She was suddenly ushered through a door into what appeared to be a garage. Inside was one lonely, rusted Corvette, it looked to be about 40 years old and the years had not been kind to it. Like a true gentleman, Blaine strode ahead, clearing a path to the car before opening the door for her to climb in.
Kara stepped gingerly into the passenger seat and once positioned the door clicked shut to her left. As they both strapped in, the car struggled to start, but after several turns of the key they were motoring down the dirt road that led away from Blaine’s home. She peered back over her shoulder to take her first look at the place from the outside.
It was derelict, with vines covering almost every entrance to the building. The house was not huge, but appeared to have at least two stories, made up of crumbling red brick walls and half-tiled roof. It had not been the most luxurious of accommodation, though Kara could not have anticipated the dilapidated state of the exterior. Quickly she turned back and focused on the road ahead.
She slept for the majority of the journey, but she was awoken by the car coming to an abrupt halt outside her apartment block. Still slightly drowsy, Kara began her goodbyes.
“Thank you for everything,” she started. But would they see each other again? She longed to ask. Blaine came around to her side of the door and, taking her hand in his, helped her from the car to the asphalt below. They made their way over to the sidewalk, outside the door to the lobby of her building. Blaine still had hold of her hand as they stood for a moment, each waiting for the other to break the lengthening silence. Finally he spoke,
“I guess this is goodbye,” he said. She couldn’t help but sense the sadness in his voice. Quickly his tone changed to one that was a little more upbeat and cheerful as he continued,
“It was lovely to meet you Kara, I really enjoyed your company today. It’s been so long since I’ve been able to talk to anyone outside the family, and I couldn’t have asked for someone more beautiful than you,” he gushed.
She was touched again by his kind words, it had been so long since any man had given her this kind of attention, and she was flattered. She had to find out if they would again meet.
“Will I see you again?” she asked, unable to hold it in any longer. She had to find out if their paths would cross once more.
“Perhaps,” he smiled.
And with that he hastily jumped back into the car and was gone.
*****
Each night for the next few months Kara experienced the same recurring dream, and it began in the alley where she had been rescued from attack that fateful night. In the dream, every time she found herself walking alone, but instead of the men emerging from the shadows ahead she found herself face to face with the dragon she thought she had seen. Close up she could see the individual purple scales that shone crimson as they moved into the moonlight. Its eyes were earthy and danced between shades of green and brown. She couldn’t help feeling that, looking at the creature close up, it seemed familiar somehow. The nostrils of the beast flared as it breathed deeply, taking in her scent, analyzing her almost. She stared back, unmoving, with the dragon’s face just inches from her own. Without any fear, she reached forward and caressed the creature before her. Its scales were surprisingly warm to the touch, and as smooth as silk. It moved further forward until their faces were touching. She closed her eyes for a moment as she lost herself in the claws of a dragon.
But just as quickly as their meeting had begun, the dragon pushed her back and began to run in the opposite direction.
“Wait!” she called. Its tail lashed around, trailing behind like a snake, slithering through the alley. The dragon beckoned for her to join it as its gigantic wings spread wide, catching the wind beneath them. Looking back towards her, the dragon lifted from the pavement and took off across the Chicago skyline.
Kara continued to run along behind, arms reaching for him, wanting so badly for this majestic being to whisk her away; wherever it was going she wanted to go too. Slowly the dragon grew smaller and smaller until it was lost in the night sky. She was left alone again in the dank alley, wondering what could have been. Just as she felt that all was lost, a weight suddenly pushed down from around her neck. Upon looking down she saw one of the most exquisite pieces of jewelry she could have imagined. Attached to a delicate golden chain a pendant shimmered, with a purple gem the size of a golf ball. As she lost herself in the gem’s haunting beauty, she saw that it too shone with a crimson glow in the moonlight, mimicking the scales of the dragon.
At this point in the dream she always awoke; startled she peered down at her chest to find it bare, the necklace she had dreamt was just that, a dream. She shook herself awake and began getting ready for the day, pulling one of her waitressing uniforms out of her wardrobe. She pulled the blue, knee length dress over her head and tied her mustard yellow apron around her waist.
For the entire walk to work her head seemed to be filled with thoughts of dragons and her mysterious dream. It was on this particular morning, caught up in her own world, she walked straight into a familiar young man. She was pushed to the ground by the force of his shoulder and as she looked up she recognized him as Blaine.
“I’m so sorry, Kara,” he apologized, extending a friendly hand to help her from the ground where she sat, stunned at his sudden appearance. She had been sure after that fateful day that they would not meet again, yet here he was, holding her hand firmly to pull her up from the pavement.
“How have you been?” she asked. Generic pleasantries were all she could muster in her current state of minor shock.
“Fine,” he replied. He looked down toward her unflattering outfit beneath the huge winter coat she wore. “Are you heading to work?”
“Yes actually. It has been so long since I saw you. What brings you back to Chicago?” Hopefully he would be in town long enough to for them to get together one night.
“Just...business. What are you up to after your shift? Could I possibly buy you a drink?”
Kara quickly thought over the offer in her head before answering.
“I’d love to,” she said.
“Here.” He pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and ball point pen, scribbling hastily an address across it. “This is the bar I’ll be at tonight; I can’t wait to see you there. It will nice to be able to catch up, especially after I rescued you and all.” He laughed at his apparent sarcasm.
“I will definitely be there,” she said as she grabbed the paper from his hand.
“I’ll see you tonight then.” He winked at her and with that he continued down the street.
Now at least during her 10 hour shift ahead she had something to look forward to. But what had been the chances of running into to Blaine again? Pretty slim, surely, in a city the size Chicago. She continued on her way to work, happily counting down the minutes until she could see him again.
*****
For the last five minutes of her shift her eyes barely left the old analog clock that was hung slightly tilted on the wall of the diner. She finished cleaning her section quickly and collected her tips before rushing out the door, into the street, on her way to meet him.
It was a cold night and the thick winter coat she wore barely kept the harsh wind from nipping at her face. She looked at the address on the scrap of paper Blaine had handed her earlier that day. ‘Rad Bar’ was the place that she was heading. Although Kara had lived in this city for many years, she had never heard of this place. Trudging down the street she looked to each street sign, making her way slowly to where Blaine was waiting for her. Surprisingly, she showed up outside the large wooden doors that read ‘Rad Bar’ in only a matter of minutes.
She followed a large group of young men and women who had just arrived and scanned the area for the one familiar face she wanted to see. Finally, their eyes met as she located him sitting alone in a booth, situated in a shadowy corner of the bustling social hub.
Kara made her way over. She realized now that she was slightly nervous to be around him ag
ain, as if they hadn’t already met before.
“Kara!” he said. He stood for her to sit down before he took his seat again at the opposite side of the booth.
“I was really hoping that I would run into you again,” he said. “I’m so glad you made it tonight.”
She smiled. “I wouldn’t miss it,” she said.
They proceeded to order a couple of drinks and soon the conversation was flowing. Any hint of nerves that remained were masked by the alcohol they had consumed.
“So, what’s your favorite color?” she asked, continuing with the cascade of random questions they had started when they had first begun to feel tipsy. She wanted to know as much about him as possible, and he had been so vague about his job and home life, so she decided to ask about trivial things instead.
“Purple and maybe red,” he replied. “What about yours?”
She had to think about it for a moment before coming to a decision. “I like green,” she said.
She was having so much fun just chatting to him that she didn’t realize the time fly past. Their banter continued for hours until they were forced to leave as the bar was about to close. They were the only ones left in the tiny space, that had just hours before been so crowded that it was difficult to move. The bartender wandered up to them at quarter to four in the early morning,
“Sorry kids but we’re closing now. You’re going to have to take this elsewhere,” he said. He strode back to the counter, proceeding to wipe it down of the night’s spills.
Kara and Blaine looked at each other stunned for a second. Had they really been there for three hours? She was a little disheartened when she realized that this would surely bring an end to their night. But then Blaine spoke again.
“I think I should walk you home,” he said. She was overjoyed; she still had at least another twenty minutes to spend with him.
He picked up her coat from the seat beside them and gestured to her to turn around while he pulled it over her arms and shoulders. They waved to the bartender. As they made their way back onto the street, the sun was beginning to rise over the skyline. This night had been perfect, and unbeknown to Kara it wasn’t over yet and it was going to get even better.
He held her hand as he walked her back to her apartment building.
“I couldn’t let you walk back by yourself, not after what happened last time I saw you,” he said. She definitely didn’t mind spending more time with him, in fact she wanted nothing more. They arrived at the door to the building all too soon.
“I guess this is goodbye again,” he said. His tone was distant. She wished he didn’t have to leave. This time she would take it upon herself to make a move. She moved toward him, taking his hand. She stood on her tip toes, leaning into him and kissed him lightly on the lips. As she lowered her body back to the ground she opened her eyes to see his expression. Had she overstepped the boundaries? Quickly she found out that he wanted exactly what she did, as he held her firmly around the waist and pressed his lips back to hers passionately. They were locked in a romantic embrace on the side of the street on this cold winters night. For several minutes they kissed, comfortably wrapped in each other’s arms. Her passion increased. She felt his tongue and lips travel down her chin toward her neck.
“Would you like to come inside?” she breathed heavily into his ear as he bit gently at her neck, sending shivers down her spine. It had been so long since she had been intimate with a man. She was long overdue for a night of passion. There was no one she would rather share it with than Blaine, and she hoped that he felt the same.
*****
Blaine scooped Kara up in his strong arms and carried her up the couple of flights of stairs to her tiny, one-bedroom apartment. As they made their way into her living room, he gently placed her on the couch and positioned himself on top of her. He leaned forward and kissed her, continuing where they left off on the sidewalk downstairs.
As their lips pushed together, she brought her hand to his chest and held it there for a moment, feeling his tight, firm muscles below the thick sweater. She didn’t even notice his own hand slip sneakily beneath the hem of her uniform. By the time she noticed he had reached her upper thigh, but she didn’t mind, in fact she found it extremely hot.
They continued to kiss passionately as she reached below his sweater to feel his bare chest. He was smooth and his abs were glorious from what she felt. His hand continued up her body, past her stomach and to her breasts, cupping them gently. It felt so good to have him caressing every inch of her body. She let out a stifled moan while he tugged tenderly at her nipple.
All of a sudden he got up and removed his sweater and t-shirt underneath, leaving him half naked before her. Taking in his sexy, tanned body, she rose and did the same, taking off her jacket and then her uniform, leaving her in just a bra and panties on the couch. He bit his lip, staring her up and down, almost fully unclothed just inches from him. Again he grabbed her and brought her toward him, touching his lips to her body, exploring her with his hands. She was in absolute ecstasy.
He carefully unclasped her bra, throwing it onto the floor. She fumbled for the fly of his jeans, undoing them hastily while he slipped his hand down her panties, sliding them down to the ground as well. With one swift movement she was again scooped up in his arms as he walked them over to her bedroom.
Once on the bed, he removed his pants as well and they climbed under the covers. They kissed each other tenderly. He grasped at her breasts, stroking them gently. When she could take his teasing no more, he mounted her. When she felt the tip of his erect member entering her, she moaned at the sensation of him inside her. She ran her hands down his back, feeling his soft skin beneath her fingers. He thrust deeper and she screamed with pleasure, digging her fingernails into his back. As he moved in and out of her, it felt as if his skin was pulsing, becoming almost scaly, but Kara was enjoying having him inside her so much she didn’t even notice. He held her closer to his chest, biting at her earlobe, sucking on her neck. It was too much for her. No man had ever made love to her like he did.
“I’m coming!” she gasped, as her juices flowed down her thighs, combining with his as he too released himself within her. He collapsed beside her on the warm, cotton sheets, dazed by the amazing sex they had just shared. He wrapped an arm around her, keeping her tight against his chest.
“Do you mind if I stay the night?” he whispered into her ear. He tenderly kissed her forehead.
“Not at all,” she replied, and moments later they were both sound asleep, feeling completely at peace in the safety of their embrace.
The next morning she rolled over, expecting to find a warm body next to her, but as she reached out she felt no one. Upon opening her eyes she realized Blaine was gone again. This time without even saying goodbye. Her eyes welled up, wishing he was still here with her, then she turned to find a small, untidy note placed on her bedside table, with a beautiful red rose laid on top. She picked up the rose and inhaled its intoxicating fragrance before reading the note Blaine had left for her.
‘Sorry I left so suddenly,’ it read. ‘I hope to hear from you soon, breakfast is waiting on the table. Have a wonderful day, you deserve it, Blaine’.
She turned the note over to find a cellphone number scribbled across the back. Finally she had a way to reach him; she no longer had to rely on chance.
Making her way to the kitchen, she found a blueberry muffin and iced coffee waiting for her. He was the most perfect man she had ever met. He was handsome, good in bed and he had breakfast ready for her. She did however long for a late morning, snuggling with him, but this was almost as good. She hoped it wouldn’t be long before she saw him again, but she wasn’t the kind of girl to call too soon. She would have to wait awhile first.
*****
Over the next few weeks, Kara and Blaine dated, and grew closer together.
After a month, Kara was just starting to wonder where the relationship might be going when she realized she had missed her period. Of course,
the first time in ages she had given in to her desires and it possibly had landed her pregnant.
‘Calm down, Kara,’ she thought to herself. ‘Don’t worry yourself until you get a test’.
She had to wait until she finished work that day. With the unexpected possibility of a baby growing inside her, the shift seemed to stretch even longer than usual.
Once free from work, she hurried to the nearest chemist and threw a handful of her tip money onto the counter in exchange for the three pack of pregnancy tests. She rushed home, eager to put her mind at ease. It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to have a child at her age, but it scared her how Blaine would react to it all. After reading the instructions, she followed them and waited at the kitchen bench for the impending result. Slowly, a light pink cross began to appear, and her heart sank. She was indeed pregnant, to a handsome man she barely knew. She took the other two tests in the pack,
‘Maybe it was wrong,’ she hoped. She did the test twice more, but received the same result. It was positive, she was pregnant.
She had to call Blaine. She needed someone to tell her what to do, she couldn’t make this decision on her own and there was no one else to turn to. With tears welling up in her eyes, she rifled through her dresser draw for the note he had left her, with his cellphone number written on the back. Almost unable to read the numbers as she typed them into her phone she brought it to her ear, waiting for his voice to answer at the other end.
“Hello?” a deep, masculine voice spoke, she collected herself quickly and responded as best she could.
“Hi, Blaine? It’s Kara,” she said.
“What’s wrong? Are you OK?” he said. His worried response alerted her that she obviously still sounded quite upset.
“I just need to talk to you,” she said, and with that she burst into tears, sobbing into her end of the phone.
“I’ll be right over, don’t go anywhere,” and he hung up. He was coming here? Now? She wasn’t ready for this, she was hoping that she would at least have a few days between today and their future meeting to wrap her head around the situation.
In Time to Love Page 139
