Seeing Stars
28: Perfect Storm
"I know how to make her laugh, or blush, or mad at me. But that's okay, there ain't no one more beautiful angry..."
“He was acting like an idiot. An actual idiot.” Cassidy placed her sunglasses on the bridge of her nose and turned towards Kennedy. They were lying out on the beach, watching the waves break in front of them.
Kennedy had flown out to Los Angeles two days after Jamie’s drunken extravaganza. Now as she and Cassidy were spending the day together, Jamie and Drew were out to lunch, catching up before both went back to their Canadian hometowns.
“Knoxious, I told you brushing past situations under the rug wasn’t a good idea. You let yourself fall too quickly for him, and now he was just a few minutes away from a domestic violence felony.”
Cassidy shrugged and laid back along her towel, shutting her eyes to shield them from the sun, despite her sunglasses doing their best effort. “Had he not seen the Stanley Cup, he probably would have been alright.”
Kennedy rolled her eyes, “but are you really going to live in fear every time playoffs roll around? I get that you think he’s a great guy; and I’m happy he’s made you happy. But if there’s even the tiniest shred of doubt that he might do this again, it’s time to head for the hills… run for them, Knoxious; just get the hell out of Dodge.”
“It’s easy for you to say that. But when things are good with him, they’re really good. Am I supposed to throw in the towel because things got really bad one night?”
Kennedy flicked her eyes to Cassidy’s and nodded subtly. Of course she would say that. She’d never met a boy that made her feel otherwise. Out of all the boyfriends she’d had growing up, none of them compared to the relationship Cassidy had with Jamie.
But at least Kennedy’s opinion on the whole situation remained constant. Even through the ups and downs of the relationship, Kennedy’s stance remained relatively reserved. She never really outwardly admitted to thinking Jamie was a perfect man. She always held the stance that he was a good person, sure; but the flaws were there and Cassidy was becoming blind to them.
Whether that last part was true or not, remained to be seen, but there was no denying that Kennedy remained pretty much level headed since they had met the Stars’ players in late February.
“Now he’s out with Drew. Lord only knows how that’s going. Jame’s got Stanley Cup fever and Drew is Patient Zero.”
Kennedy reached over, grabbing the sunscreen and applied some to her legs. “What’d your dad have to say about the whole situation? I’m sure he’s ready to beat Jamie to a pulp.”
Cassidy pulled her sunglasses off and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Judging by the look on Kennedy’s face, it was clear she was taking Cassidy’s silence as a confession of not having told her dad about the situation. Kennedy groaned and tossed the sunscreen bottle at Cassidy’s legs.
“My dad worries about me enough, he doesn’t need another reason. Plus it’s not like Jamie actually hit me. And he apologized the next morning. He knows what he did was wrong, and he knows the consequences if it happens again.”
“When are you gonna stop making concessions for him?”
Cassidy groaned and laid back down on her towel, replacing her sunglasses over her eyes. “You don’t give up on people who matter. It’s easy for you to give up on Tyler; you were only using him for the sex. But when someone means something, you have to fight for it Kennedy. It’s hard and it’s ugly sometimes, but you don’t give up.”
Kennedy waved Cassidy off, diverting her attention back to the waves. “I’m not telling you to give up, I’m just telling you to be realistic. Jamie raised his hand once and he’ll do it again. Leopards don’t lose their spots.”
The sun was beginning to set and Cassidy was slipping into the hotel suite bed, cringing as the sheets brushed over her sunburned skin. It felt like she was on fire, and there was really no relief, even after applying aloe and lotion.
Jamie still hadn’t gotten in from his day with Drew; a fact that worried Cassidy as she grew anxious by the thought of having to bail both of them out of a Los Angeles county jail. Before the thoughts became overwhelming, she ignored the pain on her skin and was able to drift off to sleep.
No dreams, or better yet, nightmares disturbed her sleep. And it wasn’t until the bed started to move did Cassidy stir awake. Oh great, she thought, my first California earthquake.
“Am I allowed to come to bed, or do I have to sleep on that couch again?”
So it wasn’t an earthquake; just the man who held the power to turn her entire world upside down. And now, the innocence of his tone almost brought her to tears because it seemed obvious that he was remorseful for what had happened.
“You can stay,” Cassidy murmured, almost immediately feeling the sheets lift off of her body as Jamie slipped into the bed. But right as he curled next to her, she huddled away from him slightly. “I stayed out in the sun too long,”
Jamie let out a soft giggle, resulting in one escaping Cassidy’s mouth too. Then she felt the covers moving away from her shoulder, being replaced by the coolness of Jamie’s lips. He kissed her skin gently, paying careful attention to the parts of her that felt warmer against his lips.
“What time is it?”
He moaned and scooted closer to her, cautiously draping one of his arms over her waist, “eleven-ish.” There was a slight pause in his speech, but he soon continued, “I am sorry about the other night.”
Cassidy set her hand on top of his, squeezing his fingers as she did her best to think of a response. Despite feeling like she really did want to fight for him and the relationship, everything Kennedy had said kept sneaking its way back into her head.
“Kennedy gave me hell again about our relationship.” So that was the best response she could think of. At some point, Jamie would grow tired of Kennedy and her opinions. “She thinks you’re a leopard and your spots don’t change.”
Jamie blew cool air out of his mouth. It felt like heaven against Cassidy’s burned shoulder. “Is that code for something I’m supposed to understand?”
Cassidy groaned and cringed as she shifted in bed to look at Jamie. Despite the room being dark, the tiny bit of light shining through the curtains from the street lights reflected in Jamie’s eyes. All she could do was nod.
It was like it all made sense to him after that. “I’m a leopard who threatens to hit his girlfriend in a drunken rage… Cassidy Knox, I hope you realize I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying to make up for that mistake.”
“You don’t have to.” She snaked her arms up and over his shoulders, dragging her fingertips over his neck gently, “I know you’re sorry. And I know that had you been sober, it never would’ve happened. You’re not a leopard, Jamie; you’re a sparrow, and I’m one too.” She reached up and pecked his lips, quickly pulling back as the stubble around his jaw line poked at her bright red skin.
“How was California?”
Cassidy and Jamie glanced at each other before returning their gaze back to Heather, who had asked the question in complete innocence. How could she know that her son would go postal?
“Sunny. It may or may not be the reason I get skin cancer in the future.” Cassidy smiled. Her burn had since faded into a tan but the memory of the pain every time something brushed past her was still strong.
“That bad, eh? It’s because they’re destroying the ozone layer with all those cars.”
Jamie moved to the kitchen table, pulling on Cassidy’s hand to lead her there with him. Once he took a seat in one of the wooden chairs, he patted his leg to invite her to sit in his lap. It was a seat she was hesitant to take, especially in the presence of his mother. But as she sat in his lap, Heather seemed to take it all in stride, basically disregarding the fact that she was seated on top of him.
“Jenny and Jordie are back. We’re having a family dinner tomorrow night; I hope you can make it if you’re not too tired from traveling.” She murmured, pulling a water bottle out of the refrigerator for herself.
“I don’t know, we’ll see how we feel tomorrow,” Jamie responded almost subconsciously as if that was the only plausible answer.
But Cassidy shot him a glance, frowned, and then looked back at Heather, shaking her head, “we’ll be here. Can I bring anything?”
Heather grinned, pleased with the response that had just left Cassidy’s mouth. “Oh no dear. If anything, I’ll just have Jenny whip up a quick salad. You just show up and bring my snarky son along.”
“Will do. And I’ll make sure he’s not so snarky tomorrow,” she grinned and reached up for the ends of his hair at the base of his neck. She curled her fingers in it, happy that they’d get to spend the night at Jamie’s house. Although she loved his family, it was going to be nice to have some alone time.
California was meant to be a relaxing and romantic trip, but it hadn’t quite gone that way. They had gone the entire week without getting involved in any sort of sexual interaction, and now back in Victoria, with things on the mend, there was surely a decent amount of tension between them.
The visit with Jamie’s parents ended shortly thereafter, and the short drive back to his house only served to increase the restlessness between them. He rested his arm on the center console and reached for Cassidy’s hand, taking it in his loosely, intertwining their fingers together. And when the car was parked in the driveway, she thought he was going to take her right then and there by the way he leaned over to kiss her lips.
So when they stumbled through the front door, entangled in each other’s arms, kissing and giggling, it was more than a surprise to see Tyler lounging on the couch. Cassidy was the first to spot him and instantly pulled away from Jamie, who groaned at the space between them. But when he too spotted his best friend, he had to suppress the excitement creeping its way across his face.
“I’d ask how you got in, but I’m afraid to know the answer,” Jamie murmured, leaving Cassidy’s side to bump Tyler’s fist with his own.
“I was in Toronto, but I got bored. Figured I’d come out and visit you for awhile.” Tyler sat up, sliding his phone onto the coffee table as Jamie sat down beside him.
Cassidy took it upon herself to move into the kitchen, starting a boil water while pulling out a teabag and a mug. While she waited for the water, she reached into the refrigerator, pulling out two bottles of beer, and popped off the caps, carrying both into the living room for the boys.
“I wish we’d be in town longer,” he smiled up at Cassidy and took a sip of his beer, “but we’re leaving again in a week or so.”
Tyler groaned and took a long pull of his beer, holding it in between his legs, “where the hell are you going now?”
“Nashville,” Cassidy blurted out as she sat down beside Jamie, curling into his side.
“We’re gonna visit her dad until late July and then go back to Dallas. Cass has one more semester in school, so I’m going back to Texas earlier this year.”
Lifting his beer back up to his lips, Tyler glance at Cassidy, “you’ve got him wrapped around your pinky finger… Why,” he moaned.
Cassidy smiled and finished the small cup of tea she had made for herself, “because he loves me.” She stood up and bent down, pursing her lips and smiling against Jamie’s. “Grow your hair out and lose your man-parts and Jamie might love you too,” she winked and scooted over to kiss Tyler’s cheek. “I’m going to get ready for bed,”
In the moments she turned and walked down the hallway, Tyler watched her carefully. “Did she just insinuate you love her because of the sex?”
Jamie smiled and nursed his beer. “I would say something, but she might not have sex with me again if I do.” He smiled and set his now empty bottle down on the coffee table, “Ty, when you have a woman like that… sometimes keeping your mouth shut is the best thing you can do.”
“So how about you give the both of us a hall pass so I can see what makes the sex with her so good…”
While it was mostly a joke, Jamie shot Tyler a glance and stood up, stretching out his back. He shook his head sternly.
“Threesome?”
Jamie rolled his eyes and turned towards his bedroom, “the guest room is made up; I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
In only a few seconds, Jamie had left the presence of his best friend and was smiling down at the girl he found lying in his bed. She was sprawled out in one of her tight, white tank tops, matched with a pair of his blue and white striped boxer briefs. He couldn’t even get a word out before he was working his way out of his pants and pulling off his shirt. Cassidy giggled as he flopped down beside her, now only sporting his underwear as well. She crawled closer to him, pressing her lips against his shoulder.
“Would you be down for a threesome?” Jamie mumbled, practically inaudible.
Cassidy pulled her lips away from him and looked into his eyes, only half hearing him, “what?”
“Nevermind,”
She grinned and squinted her eyes, turning away from him and backing up until her back was flush with his chest. Jamie was able to wrap his arms around her and he tucked his fingers beneath the waistband of his boxer briefs, playing with the soft skin of her hip.
“Jame, when you have kids, do you want them to all have the same first initial, like you, Jordie, and Jenny?”
Jamie buried his face into the mess of her hair, taking a deep breath in through his nose and pressing his lips against her shoulder, “I don’t know, I haven’t really thought about it. Why, are you pregnant?”
Cassidy tilted her head back to look into his eyes, expecting him to look fearful at her potential response. But he appeared calm and composed, awaiting her answer. Finally, she shook her head. “I’ve just been thinking about it, and how you said you’d marry me one day. And I think if I have a son, I want to name him Knox. But I’m not sure I’m too fond of any other ‘K’ names.”
He chuckled and set his hand on her chin, turning her to face him more. While looking into her eyes, he leaned in to kiss her slowly, smiling against her lips as she set her hands against his chest. “I think… Knox is a great name. And I think you shouldn’t worry about other ‘K’ names until we’re at that point.”
She looked up at him, suppressed a small smile and curled into his chest, reveling in the feeling of his fingertips playing with the ends of her hair. Again, the night hadn’t gone as planned. Cassidy didn’t want to do much of anything seeing as though Tyler was just in the other room. Jamie agreed, although reluctant about it.
“He was acting like an idiot. An actual idiot.” Cassidy placed her sunglasses on the bridge of her nose and turned towards Kennedy. They were lying out on the beach, watching the waves break in front of them.
Kennedy had flown out to Los Angeles two days after Jamie’s drunken extravaganza. Now as she and Cassidy were spending the day together, Jamie and Drew were out to lunch, catching up before both went back to their Canadian hometowns.
“Knoxious, I told you brushing past situations under the rug wasn’t a good idea. You let yourself fall too quickly for him, and now he was just a few minutes away from a domestic violence felony.”
Cassidy shrugged and laid back along her towel, shutting her eyes to shield them from the sun, despite her sunglasses doing their best effort. “Had he not seen the Stanley Cup, he probably would have been alright.”
Kennedy rolled her eyes, “but are you really going to live in fear every time playoffs roll around? I get that you think he’s a great guy; and I’m happy he’s made you happy. But if there’s even the tiniest shred of doubt that he might do this again, it’s time to head for the hills… run for them, Knoxious; just get the hell out of Dodge.”
“It’s easy for you to say that. But when things are good with him, they’re really good. Am I supposed to throw in the towel because things got really bad one night?”
Kennedy flicked her eyes to Cassidy’s and nodded subtly. Of course she would say that. She’d never met a boy that made her feel otherwise. Out of all the boyfriends she’d had growing up, none of them compared to the relationship Cassidy had with Jamie.
But at least Kennedy’s opinion on the whole situation remained constant. Even through the ups and downs of the relationship, Kennedy’s stance remained relatively reserved. She never really outwardly admitted to thinking Jamie was a perfect man. She always held the stance that he was a good person, sure; but the flaws were there and Cassidy was becoming blind to them.
Whether that last part was true or not, remained to be seen, but there was no denying that Kennedy remained pretty much level headed since they had met the Stars’ players in late February.
“Now he’s out with Drew. Lord only knows how that’s going. Jame’s got Stanley Cup fever and Drew is Patient Zero.”
Kennedy reached over, grabbing the sunscreen and applied some to her legs. “What’d your dad have to say about the whole situation? I’m sure he’s ready to beat Jamie to a pulp.”
Cassidy pulled her sunglasses off and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Judging by the look on Kennedy’s face, it was clear she was taking Cassidy’s silence as a confession of not having told her dad about the situation. Kennedy groaned and tossed the sunscreen bottle at Cassidy’s legs.
“My dad worries about me enough, he doesn’t need another reason. Plus it’s not like Jamie actually hit me. And he apologized the next morning. He knows what he did was wrong, and he knows the consequences if it happens again.”
“When are you gonna stop making concessions for him?”
Cassidy groaned and laid back down on her towel, replacing her sunglasses over her eyes. “You don’t give up on people who matter. It’s easy for you to give up on Tyler; you were only using him for the sex. But when someone means something, you have to fight for it Kennedy. It’s hard and it’s ugly sometimes, but you don’t give up.”
Kennedy waved Cassidy off, diverting her attention back to the waves. “I’m not telling you to give up, I’m just telling you to be realistic. Jamie raised his hand once and he’ll do it again. Leopards don’t lose their spots.”
The sun was beginning to set and Cassidy was slipping into the hotel suite bed, cringing as the sheets brushed over her sunburned skin. It felt like she was on fire, and there was really no relief, even after applying aloe and lotion.
Jamie still hadn’t gotten in from his day with Drew; a fact that worried Cassidy as she grew anxious by the thought of having to bail both of them out of a Los Angeles county jail. Before the thoughts became overwhelming, she ignored the pain on her skin and was able to drift off to sleep.
No dreams, or better yet, nightmares disturbed her sleep. And it wasn’t until the bed started to move did Cassidy stir awake. Oh great, she thought, my first California earthquake.
“Am I allowed to come to bed, or do I have to sleep on that couch again?”
So it wasn’t an earthquake; just the man who held the power to turn her entire world upside down. And now, the innocence of his tone almost brought her to tears because it seemed obvious that he was remorseful for what had happened.
“You can stay,” Cassidy murmured, almost immediately feeling the sheets lift off of her body as Jamie slipped into the bed. But right as he curled next to her, she huddled away from him slightly. “I stayed out in the sun too long,”
Jamie let out a soft giggle, resulting in one escaping Cassidy’s mouth too. Then she felt the covers moving away from her shoulder, being replaced by the coolness of Jamie’s lips. He kissed her skin gently, paying careful attention to the parts of her that felt warmer against his lips.
“What time is it?”
He moaned and scooted closer to her, cautiously draping one of his arms over her waist, “eleven-ish.” There was a slight pause in his speech, but he soon continued, “I am sorry about the other night.”
Cassidy set her hand on top of his, squeezing his fingers as she did her best to think of a response. Despite feeling like she really did want to fight for him and the relationship, everything Kennedy had said kept sneaking its way back into her head.
“Kennedy gave me hell again about our relationship.” So that was the best response she could think of. At some point, Jamie would grow tired of Kennedy and her opinions. “She thinks you’re a leopard and your spots don’t change.”
Jamie blew cool air out of his mouth. It felt like heaven against Cassidy’s burned shoulder. “Is that code for something I’m supposed to understand?”
Cassidy groaned and cringed as she shifted in bed to look at Jamie. Despite the room being dark, the tiny bit of light shining through the curtains from the street lights reflected in Jamie’s eyes. All she could do was nod.
It was like it all made sense to him after that. “I’m a leopard who threatens to hit his girlfriend in a drunken rage… Cassidy Knox, I hope you realize I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying to make up for that mistake.”
“You don’t have to.” She snaked her arms up and over his shoulders, dragging her fingertips over his neck gently, “I know you’re sorry. And I know that had you been sober, it never would’ve happened. You’re not a leopard, Jamie; you’re a sparrow, and I’m one too.” She reached up and pecked his lips, quickly pulling back as the stubble around his jaw line poked at her bright red skin.
“How was California?”
Cassidy and Jamie glanced at each other before returning their gaze back to Heather, who had asked the question in complete innocence. How could she know that her son would go postal?
“Sunny. It may or may not be the reason I get skin cancer in the future.” Cassidy smiled. Her burn had since faded into a tan but the memory of the pain every time something brushed past her was still strong.
“That bad, eh? It’s because they’re destroying the ozone layer with all those cars.”
Jamie moved to the kitchen table, pulling on Cassidy’s hand to lead her there with him. Once he took a seat in one of the wooden chairs, he patted his leg to invite her to sit in his lap. It was a seat she was hesitant to take, especially in the presence of his mother. But as she sat in his lap, Heather seemed to take it all in stride, basically disregarding the fact that she was seated on top of him.
“Jenny and Jordie are back. We’re having a family dinner tomorrow night; I hope you can make it if you’re not too tired from traveling.” She murmured, pulling a water bottle out of the refrigerator for herself.
“I don’t know, we’ll see how we feel tomorrow,” Jamie responded almost subconsciously as if that was the only plausible answer.
But Cassidy shot him a glance, frowned, and then looked back at Heather, shaking her head, “we’ll be here. Can I bring anything?”
Heather grinned, pleased with the response that had just left Cassidy’s mouth. “Oh no dear. If anything, I’ll just have Jenny whip up a quick salad. You just show up and bring my snarky son along.”
“Will do. And I’ll make sure he’s not so snarky tomorrow,” she grinned and reached up for the ends of his hair at the base of his neck. She curled her fingers in it, happy that they’d get to spend the night at Jamie’s house. Although she loved his family, it was going to be nice to have some alone time.
California was meant to be a relaxing and romantic trip, but it hadn’t quite gone that way. They had gone the entire week without getting involved in any sort of sexual interaction, and now back in Victoria, with things on the mend, there was surely a decent amount of tension between them.
The visit with Jamie’s parents ended shortly thereafter, and the short drive back to his house only served to increase the restlessness between them. He rested his arm on the center console and reached for Cassidy’s hand, taking it in his loosely, intertwining their fingers together. And when the car was parked in the driveway, she thought he was going to take her right then and there by the way he leaned over to kiss her lips.
So when they stumbled through the front door, entangled in each other’s arms, kissing and giggling, it was more than a surprise to see Tyler lounging on the couch. Cassidy was the first to spot him and instantly pulled away from Jamie, who groaned at the space between them. But when he too spotted his best friend, he had to suppress the excitement creeping its way across his face.
“I’d ask how you got in, but I’m afraid to know the answer,” Jamie murmured, leaving Cassidy’s side to bump Tyler’s fist with his own.
“I was in Toronto, but I got bored. Figured I’d come out and visit you for awhile.” Tyler sat up, sliding his phone onto the coffee table as Jamie sat down beside him.
Cassidy took it upon herself to move into the kitchen, starting a boil water while pulling out a teabag and a mug. While she waited for the water, she reached into the refrigerator, pulling out two bottles of beer, and popped off the caps, carrying both into the living room for the boys.
“I wish we’d be in town longer,” he smiled up at Cassidy and took a sip of his beer, “but we’re leaving again in a week or so.”
Tyler groaned and took a long pull of his beer, holding it in between his legs, “where the hell are you going now?”
“Nashville,” Cassidy blurted out as she sat down beside Jamie, curling into his side.
“We’re gonna visit her dad until late July and then go back to Dallas. Cass has one more semester in school, so I’m going back to Texas earlier this year.”
Lifting his beer back up to his lips, Tyler glance at Cassidy, “you’ve got him wrapped around your pinky finger… Why,” he moaned.
Cassidy smiled and finished the small cup of tea she had made for herself, “because he loves me.” She stood up and bent down, pursing her lips and smiling against Jamie’s. “Grow your hair out and lose your man-parts and Jamie might love you too,” she winked and scooted over to kiss Tyler’s cheek. “I’m going to get ready for bed,”
In the moments she turned and walked down the hallway, Tyler watched her carefully. “Did she just insinuate you love her because of the sex?”
Jamie smiled and nursed his beer. “I would say something, but she might not have sex with me again if I do.” He smiled and set his now empty bottle down on the coffee table, “Ty, when you have a woman like that… sometimes keeping your mouth shut is the best thing you can do.”
“So how about you give the both of us a hall pass so I can see what makes the sex with her so good…”
While it was mostly a joke, Jamie shot Tyler a glance and stood up, stretching out his back. He shook his head sternly.
“Threesome?”
Jamie rolled his eyes and turned towards his bedroom, “the guest room is made up; I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
In only a few seconds, Jamie had left the presence of his best friend and was smiling down at the girl he found lying in his bed. She was sprawled out in one of her tight, white tank tops, matched with a pair of his blue and white striped boxer briefs. He couldn’t even get a word out before he was working his way out of his pants and pulling off his shirt. Cassidy giggled as he flopped down beside her, now only sporting his underwear as well. She crawled closer to him, pressing her lips against his shoulder.
“Would you be down for a threesome?” Jamie mumbled, practically inaudible.
Cassidy pulled her lips away from him and looked into his eyes, only half hearing him, “what?”
“Nevermind,”
She grinned and squinted her eyes, turning away from him and backing up until her back was flush with his chest. Jamie was able to wrap his arms around her and he tucked his fingers beneath the waistband of his boxer briefs, playing with the soft skin of her hip.
“Jame, when you have kids, do you want them to all have the same first initial, like you, Jordie, and Jenny?”
Jamie buried his face into the mess of her hair, taking a deep breath in through his nose and pressing his lips against her shoulder, “I don’t know, I haven’t really thought about it. Why, are you pregnant?”
Cassidy tilted her head back to look into his eyes, expecting him to look fearful at her potential response. But he appeared calm and composed, awaiting her answer. Finally, she shook her head. “I’ve just been thinking about it, and how you said you’d marry me one day. And I think if I have a son, I want to name him Knox. But I’m not sure I’m too fond of any other ‘K’ names.”
He chuckled and set his hand on her chin, turning her to face him more. While looking into her eyes, he leaned in to kiss her slowly, smiling against her lips as she set her hands against his chest. “I think… Knox is a great name. And I think you shouldn’t worry about other ‘K’ names until we’re at that point.”
She looked up at him, suppressed a small smile and curled into his chest, reveling in the feeling of his fingertips playing with the ends of her hair. Again, the night hadn’t gone as planned. Cassidy didn’t want to do much of anything seeing as though Tyler was just in the other room. Jamie agreed, although reluctant about it.
Notes
This chapter is titled after "Perfect Storm" by Brad Paisley.
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5/2/16