14.
Ten Year Later
“Kat, you have to come! Its our class reunion, and I haven't seen you in so long!” Tiana begged through the phone. “Please, just please say you'll come.”
“Oh, alright! I come.” Katia rolled her eyes as she slammed her pen down on her desk. “Now let me get back to work before I lose my job.” She giggled at her friend as they bid each other a friendly good bye.
It had been nearly eight months since Katia had returned home, but with good reason. Before while she was in school she went home at as many holidays as money would allow. But when she graduated she had to get a job and that limited her visits to once or twice a year.
Every time she went home she ran the risk of running into Blake and she wasn't ready to deal with that problem even now after so much time had passed.
They had a good thing going for a while, they would call or email as often as they could but soon Blake's orders came in. Not even six months into his enlistment he was being shipped to Afghanistan, and Katia's worst dreams were coming true.
Every day she jumped at any phone call or dreaded checking her mail box for any sign that something tragic had in fact happened to Blake. During his year stay over seas she had received two phone calls that both came at ungodly hours of the night. Blake had been brief about where he was and went on to tell her how his accommodations were. Which needless to say they were not up to standard that any person should be put through. But mostly he wanted to reassure her he was in fact alive and well and missed her a great deal.
Once he returned, he spent part of his two week leave in New York with Katia, spending as much time as possible in each others arms, but yet again is it wasn't enough. And all too soon again, Blake received more orders that he would be returning over seas with his former team of marines.
Katia couldn't help but to remember the fight they had when he broke the news.
“Katia, I can't help it. It's my job, I have to go where I'm told.”
“But you're going to get hurt!” Katia cried as she clung to the phone as if it was her only life line.
“No. I'll be fine! We just keep the peace around our base, no real combat.” He tried over and over to calm her down and sate her nerves that he would come back home in one piece.
“I can't do this, Blake! I spent an entire year worrying about when the call would come or afraid to check my mail. Every time I turned around there was a story about some poor soldier who lost his life. I can't keep doing this to myself! I love you, but this is all too much to me!” Katia's voice cracked allowing a sob to break through. She never wanted things to end this way, but they did.
Katia loved him enough to let him go, and even after Blake called her for days on end before his next assignment, she held her ground. Somewhere in the pit of her heart she knew this was going to be for the best, for the both of them. Or at least she hoped so.
But the years passed and every time she visited her small hometown she couldn't help but to wonder what it would be like to pass by him. Would they still have that familiar glances for each other, or had he found someone better than her.
Even now it was no different.
She had heard from the rumor mill that was forever on it's toes back in the small town that Blake had taken up working at the family business with his father and was definitely seeing someone. But that was nearly two years ago, so things were bound to change. Right?
Katia didn't spend the years alone, with Keely always at her side they got through college and moved into a flat together. She had a few short term relationships but nothing after Blake lasted until she had met Cameron.
Cameron was a lawyer for a client of Katia's. They met one day when he stopped into the Women's shelter to talk over a case with said client. It was an instant attraction, his subtle flirting had and crystal blue eyes had won Katia over in the first conversation. But after a few weeks of dating she knew that this relationship was going to be the one.
Even now after two years of dating each other exclusively things were wonderful! They had finally moved into a place together and had settled into life easily. Every morning Katia woke up wondering how she got so lucky. Things between the two of them fell together so easily.
“Katia?” A quiet voice called from the other side of her office door.
“Come in.”
“Cam called and asked for you to call him. Sandra is back, it seems he has bloodied her up worse than last time. What should I do?”
Katia put her head in her hands and sighed heavily. “Um, take her up to the hospital have them dress her wounds then bring her back here so she can talk with either me or the other councilors. She may have to be put in a different housing facility if Desmond knows where she comes?”
Samantha, Katia's mousy receptionist, nodded and gave her a friendly smile before exiting the office.
As soon as she was alone again, Katia brought her phone up from its cradle and dialed Cameron's office number she knew by heart.
“Well hello, beautiful.” Cameron's purred through the speaker.
“Is that what you say whenever you see my number on the caller id?” Katia joked. “It could have been Samantha calling to tell you I was busy.”
Cameron chuckled, “I would of apologized then.” Katia smiled at how sweet he was. “So I was calling to see if you'd be home early enough for dinner?”
“I should be, why what did you have in mind?”
“Just something quick, I have to come back to office after and finish working on these case files.” Katia could hear him shuffling through papers as he awaited her answer.
“Sure, we can meet at the cafe around the corner from your office.”
“Sounds good, see you then beautiful.”
“Bye.” Katia hung the phone up with a smile that caused her cheeks to ache.
__
Katia sat out front of the cafe at a sidewalk table sipping on a water as she waited for Cameron's arrival. He had called minutes before saying he just had to finished this brief meeting before he could slip away.
These meetings and late nights had been happening more and more recently since Cameron had made partner. But this was a side effect they both knew was going to happen as he climbed the chain of command at the firm.
“So sorry I'm late, honey.” Cameron placed a kiss on the crown of her head as he took a seat across from her and picking up his menu to browse over his options. “Have you ordered?”
“No, I was waiting for you.” Katia smiled over the brim of the menu as she looked over the selection for the day.
“Well this will have to be a quick dinner, I'm needed back at the office in a bit.” Cameron mentioned as he glanced at his watch for the second time in less than a minute.
“Okay, so should we just get salads?” Trying to compromise, Katia glanced over their fresh salad selection and quickly found one she wanted.
“Sounds good sweetie.”
Cameron quickly waved down a waiter and delivered his order in a rush. He pleaded with the waiter to rush the order as he yet again checked his watch.
“Are you okay, Cam? You've glanced at your watch now three or four times.” Katia clasped her hands in her lap as she watched her boyfriend fidget in his seat.
“I'm fine, just nervous about this case. And very eager to get it completed.” He grinned at her giving her that award winning smile he had on all his business cards. Katia knew that smile, he was hiding something. It wasn't his genuine smile that he would give to her when he laughed or joked around.
“Oh okay. As long as your okay.” Katia eyed him carefully then turned to look at something else.
Her job had well prepared her to read body language. She could tell when I woman really needed help or if she was just looking to get a free meal and single night where her abusive boyfriend or husband wasn't knocking the hell out of her. Not that she blamed the women, she just didn't always understand why some women could just grow a pair and move on with out those hateful men. But Katia had met all kinds of women, each with a different story, no one the same. That was part of the appeal of her job, it kept her on her toes and things were always changing.
Change. Something lurked in the pit of Katia's stomach telling her a change was coming. She didn't know where from, but it was coming.
The waiter soon returned with their salads. Katia took her time chewing as she watched Cameron shovel the food in his mouth like a child that hadn't been feed for days. As soon as the last leaf of lettuce had found a spot in his mouth, he was pulling out his wallet to drop a few bills on the table.
“Alright, Kat. I'll see you later, honey. Hopefully it'll be before you're leaving for work in the morning.” He smirked as he bent down and peck her lips. “Love you.”
“Love you too.” She smiled weakly to his back.
Katia missed him sleeping next to her, more often now he was coming in the morning to get a few hours of sleep as she's heading out to work. They both needed a vacation, and with that thought she knew the reunion would be the perfect getaway for them.
Later that evening back at their apartment she set off to purchasing tickets to fly south. With two first class tickets later, Katia finished a bit of paper work and decided to pack it in for the night. But as she laid in bed reading a book, she could get that unsettled feeling out of her gut.
Glancing at the clock it was well after one in the morning and wondered what Cameron was doing. No doubt he was in a conference room with a few of the other paralegals sorting through paper after paper. In an instant she was out of bed slipping on some sweat pants and throwing a cardigan over her tank top.
There was a small bodega around the corner from office that had really good coffee and she picked up eight coffees to ensure everyone was covered. As she walked through the lobby of the office building she waved at the late night guard, who had seen her numerous times over the years.
Finally the elevator dinged at the seventy fifth floor and opened up to the law firm office. She could see the lights out in most of the offices but saw the light on from under one of the conference room doors. Smiling at the light she walked over to the door and carefully opened the door as to not spill scalding hot coffee on herself.
Change. It was coming. Wait. It had come.
“Oh my GOD!” A girl squealed as she reached around the table for her clothing to cover herself.
Katia felt numb all over and hadn't realized that she had dropped the coffees instantly splattering it all over the floor and her sweat pants.
“KATIA!” Cameron said startled.
Katia was dying to scream or yell or to just find anything in particular to say but no words came to her. She was rendered completely and utter speechless. Her body now on auto-drive, she some how turned around and walked out, back down the elevator and out the building. She didn't snap out of it until she found herself on a familiar stoop. She found the name she was looking for and rang the bell.
“Kat?” Keely asked from the open door, she was wrapped in her robe as she wiped the sleep from her eyes.
“Katia?”
“Huh?” Katia shook the dazed look from her eyes as she met her friends eyes.
“Are you okay?”
“No.”
“What's wrong?” Keely moved aside urging her to come in.
“Cameron. He was screwing his secretary.”
“Are you sure?” Keely asked completely startled at the statement that came from her friend.
“I brought coffee, I caught him.”
“Wow.”
“Damn.” Katia cursed under her breath.
“What?” Furrowing her brows, Keely turned to gaze at her friend.
“I just bought plane tickets, first class. Now what?” Katia huffed as she turned to look at her friend.
Keely fell into a fit of laughter as Katia looked at her amazed. “You tell me your boyfriend just cheated on you and all you can worry about is plane tickets!”
“Yeah, they were first class!”