When she awoke the next morning Kevin was gone. Laying in bed Christel rolled over into the space Kevin slept in. It was still warm and his scent clung to the sheets. The feel of his warmth against her skin sent memories of the night before racing through her mind. Christel laid there for a few more minutes and savored them. She stretched and her muscles pulled slightly but in a pleasurable way. She looked over at the alarm clock and it was 1:00pm.
"Wow I hadn't realized I slept that late." she climbed out of bed, grabbed her robe and pulled it on as she walked out of her bedroom door. She felt renewed and re-energized as she bounced down the stairs. She headed straight for the kitchen to get some breakfast. On the counter she found a note laying under a perfect red rose. The note read:
Dear Christel,
So sorry I couldn't stay. I had a rehearsal with the guys that I couldn't miss. Call me later, I have to run some errands, but I should be home before 8pm. I really want to see you again and soon.
X's and O's
Kevin
She lifted the rose to her nose and inhaled its scent. The very same rose plucked from her neighbor's garden and de-thorned by Kevin's hands. The same hands that just last night made her body quiver. A smile crossed her lips at that memory. Clutching the rose in her hands she searched for a bud vase to put it in. Eventually, she found one, filled it with water and set her treasure in it. After taking care of the rose, she opened her refrigerator in search of something to eat.
"Well I guess I need to go shopping," she replied. Christel grabbed some fruit from the counter and ate it as she hurried upstairs.
Christel went into her room opened the drawer on her bureau and pulled out her favorite pair of jeans. She opened another drawer on her bureau and pulled out her red ribbed T-shirt and some underwear then headed to the bathroom for a shower.
After her shower she got dressed, all except her sneakers. Christel searched her room and found them on the chair Kevin sat in the previous night. She sat in the chair then slipped on her sneakers. As she sat she began to think how ironic the whole situation was. She argued with AJ about sleeping with Kevin then, she went and slept with Kevin. The more she thought about it, the guiltier she got. Which angered her.
"Why should I feel guilty?" Christel asked out loud. "I shouldn't. I'm not the one who did anything wrong. Technically, I am a free woman and was one when I slept with Kevin. Its over between AJ and me. He shouldn't care what I do and I won't care what he does!"
Christel hopped out of the chair and strolled from the room. She went downstairs grabbed her purse and walked outside to her red Saturn coupe. She got into the driver's seat and was off to the grocery store.
The drive to the store was a short one, so it didn't take her long to get there. Luckily the store wasn't crowded. She walked up and down the aisles for what seemed like hours until, she noticed a familiar blond figure in the produce section. The figure turned and it was Nick. Christel put down her apples that she had been looking at before she noticed him and went over to greet him.
"Hey Nick," she replied.
"Hey Christel. How are you doing?" he asked.
"I'm fine. What about you?"
"Great! What are you doin' here?"
"Uhh, shopping that is what this place is for. I should be asking you the same thing I mean, I would think if I met up with you here it would be in the junkfood aisle not produce," she replied with a wide grin.
"I know what this place is for. Besides I'm not shopping for me this is for my mom. She's not feelin' good and I'm helpin'," he said with a proud look.
"Oh I'm sorry to hear that I hope she gets better."
"She will, it's not serious."
"That's good. How is Niecey?" Christel asked. At the mention of Niecey, Christel's close friend and Nick's girlfriend since she hooked them up, Nick smiled from ear to ear.
"She's great! Christel. . . I-I-I. . .uuuhh. . .heard about you. . .and uuhh AJ. I'm sorry," he said not looking at her.
"That's. . . alright. . . it wasn't your fault. . . these things happen," she said.
"Uuuhhh look I have to go. I'll see ya around. Ok?" he replied as he turned to walk away.
"Ok bye Nick," she said as she thought, Damn does everyone know about what happened?
Christel purchased her items and carried them to her car. She climbed in, reached for her cell phone and dialed Kevin's number. After one, two, three rings the answering machine picked up. She listened to Kevin's deep seductive voice and hung up after the beep. She didn't leave a message, she couldn't. Her emotions were running wild. Yesterday she had argued with her ex about whether or not she slept with one of his closest friends and then that night she did sleep with that very friend. . . and she liked it very much.
Christel stuck the key into the ignition and started the engine. As she drove down the street in the late afternoon sun she realized the only reason she listened to Kevin's answer machine message was to hear his voice. As she thought more on that, she remembered the way his voice sounded the night before and shivers ran through her body.
Minutes later, she pulled into her driveway and noticed another car parked in it. Christel climbed out of her car unloaded her groceries and walked to the front door. It was still locked. She put her key in and opened the door. Christel walked in cautiously and looked around. Nothing seemed to be out of place. Then she yelled, "Hello, is anyone here?"
"No one but me!" came a reply from upstairs. Christel turned toward the stairs as her friend Chinita came down. Christel looked at her in shock as she gave her a huge smile.
"Oh my gosh what are you doing here? I thought you were out of town," Christel said amazed as she went to the kitchen counter to put down her groceries.
"I was but I'm back now," she replied.
"Well I can see that. How did you get back so early? You said it might take months ," Christel said.
"Well, I finished helping my mom sell the house. It didn't take long to find a buyer," she said sitting on the couch. Christel sat down beside her. "Now she can just move and she doesn't need my help with that, thank God."
"I'm sooo glad you're back. I have so much to tell you," Christel said solemnly.
"Christel what's wrong you seem a little upset?" Chinita asked. Christel began to tell her the tale of AJ and her break-up and how Kevin fit into the situation. Christel told her everything, even about her and Kevin sleeping together. Chinita's reaction was,"You did what!! You and Kevin slept together? I can't believe you did that. How could you do something like that to AJ?"
"What the hell do you mean how could I do something like that to AJ. He did it to me first," Christel said incredulously.
"I mean, you officially broke up with AJ yesterday, than yesterday you slept with Kevin. Don't you think that's a little too fast to move on and go sleeping with other people?" she asked.
"Wait! I didn't sleep with other people, I slept with one other person," Christel said sternly.
"Like that makes it better. But, Christel, you not only slept with someone else right after you broke-up with AJ, you slept with one of his closest friends."
"I know. . . but Kevin could have stopped too. Not that its completely his fault or anything. I mean I didn't exactly put up a fight or anything. I don't know what's going through my head right now. I mean it bothers me that I liked it and that I'd probably do it again. Then again another part of me is saying 'Well you can sleep with whoever you want AJ isn't your father. He can't tell you not to.' I don't know what to do I mean Kevin is one of my best friends and AJ's too and I slept with him. But it just felt sooo good."
"I'm sure it did but, you can't date Kevin now. Not after all that's happened," she told her.
"I know but, Chinita it just seems so-" Christel was cut off by the phone ringing. "I'll get it" Christel reached over and answered the phone.
"Hello?" she said. Then a deep seductive voice came to her over the phone.
"Hey sweetie, what's up? Why didn't you call me?" he asked.
"I did but you weren't home and uuhh I didn't want to leave a message. Don't ask me why," Christel replied.
"Well could you come over here we need to talk."
"Alright, I'll come over just give me uuuhhh about an hour."
"About an hour? That long, what are you doing?"
"I have company just give me an hour ok," she said.
"Ok I'll see you in an hour bye," he said.
"Bye, an hour I promise," she said then they hung up. Christel turned to Chinita. "Well its been nice seeing you gain but, I have to go which means you have to go. So call me tomorrow or something and we'll get together and do something like lunch," Christel rushed out as she got up off the sofa and went to the door.
"Who was that? Why are you rushing me out the door?" Chinita asked not moving an inch from the sofa. Then her eyes widened as she said, "It was Kevin wasn't it?"
"So what if it was?"
"This is sad. Look, I don't have anything against Kevin but, he got you when he knew he could."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Christel asked.
"Kevin played the sweet guy comforting you in your 'time of need'. Then you felt like you needed him in other ways, too. It's a classic story," she said matter-of-factly.
"What are you talkin' about? How is this sad?" Christel asked opening the door.
"Christel. . . Kevin has liked you from the beginning. When he saw you at the mall, he wanted to be the one to come talk to you. AJ got there first."
"And just how do you know this?"
"Kevin told me himself. I also know that when he saw what AJ did he took advantage of the situation. . . and you. Its sad how you're runnin' over there and throwing me out, as soon as he calls."
"Chinita I'm not throwin' you out. I just really need to talk to him about this whole thing."
"Ooohh sure you are. I'll go now. Go on, go running off to see Kevin," Chinita said and walked out the door.
"See ya later," Christel called after her.
"Bye," she yelled in return as she walked to her car. Then she turned toward Christel as she stood in the doorway, "I left my old key on the table."
She got into her car and drove off Christel waved as she pulled onto the street. Christel went inside, closed the door behind her, and went to her groceries. She stood there quietly looking at nothing as her mind whirled around the thought of Kevin liking her from the beginning and then taking advantage of her. Christel remembered the day when she sat in the mall with her friends as Kevin and AJ admired her from afar. Then AJ came over to her but, Kevin didn't. She had wondered briefly why he didn't come over to her but never really dwelled on it after her and AJ started dating. Kevin was just her friend. She unpacked the groceries in a daze. Then she grabbed her keys and headed straight for Kevin's house. They needed to talk and they needed to talk now.