by J.M. Downey
Apparently, Angel didn’t follow her own advice, but instead looked at Keith as if he was her groom. Katie shook her head, and glanced at the front door. Would Angel notice if she left? But that would be rude. Very rude. And one didn’t leave a friend without at least saying goodbye. She’d just leave as soon as she was given the opportunity.
When the song ended, Keith turned back to the group of young men. Angel walked up to his side and placed her hand on his back, but he didn’t even acknowledge her as he talked. He even stepped from her so her hand would drop. Katie chewed on her bottom lip, pulling it over her top teeth - the flavor of strawberry lip gloss filled her mouth. What kind of game was he playing with Angel? But Angel did say he was a player and he was playing her now. Would she be offended if Katie pulled her away from him before he hurt her? If she only knew the girl well enough to gauge how she’d react.
Keith chuckled at something and then glanced back at Katie, their eyes connecting again. Her stomach turned and her pulse quickened, as he once more gave her a sensuous smile that reached across his face. He took one long sip of his beer, and left the group making a beeline towards her. He was coming to her. This time for sure. Katie closed her eyes tight. Please Lord, give me strength. She opened her eyes just as Angel fled the room, swiping a hand across her face. He had hurt her badly. Now she had another reason to dismiss him. One didn’t entertain men who hurt their friends.
Katie pushed on the couch to stand, but Keith sat beside her; his hand touched her shoulder, pushing her down and sending something sharp through her. His arm slipped on to the top of the couch just above her shoulders. He was so close the clean, fresh smell of his cologne floated around her. She took a deep breath and turned to face Keith and his sensuous smile. Oh Dear Lord, he looked better up close. Not a blemish covered his face. Small beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, and collected on his brow drawing out his dark blue eyes. Of all the girls here, he had noticed her, but his intentions couldn’t be pure. Surely, a young man like him would marry a girl from a wealthy family.
“I’m Keith.” He held out his hand.
Katie looked away towards the closed front door. She needed to follow her friend, but a pull she didn’t understand kept her in her seat. Something smooth and cold ran against her cheek. His finger ran to her chin and stopped on the cleft, turning her gaze back to him. His eyes roamed her as if he studied every inch of her.
“What’s your name, babe?”
“I was having a better time alone.”
Keith laughed and looked up at the ceiling, shaking his head.
“What does your father do?” He touched a strand of her hair with his free hand and curled it around his finger.
Katie’s cheeks warmed. “My father is a teacher, and my mother is a midwife,” she mumbled out.
“So you got here on intelligence?”
Katie nodded.
Keith placed his hand on her shoulder and pulled her towards him, leaning into her. His embrace was strong, warm, and all too capturing. “I like intelligent women.”
What did that mean? Her stomach churned. She could throw up at this moment.
“Your breath stinks.”
He leaned in closer to her face, pulling her towards him as if he already owned her. “Get closer and you won’t smell a thing.”
She pressed her hands on his firm chest and pushed back. He leaned in towards her lips. “Come on, girls always let me steal a kiss.”
But not her. She reached back and smacked him on the cheek. The sting permeated her hand. Pushing from his arms, she rushed out the front door.
Angel was nowhere around. Had she left her at the party? But why would she do that? Weren’t they friends? But she had been crying and probably needed to get away quickly, thinking Katie was safe. She rushed towards the street that would lead her to her dorm.
“Hey babe, wait a second.” She glanced back. Keith jogged towards her. She walked faster, focusing on the pavement.
“Hey, where you going?” he said, taking her arm.
She tugged her arm from him. “My dorm.”
He arched his eyebrows. “You’re going to walk?”
“Yeah.”
He took a step closer to her, and stared straight into her eyes. “Pretty things like you shouldn’t walk alone at night.”
“I don’t care.” She crossed the street with him at her heels. She stopped and faced him when she got to the other side. “Keith, if you think I’m going to sleep with you; give up.”
He bent his head to the side and dug his hands deep into his pockets. “I just want to walk you home.”
She shook her head as she took off towards her dorm room with him following her every step. He tried to talk to her, but she ignored everything he said. She wanted him to leave, to get the hint, but then again there was something exciting, and satisfying about having a young man like him chasing after her like she was a precious princess he wanted to capture. She needed to stop reading those clean romance novels. He wanted one thing and would be gone tomorrow.
When she got to her dorm, she unlocked the front door as he leaned on the side of the building. She opened the door and turned to face him. “Bye, Keith.”
“No thanks?”
She walked through the door, slamming it behind her. There was his thanks.
Through the window, Keith watched her walk up the stairs. She wasn’t worth it. He turned to leave and made his way back across the St. Mary’s campus. So the pretty little brunette went here. She didn’t seem like Yale material. He dug his hands into his pockets. The girl had such pretty blue eyes. He loved the innocence in them. An experienced girl’s eyes wouldn’t have widened when he’d sat next to her. No, there was something special about that girl. He should try again and take a different approach. Every girl had a way he could reach them.
Once at the house, Keith got into his car. Brandon could find his own way home. He didn’t feel like waiting around, so his friend could pick up some trash. He drove back to his apartment, clenching the steering wheel. His hands were starting to get jittery. He needed something and he needed it fast. That girl had unnerved him. If things had gone right, she would be next to him right now and tonight sleeping beside him. But he shouldn’t have thought that. A girl with that much innocence in her eyes wouldn’t have come home with him. She’d probably had sex once, and only with a steady boyfriend.
He drove up to the gated apartment. His hand shook as he punched in the number, tapping the steering wheel. The gate slid open and Keith sped through. He parked his car and raced up the steps to his apartment. If Brandon had used everything up, he’d kill him.
When he got to his apartment, he went to his bathroom, grabbed a black bag and sat on his bed. He took out a needle and a small bottle. He filled the needle halfway before tying the rubber around his arm. He should have been a doctor. The needle slid easily through his skin. Minutes passed and the jitters slipped from him. There, he should be fine. Tomorrow, he would find out who this girl was. He pushed himself from the bed and snatched the baseball bat from the side of the wall. A couple rounds at the batting cage would help.
He drove off to the cage, placed his Harvard crimson hat firmly on his head, letting it push his bangs down over his eyes. He heard the chant of the crowd, shouting his name, the roar when the runners came running in. He grimaced. It was for the best even if it wasn’t his idea. His father knew what was right. Everything must be controlled – order must be maintained. People must live the lives they were born for and he was not born to be a ball player. But still just one second. Just one second more. He stood at the plate, hitting the pentagon on the ground before raising the bat over his shoulder. One, two, the ball flew at him and he smacked it into the net. It would have gone over the fence like they usually did. He had a deep drive to keep hitting, letting the passion play out. Maybe someday he’d bring that brunette out here and let her see how talented he was.
Katie went straight to her room, and sat on her bed, le
tting the lavender comforter enclose around her body. Every part of her rattled, her hands shaking. She placed a hand on her cheek. The heat permeated over her skin. Keith’s dark blue eyes filled her mind. He would probably never talk to her again, finding her too much trouble. A small sense of loss filled her. Katie shook her head. She snatched up her cell phone and dialed Angel’s number.
“Hello,” Angel answered.
“I left the party,” Katie said. “That jerk came up to me and started hitting on me, so I left to get away from him.”
Angel laughed even though she could hear a trace of sadness in her voice.
“Did he hurt you once?” Katie asked, sitting up, and rubbing her stiff right leg. Maybe if she burned the tea tree candle her mother gave her she could calm down.
“No. Why do you ask that?”
“You just seemed hurt when he walked away from you.”
“I don’t care about Keith, but it’s wise to stay away from him. He has a habit of sleeping with girls and acting like he doesn’t know them the next day.”
And she had been his next victim. Thankfully, Angel had warned her about him. “Why do girls keep sleeping with him?”
“Because he’s handsome, rich, and he has this way of always convincing a girl that she is the most precious woman in the world.”
“Huh, all I got was ‘my breath doesn’t stink if you get close.’” He must have thought that a girl wearing Target brand clothes would willingly lay down for him. Maybe now he wouldn’t look at middle-class girls as easy conquests.
Angel chuckled. “Don’t worry about Keith. He never works hard to get a girl in bed.”
Katie ran a hand through her hair - sweat stuck at the edge of her forehead. For some reason Angel’s words didn’t fill her with relief but a sense of loss. Why did she want that fool to keep pursuing her? What pull did he have on her? “Well, that’s good. I was a little worried since he insisted on walking me home.”
“He did?” Angel said.
“Yeah.” Katie sat up straighter. Angel’s words startled her. Obviously, Keith didn’t walk girls home, but why did he pursue her? A warmth heated up her cheeks and burned through her. Maybe he saw her as special - worth his time.
“I wonder why he did that.” Angel paused for a moment. “Anyway, I got to study. I’ll see you tomorrow, Katie.”
Katie arched her brows. “Sure. See you later.”
Katie placed the phone on her nightstand. Angel had to study. That sounded odd. That girl never cracked open a book. She was rushing Katie off the phone.
Katie kicked her shoes off and dismissed Keith from her mind. She grabbed a picture of her next-door neighbor and second-best friend, a boy she’d had a crush on her whole life. She placed it against her chest. Jeff wasn’t as handsome as Keith, but his heart was pure. She could imagine them spending their lives together. Her as a kindergarten teacher shaping young lives, and him as a preacher guiding a small congregation. That was the life she imagined for herself, and no one like Keith Wilkerson was going to get in the way.
THREE
Keith opened the side door to the sorority house without knocking and walked in with Brandon following a step behind. Becca sat at the kitchen table, nibbling on a bagel. He scanned her body. She looked nice in her short jean skirt and little top. But she was forgettable. Too many bleached blondes in the world.
“Hey Becca, you look good in that outfit.”
Becca rolled her eyes and looked at the chemistry book on the table. She was trying to ignore him, although the blush on her cheeks told him she couldn’t.
“Go get Angel.”
Becca stood and crossed her arms. “You could ask.”
Keith smirked. She was being feisty.
“Whatever,” she said and left.
Keith leaned against the counter and looked at the clock on the wall. Why did that pretty brunette have to be friends with Angel? Anyone else and this wouldn’t be so unpleasant. He was tired of Angel. There was nothing special about the girl. Just someone to pass the time. But that brunette had a spark which made her innocence more enticing.
Angel came into the room, wearing a tight pair of jeans he once told her he liked. The jeans no longer fazed him. “Hey.” Angel stopped in the middle of the kitchen, planting her hands on her hips.
“Hey pretty thing.” He walked up to her and placed two hands on her hips making her blush. At least she was easy to control. He leaned her against the counter, knowing it would make her feel small and submissive. He pressed his body against hers. Not one bit of him responded. This would be the last time he needed her. “It was exciting seeing you last night.” He kissed her cheek.
“What do you want?” she asked, when he moved his lips to her ear.
“What’s that girl’s name? The one you were sitting next to.”
“I’m not telling you,” she said through a laugh.
“Tell me, Angel.” His lips trailed to her neck and down her shoulder. She sighed. He was chipping away her defenses. Just a little bit more and he’d have what he wanted.
“Why, so you can seduce her?”
“She won’t be able to hold anything over you.”
Angel pushed against his chest, but he held his ground. Heat coursed through him. He had no patience for this game. “Come on, Angel, you’re messing with other people too.”
“But….”
He lowered his forehead to hers and looked straight into her deep brown eyes void of any spark of intelligence. “Besides you know, you’re the one I’m going to settle down with.”
The pinkness of her skin deepened as he ran his thumb across her cheek and kissed her eyelids. He felt her melt against him. Now, if he could just get that brunette to do this. Wouldn’t that be interesting?
“Her name is Katie, Katie Morris. I’ll go get you her number.”
Keith stepped back. “Thank you.”
Her hips slightly swayed as she walked out of the room. She was trying to get his attention. He had seen her do that several times, but the motion made him want to look away. Angel would always be a girl guys used.
He turned to Brandon who had a smirk on his face. “The best thing I ever did was make that girl fall in love with me.”
Brandon laughed. “I wish I could trick girls like that.”
“All you have to do is halfway treat them like princesses.”
Angel returned and handed Keith a piece of paper. “I included her dorm number.” He folded it and put it in his dress shirt pocket. “Thank you.” He took her hand. Angel smiled, pulled her hand from his and left. Not even a goodbye. Maybe she knew what was coming. He hadn’t messed with her in a week, so if the twit had half a brain she’d know he was no longer interested.
Keith and Brandon walked out the door and Keith slid a finger over his IPhone. As they strolled to his car and dialed a number to a local florist. He placed an order for three-dozen roses and had them sent to Katie’s dorm room. When the woman at the shop asked if he wanted to include a message he said, “write, ‘sorry for being a drunken fool last night. Keith.’ And put my number on it.” By tonight she’d call him. A sweet girl like her was always touched by flowers.
Brandon talked on about some girl he spent the night with. A girl who his friend wouldn’t remember tomorrow. Had Brandon ever run across a girl like Katie? He floated from girl to girl just like his friend, so why was she sticking in his mind? He had thought about her all night, imagining what thoughts lay behind those pretty eyes. How did she see him? Did he scare her? Why did he care?
Keith placed his elbow on the edge of the window, and leaned his cheek on the back of his fist, driving the car through the downtown area of New Haven. Tall oak trees decorated the road and shaded the businesses, competing with the baby sky scrapers. He had a feeling that if he ever got beyond a few words with the girl, things would be different. But how, was the question? She would want to get to know him – dive into places no one had ever been. She was the type. The Godly type that he always s
tayed away from. The ones who lined the student area of Yale handing out free pizzas, if you would just answer three questions. They would befriend you, invite you to their activities, convert you, and then move onto someone else.
He’d let her dive, although she wouldn’t find what she was looking for. He’d let her find something else.
This was gross, but she needed something to chew on. She had already chewed up the back of a pen. Katie pulled the pencil out of her mouth and refocused on the history book spread across her desk. She curled her legs under her as she tried to find a comfortable position on the chair. If she could just get right all these Asian Monarchs she’d have another ‘A’ under her belt. Glancing at her laptop, she spotted the folder on her desktop named novels. She hadn’t had a second to pull up one of her works and continue the heroine’s story, helping her find her way to God as she fell into the arms of the hero. Maybe after this semester she’d have time to finish one of the many stories she had started. But she’d have to figure out an ending, and the endings were always the hardest. She could never find solutions to the heroine’s problems. She giggled. What did her writing teacher say? “If you can’t figure out the ending just kill the heroine.” What a copout.
The sound of a knock made her flinch. She got up and went to the door, opening it. The color red filled her vision, and it took her a few seconds before she realized there was someone behind the mass of roses in front of her face.
“Ma’am, are you Katie Morris?” the delivery person asked.
“Yeah.”
“Here, these are for you,” the woman said as she handed Katie the roses.
“Thank you.” She looked around the roses but the woman had already left.
Katie brought the roses into her room and placed them on her desk. She ran her fingers over the petals to a white card - the floral scent surrounding her. She picked it up, opened it, and read the message from Keith. Crumpling it, she threw it against the wall. She placed her hands on her hips. Who could have given him this number? Angel would have never given it to him.
