Promise Me

Chapter 18

“Okay, spill it,” Kim said before the door even finished closing.  She had a giddy look in her eyes as she rotated on Hannah.

Hannah sighed and dropped her purse on the counter by the sink.  She glanced at herself in the mirror and fluffed her hair, stalling.

“Oh, no you don’t,” Kim grumped.  “Don’t think you can renege on your promise.”

“I’m not,” Hannah said, smoothing her dress over her hips.  “I just...I’m not sure what to tell you, okay?  Justin didn’t seem pleased that I’m telling you.”  She whipped around and faced Kim.  “And you can’t tell Josie.  I promised Justin I wouldn’t, and I want the same promise out of you.”

Kim pursed her lips.  "Justin, Justin, Justin...so, you're letting him dictate your every word now?"

"I am not!" Hannah exclaimed.  "He isn't -- doesn't...never mind.  Just promise me you won't say anything to Josie.  She'll get the wrong idea about us."

"And what's the right idea?"

"Nothing!  There's nothing going on, okay?"  Hannah crossed her arms.  "Do you want to hear about it, or not?"

Kim grinned and zipped her fingers over them.  “My lips are sealed.  What you tell me goes no further than this room.  I swear on it.”

Hannah continued to deliberate, chewing on her bottom lip.  Kim’s face grew impatient and dark.  “Okay, okay,” Hannah said, throwing her hands up.  “He kissed me.”

“You told me that already.  I want details.”

“Fine.  He kissed me in the hospital.  And he kissed me at my house.”

“More, more,” Kim said, snapping her fingers.  “Why did he kiss you?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well?  What happened before he kissed you?”

“Which time?”

“Both times!  Dang it, Hannah!  I’m too old to be yanking this stuff out of you!  Make me feel it!  I want to feel alive...joyously through you!”

Hannah laughed, her irritation dissipated quickly.  “What?  Mark doesn’t make you feel alive?”

“Never mind Mark...he’s a great lover, very kind and gentle,” Kim said.

“Ugh!  I really don’t want to hear that,” Hannah said, digging in her purse for some lip gloss.  She knew she had some in there.  She distinctly remembered buying some about a year ago.

“Then tell me what kind of lover Justin Kirkland is,” Kim demanded with a grin.  “He’s really grown up...my gracious, you don’t even notice his ears any more...and his feet!  If what they say is true about a man’s feet...”  She wagged her blonde eyebrows.

“I don’t know what kind of lover Justin is,” Hannah said, though she was wondering the same things that Kim just spouted.  “We only kissed.”

“That man looks at you like you’re the greatest thing since frozen margaritas,” Kim insisted.  “It wasn’t only a kiss.”

“Well, he can look at me anyway he pleases,” Hannah said, not finding any lip gloss, but she did find some chapstick.  That would do.  “It was only a kiss -- two kisses -- and neither of them ended on a good note.”

Kim cocked her head to the side.  “If the first one didn’t end on a good note, why would he kiss you a second time?”

“I don’t know!  I told you that.  I don’t know why he kissed me, okay?”

“Did you kiss him back?”

Hannah grinned through the mirror at Kim.  “Well, of course!  You did see the size of his feet.”

“Fine,” Kim huffed.  “But you have to find out why he kissed you and then tell me.”

“I am not making that promise,” Hannah declared.

“Then can you find out if the boots match the shoe horn?”

Rolling her eyes at her friend, Hannah suppressed a giggle.  “You know...Mark wears a size twelve...”

Kim smiled very slowly, and actually blushed.  “I know.”

“Ew, ew, ew!  Stop that!  Gross!”

“Hey, you’re the one who keeps mentioning Mark,” Kim said, nudging Hannah aside at the mirror with her hip.