#2 Shades of Gray: From Moscow, With Love
Page 23
Chapter Twenty
Farewell Preacher
6:35 A.M...
Apartment H...
Kimberly's view...
"Absolutely not!"
I slam my palm against the front door, blocking that woman, so she can't leave. No one besides my father makes me as mad as her. She keeps insisting on doing her own thing when she should be listening to me.
I shout, "You're not going to the funeral!" I control my anger and order firmly, "You're going to Genesis Arboretum with me, and we're going to search for Adam Greenhouse."
Katharine's view...
I patiently wait for her to finish her ranting and when I have an opportunity to speak, I try to reason with her by saying, "We can still go today." I walk over to the kitchen and lay the book on the counter. Nothing's going to keep me from saying good-bye. "We'll go after the funeral."
"No!" Kimberly shouts at me, then moves over to the stove, turns the burner on high, and soon it glows red as red as her angry face. "We'll eat some breakfast and then go. I don't want to wait."
My patience wears thin, and I throw my arms up in frustration as I ask, "What does it matter if we wait a few more hours?" I'm getting nowhere in this argument, but I won't back down, not about this. I fold my arms and question, "If you want to go so badly, why don't you go by yourself?"
Kimberly's view...
"I..." I stumble on the question.
I think about the Un-Men showing up or some other bio-mecha, and I shutter in fright. Look at me! I've never been afraid like this. I need to get over my phobia.
"We should stay together. Remember we're partners," I tell her, then turn the burner off, and face her. "We need to watch each other's back."
Katharine's view...
"Partners when it's convenient for you," I mumble.
Kimberly blurts, "What? Hades! Now what are you whining about?"
This is so frustrating! And it's getting me nowhere. I need another tactic, so I start, "Are you saying we can never do our own thing? That we have to stay by each other's side 24/7?"
"Yes!"
"You barely tolerate me! Why would you want to be around me so much? Are you sure that's how you want it?"
Kimberly's view...
"Didn't you hear me? Yes!" I shout and then think about it some more. I have that Closing in two days. I can't have that woman with me then, so I quickly answer, "No."
"Which is it? Do you or don't you?" that woman questions me and then she states, "You know what? Never mind. I'm not going to let you decide this one! You only do things when it suits you. Well, this is about me! And I'm telling you, I'm going!"
I don't want her tagging along when I go on my next Closing, and with my luck, she'll try to stop me. But something within me doesn't want her to win the argument. Oh for Ares' sake! Maybe I need to grow up a bit.
I try to sound like she convinced me when I tell her, "You're right. Sometimes we'll need to do our own thing, so... I don't like it, but go on ahead to his funeral. Come right back when its over."
Katharine's view...
"I will," I reply.
That was easy; it was almost too easy.