by J.M. Downey
She looked at Keith who stared straight at her with his hands folded in front of his waist. His brows knitted. She shook her head and turned back to her drink. He walked over to the opposite side of her, bent to her ear and whispered, “Remember, you’re the one I love.”
“I’m fine.” She brushed him away.
He kissed her cheek and then asked the bartender for a dogfish.
“Let’s go dance,” Ellie said.
Keith led Ellie to the dance floor, but focused over her head and kept about a foot between them. Ellie stepped closer to him, tilting her head to the side, but he just took a step back. The girl stopped moving her hips and said something to Keith. He glanced in Katie’s direction before bending his head to the petite blonde in front of him, shaking his head.
Ellie turned from him and rushed back towards the bar. “This place blows tonight,” she said.
She scooted in next to Katie, but looked towards the dancing crowd. Ignoring her, Keith grabbed his phone, pressed a button and put it back in his pocket. He turned to Ellie as he took Katie’s hand, resting both of their hands on her knee. Mike was by their side in a minute.
“Keith, give me some money?” Katie asked.
Keith grabbed his wallet. “How much?”
She looked at the bartender who wiped the counter - his eyes focused on his task as beads of sweat dripped down his cheek. So many questions about him filtered through her mind. But she would never have a chance to ask. She could, though, leave him with a good impression of her instead of the shy girl jilted by her future husband. “Give me a hundred.”
He knit his brow as he handed her the money. She snapped it from his hand and walked over to the bartender.
“Hey, thanks for listening.” She handed him the money.
The bartender smiled. “You’re welcome. I hope he’s good to you.” He took the money and placed it in his pocket.
“He will be.” A heat crept over her cheeks as she turned back towards her small group. Maybe Keith would wonder about the bartender and be more attentive the next time she was forced to go out with Ellie. He needed to know just what he could lose.
“What was that about?” Keith asked when she returned to them.
“He gave me a free Coke,” she said, stepping around him, but he took her arm and swung her back to face him.
“What did he say to you?”
“Keith, he just gave me a free Coke and made sure I was alright. Nothing more. I made it clear I was your fiancée.”
He narrowed his eyes and glared at the bartender. Katie took a step back. “Keith,” she ran a hand down his cheek. “It was just a Coke.”
Keith took her hand as his other arm wrapped around her back and rushed her out of the bar, not saying a word.
The heat hit her cheeks defrosting them as they stepped into the foyer of Arther’s home. Keith had not said one word to her on the way home, but Ellie kept asking her questions about the bartender, trying to glean information. But what could she tell the girl, he had focused on her needs never once saying a word about himself. She could have sworn Keith had gripped the steering wheel the whole trip home as if the whole conversation unnerved him. But it was hard to tell since Ellie jumped in the front thus regulating her to the back. That couldn’t be it. One conversation would never make him jealous.
After a brief visit to the restroom, Katie followed the sound of a drum beat roll. She walked into a room filled with a large screen LCD T.V with various pictures of bands flashing across the screen like a PowerPoint presentation. Small round speakers filled each ceiling corner, making sound come from all directions.
Keith lay shirtless on a black leather couch, holding a beer and talking to Ellie about the club. Sweat glistened over his chest, matting the dark hair. Ellie swayed her hips to the music – a black slip flowed to the middle of her thighs, making her skin look like coffee creamer. Could she not find anything else to wear?
A fire burned in the fireplace, creating a nice glow accented by a few lit candles shooting the scent of pine into the air.
“Hey Katie, Ellie is going to loan you a nightgown,” Keith said, pointing to a door. “It’s in the bedroom.”
Katie walked into the room. Lying on the bed was a white silk slip. She picked it up and held it to her body. A gown that only fell to Ellie’s upper thigh fell to her knees. She put it on and rubbed the silkiness against her stomach as she looked around the room. It must be Ellie’s because all the pictures featured her, Ashley and Amanda, but there were none of Keith or her father. The room contained a queen size bed covered in red silk sheets and black drapery that hung off the bedposts. Someday she’d be able to decorate a room like this instead of the plain wood beds and grandmother quilts her family owned.
“Hey puritan, get out here,” Ellie yelled.
“I’m no puritan,” Katie mumbled. She walked to a mirror with a gold border and took out the hair tie, letting the hair tumble down. She played with it a second, trying to make the curls look perfect. She sprayed some perfume on her skin. Turning around, she watched her hair swish behind her. Keith loved her in white. He always said it made her innocence radiate. Only Keith could find her innocent after all the things he had taught her. Her cheeks warmed just with the thought of how he would make his lips lightly trail her neck. Best not think of that. She left the room.
Keith’s eyes immediately fixed on her and he bit down on the side of his bottom lip. Perfect, he would focus on her now, ignoring the black nymph who danced in the middle of the room.
Keith held out his hands for her. She sat on the edge of the couch just in front of his waist, letting him immerse his hand under her curls, sending a warm shot through her.
Ellie sat on the edge of a black leather chair and nibbled on the top of a beer bottle. “She is pretty, Keith.”
“And she’s all mine,” he said.
Katie looked into his dark blue eyes, placing her hands on his chest. “Are you all mine?”
A smile crossed his face. “Of course I am.”
Ellie busted out laughing.
“What, Ellie?” Katie asked. Her hand curled into a fist. She would love to punch those full lips, and add a black eye to match that slip. That girl grated every inch of her.
“Sorry babe, but you’re going to have to share him with his fathers.”
“That’s different,” Keith said.
Ellie placed the bottle on her knee. “Is it?”
Katie ran a hand down Keith’s arm. What could she be talking about? No father owned his children. She looked at Keith but he glared at Ellie. That line must have meant something.
“Let’s have fun,” Keith said as he sat his beer down, got up and walked over to the MP3 player. He switched the song to a much faster one. The words ran together so fast that Katie couldn’t understand them, but they knew them since they shouted them out at each other. Katie sank back into the couch and crossed her arms. Forgotten again.
The bottles from the twelve-pack Keith had placed on the bar disappeared from the carton and were dumped into a trashcan. Katie curled into a ball. Keith’s and Ellie’s perfect speech long ago began to slur and now both stumbled over each other as they danced and talked. Not once had Keith offered her a drink, or seen to any of her needs. If there was only a bartender here. What would her fiancé do, if she let Mr. Bartender drop his arms around her like the way he did with Ellie? She could look at the bartender biting on the side of her bottom lip like Keith. Keith would probably punch him.
“Ouch,” Ellie said as she fell to the floor, followed by Keith. They both busted out laughing.
Katie walked over to Keith. He lay on the floor staring up at the ceiling shaking his head - his chest rising and falling with each deep breath. He probably didn’t even notice her. They were both going to be sick.
Katie went and got two glasses of water from a small kitchen on the second floor. When she came back, Keith was still on the floor, but there was something different about his face. His ey
es were glossy and roamed the ceiling as if he was trailing something. She looked at the ceiling, but there was nothing up there. Ellie sat on top of a chair, rocking back and forth.
“Ellie, get down you’re going to fall,” Katie said.
Ellie sneered at her. “Go to bed.”
“Yeah, go to bed Katie.” Keith sprang off the floor and came running to Ellie. He took her hands and dragged her off the chair. When her feet hit the floor; he moved her hips with his, shouting something out, which sounded like Latin, but Katie couldn’t tell.
Tears brimmed at the edges of her eyes. She would find out later what was going on even if she had to drill Keith. She set the glasses down and turned to leave, but Keith ran to her and wrapped his arms around her, pinning her arms to the side.
“Where you going, pretty thing?” Keith’s free hand cupped her hip. “Katie ever notice how blue your eyes are? How innocent looking?” He raised his hand in the air over her head and reached for the ceiling. “They’re so blue.” He fixed his eyes on his hand.
Katie tried to turn around, so she could fully look at Keith, but his arm held her still. “What is wrong with you?”
He bent down to her ear and started whispering something in French.
“What are you saying?”
“Let’s do something,” Ellie shouted.
Keith spun Katie around and flipped her over his shoulder.
“Keith,” she screamed, planting both hands on his sweat filled back. The floor sped from her as Keith raced out of the room. She clenched onto the bottom of Keith’s pants - her pulse pushed through her, as tears slipped down her cheeks. Please God don’t let him drop me. If he did she would fall right on her head. Katie ducked her head to avoid a wall as Keith turned a corner too fast.
He raced down the stairs making a scream slip from her. He didn’t even notice, or care. He was literally out of his mind. They must have taken something while she got water. But Keith didn’t take drugs. She had never seen one evidence of it and she lived with him. But what could be going on? What if he did and he hid it from her?
She closed her eyes. Please God. Please. I want to go home. Something moist and cold covered her, stabbing at her skin. She gasped and swallowed water. She pushed to the surface and coughed. Her lungs burned as she fought for air.
Keith pulled her against his strong body. She shoved her hair out of her face and glared at Keith who laughed as if he’d just heard the best joke. His bangs covered his eyes, just slightly revealing the wildness in them.
“What is wrong with you?” She pushed hard on his chest, but he clenched her tighter. Ellie wrapped her pale arms around them, making her feel as if the air fled from the pool room. She gasped but couldn’t bring any air into her burning lungs. She was trapped and these two were going to suffocate her. Every part of her tensed as a pair of feminine fingers ran down her side, curving over her hip. She touched her like Keith did before he wanted something.
“Hey, Katie,” Ellie said, her voice husky.
“You two are on something.” What could she do? She was not going to stand here between these two with this girl touching her. Keith kissed her cheek, letting his lips trail down her neck. She gagged.
Play along. Do that. Katie caressed the bottom of Keith’s waist right above his pants line. His arms loosened a little.
“Hey.” He bit down on the side of his lip.
Katie bent down in the water until her head was fully submerged. She kissed his stomach. Ellie caressed her shoulders, letting her fingers run down to the small of her back, leaving a stabbing sensation in their wake. This girl was sick. When she felt Keith’s arms go completely loose, she swam from him and pulled herself out of the indoor pool. She ran to a table and latched onto the pole that held it up and hid behind a chair. Ellie and Keith looked around the pool, arms in the air.
“Katie,” Keith called out.
She slipped more behind the chair.
They got out of the pool. Ellie leaned against Keith who guided her out of the pool room.
Katie sat on the chair and looked at the calm water, tugging at the nightgown and trying to drain out some of the liquid that had soaked into the fabric - a chill spread across her skin as the air hit it. She wanted to go home – to be safe in her bed. She looked at the door Keith and Ellie had walked through. There was a trail of water. Did Keith notice the way Ellie had touched her? The guy who had warned Ashley to leave her alone, didn’t seem to mind that Ellie held her like she was the girl’s lover. It had to be whatever he was on. He would never act like that normally. Ellie was the problem. Not him.
She stood, and took slow steps, keeping her eyes on the drops that were splattered all over the floor. She followed them back upstairs and to another room with a fireplace. She leaned against the rail of the door. Keith and Ellie laid on their stomachs and spread out before them was a long row of Legos and a wide green bottom.
Squinting her eyes, she watched as they fumbled through the pieces and placed them on the green bottom, arranging them. She walked in and sat on a black leather chair; they didn’t even notice her. The Legos took the shape of a foundation for something in a green, blue, red order and every tenth piece was yellow. She curled up in a ball and rested her head on the arm of the chair and her eyes grew heavy. Maybe soon Keith would want to leave.
Strong arms lifted her up and cuddled her close, like a baby. She opened her eyes just a slant, and saw a pair of blue eyes under a wrinkled brow looking down at her.
“Go back to sleep, pretty thing.”
“What are you doing, Keith?” she whispered and wrapped her arms around the neck of the eyes. She was laid in a bed of soft flowers as black waves engulfed her. Keith wrapped his arms around her, telling her how much he loved her and to forget tonight. She would forget everything for him.
Katie opened her eyes to a black mass that lay over her face. She rubbed the soft fabric of the sheets and trailed to what she knew was Keith’s hand. Pulling the sheets down, she spotted a poster of Babe Ruth, resting against a navy blue wall and one of a BMW on the door.
Keith half lay on top of her with an arm completely wrapped around her. She squeezed herself from his arm and stepped out of the bed. Katie opened a drawer of a red oak dresser, grabbing a pair of black boxers and a white t-shirt. This must be a room for Keith. It had him written all over it. She walked out of the room into the adjoining sitting room and stopped.
In front of her sat a beautifully arranged castle made of Legos. It had a drawbridge, balconies and two little people standing in one of the towers. She walked up to it and placed a finger on the girl piece. Someone, probably Keith, had used a marker and colored their hair brown, and their arms were stretched out as if they were holding hands. How could they do this? How long had they lain there, creating such an intricately designed castle?
“I’m always impressed with their Lego masterpieces,” said a deep voice.
Katie looked up and took a step back. Leaning in the doorway with a coffee cup in his hand was Keith’s godfather. She smiled, as her form begin to shake. He was a tall man with light brown hair, a wrinkled brow and deep blue eyes that held a lightness.
She placed her hands behind her back, wiggling her fingers together when he set the mug down on a table and walked over to her.
Katie tensed as he placed two hands on her hips and said, “you really are a pretty thing.”
She giggled. She couldn’t help it. “Did Keith get that from you?”
“He gets many of his mannerisms from me. I’m glad I finally get to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you. You really are such a lovely young girl.”
The President of the United States had just called her beautiful. She looked to the door, hoping Keith would wake up. What did one say to the President when you are standing in front of him in a pair of boxers and a t-shirt?
“Hey, Katie.” He bent to her ear. “I’m a father before I’m a president, so don’t be shy.”
She turned back to him.<
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“You love my son.”
She nodded, her cheeks growing warm, feeling the blush color her cheeks.
“Good, then you have my heart.”
“My parents really like him.”
His smile widened. “After you two are married, I’ll have to get your father more involved in the party.”
“You will!” She turned to the door as she placed a hand over her mouth.
“He needs to get up anyway.”
She turned back to him and listened to him speak focusing on his words until the bedroom door opened and Keith came out pressing down on his head – his hair flowed in several different directions.
“There you are, Katie,” he said.
She held out her hand, but he wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned his chin down on her head.
“Good morning, son.” Arther ran his fingers through Keith’s bangs straightening them out, caressing his head like he was his beloved son. “Katie, I’ve been fixing his hair since he was a baby.” He paused and took a step back from them. “My William.”
Keith leaned over her and kissed her neck; his hand caressing her hip just like Ellie had done last night. Memories filled her mind. He never once said a word about his behavior and she never had a chance to ask. She needed to know and he promised he would do anything she wanted today. He would tell her the truth. If there was a problem, she would help him. She would always help him.
“Keith, can we talk?” she asked.
Keith placed two fingers on her lips. She stared at the ceiling. Maybe he would want to talk after they were done, but when it was over; he just got out of bed and put on some slacks.
“I’m not tired,” he said.
She pulled the sheets up over her breasts and sat up. “I want to talk.”
He kissed her head. “And, I want to talk to Arther.”
She placed her feet on the floor, but he placed his hands on her shoulders and laid her back down.
“Go to sleep, pretty thing. We’ll talk tomorrow,” he said before he straightened and walked out of the door.
A couple tears slipped down her cheeks. He was avoiding the issue. She just knew he was. They would never talk about last night. Katie rubbed the diamonds of the ring. What would she do, if he recreationally used drugs? She couldn’t leave him because that would break her heart into pieces, but last night couldn’t happen again. He needed to understand how she felt.