KJ's POV
I wake up early, more rested than ever. I'm caught off guard by how rested I feel, then I realize why. Her. For a moment I felt like I was back in high school. I don't need this right now. God, it felt so right... But also so, so wrong.
I slide out of bed, careful not to wake Layne, but also desperate to get away from her. I shower quickly and then get dressed, leaving before Layne has a chance to notice I'm gone.
Even though I'm not really tired, I drive to Starbucks, having a few minutes before I have to get to work.
"Hey," I approach the cashier and she smiles at me, immediately. She brushes a piece of her cropped, bleached, hair from her eyes. I glance at her name tag. Blair.
"Welcome to Starbucks what can I get you?" she greets me.
"Well, Blair, lemme get uh----" I glance out the board, even though I order the same thing every time. As my eyes scroll back down, I meet hers. She's clearly wearing colored contacts, her eyes a cool purple. She's kind of cute, "Vanilla frappicino with a shot of toffee. Oh and a whatever your favorite pastry is."
She rings me out for a cheese danish and tells me my total. I hand her my Starbucks gold card, earned through years and years of me succumbing to my inner white girl. She pauses to read my card, "KJ? Is that short for anything?"
"It might be," I tease. She swipes my card and hands it back to me along with my receipt.
"I start to walk away but she stops me. "Hey!"
She holds out my pastry, risking a glance at my cleavage, "Don't you wanna know what you can get me?"
I smirk, having caught her, "And what's that?"
"Your number," she smirks, "It's only fair since you've got mine."
I glance at the pastry bag, and see that her number is indeed on mine. I hand her one of my business cards, "Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Blair."
She blushes, "The pleasure is all mine."
My drink is ready and I grab it, getting into my car. I'm typing in the coffee girl's number when my phone rings. I answer.
"Hello?"
"Baby Girl," Vin answers, "How are you?"
Suddenly it feels like he's been gone years, not just a couple of days, "God, I miss you." I don't realize how much I do until I say so, "How's Colorado?"
"You know how it goes," he responds vaguely, "You?"
"Um... Layne's moved in for a little," I say, "And no--- we still aren't fucking."
"I didn't think y'all were," he replies, "But thanks for planting those seeds of suspicion."
"I'm not suspicious," I resort to my de-facto joking, "You are. Fucking drug dealer."
"Damn closet lesbian," he quips back. We both laugh and then go silent.
"Baby girl?"
"Yeah?"
"You're good right? Mentally and all that good shit?"
"Yeah I'm good," I reply, somewhat honestly. Recently it's been depending on what day it is.
"And the nightmares and everything?"
"I'm working through it," I change the subject, "Layne's not as good in bed as you though."
"Cute," he chuckles, "So y'all are't fucking but she's in your bed? That's like what? Sexually frustrated cohabiting?"
"Doesn't cohabiting imply we're having sex already?"
"That's where the 'frustrated' comes in," he replies.
"When you get home, remind me to wipe the smirk off your face," I laugh, "It's good to hear your voice."
"Same. Hold up--" he pauses and says something to someone else, "I'm getting ready to go. Love you."
"Love you too," he hangs up and I finish my drive to work in silence.
I spend the entire day in my phone texting Blair. One of the things that made psychology was it's ability to get people to open up to you, without making it seemed forced or awkward. By lunch I know everything from her favorite color to her abandonment issues. By the time I'm closing up she's asking me out.
And I'm saying yes.
***
The morning of my date a fresh energy is running through me. I get dressed in black shirt with blue pin stripes. Layne helps me decide on a tie, but I can tell that she's not comfortable with the idea of me seeing another woman. Which I know, because as she helps me put on said tie, it takes everything in her not to choke me out.
As soon as Layne exits the room I loosen my tie, needing to breath but not wanting to give her the satisfaction. I exhale and finish getting dressed, heading downstairs. Even though she's clearly upset with me, there's a thermos with my name on it waiting for me, next to her. She pretends to ignore me as I pour a third of it back into the coffee pot, liking mine with a lot of cream and sugar.
"Don't wait up," I blow her a kiss and head out the door, just to be petty. She could pout all she wanted, but that didn't change the fact that I'm not hers.
As I get into the car I dial Nat's number, feeling nothing but good vibes.
"Hey, Best Friend," I start up my truck.
"Two calls from you within the month? What a surprise," she says dryly, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I have a date," I can't help but tell her.
"With Layne?"
"No," I respond, "With this girl I met at Starbucks."
"But you're trying to make Layne jealous?" she guesses again.
"Why do you assume that this has to do with Layne?" I snap, my good mood gone.
"Look, Kid," she exhales, "You have an entire tattoo sleeve inspired by her. I'm calling Beck."
"Wait---"
Before I can stop her she has me on hold, and then is conference calling Beck into our call.
"KJ is going on a jealousy date," Nat tells him.
"I'm not---" Before I can defend myself, my friends are talking over me, as if I'm not present.
"Is this still about Layne?"
"Of course it's about Layne!"
"They need to just get married already real shit."
"Oh God they do!"
"GUYS!" they go silent, "Can you two maybe be happy for me for once? Shit."
"It's not that we aren't happy for you," Beck explains, "But as your best friends, it's our duty to call your bullshit when we see it."
"Yeah," Nat agrees.
I roll my eyes, "I'll call you guys after to tell you about how fucking grand of a time I had. Haters."
"Beck why is she trying to expand the jealously date to us, too?"
I hang up, knowing that my two besties are going to continue to shit talk me for about another thirty minutes. I am not going out with Blair to anger Layne. Layne has no right to be angry because we aren't even together.
Still, no matter how I tried to shake it, my friends had planted the seeds of doubt in me, and they were sprouting by the time I was leaving work for my date.
Was I just messing with Layne?
No. I liked Blair.
And even if I didn't I was already pulling up to her house, and owed her a decent night.
I get out and come to her door, ringing the doorbell. Blair appears moments later, in a black dress, contrasting her pale skin.
"You came to the door," she steps onto the porch, "How old school."
"I'm a classic," I flash her a signature smirk and she follows me to my truck, where I open her door for her.
We sit through an okay, but not quite block buster romance movie, with just about every trope ever laced in. I find it very easy to tune out most of it, lost in thought. Am I trying to get back at Layne? It's not like she's done anything to me... At least, nothing I can hate her for.
The movie ends and afterwards we get dinner at TGI Friday's.
"KJ?" Blair's tone signifies that she's been talking to me for a minute, "What are you thinking about?"
I open my mouth to lie on instinct, "The color of your eyes."
"Really?" she closes them, "And what color is that?"
Shit. "Purple?"
She reveals to me that they're actually a simple brown. "I took my contacts out during the movie," she explains, "Bet you didn't notice."
"Sorry, I'm out of it," I apologize, "It's just that---"
"You're in love," she cuts me off, "I get it."
"No, I'm not---"
"You keep checking your phone," she observes, "So either you're waiting for this date to be over or you're waiting for someone you actually want to text you."
I sigh, "Sorry, Blair."
"It's okay," she giggles, "It's kind of cute anyway. Besides, cute as you are, I don't think we'd work out anyway."
I nod and go back to eating, actually bothering to engage in conversation with her. The rest of the night goes better with me actually paying attention. By the end of the night, I find that we click on a more friendly than intimate level, and she agrees.
"Good night, KJ."she says as I walk her to her front door once more. She kisses my cheek, "I had fun tonight."
"Me too," I nod, stuffing my hands in my pockets.
"I hope that whoever you really want knows how you feel," she smiles, "You'd be a good girlfriend. You're just not mine."
We hug goodbye one last time and I head back to my truck, beginning my long drive home.
***
As I pull up, I'm surprised to see the TV is still on in the livingroom. Did she really wait up for me? I park and make my way into the house, just as I notice the TV cut off. Umm... Okay...
I unlock the door, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the dark of the house. I feel a hand on my shoulder and jump.
"I'm sorry," Layne appears in front of me, almost like magic.
"Wha--?" my question goes unheard as she grabs my tie, pulling me in for a kiss. My lips part, seemingly on their accord. With me bent the way I am, she has all the leverage, leaving me helpless. Without pulling away, she pulls me to the couch, shoving me down first and then crawling into my lap afterwards.
"Layne wait--" I attempt to say something but am quieted by her lips as she pulls me back in, my tie still in her clutches.
"I'm tired of waiting," she murmurs between kisses. She steals away any other words I have, each kiss more intense than that last. Electricity seems to shoot off of us, like pure energy. I want to stop her, but like instinct my hands travel to her hips, which she grinds on me unconsciously. Without permission, my fingers loop through her jeans, pulling her closer. I run my finger tips upward, sliding them under the hem of her shirt, feeling the smooth skin beneath.
As her kisses get hungrier and our breathing heavier, she loosens my tie. One by one, she undoes my shirt, her hands exploring my unclothed torso. She kisses her way down my neck, my collar, her lips grazing just about anywhere they can reach. And it feels good. It feels so fucking good I can't do anything but be lost in the ecstasy. We're so close that we might as well be one. Suddenly, she pulls away from me, both of us breathing heavily. Almost instantly, the energy between us dissipates and I struggle from under her.
"KJ wait---" she reaches for me, but I'm already up.
"Um--uh-- good night? Yeah," I stumble into the coffee table, nearly toppling over. How do legs work again? "Sorry." I practically run to my room, throwing the door shut behind me.
I collapse against it, my skin feeling hot and heavy from her touch. Why did I kiss her back? Why did I kiss her back? Why did I kiss her back? I exhale a breath. Fuck.
Why do I want to kiss her again?