs as they tossed her onto the counter, hungry lips finding hers. She could feel the lust pooling between her thighs as strong legs pressed between them, opening her and her desire to her minds eyes. Her arms were crossed in the real world but as her daydream sank deeper and deeper into her mind, one hand almost guided by something unseen lifted to take hold of the pendent but this time it wasn't cool to the touch. A warmth had spread through the smooth stone nearly vibrating against her fingers. Her mind continued to reel as the hands that held her slipped under the edges of her shirt wanting to find the warm skin at her sides to pull her tight against her lovers need. With a soft sigh she leaned back eyes fluttering open to look up at the man caressing her. It all felt so real but as her eyes met his she gasped. Her hazel gaze meeting the vibrant blue she had seen just moments ago across the counter.

 

[yaturtle]

Dan sat at the small table by the window alone with his thoughts. He hadn't bothered to ask the girl from the antique store what she had paid for the talisman. He didn't know if she had any clue of its history but he doubted it. What he didn't doubt was she had already become attached to it and must be suspicious of him. Rightly so he supposed. If He asked her to name her price or offered to pay double she may panic and want to get an appraisal. He could wind up paying a lot for something that may not even be genuine.

All these thoughts were going through his head and hadn't even finished half his coffee when he realized she was sitting across from him. He glanced at the clock overhead , it read exactly one thirty pm. It felt like she was looking right through him and he was temporarily speechless once again. Once he snapped out of it and cleared his head, what he said was nothing of what he planned.



" Cassie I have to be truthful with you...I came to buy that from you because it is a match to my own. I bought it a long time ago overseas as a knick knack for my deceased wife. Later on out of curiosity I did some research on it. They were made in a couple of villages in ancient China in pairs. Loosely translated they are called Talisman or dream catchers. "

Dan reached into his pocket, placing his own on the table between them. His fingers traced the outline of a hand on the Talisman.



" You can see the outline of a hand extending out from a cloud to the edge of.....



Lost in his own explanation he had not noticed Cassie placing hers on the table and pushing it up against his to compare them. Suddenly he felt a warmth come over him. He was no longer in the coffee shop but seated in a lounge in the salon of a ship. He was in his dress white uniform . Half drunk glasses of champagne were on the table in front of him.

There was a girl tucked into his shoulder kissing jaw and unbuttoning his shirt. It was the girl from the antique shop. On his other shoulder a stunning beauty cooed in his ear" you shouldn't make your girls wait baby ...We had to start without you. Cassie unbuckled his belt and looked up into his eyes . It felt wonderful when she released him and took him in her soft hand. He had been waiting through some sort of long officers ceremony dreaming of this moment. The air in the Salon cooled and the room seemed to float in a fog. Cassie's eyes were still looking at him but now he was back at the table. The talisman had been separated and her mouth was agape. For a second he thought she would scream but she did not. He felt a surge of panic as he quickly scanned the room. No one seemed to notice anything or look at them except for the curious workmate. Curiously the clock had not budged even though he felt the dream must have lasted at least ten minutes. It must have been his dream she wouldn't have known about the uniform.But did she see the same thing as him? She definitely saw something. He needed to calm her and not make a scene.



"Cassie, I don't know much about this other than what I told you... But we own something special here. Let's exchange numbers and talk later away from prying eyes. I have a lot of questions and i think you do too"

 

[shy_child2]

He was talking but she wasn't listening, her eyes were locked on his own talisman. Without thinking or even knowing why she did it, her hand was pulling off her own necklace. Holding it out they clicked together as if magnets were within the hand of the old stone. In an instant she was no longer in her little coffee shop, her uniform replaced by a fancy dress, her long hair tied elegantly back. She could feel his skin against her fingertip, small the salty air of the ocean. He seemed to be in a military clothes but she had never been on a ship before.

His words made her gasp coming to as her vision cleared. "Numbers....I..." She looked around at the coffee shop, had time stood still? Nothing had changed but it felt like ages had passed. "Just... what was that?" Looking down at the talisman she ran her fingers along it, the smooth stone was warm to the touch. She needed to think straight. "Right. Listen why don't you stay here for a moment. We seem to be slowing down I'm sure I could step away for a bit. I think we need to talk." Standing she walked back to the counter feeling light headed. It had felt so real, she could still feel his length in her hand. Taking a deep breath to calm her spinning thoughts she quickly spoke with her co-worker trying to be as vague as possible. After some negotiating she was finally off the hook. Grabbing her bag she met his gaze.

"Dan was it? I've got a small little flat two blocks over. We can talk there."

 

[yaturtle]

Dan was caught of guard. Of all the scenarios racing through his mind her leaving work and taking him to her apartment wasn't one of them. He stood numbly and followed her out onto the sidewalk caught in the curious gaze of her coworker .He tried to imagine what she might say ,but without knowing what or much of his fantasy she may have seen it was anybody's guess. They had covered the two blocks at a brisk pace without a word and before he knew it she was unlocking the apartment door inf front of him. while she fumbled with her keys he managed to find his voice.

" I um .....thank you for inviting me to to talk. Assuming that you saw my thoughts earlier I hope you weren't offended, it's ......just the kind of thing that crosses a man's mind when he encounters a beautiful women like yourself"