Harrison and his mother set out very early in the morning for their tour of the city. She sat in the passenger seat with the windows rolled down and the wind playing her hair as she looked at all the buildings and signboards lining the streets. They had left the house very early in the morning, so the traffic was limited, but there were still a few cars on the road.

They had spent the day going to all their favourite places and making new memories. The pool opening was not until later that morning, so they took advantage to drive around the city. When it was nearly time to go to the pool, he turned the car in that direction.

He had not mentioned anything about Josephine's lie to his mother, and he made the decision to not bring it up to his mother or with Josephine, he wanted it over. He had gone out on a limb to schedule a date at the pool with Josephine. It allowed them to spend some time together, rebuild some confidence in their relationship.

He was well aware, from experience, that not facing things head-on was never a good plan. It allowed emotions to build up underneath the skin until the feeling ate their way out into the open, it was an ugly sight. His relationship went through a rough patch since his father died, and he had been sufficiently unavailable for some time after that. He decided to let the one misunderstanding slide just to avoid one more problem between them.

"I thought you were on this drive with me? Your mind is taking some very personal trips of its own."

He smiled at his mother and switched gears before replying, "I don't mean to. Something is weighing on me, that's all."

She frowned and rolled the windows up, then turned to face him. She pulled her hair to the side so that it did not disturb her face, "The last time something weighed on you, your father had just died."

He shook his head and laughed, "It is not that bad, mother, and you are exaggerating. I just feel uneasy about some... personal matters."

To his surprise, his mother's frown lines disappeared, and she gave him a booming and radiant smile. "Great, then I should expect your relationship with Josephine to be ending soon enough."

Harrison pouted and shook his head again, "How did I not realize that you didn't like Josephine that much? We are not breaking up, and how would you know my personal matter is about her?"

She shrugged and rolled down the windows again. "If it is not with me, then it is with Josephine. If you don't have a problem with Josephine," she turned to face with a smirk, "then it has something to do with the woman who destroyed your father's company."

"Is that what we are calling her now?"

She laughed and shook her head. "Is that your way of saying you have a bad feeling about her? Your father respected that young woman a lot, she always had an air about her. I liked that."

"You have never met her."

"So?"

"How can you respect someone you've never met. Who, if you need a reminder, was battling for your husband's company."

"You rarely have to meet people to take a liking to them. Sometimes, the way someone describes another person can make you fall in love with them, respect them, or even fear them. From everything your dad told me and the things I have read, she is a classy woman of strong substance. She has her foot on the ground. Okay, I am on pins and needles. Tell me what the real problem is. Talking helps a lot."

"You are not getting me with that mother; I already talked to someone, so it is okay for me."

"I am guessing you talked to Mark? How is he doing, by the way? I haven't heard any of his funny jokes for a while."

Harrison thought about his words for a while before replying, "We try to avoid talking about his personal life when we meet because he uses mine as an escape."

"Hope you are not feeling bad about your friend?"

"Mother, I am not telling you why I feel uneasy. Do me a favour and stop asking. Besides, this day is about having fun and enjoying our day of relaxing. I am not going to ruin it by discussing my problems."

She pouted, "When we get home, you are not eating a thing until you tell me what is wrong with you is. I don't like it when you get bad vibes because something bad always happens."

"Nothing bad is going to happen to me or anyone for that matter. Calm down and give it a rest because you are making me edgy." He pulled into the parking space and turned the car off.

"It's Josephine," she said as she stepped down from the car, "I know it, and we would talk about it so don't think it is in the dust."

She kissed his cheek and pulled at them before she moved towards the building. Her eyes moved around every surface of the building as they stepped in. The dancing colours and mixed designs on the walls made her smile. When they reached the door to the private pool, he was about to show their invitation when a voice behind him stopped him.

"Harrison Clark, it is nice to see you here."

His mother was the first to turn around, but he stood still and took a deep breath before he slowly turned around to face Cassandra's mother. He hoped Cassandra was with her because after they argued he had not found a way to apologize.

"Good to see you as well, Mrs Hernández."

She smiled back at him, then pulled his mother in for a kiss on the cheek before hugging him, "You must be Cassandra's mother. It is really a pleasure to see you all here."

"I can't believe you are here, but I would see this as an opportunity to know you all better." She turned his mother towards the security guard and showed him her invitation before turning back to Harrison, "Please wait for my daughter. She would be in soon."

He was about to reply, but both women walked through the door, and he was left standing alone in the hall. He turned towards the door and spotted Cassandra walking in, but her attention was inside her bag. She was dressed in a long gown, with wedge sandals, and her skin glowed as she shuffled towards him.

"Mother, I think you are the one with the invitation because..." she raised her head and looked at him before she realized her mother wasn't there. "Please excuse me."

Harrison gripped her arm before she could move away from him and drew her back so they were standing face to face. She struggled and yanked her arm away from his grip, "I don't want you touching me at all. If you have something to say to me then say it so I can leave."

He sucked in his bottom lip and looked around, "Do you think we can talk about this in a more private place? I don't want any interruptions."

"We talk here." She crossed her arms and tipped her head back. "I have to get to my mother, and as much as this is a free day, I don't intend to waste time talking to you. Say what you want to say and say it quickly."

Harrison looked at her, then nodded to himself, thinking his words over at the back of his mind.

"Well, first of all, your mother is with my mother, she would have plenty of company until you return. Secondly, I wanted to apologize for everything I said to you while you were in my office. I was not civil at all, and I don't feel right about it."

"Keep your apology. I don't need or want it at all."

He held her arm again and stopped her from leaving, "I don't care if you don't want my apology. I want to apologize because it would put me at rest." He let go of her hand and stepped back, "I know what I said angered you, and you wanted to hit me, but I stopped you. I won't stop you this time, you can hit me if you want."

She scoffed, tapping the back of her designer heels against the tile, she shook her head. Her shoulders straightening, the proud lift returning to her spine as she sized him up carefully. He wouldn't like to be in her mind in that second, to see what she was thinking of him. Harrison remembered in painful detail every derogatory word she had thrown at him in the heat of the argument at his office. He wasn't without fault because he had dished out some equally low blows.

"That would make me feel two per cent better, but ninety-eight per cent of me would still want to do more than just slap you over the face. Stay away from me please."

She unfolded her arms and spun to strut away from him; he did nothing to stop her. He watched as the security guard opened the door for her after inspecting her invitation. To his surprise, she turned back and gave him an unreadable look before walking past the door and into the pool house.

*

Cassandra shook her hands out, muttering apologies to the ladies she had to squeeze through as she passed by the bar, curving around a few excited teenagers with their cameras out. A gnawing feeling inside her kept nagging for her to turn around. She wondered if he followed behind her or if he was waiting out there for someone else. Josephine, perhaps. She wondered if Josephine would be at the pool opening as well, or if it was just he and his mother. It was meant to be her free day, she didn't want to imagine what would happen if Josephine showed up.

Shantel spotted her and waved, she smiled and waved back, massaging the inside of her palm while she continued to walk towards her. It had been a hard temptation Harrison presented when he offered that she should hit him, it took everything not to. Although, her reasons for wanting to hit him had nothing to do with what he said to her regarding her previous relationship. It was more about his presence in her life. She wanted to hit him to let out her anger regarding how he was encroaching on her life.

Anywhere she turned, he was there to face her. He was on the billboard signs outside her office, on her way home, in the magazines and papers that she read every morning, and he was becoming the topic of her life at work. If she could flush him out of her mind and her reality, she would have done it with pleasure.

When she crossed the bar, Shantel noticed and kissed the women around her goodbye before running in her very high heels towards Cassandra. "Oh my gosh, I am so happy you made it. Look at you, looking all gorgeous and fantastic."

"You look gorgeous as well," Cassandra replied and placed a kiss on Shantel's cheek. "I am very pleased to be here, and that is not a lie. Your place is stunning and eye-catching. A lot of work went into every detail of the design and colour."

Shantel nodded and threaded her arm through Cassandra's, "Well, it took a little decoration and help from my boyfriend, but I think I finally got it right."

It was the second or third time she heard Shantel mention her boyfriend, it sparked an interest in her, but Cassandra didn't think it was prudent to ask just yet. They had grown surprisingly close the past few days, with Shantel sending small messages, a few calls here and there, but she didn't want to get too comfortable. Though discussing a boyfriend might be a good distraction from thinking of Harrison, who had joined his mother under one of the umbrellas.

"Are you alright?"

She turned to Shantel and grinned, "Honestly, I feel good considering that this day started off wrongly."

"Really? What happened?"

Cassandra thought of what she was about to say because she might regret the words that come out of her mouth. Harrison could be friends with Shantel, and she would hate to have tension with the woman.

"Let's just say I am at war with myself a bit, right now."

She snuck a glance at Harrison. Thankfully, he shared his focus between his mother and his smartphone, so he didn't notice her little glaring. He had a wonderful smile, no dimples or crinkles in his eyes, but it was bright and wide with teeth. Harrison was an infectiously handsome man. He knew he was handsome, which made her hate him even more.

She wished he didn't have all that confidence, or charm, or comfortability in himself. She wished he had flaws, severe, insecurity inducing flaws because then...she would have nothing to admire. Admiration was dangerous, as it led to other feelings, a path she knew well. She had been on it, she had seen its end.

"When the body and mind are at war, there are always many reasons. The main one is when the body is drawn to something and the mind is fighting against it." She folded her arms across her breast and cocked her head, "What is getting your body in a twist."

"I am not telling you anything, so don't bother coming up with different ways to ask."

Harrison said something to his mother, and the woman laughed, replying to him with a smile while they relished their drinks. Her mother was on the other side of the pool with a couple of her own friends. Cassandra sighed, adjusting herself on the sun lounger, her shades set high on her nose as she tried to get herself comfortable. She sat in silence for a while before sitting up with a resigned sigh.

"I'll be back." She whispered to Shantel, who was also basking in the sun. Shantel nodded, relaxing back against the lounger, and Cassandra grabbed her hat, standing to walk over to Harrison.

Her shadow fell over him, and his mother. They both turned to look at her, but she held her ground. Certain, that the awkwardness of the situation was apparent for everyone to see, she swallowed her doubts and smiled kindly at Harrison's mother.

"Sorry to interrupt you, but I was wondering if it was possible to steal your son away for a few moments?"

"Of course." She lifted her glass towards Harrison as he stood. "Please get me another glass on your way back."

"Sure mom." He stared at her before motioning for her to lead the way, and she did. Walking casually over to the bar.

Attention was centering towards them, but Harrison wasn't fazed, and she kept her attention solely on him. He took the seat to her left, ordering a drink for himself, and she watched while he ordered a drink for her.

"Okay, why do you need me here?"

She downed her drink and waited for the sting as it hit her stomach before she answered. "I want to apologize for the day at your office. Some things you said were... uncalled for, but, to be fair, I said a few unnecessary things myself. We are both adults, I think we could have handled the situation maturely. I could have been more mature."

"I know how important your business is to you, and mine is equally as important, I guess that would always pit us against one another. You have a point, we don't have to resort to insults or low blows when we are in the same room together."

"So you accept my apology" she struck out her hand with tight lips and a questioning stare.

"I do." He laughed, shaking her hand firmly and drawing closer. "I apologize, then you apologize, then there are no more apologies to go around, so we pulverise each other without regrets. One thing though, in my office, you seemed to think I was underestimating your abilities in business. You are a beautiful woman Hernandez, but make no mistake, I am well aware of your capabilities."

Cassandra looked around and nodded. "From here on out we would do this with civility. No fighting or arguments... and definitely no flirting because that seems to be your strong suit."

His jaw ticked and he shook his head in disagreement, "No fighting or arguments, yes but flirting is going nowhere off the table." He stepped closer and grinned impishly, "What you see as flirtation is just how I am. I say things as they are. I know you have a brain to go with your pretty face, so don't ever think I underestimate you."

Reflexively she pulled her hands back. "Do you ever think that we have a problem between us mainly because everything you say just sounds like a "come on"?"

His smile got wider, "Can't help it, like I said, just how I am. In a business like this, especially when you are starting from the bottom and creating for the opposite sex, you have to know how to sell just more than the product. Charm works just as much as quality products."

She rolled her eyes, deciding that her conscience was adequately salved, she stood from the stool and walked away. When she turned to look at him, he caught her eye, winking before accepting another drink from the bartender. Cassandra bit her lip, walking back to her lounger and stretching out her legs, ignoring Shantel's curious glances.

It was clear that with or without business between them, Harrison Clark, the insufferable dolt, would be a problem for her. Yet, oddly, she found herself smiling.