Perfect Impurrfections

Morning Interruptions

Chapter 24

Crystal was up early on Friday just as she was every other day. The gyms were closed for the weekend to undergo the regularly scheduled cleaning. A company was brought in four times a year to deep clean and repair each gym over the period of a three-day weekend. Every employee received three days of paid leave while the company operated. It all worked out in the end since the gyms stayed open during the holidays for the residents that didn't go anywhere for various reasons. Also, for those that had family visiting. The company she was employed by offered special holiday passes for those occasions so that residents' visitors could use the gyms too. When she had started working for them Crystal had assumed that those times would be slow. Turned out she couldn't have been more wrong. They were actually busier than normal with the influx of new people. She thought it was only fair that they all got some much needed time off. Of course, each employee got paid vacation days to use each year, but these scheduled cleaning weekends were kind of like a holiday to her and many of the staff agreed. Unfortunately, no matter how she tried she just couldn't get B.B. to understand that she didn't need to be up so early. He had his routine, and there was hell to pay if she tried to ignore it.

She sat on the back deck nursing a hot cup of coffee and enjoying the crisp cool air of the morning. Anna and she had made plans to go shopping. They were going to make a day of it. Crystal was taking a moment to relax while she waited for the agreed upon time. Thank goodness Lewis had to work. After giving them the play by play of her date he was floored that she had begun to change her mind about the wealthier class. While she could admit she may have used a few bad apples to judge them all by she wasn't sure that she wanted to date one. He had been razing her ever since she confessed to her minor change of heart. She couldn't understand why he was making such a big deal out of it anyway. There were times that Crystal just couldn't comprehend men at all. And they said women were hard to figure out.

Crystal snuggled into the warm fuzzy throw she had brought out with her while she blew some of the heat off her drink. She had been so wrapped up in her inner musing that she had failed to notice that she was no longer alone. Casey cleared his throat to gain her attention standing a few feet away from her incase she felt the need to toss her coffee at him. Crystal had jumped at the sound almost spilling the hot beverage all over her. Turning her head, she saw who it was and glared at him before turning away from him. Casey cautiously approached her before gingerly taking the seat across from her. Glancing at her he tried to gauge her reaction. Crystal sat there completely content to ignore his very existence. She could have just left and gone back inside but she wasn't about to let anyone chase her away when she was clearly there first.

"Can we talk?" Casey asked while fiddling with his fingers in his lap nervously.

"No, because we apparently yell and then randomly kiss people, without their consent, but talking isn't something we're capable of." Crystal growled at him. Casey cringed at her reaction. He had been afraid she was still ticked at him and had done his best to give her some space over the last few days. When he saw her sitting alone outside, he had thought it was best to test the waters and see if she even considered him still a friend.

"Look I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." He offered her his apology, but it only seemed to set her off even more.

"I said I don't want to talk about it." She bit out. Casey brought up his hands in surrender figuring he would drop the subject until she had calmed down.

"What are you up to today?"

"How could you do that when you're dating someone?" She asked. The question threw him for a loop. She had made it clear that she didn't want to talk about it, and he had let her have her way.

"I thought you didn't want to talk about it?"

"I don't!"

"Okay." He uttered the word in drawn-out disbelief. He had no idea what to do now. The two of them sat in tense silence until Crystal yelled at him again.

"I mean not only did you technically cheat on your girlfriend, but you made me the other woman. Do you even think before you act sometimes?" Casey sighed in frustration realizing they were going to talk about it even if she had said she didn't want to.

"I didn't cheat on anyone. It was just a kiss." Crystal scoffed interrupting his explanation.

"Just a kiss! Do you know if I had a boyfriend and he did that to some other girl I would be toying with thoughts of castrating him? I don't care how you see it, clearly not as cheating, but you don't do that to people."

"Now wait just a damn minute here. I don't go around kissing people when I'm dating someone." Once again, she cut his words off with an unintelligible sound of anger and disbelief.

"Clearly you did. And let me tell you most people don't normally do things like that at random unless they usually do them!" Casey gaped at her trying to follow her argument but found himself a bit lost and a lot ticked off.

"Stop interrupting me and maybe you would get an answer to your question." He yelled back at her.

"Fine! So, tell me oh great one what the hell possessed you to do something like that." She shouted at him while slamming her coffee cup down on the table. The two of them glared each other down in hostility until Casey snorted offensively at her.

"Why should I tell you anything. If you really wanted to know you would have listened to begin with instead of lashing out at me." Crystal gasped irritated with him.

"Screw you!" She screamed at him while rising from her chair and leaning over the table. Casey uncrossed his arms standing to his full height smirking at her. Bracing his hands on the table and leaning across it too. There was barely two inches between them when he sneered at her.

"You wouldn't be able to handle me darlin." He threw the words at her making the endearment sound more like a curse word. Crystal saw red as she jolted forward to attack him. She was stopped in her tracks however as Anna leaned across the table getting between the two of them and forcing them to back up so there was room for her.

"As fun as that was to watch, we have plans. You two can continue this another time." She leaned away from the table watching the two of them closely. Crystal was beet red in the face her anger boiling beneath the surface. Casey however did appear contrite even if he was still slightly mad at having been verbally attacked. Without another word Crystal turned around and stormed into her house, slamming the storm door behind her. Both Anna and Casey cringed at the loud noise. Anna picked up Crystal's forgotten cup following her friend after sadly waving goodbye to Casey.

Anna entered Crystal's townhouse to find her friend pacing back and forth in her kitchen fuming and mumbling under her breath. B.B. sat on the table watching his owner as if he were watching a tennis match. Anna snickered in amusement trying to stop the sound from coming out but failing miserably. Crystal spun on her heels sending an icy glare her way making her laughter pour out of her even harder.

"So, glad I can amuse you." Crystal deadpanned watching her friend helplessly try to get herself back under control.

"Stop getting your panties in a bunch and let's go already." Anna giggled out then grabbed Crystal's arm before pulling her through the house. They were charging across the living room so quickly Crystal almost wasn't fast enough to snatch up her purse before they were moving out the door. Once they were seated in the car Crystal watched her friend curiously fully aware by the impish smile on her face that she was up to something. Deciding to just let it play out instead of trying to drag the information out of her Crystal leaned back in her seat and settled in for the ride. Half an hour later and she was gawking out the windshield regretting the decision to stay quiet.