by Lily Foster
This morning she looked like some kind of Christmas angel. Her hair pulled off her face, fresh-faced as usual, and that sweater, hugging her curves, so soft and begging to be touched. I had to swallow and turn away at one point, reminding myself that she belonged to someone else.
Her boyfriend looked like most of the guys I’d been in school with, like most of the guys I’d been friends with in my former life. He knew from the second he saw the exchange between Kasia and me that I was into her. I can’t blame him for acting like a dick that afternoon. If Kasia was mine and I saw someone looking at her the way I’m sure I was, I’d have probably grabbed her possessively and let it be known she was off limits too.
After they left and went upstairs I set about ripping the old back door off its hinges with my bare hands, needing something to lay into when I couldn’t shake the image of him or anyone else touching her, kissing her, loving her body.
Kasia
It was still very early when I got home that morning but my mother and father were already up, sharing a roll as they drank their coffee together. I was lucky, I thought, as I stood there for a moment watching them. My parents had that kind of enduring love. My father still looked at my mother as if she was the most special, beautiful woman in the world and my mother seemed to want to truly take care of my father. They worked together, side by side, their entire married life. What they had was special.
I sat down at the table with them and poured myself some coffee. “I hear you had an eventful Christmas. I feel so bad that whole mess interrupted dinner.”
“You don’t have such a good memory, Myszka (little mouse). That’s not the first time a broken pipe has interrupted a holiday in this house,” my father said softly, laughing, as he patted my head.
“Tata and I were actually just saying that yesterday was fun, in a crazy, hectic way. It was like old times, with everyone pitching in for the emergency.”
“I just stopped by there. Jake is still cleaning up. I think he was there all night.”
Mama smiled. “He reminds me of your father, that Jake. What a hard worker and so strong. His little sister, Karolina, is a little treasure. She’s still asleep in there. I threatened Olivia and Veronica that if they wake her up early, no babka for them.”
“I thought he was talking to a girlfriend when he spoke to her on the phone. He calls her Kara.”
“What a good brother he is to her,” Tata commented. “But, that’s how life is, you do what is necessary.”
“It made me cry after she went to sleep, Kasia, knowing the two of them are on their own; that young boy giving up everything to take care of her.”
“What do you mean they’re on their own?”
My mother’s eyes saddened. “The parents are dead, Kasia. I didn’t ask how but I did ask when—six years ago. So he’s been taking care of her since she’s twelve and he’s twenty. He was a young man.”
My father scoffed, “Twenty is a man. I landed here at twenty with you, not speaking a word of English. You do what you have to do, no?” He looked directly at me then. “He is a good person though; treats his sister with great affection.”
With that, a petite, slim girl with light brown hair and green eyes came into the kitchen. What a beauty, I thought to myself and found myself smiling at her, feeling warm and protective towards her in an instant. “You must be Karolina. I’m—”
“Kasia. I’m so glad to finally meet you! I’ve been badgering Jakub to let me come by while he’s working so that I could sneak a look at your studio and meet you but he keeps telling me no—you’re too busy, you work too hard to have time to meet me. He’s so stubborn.”
I laughed; Karolina was like a whirlwind. “I told Jakub that after ruining your Christmas, I owe you.” When she shook her head I added, “Please, at least let me make you a dress.”
Her eyes lit up and then she frowned. “No, you don’t have to do that. Jakub says that he worries about you sometimes, you’re working so hard. Anyway,” she continued, her face now lighting up, “I had a great Christmas. I just adore Veronica and Olivia. Little Michal and Dominic are adorable too.”
My heart ached for a brief moment when I heard her say that Jake worried about me. I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I liked it when I sometimes caught him looking my way…just like I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t care if I was on his mind or not. This morning when I was sitting across from him drinking coffee in the store, I had a sudden feeling of panic, like I had to leave right that very minute.
I’d wanted him to lean over, close that small distance, and kiss me.
I shook off the reminder of this morning and took Karolina’s hands in mine. “I won’t take no for an answer. I’ll be gone for a few days but I’ll be back on January second. Are you in school?”
“Yes, but I’ll be home until January fifteenth. Only if you’re sure it’s no trouble, Kasia.”
“Really, I insist.”
“In that case, I really would love a dress for my winter semi-formal!”
Karolina went on to tell us about her experiences so far during freshman year at Georgetown. She was obviously sweet-natured and bright but there was something about her, like a warm light shone from her. It wasn’t hard to understand, that after whatever tragedy had befallen his family, Jake would move mountains to take care of this beautiful girl.
Dylan
The timing wasn’t great for this getaway. I was tense as I sat on the plane, Kasia’s head resting against my shoulder as she slept. I shouldn’t really be sweating it, as it was practically New Years; only two of the days I’d be away were actually work days. But I had been fielding call after call and countless emails regarding these ongoing labor negotiations. The union head, who had been presenting himself as a reasonable man, was now spewing crap on every news outlet possible about how Cole Industries was refusing to pay the American worker a fair living wage and how this was all a ploy to move our entire manufacturing operation overseas. The governor spoke at a union rally, mimicking the sentiment, trying to suck up to his constituents as he was preparing to gear up for reelection next fall. All those months of hard work—it was all turning to a giant pile of shit.
As I was walking out to the car this morning, my father called after me, “You’re in Chicago Monday morning.” He was not pleased about the timing of this trip either.
“Are you ok, Dylan? You look tense.”
“We promised no talking business and I’m sticking to it,” I said as I smiled down at her.
She rubbed her hand over my chest, soothing me. “Just think, one more hour and we’ll be on the beach.”
We were on a private jet, which cut the travel time considerably and I had booked a secluded resort with a private villa right on the beach. I didn’t want to explore town, do any scheduled activities, or even pick up a tennis racquet. I just wanted to kiss her, hold onto her, love her. More and more lately, I’d been feeling as if she was slipping away and I needed to grab onto her, keep her with me. Thoughts of that douchebag, Jake, crept into my mind with greater frequency. Listening to Kasia’s brother, Mike, talk about how great, knowledgeable and capable the guy was—well, it was nauseating. “Kasia, how is everything at the store going now?”
“No business, remember?”
“Yeah, I know. I just wanted to know if Boy Wonder got a handle on the flooding and everything. Is it going to delay the project?”
She looked up at me with understanding; she knew I was jealous. “Yes, Jake had it under control, no, it won’t delay anything, and…I love you.”
As much as I tried to just relax and enjoy the weekend, I couldn’t just shirk my responsibilities. Kasia understood when I left the room every morning for an hour to answer my emails and make some calls. She made a few calls herself but she was mostly “working” by sketching out designs as she sat on the beach just gazing out into the ocean. I came upon her a few times like that and she blew me away each time. She was so damn talented it was scary. She could have been a
n artist in her own right. The sketches she made, just doodling in her book, could have hung in a gallery.
As I came upon her today, sitting in a super skimpy, bright blue bikini, I thought to myself that I needed to do everything I could to make this work. There would be no more Gwen—I’d already decided that—and as soon as this labor crap was over, I was determined to spend the bulk of my time in New York, no matter what my father’s opinion on that was. Being away from one another this much just wasn’t good. I knew if we kept it up, kept up this pace, we would crash and burn.
Over dinner that night, Kasia insisted on breaking the no-talking-business rule. “Okay, we’ve had two days, Cole, now I want you to fill me in on what’s been happening.”
I swallowed at her use of the name Gwen called me but recovered quickly. “You’re sure, Kasia? I like the no business-all pleasure thing.”
She winked at me. We’d just had quite a nice romp back in the room. “I like it too but it’s not realistic. I want to support you, Dylan, and that means knowing what you’re going through and trying to help you. I know you’re tense…don’t shield me from your troubles.”
I breathed a sigh of relief at her words. The truth was, I needed this. I needed a rock; someone outside of work who was there to listen. Kasia listened. For the next two hours, we lingered over desert as she let me spell everything out. It was so good to have someone as bright and insightful as Kasia to bounce ideas off of. I’d missed this. Kasia suggested using the union head’s claim about moving operations overseas to our advantage by comparing costs publically and putting some pressure on the government to be comparable to other foreign governments in terms of tax incentives. She also suggested that I go on the offensive, taking the position that Cole Industries is the sole U.S. based manufacturer in that sector. Let them think you might bail, she said, call their bluff. I swear, if my father had heard this conversation, he would have tried to hire her on the spot.
The next morning we were flying back and I spent the entire flight, with her blessing, discussing strategy with my father and then checking in with my Chicago staff. I had an interview set for one of the major national Sunday news programs, taping live in New York the next morning, and would then be off to Chicago for what would probably be two grueling weeks. It was time to play hard ball.
Kasia
I went back to the store Monday morning intent on reverting to professional Kasia—friendly, yes, flirty, no. Dylan and I had not only recharged our batteries but I had recommitted myself to him. I loved him, he needed me, that was that.
I walked in at 9 a.m., very late for me, with coffee and pastries for everyone. Alex was there when I walked in. “Nice tan, Kasia,” he said as he kissed my cheek and then helped me set everything out. “How was the trip?”
“It was great. Just what I needed.”
Just as I said that, Caitlin came bounding in the front door, “Kasia! I love it!”
“You love it? It’s still studs and wires, you freak!”
“I can see it though, envision it, and I love this area—sooo much better than tired old Manhattan.”
Caitlin was a force of nature and I saw every man’s head in the store turn at her entrance. It was January in New York and she was sporting a short skirt, knee-high boots, and a snug, cropped leather jacket. She had a great figure and a great sense of style. I introduced Alex, who soon made his exit, and then introduced her to the workers as I toured her around the space. Jake came walking in the door, carrying a heavy steel beam, shirt riding up to reveal that rock hard torso, with a look of concentration—or was it anger?—as he balanced the load on his shoulder. As he rested the beam onto the floor, Caitlin made a bee-line for him. “Well, Kasia doesn’t need to introduce you. You must be Jake. She didn’t do you justice.”
Jake didn’t even make eye contact with me. Instead, he raked his eyes over Caitlin from head to toe and then smiled at her as he extended his hand, “Jake Wozniak.”
“Caitlin Richards. What you’re doing looks great so far, Jake.”
Ugh. Caitlin had a habit of saying even the simplest thing in a way that made it sound sexual. She wasn’t speaking to Jake, she was basically purring. I had a strong urge to turn her around and lead her out of the store, as far away from Jake as humanly possible.
He smirked playfully, “Thanks, I bet you’ll be really impressed when we actually have some walls back up.” He looked to me then, no humor in his eyes. I’d been standing there, silent. “Kasia? How do you and Caitlin know one another?”
After a moment I stammered, “Uh, Caitlin is…is a friend from Chicago.”
“Who may be moving to New York very soon,” Caitlin chimed in as she nudged me in the ribs.
Damn, shut up, girl, I thought. What was the matter with me? This is what I wanted, right? I wanted to set Jake up with someone great. Caitlin no longer seemed good enough for Jake, though. I was getting agitated listening to her flirt with him and was getting resentful thinking about the appreciative look on his face as he’d blatantly checked out her body. “Um, I have to go. I mean, I have to do some things upstairs. Caitlin, meet me up there whenever you’re ready, ok?”
She smiled, eyes sparkling, as she teased, “I think I’m going to watch Jake manhandle some other heavy things down here for a few minutes. No offense, but that’s a lot more entertaining than watching you sew.”
I walked in, slammed the door behind me, and slid down against it, letting my head rest in my hands as my ass hit the floor.
“Kasia, are you ok?”
I looked up to see Karolina sitting at the kitchen island, a look of absolute dismay on her face. “Today isn’t a good day. Jake was right.”
“Ohmigod, Karolina, no! I just…never mind. No, today I was expecting you. I really enjoy this—enjoy making custom dresses, especially…for people I really like.” I was basically babbling like an idiot. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were here already and I was just…having a moment.” I picked myself up off the floor and made my way over to her, taking off my scarf and hat and putting them on the island as I sat down next to her.
“Are you certain?”
I smiled at her and took her hands in mine. “I’m really happy to see you, Karolina. I’m certain.”
There was a knock on the door then and Jake came in with Caitlin trailing close behind—like practically brushing up against his ass-close behind. “Kasia, sorry, I forgot to tell you I had Kara with me. I told her it probably wasn’t a great day. You just,” his jaw tightened, “got back from your trip and all.”
“No, Jake, it’s fine. Karolina and I had an appointment today. We’re good.”
Caitlin looked between me and Jake and then said, “I was just asking Jake about coming with us tonight to meet Rene and Caleb? You’re still coming, right, Kasia?”
I looked over to Jake. “I don’t think so, Caitlin. You two should go, though.”
“I can’t tonight, sorry Caitlin. I already have plans.” His expression was rigid.
Caitlin didn’t look overly disappointed. “No big deal.” Within a minute she was on her phone speaking to some guy named Mick, inviting him.
Jake turned and walked out the door without another word.
I had a tight feeling in my chest that eased the more time I spent with Kara. She made Caitlin and I laugh all morning, telling us about parties and some of the awful dates she’d been on this year. “Speaking of men,” Caitlin asked, “what’s up with that hot brother of yours? Does he have a girlfriend or what?”
She looked out the window, sad all of a sudden. “No, not that I know of. He has girls calling him, he goes out sometimes, but there hasn’t been anyone serious in years. He’s put everything on hold for me. Sometimes I just want to scream at him.”
I stayed quiet, just squeezing her hand gently but Caitlin dove right in. “Wait a sec, I’m lost here.”
Karolina laughed softly and looked back at Caitlin. “My parents died in a small plane accident when I was twelve. Jake was a sop
homore in college at the time…at Georgetown, like me. We didn’t have any close relatives nearby but my aunt and uncle in Seattle offered to take me in, move me out there and let Jake finish school. Jake knew I didn’t want to go. I mean, I hardly knew them. He left school and started working, supporting us both, and he left everything behind. I can’t stand the thought of it sometimes, you know?” she asked as she wiped away a stray tear. “He had a girlfriend. I know they were really serious. He had a life just like every other twenty year old college boy and he just dropped it all for me.”
Caitlin had both elbows on the island, chin propped in her hands, listening raptly. “What happened to the girl?”
Karolina rolled her eyes. “Her name was Hannah. I shouldn’t be hating on her, it’s really not fair, but he was devastated when she broke it off. I mean, who does that? A guy just loses his parents, has to drop out and start working at shit jobs to take of his sister, and that’s when you dump him? I mean, it’s fucking cruel, no?”
“What a bitch!” I heard myself say.
“Yeah, what a bitch!” Caitlin repeated. “He’s better off, Kara. You know that, right?”
“Absolutely. I just wish he was with someone who made him happy. He deserves to be happy. The boy works like crazy, goes to school at night, always helped me with my homework…he even taught himself to cook so that I would eat properly after my parents died.”
“He’s really proud of you, Karolina.”
She smiled warmly. “I know but I owe everything to him. Without him pushing me I never would have done as well in school as I did. I never would have gotten a scholarship without his SAT tutoring—he was a dictator, not a tutor,” she laughed. “He’s just the best brother—no—the best person I know.”
