Only Time Will Tell - A Peaky Blinders Story

Chapter 10 - Grand indeed

"Jesus when you said it was going to be gold, I didn't think you meant everything." Cass says as she looks around the newly painted Garrison. "Arthur's choice was final." Tommy shrugs in reply. This is the most the pair have spoken in almost 3 days. Not only did Tommy talk down to Arthur, but he refused to let Polly find her son. Cass was so angry that she refused to even stay in the same house as him for the first night. She stayed with Polly in her new house instead.

"So..." Tommy says after a few moments of silence. Cass immediately walks around the bar and pours herself a very large drink. "Who have you invited tonight?" Tommy then says, clearly chickening out of what he had planned to say. "Don't really have anyone outside of the family." Cass replies bluntly with a shrug. "Are you going to be like this all night?" Tommy snaps. "Are you going to apologise to Arthur and Polly?" Cass retorts in the same tone. "I don't need to." Tommy replies, making his sister scoff. "Well then I guess you know your answer." She says before storming off into the back room.

Steam is almost literally blowing from her ears as she throws a chair across the room. How could her brother be so self-centred? She knows that it would be completely different if it were Cass he was being horrible to. He'd work endlessly to make her feel better, or to help her find her child if she had one. It wasn't fair. Just because Tommy didn't think it was important to him meant that everyone was being neglected. He was too short sighted to even see it, but Cass wasn't. That's what made all of this so much worse.

~

It was now 9pm. Cass was meant to be at the Garrison an hour and a half ago but decided not to go. She didn't want to give Tommy the satisfaction of seeing her all dolled up and happy as if nothing had happened. Tommy had to accept the consequences like everybody else. He wasn't God, and she was going to prove it. Instead, she decided to finish off some papers in the betting shop. That's when the phone rang.

"Hello?" Cass said in a confused tone as she answered. "Cass?" Alfie's thick voice asked through the phone. It sounded like he was trying to be quiet. "What can I do for you, Mr Solomons?" She asked with a sigh. "I, uhm, I wanted to talk to you." Alfie admits, his voice still quiet. "Then talk." Cass says plainly.

"Look, I didn't know you were going to come back into my life. I didn't even know it was your brother that I was going into business with. I feel awful for what happened. I've been in pieces ever since." Alfie says, barely taking a breath between each sentence as if the words have been suffocating him. Cass can't bring herself to say anything. She knows he has to get everything out before she can even start to process what he wants to say. "I broke it off with Adina." Alfie then says, almost sounding sad. That must have been the woman she saw in his office those few weeks ago.

"Cass, I haven't stopped thinking about you since the moment we met. I love you, and I know you still love me, so I want to make a proposition." He then says, suddenly sounding more hopeful. "Ok." Cass says quietly, waiting patiently to see what he says. "I want to take you on a date." Alfie says simply, yet his words sound strong. Cass's heart feels like it stopped for a millisecond. Out of everything he could have said, she was hoping it would be that.

"Well? Will you accept my offer?" Alfie then says after a moment of silence. He knew she would need a second to compose herself. "Only if you buy me flowers." Cass says with a grin, taking both of their minds back to their first kiss in the war.

"Can I kiss you, Casandra?" Alfred whispers in her ear. "Only if you buy me flowers." Cass teases in reply with a grin. "Where the fuck am I meant to buy flowers 'round here, love?" Alfred says, trying not to laugh. "Well I guess we can save it as an IOU." Cass says, scrunching her nose in amusement. "Fucking come here then." Alfred then says, pulling her in for a deep and passionate kiss.

"I guess I had that one coming." Alfie says with a small laugh. "You still owe me, remember?" Cass teases. "How could I forget?" He replies in a more serious tone. "Right, I'll arrange a hotel for you to stay in on Wednesday. Will that be alright?" He then says. "Wednesday sounds great." Cass replies. "Good. I'll pick you up around noon." Alfie then says. "Wait, Alfie, you don't have to drive all the way up to Birmingham. I can get the train and you can meet me at the station. I can get there for noon if you want me to." Cass says. "But..." Alfie starts. "No buts, Mr Solomons. That's my offer, take it or leave it." She interrupts. "Fine. Noon on Wednesday. I'll see you then." Alfie says before hanging up.

Cass lets out a girlish giggle at the thought of finally going on a date with Alfie. It's been a long time coming. 5 years to be exact. Tonight turned out better for Cass than she expected. Something positive was finally happening in her life, and there was no way in hell she was going to let anyone screw it up. Especially Tommy.