"Here, let me help you."
I feel E's soft fingers against my back. He moves my long hair over one shoulder and lines up the hooks on my bra.
"There you go." He steps back to admire his work. "Though I prefer you without that." He smirks.
"Oh, I'm sure you do." I run my fingers through my hair, making an attempt to comb it out.
"If you would like, you're more than welcome to join me for dinner. I was thinking of ordering something..." He rubs the back of his neck, waiting for my answer.
"I appreciate the offer... But I really should be heading home." I finish redressing myself and hook my purse onto my arm, avoiding his gaze. My face flushes with warmth as it settles in my cheeks. Not wanting him to see his effect on me, I turn my head slightly away from him.
E nods and walks me to the door. He opens it and I step out into the hallway.
"Oh, don't forget..." He disappears back inside and returns with my bra and underwear from our previous night together.
I blush and tuck them into my purse.
"Ah, thank you." I laugh. "I'm sorry I left them behind."
He smiles at me and leans against the door frame, crossing his arms. His eyes appear distant for a moment.His face is hard, and I can see he's biting the inside of his cheek before looking back at me. Something is on his mind, but his face won't give it away.
"After two evenings like this, do you think you could share your name with me now?" he questions. "Because I won't tell you mine until I know yours."
"Hm, see that sounds like a third date kind of thing," I tease as I begin walking down the hallway to the elevator doors. I press the button for the main floor.
"So that means I'll see you again?" E raises an eyebrow.
"It's definitely a possibility." I wink before entering the elevator. E smiles and watches me until the metal doors close.
As the elevator descends, my lips pull into a smile. Who knew what I was missing out on all these years? Why had I held myself back from such experiences? I was enjoying the excitement in anonymity, the way he made my body feel. My face grows warmer and I press my hands against my cheeks.
The elevator stops on the second floor, I see my flushed, wide-eyed reflection in the metal doors as they open. Another person enters the enclosed space with me. I give them a polite smile and nod, attempting to appear calm and collected. I grow increasingly aware of my wet hair against my back and quickly tie it into a bun at the base of my neck. I can't help but feel embarrassed for my disheveled appearance. We arrive on the main floor. I rush out of the elevator and through the front doors of the building. The evening breeze is cool against my wet hair, sending a shiver down my spine.
Kate isn't going to believe this.
I pull my phone out of my purse and dial her number. She answers after two rings.
"Hey babe. What's up?"
"Hey. Um, any chance are you able to give me a ride? I mean, if you're busy I can call and Uber-–"
"Stop it, you know I'll come get you. Where are you?" I can hear her moving around and the soft jingling of her keys.
I'm quiet for a moment.
"Kris?"
"...I'm outside of a guy's apartment."
"Oh my god, Kris!" Kate laughs. "Send me the address, I'll be there soon."
We end the call and I send Kate my location. I sit down on a bench toward the end of the sidewalk and wait for her to arrive. The evening is busy as people end their work days and I watch as people shuffle by me. Out of the corner of my eye I notice a young couple arm in arm as the man plants a soft kiss on the top of her head. I feel a twinge of jealousy. I remember when I had something like that, it's something I'm not sure if I'll have again
I find myself scrolling through social media to keep myself busy, mindlessly tapping my foot against the concrete.
Fifteen minutes later a rusty, black jeep pulls up to the curb. Kate opens the passenger window.
"Get your ass in here!" she calls, a grin pulling across her face.
I quickly hop into the car and drop my purse at my feet, turning my back to Kate to grab my seatbelt. She begins driving, we sit in silence for a moment, waiting to see who will say something first.
"So, are you going to share or what?" Kate looks over at me. "Who is he?"
"It was the guy from the bar the other night,." I say, looking straight ahead, not wanting to make eye contact.
"You've hooked up with him twice now?" Her surprise is obvious.
"It was impulsive, I know.." I groan, dropping my head into my hands.
"It was ballsy! I love it!" She beams.
I lift my head up. I meet Kate's eyes and smile.
"What's his name?" she asks, her eyes darting to her rear-view mirror and back onto the road ahead of her.
"Ah, see, that's the thing. I still have no clue." I laugh nervously.
"You're kidding."
"I don't think I even want to know his name. I just want more of–of–that!" I wave my hands in the air, trying to find the right expression to describe how he's made my body feel.
Kate laughs. "From the way you're acting, I think I might want some of that."
"You know this is your fault, right?" I jest.
"How?" Protests Kate.
"You're the one that encouraged me to go out this weekend, to let loose and have fun..."
"Because, clearly, you needed it," she shoots back.
I don't disagree.
"I like this version of you, the new Kristine. Confident and sexy." Kate smirks.
"I kind of do too." I sigh. I reach my hand out and place it on Kate's arm.
"Thank you," I tell her. "I appreciate you picking me up."
"You know it's not a problem... Just make sure you plan accordingly next time." She elbows me.
"Love you."
"I know."
****
My hand blindly searches for my phone, frantically trying to turn off my alarm. I roll over and yawn, though I'm still tired, I feel better rested than the day before. Rubbing my eyes, I roll out of bed and drop my pajamas to the floor, stumbling into the bathroom. I begin combing through my tangled hair, realizing I had done nothing with it when I returned home from E's apartment last night. As I'm brushing, I notice small red marks trailing down my neck.
No way...
I rub at them, as if that would make them go away, but when I pull my hand back, they still remain.
Goddamn hickies? Really?
I snatch my phone off of my nightstand and take a picture of my marked skin. I send it to E. I throw my phone onto my bed and begin getting dressed for work. Halfway through applying concealer to the red spots on my neck, I hear a soft buzz against my blankets.
E: Oops. I'm not sorry for that.
I press my lips together and respond. I can't tell if I'm frustrated or amused.
K: I'm sure you're not, but how am I supposed to cover this up for work. I haven't had a hickey since I was 16.
E: A scarf?
I roll my eyes.
Not everything can be a simple fix, but I suppose that's just male logic.
K: It's spring. A scarf this time of year would raise some questions.
I finish dressing myself, hoping a slightly collared shirt would help hide the marks. I return to the bathroom and dab some concealer onto my neck.
This will have to do.
I apply the rest of my makeup, drawing thin streaks of eyeliner across my eyelids and drag mascara through my long lashes. I quickly brush my teeth, and fluff up my hair. I check my phone before exiting my apartment. No new messages. I feel a slight pang of disappointment to find my phone screen empty but quickly shake it off.
I make my way out of my building, not ready for a long day of work. I knew we had a big case to work on and I couldn't leave the rest of my team hanging. I stop at the coffee stop at the corner of the street to pick up an iced coffee and bagel before arriving at the train station. I had spent enough on Uber in the last few days.
The train arrives and I find a quiet, secluded seat in the back of the car. I sip my coffee and tear off small bites of my bagel while watching the sun shine off of the tall city buildings. I start to think of E again.
Shower sex? Check.
It was exactly how he had described it in his texts. "Warm water running down our bodies, rubbing soap all over each other while you're pressed against the wall of the shower"
Minus the soap.
I let out a quiet laugh, and cough, briefly choking on the piece of bagel in my mouth. I look around the train car, hoping no one nearby had noticed.
I wonder what we'll cross off next...
My stop is announced and I exit the train. I walk the last couple of blocks to my office. I finish my bagel before entering the building.
"Good morning!" I greet my coworkers, as I make my way to my desk.
"Where's mine?" Julia pops her head out of her office and motions to the coffee in my hands.
"Drank yours on the way here," I tease.
I place my bags down on my desk and turn on my computer. I collect some of the files that I had organized yesterday. I enter Julia's office and sit on the edge of her desk. Similar to mine, the walls of her office are lined with pictures. Her bachelor's and master's degrees are proudly displayed on her bookshelf above the textbooks she had deemed necessary to keep. Pictures of her husband and the two of them on their wedding day are propped along the window sill, the sunlight reflects off of the frames.
"How's the Harris case coming along?" she asks me, not looking up from her mountain of paperwork.
"I think I'm nearly finished collecting the evidence and case notes we need for the lawyers."
"Good, they'll be here on Friday to touch base." Julia sighs. "I'm not sure how I feel about this one Kristine, there's so much riding on this case."
She's not wrong. This case is one of our biggest yet. Not only is Johnathan Harris being investigated through our child and family welfare division, but also charged as being party to multiple other crimes. Our task now is to build a strong case, proving how all of his acts may be connected to one another before he's brought before the court.
"That's what you've got me for Julia. To keep you sane while you do all the heavy lifting." I wink and tap her arm with the files.
"Ha. You're funny," she says blandly. Julia hands me a list of names.
"This is the team we'll be working with. We've matched up two case managers with the two lawyers."
"The case managers being...?"
"The two of us, obviously." Julia finally looks up from her papers, unamused with my question. "Like I said, we'll be meeting with them on Friday. Everything needs to be finished by Thursday."
I nod. "That won't be a problem. Stop worrying, we can handle this."
Julia gives me a weak smile before averting her eyes back down to her desk.
I return to my office and begin flipping through the color coded tabs of each section of the case file. I place my elbows against the surface of my desk and lace my fingers together, resting my chin on top of them. For the first time, in both mine and Julia's career, we're working closely with a legal team. More often than not, our files are sent through multiple different channels, eventually finding their way to court. But this time, we're front and center, providing every piece of information we have collected for this case and neither Julia or I are ready to accept defeat.
I check the list Julia had provided me, tracing my fingers across the printed names.
Lead: Brian Cooper & Julia Martin
Secondary: Elliot Andrews & Kristine Chase
"Stop... Stop Alex!" I hold my sweater close to my body, frozen in place, unsure of what else to do as I watch him throwing armfuls of clothes into his suitcase. "Can't we just talk?" The warm tears stream down my cheeks. Alex turns to face me and scoffs. His blue eyes are callous as he draws his top lip over his teeth. "Well you already found out about her, what else is there to talk about?" He stumbles toward me, the suffocating stench of alcohol wafting from his breath. "Jesus, you're drunk," I spit at him. "What is wrong with you?" "I don't want you anymore, Kristine. I'm happier with someone else." He pushes past me to retrieve more clothes from the dresser drawers. I stare at him dumbfounded, jaw dropped, desperately searching for words. "What about this!?" I hiss as I hold up my hand, hovering my engagement ring in front of his face. "Does this mean anything to you?" "No, it really doesn't." He hiccups. "I thought if I gave into your bitching about getting married... May
I close my laptop and sigh. I have thirty minutes to recollect myself before diving back into my work. I'm exhausted after tossing and turning for the remainder of the night. An ongoing sense of anxiety gnawing at me all morning. After nightmares like the one I'd had last night, I'm left emotionally and physically drained.Only a few more hours to go, Kris. I tap my fingers against my desk before retrieving my phone from my bag. The screen lights up, indicating that I have a new text. E: I hope you're having a good day. I smile and reply to his message, softly gliding my thumbs across the screen. K: A bit stressful... But I'll survive. Yours? E: Busy, but I find myself to be a bit distracted this morning. K: Distracted? How so? E: Just thinking about a beautiful woman who was in my shower the other night... My heart skips a beat and I drag my tongue across my bottom lip. K: I'm sure she was a very lucky girl. E: Or I was just a lucky guy. I rub my neck for a moment b
"You're seeing him again? When?" Kate has become more invested in my sex life than I had anticipated. Who else was I supposed to tell about the unexpected, mind blowing sex I was having with an absolute stranger? I feel like most women will turn to their sisters at a time like this. But I am and always will be an only child, so Kate became the sister I always wanted but never had. For twenty years she and I have been glued to the hip. It had all started with a simple promise to each other at age five, on the last day of kindergarten, that we would be sisters since we did not have our own. And so it began, the legacy of Kris and Kate. Through fights on the playground in elementary school, to awkward middle school dances. Through high school, with first kisses and break-ups, to college and the day I had asked her to be my maid of honor. When Alex left me broken and abused, Kate was there to pick up the pieces, she was there to put me back together. And she sure as hell did her best at
E gently grasps my hips as he eases me back down onto the kitchen floor. I hold tightly onto his arms, attempting to regain my balance. He asks where the bathroom is and, I point him down the hall. He kisses me once more before walking away. I pick up my clothes and throw them into my bedroom, closing the door behind me so he doesn't see the mess of laundry on the floor. Pulling the soft, cream colored blanket off of the back of the couch, I wrap it around my naked body. I wander back to the kitchen, holding the fabric against my breasts and open up the pizza box that had been beside us.I pick up a cold slice I take a bite. E approaches me from behind and wraps his arms around my waist. "Is it cold now?" He leans over my shoulder and takes a bite of the piece in my hand. "Hey!" I laugh and playfully elbow him. "Get your own." I pick up the box and walk to the living room. I pull the blanket tighter around me and sit down. E puts his underwear back on and joins me on the couch. His
I cough again to clear my throat and gently grasp Elliot's lingering hand.This can't be happening."Likewise," I force the word out, giving him a weak smile. "Right, should we get started?" Julia claps her hands together, the sound causes my rigid rigid body to flinch. "Kristine has set out some of our files in front of your seats." She motions to the conference table. Brian sits down opposite Julia; Elliot placed directly across from me. I force myself into my chair, not taking my eyes off of him. I feel my face flush with warmth before settling in my cheeks and I take in short silent breaths. Elliot and Brian remove items from their bags, placing computers down on the table beside their notepads and pens. I watch Elliot's movements, as if it's all happening in slow motion. He's in a navy suit, his muscular arms defined through the sleeves. Under the suit jacket, he's wearing a white collared shirt and patterned tie. Elliot's brown hair is casually slicked along the sides of his
I use the spare key and let myself into Kate's apartment, sliding a bottle of wine into the refrigerator. I take off my shoes and blazer, drop my purse on the living room floor, and throw myself onto her couch. I hold one of the throw pillows to my face and let out a scream. After releasing my frustrations, I lay on my side, pull my knees up to my chest, and mindlessly look around Kate's studio apartment. Though small, the room is surprisingly spacious. A large TV is mounted on the faded brick wall, surrounded by pictures of us as children and up through our college graduation. Her full size bed is nestled in the back corner and I have half a mind to crawl into it and fall asleep, though I doubt my racing mind would let me. I dig my phone out of the pocket of my blazer and I notice a missed call from my mom. I unlock the screen and dial her number."Hey, Kris." My mother's cheery voice greets me after the second ring. "Hi Mom, I saw you called. What's going on?" I sigh, rubbing my
"Kris!" My mom exits the house and greets me at Kate's car, which she had so graciously let me borrow for the weekend. Mom throws her arms around me and squeezes my body against her small frame. She stands a few inches shorter than me and her grayed, blonde hair tickles my nose. "Hi mom.," I say, giving her a one armed hug. She pulls away and her brown eyes meet mine, she places a manicured hand on my cheek. "I've missed you," she says. I close the car door and stretch, straightening out my sundress and adjusting my jean jacket. I grab my pink overnight bag from the backseat and follow mom up the bricked front steps into the house. My dad is sitting at the table in the small 80's style kitchen, enjoying a cup of coffee while and reading. I throw my bag into my old bedroom and return to the kitchen, giving my dad a quick peck on the cheek. He looks up at me, his gray eyes peeking over the rim of his glasses that are perched at the tip of his nose. His brown hair is brushed across t
After an exhausting drive back into the city, I immediately set my sights on my bed. I throw myself down onto it, landing onto my pillows and melting into them. I take a deep breath and hold a pillow over my face. I scream into it until my throat is sore and toss it aside. That was enough family time to tide me over until Anna's wedding next month. I've already decided I will not speak to or see them until then. I force myself off of the mattress and change into something more comfortable than the t-shirt and jeans I had traveled in., I settle on a pair of athletic shorts and my favorite off the shoulder, black sweater. Elliot: I've picked up dinner, I'll be over soon for our '"casual'" evening. Kris: Sounds good! See you soon. Elliot: Are you sure there's no sex until after you're done with the case? Kris: Yes... I lay down on the couch and turn on the TV, not even paying attention to what's on, I just need something to fill the silence. I scroll through my phone and check my sc