Of course, Jenna’s father would pick that moment to return to the table. “What? Who’s having a baby?”
Jenna’s mother waved her hand in the air to dismiss him. “No one, Charlie. Here comes our food. I’ll tell you about it later.”
Chapter Ten
It was the middle of July, and Kim had now been staying with Jenna and Kris for six months. Jenna hired a lawyer to help straighten out Kim’s true identity and get reestablished so she could move on as Kimberly Harper.
Jenna had helped Kim get a job at the hospital working in the administrative department, but Kim was in no hurry to move out. She had lived there almost half as long as Jenna and Kris had been in the house. Kris felt like she never had any time alone with Jenna, and she felt like their relationship was in trouble. She felt ignored by Jenna any time Kim was around.
Kris was near the breaking point with the entire situation. Their weekends and free time consisted of Jenna spending time with Kim, and Kris spending time with Allie and her other friends.
***
Someone knocking at the door ripped Allie from her dream bringing her back to reality. She rolled over and looked at the time on her alarm clock.
“Who is at the door?” Danni asked as she pulled the covers over the top of her head.
Allie stood up and stretched. “Kris said she was bringing breakfast this morning, but she failed to mention it would be this early.” She pulled down the covers enough to kiss Danni’s forehead and then stumbled towards the door. She opened the front door, turned leaving Kris on the porch, and walked to the kitchen dragging her feet.
“Well, good morning to you too,” Kris said as she shut the door behind her and followed Allie. She placed one of the coffee cups in front of Allie who was hunched over resting her head on top of her arms at the table. “Maybe this will help you wake up, sleepyhead.”
Allie popped her head up and glared at Kris. She lifted the lid and inhaled the aroma before taking a long sip of liquid caffeine. “What the hell, Kris? It’s six o’clock in the morning on a Saturday.”
Kris shrugged her shoulders. “I’m sorry, Allie. I can come back later.”
Allie noticed the worried expression on Kris's face. “Well, I’m up now. What brings you by so early?”
“Jenna and Kim went for a run this morning and I couldn’t go back to sleep.”
“So you came here? Thanks for the coffee by the way,” Allie said rubbing her eyes.
“You’re welcome. I needed to get some things off my chest, but I can’t talk to Jenna about it since she’s part of the problem.”
Allie sat straight up in her chair and took another sip of coffee. “Well, now you’ve got my attention. What’s wrong?”
Kris's cheeks flushed and she fidgeted with the placemat that was in front of her. “We haven’t had sex in a long, long time. Our sex life is almost nonexistent now. Jenna is always with Kim making up for lost time, which I understand. The only time I have her to myself is right before bed, and she always says she is too tired or not in the mood.”
Allie rolled her eyes and shook her head. “What? You two lovebirds haven’t been at it in like a whole day?”
“Ha, ha. I’m serious Allie. It has gotten to the point that I don’t bother trying to initiate it any more. Every night is a brief kiss on the lips and then she rolls over.”
Danni strolled into the room yawning. She stumbled over to the table and picked up the extra coffee cup. “Good morning, Kris.”
Allie put her arm around Danni’s waist and pulled her close. “You might want to cover up a little more, honey. Kris isn’t getting any at home.”
Danni smacked Allie’s shoulder. “Don’t be insensitive, sweetie.” She sat down and gave Kris a reassuring pat on her hand. “Have you talked to Jenna about it and told her how you feel? You must be desperate to ask ‘Dear Allie’ over here for advice.”
Kris shook her head. “No. We’re never alone, and when we are Jenna talks about what she did with Kim or what they are going to do together. I was hoping Kim was going to visit her parents this summer, but she has made excuses and backed out three times already.”
“Can’t the two of you take a vacation together for some alone time?” Danni asked. “That might help rekindle things in the romance department.”
“No. I’ve already tried that. Jenna is fine if Kim decides to visit her parents, but she won’t leave Kim. Jenna has attachment issues.” Kris lowered her head in shame. “There is something though.”
Allie shook her head. “Uh oh, I know that look. What happened?”
“There is this woman who is a real estate agent. She works for a different office. We keep running into each other during showings and sometimes we find ourselves alone together after the clients leave.”
Allie slid her chair back knocking it over taking her with it. Danni helped her to her feet where Allie began pacing with her hands covering her ears. “Kris, you better not say what I think you’re going to say.”
Danni had to force her mouth shut as her jaw almost hit the table, but she remained silent.
With all the commotion, Kris still didn’t look up. “She has been flirting with me for a while and recently I’ve flirted back. It felt good to have someone’s attention again. The flirting started out innocent like it always does. It usually goes no further than that. I don’t know if it was because I felt neglected by Jenna or if it was because I found her attractive, but the flirting escalated. She sent me emails asking me to have a drink outside of work, but I would always come up with a reason to decline.” Kris heard Allie stop pacing. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Danni grab Allie’s hand.
“Yesterday afternoon, she brought her clients to a house I’m selling. Her clients left and once again she stayed behind to help me turn off the lights and lock up. She offered to go get a drink, and once again I declined. I was on my way out of the master bedroom and she grabbed my arm. I was startled. My heart and mind told me not to turn around, but she didn’t let go. Something within me overpowered my sensibilities, and I turned around anyway.”
Danni reached into the box Kris had placed in the middle of the table and grabbed a muffin. She knew Allie too well, and she knew it was a matter of time before Allie could no longer keep quiet. As soon as Allie opened her mouth, Danni shoved the muffin in and shook her head.
Kris reached in the box and grabbed the first muffin her fingers found. She placed it on a napkin before pinching a small piece off and taking her time chewing. Hearing herself say it out loud made her feel even worse. “When I turned around, she pinned me against the wall pressing her body against me. She ran her fingers across my cheek and down my jaw to my neck. It made me feel wanted and alive again. I didn’t want her, but I needed a reminder of what it felt like to have someone so close I could feel their heart thumping because of the way I made them feel. I needed to feel someone else’s skin against mine. I needed to feel someone’s breath against my face.”
Allie’s leg was shaking up and down underneath the table. It was a nervous habit of hers. “Kris, get a diary or a therapist or whatever you need to feel better, but I’m not going to listen to this just so you can clear your conscience.”
Allie’s words stabbed Kris like a knife, but it was nothing compared to how she already felt. “I wanted to stop, but I was so caught up in the moment. I know it isn’t an excuse. I could’ve pushed her away as soon as she pinned me. I know I should have. She lowered her head and kissed my neck. It was enough to break the spell she had on me, and I told her to stop. She tried to get me to change my mind. I pushed her off of me and told her to stop sending me emails and to never do anything unprofessional like that again. She called me a few names, which I deserved, and stormed out.”
Kris covered her face with her hands. “I’m so ashamed. It scares me that I let myself go that far. I should have put a stop to it as soon as she grabbed my arm.”
Danni was the first to find her voice. “The important thing to remember is tha
t you did stop it before anything happened. Yes, your timing may have been a little off, but what matters is you did stop. Learn from what happened.”
Allie’s heart melted from the pain written on Kris's face. She noticed the bags under her eyes. She had her arms crossed, and she avoided looking at anyone. She looked like she had no self-esteem left. “Listen to me, Kris. I was there for both of you before either of you confessed your feelings to each other.” She held Kris's hand between hers. “I know how much you love Jenna, and I know how much she loves you. Every relationship has it’s ups and downs, but the strong ones always survive.” She tried to lighten the mood. “Besides, think how great the sex will be once you get over this dry hump, so to speak.”
Kris laughed and threw a muffin at Allie. “You are such a pervert.”
***
Kim and Jenna were on their way back home after their jog. They were waiting for the walk signal to change when Kim’s phone rang. She unclipped it from her armband. Annoyed, Kim answered without looking to see who was calling. “Hello?”
Jenna tapped her on the shoulder and motioned for them to cross the street while watching Kim’s expression change. After they crossed the street, Kim stopped walking and paced back and forth in the shade of one of the trees lining the sidewalk. Kim shook her head and placed her hand on her hip. Jenna moved closer to see if there was a problem.
Kim had her back to Jenna. “This isn’t a good time. I’ve moved. I don’t live in Georgia anymore.” Kim put her hand up and rubbed her forehead while she listened to the person on the other end of the conversation. “Call my ex, but don’t tell him that you talked to me and don’t give him this number. I’m sure Tommy can get what you want, but if he asks about me don’t tell him anything. Just say you haven’t heard from me since that party.”
Kim turned to find Jenna behind her. She smiled and held up one finger to let her know she wouldn’t be much longer. She turned and took a few steps away from Jenna. She put the phone close to her mouth and whispered, “I’m not coming back, and don’t ever call me again. Tommy can get whatever pills or drugs you want.” She disconnected the call and clipped the phone back to her armband.
“Everything okay?” Jenna asked as Kim hurried towards her.
“Yes, just an old friend.”
“It’s just that you seemed a little irritated and upset during the phone call.”
“She can be a little annoying. We weren’t that close, but she’s the clingy type. I’m sure you understand. Don’t you just want to get away from Kris sometimes? She’s always around.”
“We’re dating, that’s different. If I didn’t want her to be around, that would be a problem.” She bumped her shoulder against Kim’s and laughed as they continued their walk back home. “I thought you said you lived in Kentucky, but I overheard you say something about not living in Georgia anymore.”
“Jenna Harper, were you eavesdropping?” Kim waved her hand in the air to dismiss it. “I lived in Georgia for a while before moving to Kentucky.” Kim scrambled for an explanation and cursed herself for answering the phone without looking to see who it was. “Our company had offices in Georgia and Kentucky. One of my boss’ promotions came with a transfer from the office in Georgia to the one in Kentucky.”
“Your friend must’ve not been too clingy if she didn’t notice you had moved. You’ve been here for almost half a year and lived in Kentucky before that.”
“I didn’t say she was smart. Oh, look at those earrings,” Kim said stopping in front of one of the downtown store windows. She hoped to change the subject before Jenna asked about Tommy.
Jenna put her hands up to the window and leaned down to cut down on the reflection of herself in the glass. “Those are gorgeous. That sapphire blue reminds me of the color of Kris's eyes. Maybe she would like a pair for Christmas.” She straightened back up. “Who’s Tommy?”
“Wow, is there any part of the conversation you didn’t hear? Why don’t you tell me who he is since you ‘overheard’ so much?”
Jenna began walking again. “Hey, I’m your older sister. It’s my job to look out for you and keep you out of trouble.” Jenna realized the awkwardness of what she had said wishing she could have protected Kim years ago.
Kim knew she could’ve given Jenna hell about her statement especially after seeing the realization on Jenna’s face, but she didn’t feel like it. She filed it in the back of her mind to pull out later for a guilt trip if needed. “Oh, please. You were delivered one whole minute before I was. I don’t think that fits the qualifications of being an older sister.” Kim chuckled and struck a model pose. “We know which one of us got the looks.”
“You wish. So, Tommy is your ex-boyfriend?”
Kim sighed. “One of the many unfortunate tragedies of my beauty. I’m afraid I broke his heart. We dated in Georgia. He didn’t want to move to Kentucky. I didn’t want to give up my job. I moved and he stayed behind.”
“Did you love him?”
“I thought I did at the time, but here I am. I guess neither one of us loved the other enough to make an effort to compromise.” She wiggled her eyebrows at Jenna. “Know any cute eligible, straight, and single doctors looking for someone who is adorable but modest?”
“Sure, I may know one or two who meet those standards, but who are you talking about?”
“When did you become a comedian?”
“When I realized life isn’t fair. Race you back to the house,” Jenna shouted as she sprinted off leaving Kim behind.
“Not fair,” Kim yelled as she chased after Jenna.
***
Kris returned home to find Jenna in the living room on the couch with her laptop and Jax snuggled up on the couch beside her. “Where’s Kim?” Kris asked.
“Hi, hun. She’s in the shower. Where have you been?”
“I stopped by Allie’s house. I brought coffee and breakfast for her and Danni.”
“This early? I can’t imagine Allie was too happy about that. She gets pretty grumpy when someone disturbs her sleep. Is everything okay with the two of them? Did she ask you to come over?”
Kris shook her head and closed the lid on Jenna’s laptop. She placed it on the coffee table and sat down across from her. “Everything is good with them.” She lowered her gaze to the floor. “I need to tell you something. Can we go to the park and talk?”
Jenna leaned forward and put her hands on Kris's knees. “What’s wrong, Kris?”
They heard the water from Kim’s shower shut off upstairs. Kris stood up and grabbed Jenna’s hand. “Not here. I’ll tell you about it when we get to the park.” She looked down at Jax who had popped his head up when Jenna stood. She smiled. Jax and Jenna had become close. In fact, Kris was beginning to feel she was in second place behind Jenna when it came to Jax’s affection. She slapped her thigh. “Come on Jax. Wanna go to the park?”
Jax looked up at Kris and then at Jenna. “Let’s go boy,” Jenna said. He barked and jumped down following them to the kitchen. Kris met them at the car carrying two water bottles. “I’ll drive.” She opened the door and Jax jumped in the backseat.
***
Kim heard voices while she was drying off after her shower. She heard Jax bark and had just reached the top of the stairs as Kris was shutting the front door. She ran down leaving wet footprints on the stairs. She made it to the window to see Kris getting into her car with Jenna and Jax. “Thanks for inviting me,” she mumbled.
She didn’t mind Kris when she first met her, but now she wasn’t too thrilled when she was around. Ever since overhearing Kris and Allie talking about her in the restaurant that day, she had changed her opinion of Kris. She did her best to stick close to Jenna to keep Kris from poisoning Jenna against her. So far, she had Jenna in the palm of her hands. Jenna felt bad for what she had believed happened to Kim, which worked to Kim’s advantage.
She walked back upstairs, but instead of going to her room she crossed the hall to Jenna and Kris's bedroom. She threw her towel down on
their bed and walked into their closet. She ran her hands along the clothes until her fingers settled on one of Jenna’s T-shirts from Yale. She slipped it on over her head and reached for a pair of Jenna’s shorts folded on a shelf above it.
She turned to leave when she caught a glimpse of herself in the full length mirror on the back of the closet door. She ruffled her fingers through her hair and put her hands on her hips turning from side-to-side. How could the two of us look so much alike, but have completely different backgrounds? She smiled at her reflection, and then she got the urge to punch it. She pulled back her arm and made a fist, but she punched the doorframe instead.
She examined her knuckles, which were fine, but the flat area of her fingers beneath her knuckles were red. Her ex, Tommy, had told her to use the flat part of her fist when she threw a punch to protect her knuckles. He also told her not to tuck her thumb inside her fist or she could break it. She chuckled as she looked at her hand remembering what Tommy had told her. It was ironic how he had given her advice on how to punch when he was the one who used her as a punching bag when he was high or drunk, or sometimes just because he had a bad day.
She walked back out into the bedroom and began opening the drawers to the dresser. “Boring,” she sighed as she made her way to Kris's nightstand. She opened the top drawer and moved some papers around. “Bingo.” She found some cash of different denominations. She grabbed a couple of each and shoved them in her pocket. She also took a handful of change that was laying in a wide ceramic bowl on top of the nightstand. She snatched her towel off the bed and ran back across the hall to her room where she deposited the cash and change in her purse. She slipped out of Jenna’s clothes and dashed across the hall to put them back in the closet where she found them.
***
Kris parked the car at the park and pulled the keys out of the ignition, but she didn’t get out of the car. Jenna came around to the driver’s door and tapped on the glass before opening the back door to let Jax jump out. “Hey, are you getting out?”
Jenna's Closure (Dr. Jenna Harper Series Book 2) Page 8