Kairos Page 2

  Tonya helped me get through it all, and even though there is a piece of my heart missing, I know my dad would kick my ass if I didn’t finish school, so I spend my spare time studying, doing homework, or stealing a minute to read one of my favorite author’s new releases.

  Reading is really not conducive to accomplishing anything throughout your day. That would have to be the biggest downfall of my favorite “nonactivity.” I know I could try audiobooks, but my attention span is nil when it comes to listening to lectures, so I can’t imagine an audiobook would be much better. Not to mention the fact that I’m pretty sure I suffer from an undiagnosed case of ADHD. In short, multitasking is not one of my strong points.

  I turn on my signal and ease into my townhouse complex. It’s a really nice place for us to call home. Tonya’s dad is mega rich, and he bought it for the two of us to live in while we’re attending school. After that he’ll probably use it as a rental for students. He’ll have no trouble renting it. The location is great, and it has a rare sense of privacy from the bustling city life surrounding it.

  The townhouses are lined up in the shape of a horseshoe with a couple of private acres lining the backs of each unit. Did I mention it is huge? We have a 2,300-square-foot fun pad, but it’s rarely open for business. We’re both too busy trying to graduate, so when we do have a spare minute, we usually just crash and catch up on some sleep.

  I slide into my space next to Tonya’s new Jeep Wrangler. It still has that new car smell, and I envy her good fortune. My car smells like antifreeze when I turn on the heat, and my air conditioning is dying a slow and painful death. I’m hoping it just needs a Freon charge, but knowing my luck, it’s probably the compressor. And I really don’t have the money to cover that cost right now.

  I turn off my lights, kill the engine, and then push my door open and step out. I pull my backpack and purse over one shoulder and clutch my phone in my right hand. At the door I fumble for a second with the lock and then ease quietly inside. It’s late, and I don’t want to wake Tonya. Finals are next week, and she has been cramming day and night.

  I lock the dead bolt and slide my shoes off my aching feet. It feels good to finally be rid of those shoes. Now the socks…ah…that feels so much better. That fresh, cool feeling you get when you slide socks off after a long day feels so good. I wiggle my toes into the rug by the entryway. It’s mainly for decorative purposes, and I think it looks like a dead llama lying in the doorway, but Tonya loved it and therefore had to have it. There is never a dull moment with that girl, but that is another reason why I love her like the sister I never had.

  My feet pad against the hardwood floor as I walk to the kitchen and grab a quick bite to eat. My first class isn’t until a quarter after eleven, so I’m in no real hurry to jump in bed. I glance at the clock on the stove and see it’s nearly 1:00 a.m. I’m in the mood for some turkey bacon and scrambled eggs. I open up the stainless steel refrigerator and pull out a pack of turkey bacon and a carton of eggs. I set them down on the granite countertop and reach back into the fridge for the milk and cheese.

  Twenty minutes later I’m sitting at the bar devouring jelly toast, crispy turkey bacon, and cheese-covered scrambled eggs. It’s delicious! I crack open a can of soda and relish the smooth bubbling coolness as it slides down my throat. Ah…I love all the things that aren’t healthy for me, and try as I may, I can’t seem to stick to any diet.

  I’m not fat, but I’m not runway thin either. I’m about five-foot-seven, 130 pounds, with a bubble butt and equally well-endowed chest. It’s not a figure that’s achieved through strenuous physical activity, but the guys seem to like it, so until I quit turning heads it’s not really that much of a concern to me. I kind of like my body the way it is. Sure, I have areas that need some toning, but I’m content with the way I look in a bikini, and my clothes hug my curves like a lover’s embrace.

  I clean my plate and set the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. That thing is a modern marvel to me. I am fascinated by all the buttons and shiny panels, and I love that all you can hear when it’s running is a lulling swish of water, which puts me to sleep on the couch when I’m trying to read. I head upstairs to my room.

  We each have a master bathroom, which was another bonus of this place. And all I can think of is soaking in my Jacuzzi tub and letting the jets soothe my aching body. It is sad to think I’m only twenty-two and complaining of aches and pains like an old woman.

  After my soak in the tub, I slide on an oversize t-shirt and climb into bed. I check the clock to make sure my alarm is set for 10:00 a.m. It’s 2:30 a.m., and I’m wearing down fast. I pull the comforter and sheet up over me and grab the remote from my nightstand. The TV comes to life, and the DVD player makes a shuffling sound as Brad Pitt emerges onto the screen. Damn, he looked good in Troy. Now that is a fine specimen of a man. But then another image flashes through my mind, and suddenly Brad Pitt isn’t looking so good anymore. As a matter of fact, he pales in comparison.

  Deep sea-green eyes with pale blond lashes tipped in shimmering gold gaze back at me. I shiver and pull the covers tighter around me. Who was that man? I can’t believe I didn’t ask his name. However, I can believe I acted like a total schmuck. It’s not like I’m a simpering virgin protecting my sacred virtue from the evil penises of the world. But I was a wreck in his presence, and I seriously fumbled that ball and probably cost this team a game winning touchdown. God, I’ll bet he’s magnificent in bed. I shake my head and clear that thought before my hormones take over and I’m digging through my panty drawer for my Magic Dolphin and some AA batteries.

  My clothes feel rough against my skin and too tight, so I reach under the covers and slide my panties off and toss them to the floor. Then I pull my shirt up over my head, letting it fall beside my panties, and curl up under the warmth of my covers.

  But when I close my eyes, it’s his face I see. His presence I feel. And it makes my body quiver with need. My nether regions come to life and pulse with desire.

  “Damn it. What the hell is wrong with me?” I curse myself and my horny hormones. It hasn’t been that long since I got laid.

  Let’s see, it was with Tommy, and that was before Christmas. Oh, for shit’s sake, that was nearly five months ago. But that breakup was so hard I don’t think I have the courage or patience to brave the dating world just yet. Just when you think you know someone, and that maybe there is a long-term future there, he goes and screws some dimwitted fraternity groupie.

  Tommy was all about the Greek life. He thrived off the events and recruiting for his fraternity, but he always seemed to balance it just right. He made time for me when I asked him, and he stayed away from the heavy drinking and excessive partying as well as can be expected. He indulged but never overindulged. It was a truce drawn early in our relationship.

  He knew I wasn’t big on the whole campus scene but didn’t fault me for it. When we first started dating, I thought he was “the one.” But after two and a half years, we grew apart, and he became a distant stranger I shared a bed with a couple of nights through the week. Even that got old after a while, and I was quickly growing bored, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt if he betrayed me. And obviously he did. I just wish it could have been something a little less flamboyant and widely known. He practically did her on the billiards table at their frat house, and when he carried her up the stairs to the affectionately named boom-boom room, everyone knew what would follow.

  By the time I arrived at class the next day, the word was out in our small group of friends, and I had to hear the news from Tonya about what the dumbass had done. The bastard sent me a text apologizing and asking forgiveness, but I’m not one to forgive betrayal. So I told him to kiss my ass and haven’t spoken to him since. It’s for the best, even though I get so lonely sometimes.

  I don’t cope well with being single. I think my fear of being alone in the world cripples me when it comes to relationships and having any success with them. Thanks to a mom who abandoned me, and a fat
her who was ripped away far too soon, I have extreme issues with developing attachments to people.

  Tonya has a steady boyfriend these days, so she’s gone most of the time on the weekends unless we make plans, and I get tired of sitting at home day after day with no one to cuddle up next to or to scratch a throbbing itch. I have needs you know! And being a pretty conservative kind of girl, I try not to dabble with one-night stands. They’re too messy and dangerous. After all, the last thing I want is an STD, so I play it safe and stick to having sex with someone I’m in a relationship with. When I’m single and my sexual fulfillment has dried up, there are always toys, but even those can only ease the craving momentarily.

  Again, those beautiful eyes appear in my mind, and I let myself drift off, thinking of his long, masculine fingers splayed over my bottom, pulling me onto his stiff erection, and claiming my mouth with the hunger of a starving man. I moan and pass into the darkness of sleep with a smile on my face and a burning heat between my thighs.

  My alarm startles me awake, and I slam the snooze button and roll back under the covers. It’s ten o’clock, and I feel like I’ve been dragged beneath a car all night. I had the most erotic dreams of my life last night, and my body is strung tight as a bowstring. I am aching but not with fatigue. I need to get laid, and that’s all there is to it.

  I guess I’ll be man-hunting today. It’s Friday, and I’ve got off from the store this weekend. It was a miracle my boss approved it since I don’t have any time to cover it, but I needed a break. I’ve only got one final left, and then I’m finished with the semester. I’m taking the summer off and returning in the fall for my last semester of college ever. I am beyond thrilled and excited for what is to come. No more classes, lectures, homework, exams, pop quizzes, or group presentations. I cannot believe how anti-group anything I’ve become over this last year.

  I rise slowly from the comfort of my warm bed and stand to stretch my stiff body. After working out the kinks in my neck, I walk to the bathroom to get ready for class. My hair isn’t too messy because I blow-dried it before going to bed, so I run a brush through it and whip it up into a ponytail. My reddish-brown hair is long and wavy with a few wispy flyaways around my temples. I put on some eyeliner to make it look like I’m awake, then some powdered concealer, pinch my cheeks, and I’m ready. It’s a short day, so I’ll be home by four to shower and get ready for a night out.

  Pulling into the ETSU parking lot and searching for a parking space is kind of like searching for land mines. You know there is one out there somewhere, but finding it is another story. I spot my unsuspecting victim and begin to stalk him as he weaves between cars and makes his way to my future parking spot. After waiting ten minutes for him to get situated in his car and finally move out of my way, I pull in. I glance at the clock to find it’s now 11:10 a.m. Shit, I’m going to have to beat feet across campus to get to my class.

  I sling my backpack over my shoulders, shove my phone into the zippered pouch, and proceed to my class with the finesse of a wounded gazelle. I approach my class just as my professor is closing the door.

  “Wait, I’m here…I’m here.” I look up to see his wrinkled face smiling back but still somewhat perturbed with my tardiness. I walk quickly to an empty seat and pull out my notebook and pen.

  “Pssst…hey, Sully…” My head whips around to see who is trying to whisper-yell at me. Spotting Taylor, I shoot him my award-winning smile. Which he knows is my way of saying “Piss off.”

  “What?” His lips pucker into a mock pout. It seems that he’s trying to appear deeply wounded but failing miserably. “Have lunch with me?” He wags his eyebrows at me enticingly. I’m assuming that’s code for “Let’s have a quickie,” but what do I know?

  My brows bunch together, and I feel a snarl seize my mouth. “You have lost your damn mind. Leave me alone.”

  I turn around and pretend to take notes while Professor Fuller goes on and on about the importance of studying people and their behaviors in order to properly capture character nuances. I doodle swirlies on my paper and get lost in thought.

  A certain person has been dominating all of my attention. I can’t seem to shake this weird feeling that I’ve had since the sexy stranger walked into my store last night. I keep imagining his eyes, angular jaw, and perfect body with startling clarity. After a while I look down to see that I have been drawing his eyes. The sketch is amazingly good considering my subconscious took over. This behavior goes on for almost an hour, and then we are dismissed early to work on our projects.

  I climb into my car after my last class of the day, and I’m buzzing with excitement about the upcoming night. Tonya and I have agreed to get out and cut loose tonight at the local nightclub. It’s going to be a night of fun-filled drinking and dancing until we pass out or puke. I prefer to pass out, but some hardcore partygoers prefer to puke it up and start anew. College…humph. The things we do in college we will probably never do again, so I don’t concern myself with propriety, and I’m ready to turn loose for a night and be free to live a little without worrying over everything.

  I pull out of the parking lot and turn onto Main Street, heading toward home. I live about fifteen minutes from school, but today it feels like hours. I’m so excited when I get home that I barely remember to lock the door when I come in. I dart up the stairs and sling my purse and backpack on my bed. I quickly divest myself of my yoga pants and tank top and kick my shoes into the corner as I walk into the bathroom.

  Thirty minutes later I emerge clean and shaven. My hair is soft and smells like flowers from my conditioner. I pull on my bathrobe and towel dry my hair.

  “Sully? Hey, Sully, you in there?” Tonya calls from the hall while knocking on my door.

  “I’m in the bathroom getting ready. Come on in. I’m decent.” I turn back to the mirror and start the beginnings of my makeover. I’m applying lotion when Tonya struts into the bathroom and sits on the wide rim of the Jacuzzi tub. She looks up at me with a face-splitting grin, bursting with excitement. Her big brown eyes are glowing with a mischievous glint.

  She’s in her element. She loves to have a good time, and this is like her crack. She’s addicted to the high she gets when we’re going out for a night on the town. Even though she’s been seeing some guy for a little while, she never lets that stand in the way of a good time. Monogamy isn’t one of her strong suits but partying is. Tonya is the girl dancing on the tables and out-drinking a three-hundred-pound man just because she can. And she’s amazing. Such a kind and considerate heart, and she would do absolutely anything I asked her to if she thought it would help me. I’ll miss her when we graduate. I sigh at the thought.

  “That was a sad sigh. None of those now. I know what you’re thinking, and we are going to stay in touch. We aren’t going to drift apart, Sully. You’re like a sister to me, and I love you dearly, so don’t sweat this anymore. All right?” Her eyes show genuine concern and sympathy. She’s worried too, but she would never let it show. She’s like the Rock of Gibraltar, that one.

  I relent and smile at her in the mirror. “So what were you so excited about earlier?” My voice is tinged with amusement. She is near to bursting out of her skin.

  “Say you won’t get mad. Promise me, Sully, or I won’t tell you.” She tries to give me her serious face but fails miserably when her bottom lip twitches, and she bursts into a fit of giggles. I laugh back at her, and for a minute that’s all we do: just laugh until tears cloud my vision. That’s how we are together. We can laugh over absolutely nothing. I rein in my giggling and take a deep breath as I wipe my eyes dry on the back of my hand.

  “Okay, I won’t get mad. I promise,” I say solemnly. She clears her throat, and I notice she’s a little reluctant to tell me whatever it is. But finally she steels herself, stands up, and looks down to my eyes. Tonya is around five-foot-ten, so she looks down and I look up. It’s always been that way.

  “I met some guys at Starbucks on the way home. I was grabbing a latte when I bumped into
them in line. They are megahotties, girl! I am talking out-of-this-world hotties. And I got us dates with them tonight!” She squeals the last sentence out as she begins to jump up and down with glee. She’s acting as if she won the lottery. I can’t help but be drawn in by her enthusiasm, so I clutch hands with her and start the idiotic ritual of jumping and squealing like a ten-year-old girl who’s seen her first naked boy.

  I gently calm her trampoline feet and face her with my interrogation. “Are they meeting us at the club? I am not hooking up with two complete strangers anywhere private, Tonya. I don’t care how wet your panties get around this guy; the answer is no.” Her smile falls, but she plants a smart-ass smirk in its place and puts her hands on her narrow hips. She’s ready to battle, and I’m less than prepared for a siege, so I capitulate. “All right, fine. But you owe me for this. Make sure you take your mace!” I turn back to the mirror to finish drying my hair and then turn on my straight iron.

  “You won’t regret this, Sully. I promise you.” She grins like a fool as she leaves the bathroom.

  “What about what’s his name? You know, the guy you’re dating?” I yell after her.

  She stops at the door and turns, still smiling her million-dollar smile. “You don’t even know his name, so obviously it was never anything serious. More like a friend with benefits, but the benefits came with a high deductible, and I decided to close my account.” She huffs, “Just remember the black-haired one is mine. The other one is equally gorgeous, but I don’t do blonds. He’s yours, sister.” She blows me a kiss and saunters out the door.

  I turn back to the mirror and section off my hair and then begin the tedious process of straightening my wavy locks. I hate doing this, but my hair looks so pretty when I’m finished that I can’t resist the allure.

  One hour later I emerge from the bathroom all dolled up and ready for my dress. I walk into my closet and pull my little royal-blue, tiered-ruffle tube dress from its hanger and walk to my bed, where I lay it down. I step up to my dresser and find a strapless bra to wear with matching panties and set about getting dressed.