Customer Satisfaction [COMPLETE]

Shifting Dynamics

David had obviously planned for the date to go well. He arrived to pick Kate in his friend's car, and took her to a seafood restaurant. She tried to pay attention to him, but her mind jumped from Will one minute to Luke the next--two men who, even after so many years of resentment and confusion, clearly still affected her more than anyone else in this world--so much so that her head started to pound and she longed to just go somewhere far away and close her eyes, to forget everything for just a minute.

On the way back, she mentally practiced several ways of letting him go without hurting his ego, while he jauntily recounted something that had happened to him in class.

She looked up only when he stopped, and with a jolt, realized he hadn't quite taken her back home. She stared at the park in front of her, nonplussed, and then turned to David, who was giving her a lazy meaningful smile.

"Now is the time we feel it." he murmured in a low gruff voice, sliding over to her.

"Oh, no--" she started, and he pushed her back, mushing her mouth on his and sticking his tongue inside. She choked and wrenched her mouth away.

"David!" she howled furiously, wiping her lips, "What--"

"Come on, don't play hard to get, baby. Games over."

She cringed.

He kissed down her neck to her shoulder. "You just have to ease into it." he suggested, "Just kiss me back. I'll do the rest."

"Stop it." she said, her voice low, "I mean it."

He slipped his hand under shirt, his fingers searching her bra. "I said, stop it!"

His smile grew. His hands found her breast and he pinched--hard. Violated fury slammed in her chest and she punched his face which slammed against the steering wheel, setting the horn blaring for a heart stopping second. She gasped, horrified, "Oh, sorry--!"

"What the hell!" he yelled, pushing her back roughly before straightening to glare at her.

"You were forcing yourself--" she squealed.

"I was taking the lead. I thought that was how you like it." He touched his bleeding lip before spitting, "What a frigid bitch you are."

She stilled, stunned. "It's not...I was going to tell you it's not going to work--" she stammered.

"Get out."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"Screw you and your speeches. Now get out."

She looked around. She didn't know where she was and she was completely undone by the ugly tone he was taking. "David--"

"Get out now!" he yelled, slamming his hand on the horn, which blared once more. She jumped, thunderstruck, "Now, Kate."

She stiffened, anger flaring within her. "Fine." she said stiffly, reaching for the door handle.

"Bitch." he whispered again, grabbing a handful of tissues and pressing them to his lip.

Her body went rigid. "Do not call me that." she unlocked the door, her hand starting to shake in anger.

"They're right about you."

"Don't say something you'll regret." she said softly.

But his ego had been hurt. "Just a snobby entitled little bitch. Must be freezing down in your puss--"

She screamed, pushing him back angrily in a bid to shut him up. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw the resulting outrage on his face, realizing only too late that assaulting a man while she was alone with him probably wasn't her wisest move. She threw open the door, running out.