After taking a quick shower, Cassandra changed into a pair of dark blue dress pants, a pale yellow pullover sleeveless blouse and a lovely gold necklace that displayed a beautiful Celtic cross. Brushing out her hair, Cassandra opted for a tight ponytail, preferring to keep her hair back in a rather elegant look.
As she is dressing, getting herself ready to proceed with her day, she couldn't help but reflect on the events that have occurred. Not just for today, but for the past few days.
Getting into her car, Cassandra takes a drive towards the Omni Hotel. She had a thing for the lounge there and it's peaceful aura. Allowing a valet to park her car, Cassandra steps out and enters the lobby of the hotel.
A distinguished, bald headed middle aged man named William made eye contact with the woman that entered the lobby. She looked just as apprehensive as anybody he ever met.
Recognizing Cassandra upon entry, William smiles, but finds himself becoming somewhat agitated himself. His last encounter with her was not under the best of circumstances and wasn't sure if she had gotten over it yet. If someone like her can carry a grudge for over 30 years, there was no doubt she would.
Cassandra eyes William with a smile, but says nothing. William observes Cassandra entering the garden court and looks to his associates.
"If you will excuse me," he starts.
The bald immortal follows Cassandra into the garden court and approaches her with a question, "May I join you?"
At first, their meeting felt a bit cold. It was clear on Cassandra's face that she was still apprehensive towards William. However, as the two got to talking and William began to apologize for actions he committed over 90 years ago, albeit accidental, that seemed to chip away the ice a bit.
"Since I seem to have developed the habit of forgiveness as of late, I accept your apology." Cassandra smiles, sipping from her glass of water.
"Good," William smiles back.
He adds, "Life is too short to be caught up in bitter feelings and senseless grudges, don't you agree?"
"Perhaps." Cassandra didn't entirely agree about the grudges issue, but she was in no mood right now to go into some kind of philosophical debate over it. Besides, against William, she knew she would lose.
The waitress approached the table and took their food orders. Cassandra decided to go with a Salisbury steak dinner and William opted for smoked salmon with red wine sauce. He also ordered a bottle of champagne.
"Champagne?" Cassandra was taken by surprise by such an order.
"To celebrate the power to forgive and forget," William smiles at her.
Smiling back, Cassandra gradually felt herself becoming more and more at ease. A relaxing night with a good friend was just the ticket she needed. "I guess I can go with that."
It took merely a few minutes before the champagne arrived. Dom Perignon, of course. The people at the Omni knew William's tastes well enough to understand that he doesn't accept anything less than the best.
Serving the wine, the waitress leaves Cassandra and William alone until it was time to get their meals, which was going to take a few more minutes.
Raising his glass to Cassandra, William proposes a toast. In response, Cassandra raises her glass as well and hears what the man has to say.
"How about to friendships, old and new?" He asks.
"To friendships, old and new." Cassandra taps her champagne glass next to William's as he does the same next to hers.
They both take sips, not taking their eyes off each other. Between the two, Cassandra is the first to set her glass down. She then addresses William. "What brings you to London this time around?"
"Well, it has been half a century since I've returned to these parts and I wanted to come home again. I'm in the hotel only long enough until I finalize the deal to a property I've just purchased over the internet."
Chuckling, Cassandra shook her head. "I never suspected you of all people would do something like that. Forgive me, but you've always seemed to come across as a traditionalist."
"Even traditionalists have to catch up with the times, Cassandra."
The two laugh as they sip from their champagne glasses again. It was good to be in pleasant company. When their dinners arrived, the two continued to relish their time together, not caring if the world around them fell apart at this very instant.
Dinner, champagne and good conversation was a pleasant combination. It had been a long time since William had the chance to relax like this and, judging from the demeanor of his beautiful companion, he could tell Cassandra seemed to be in the same boat.
It took some convincing, but William was able to have Cassandra accompany him to his suite. The garden court had closed for the day and the weekend crowd made the lounge less inviting than usual. Besides, he wanted some quiet time and he figured Cassandra was in the same boat.
Once in the hotel room, the two talked about anything and everything that there was to talk about. Their past adventures and misadventures. They seemed more relaxed. When they were in the garden court, they couldn't exactly indulge too much into their more personal experiences. They had to keep their conversations limited to meaningless topics like the weather and world politics.