set in a firm line.
"God Kerry, I'm so, so sorry!"
"Let me tell you about my morning," she starts, but Mal interrupts.
"Let's move this inside," he says, ushering us both into the house where I'm almost bowled over by Boo who is quickly pulled away by Mal. I look over to Kerry who is standing at the kitchen counter, observing his movements as he grabs Boo's leash from the trunk, mouths a "be back" to me and takes off, my dog in tow. I can tell she is holding back on the shit storm she's about to unleash on me.
"Seeing as it's Saturday morning, I headed over to the yoga studio, expecting to meet up with my friend, who I've been meeting there for the past year. Every Saturday without fail. I called her and didn’t worry too much when she didn’t answer, thinking maybe she was in the car, or perhaps in the shower and couldn’t hear. I tried calling again after yoga, and headed over to our coffee place, hoping she'd show up there. Then I considered that maybe her boss had finally shown up and called her into the office. Odd that she wouldn't let me know, but still I was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt." When Kerry takes a breath, I discover from the search my hand conducted through the content of my purse, that said phone is probably somewhere here in the house. Sure enough, it's not a foot from Kerry's hands resting on the counter, where I forgot it this morning. I feel guilty when I see Kerry take a deep swallow and blink back tears. Oh boy. "I got worried when I was greeted by miles of yellow caution tape cordoning off her office building and the parking lot. It was then I got worried. So worried that after yet another unanswered call I popped into the nearby convenience store and found out there’d been a murder..." Kerry's voice has steadily risen during her diatribe and I wince when I think of how scared she must've been. I try to reach for her hand, but both hers come up in a defensive gesture. "It took me twenty minutes to find out it hadn't been you, lying somewhere on a cold steel slab, but a man instead. Then I got mad. Really, really ma—ad." She hiccups, losing the battle with her tears which are now rolling freely over her cheeks.
"I'm so incredibly sorry, I didn't think..."
"Well that's clear," she snaps, while wiping furiously at her cheeks. "Because I got here, and to my astonishment, you showed up ten minutes later with the guy I recognized from your description as the douchebag who called you fat—twice! Am I right?"
"Well yes, but..."
"There are no buts when it comes to men like that, Kim. Like I said before; he's an idiot if he can't see how gorgeous you are. Yet here you are galavanting around town with him."
"But you don't understand," I try once more.
"Worse," she interrupts me again, "You're ditching me to do it."
"If you'd quit browbeating her for one second, she could explain things to you." I swing around at the sound of Mal's voice behind me. Fuck. How long has he been standing there?
"I thought you were walking Boo," I say stupidly. "How long have you..."
His eyes bore into mine. "Long enough, and your friend's right, I'm an idiot, but as to why, that is something I'll save for you."
"You've got some nerve," Kerry jumps in. "What are you doing here? Cutting this woman down twice not enough? You wanna embarrass her some more?"
"Please Kerry, if you’ll just let me explain—"
"You know what? Guys like you are all the same, too shallow and dumb to be able to handle a real woman." Kerry just continues as if I never spoke and now Mal is right beside me wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me tight.
"I'm thinking it's three times now that you've either missed what Kimeo said or you just plain ignore her. Now you tell me? How are you not a douchebag? For fuck's sake she's right here, let her explain." With that he presses a kiss to my head and walks out of the kitchen. Kerry’s looks at me with her mouth hanging open and I'm frozen in the spot. Seriously, I
"God Kerry, I'm so, so sorry!"
"Let me tell you about my morning," she starts, but Mal interrupts.
"Let's move this inside," he says, ushering us both into the house where I'm almost bowled over by Boo who is quickly pulled away by Mal. I look over to Kerry who is standing at the kitchen counter, observing his movements as he grabs Boo's leash from the trunk, mouths a "be back" to me and takes off, my dog in tow. I can tell she is holding back on the shit storm she's about to unleash on me.
"Seeing as it's Saturday morning, I headed over to the yoga studio, expecting to meet up with my friend, who I've been meeting there for the past year. Every Saturday without fail. I called her and didn’t worry too much when she didn’t answer, thinking maybe she was in the car, or perhaps in the shower and couldn’t hear. I tried calling again after yoga, and headed over to our coffee place, hoping she'd show up there. Then I considered that maybe her boss had finally shown up and called her into the office. Odd that she wouldn't let me know, but still I was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt." When Kerry takes a breath, I discover from the search my hand conducted through the content of my purse, that said phone is probably somewhere here in the house. Sure enough, it's not a foot from Kerry's hands resting on the counter, where I forgot it this morning. I feel guilty when I see Kerry take a deep swallow and blink back tears. Oh boy. "I got worried when I was greeted by miles of yellow caution tape cordoning off her office building and the parking lot. It was then I got worried. So worried that after yet another unanswered call I popped into the nearby convenience store and found out there’d been a murder..." Kerry's voice has steadily risen during her diatribe and I wince when I think of how scared she must've been. I try to reach for her hand, but both hers come up in a defensive gesture. "It took me twenty minutes to find out it hadn't been you, lying somewhere on a cold steel slab, but a man instead. Then I got mad. Really, really ma—ad." She hiccups, losing the battle with her tears which are now rolling freely over her cheeks.
"I'm so incredibly sorry, I didn't think..."
"Well that's clear," she snaps, while wiping furiously at her cheeks. "Because I got here, and to my astonishment, you showed up ten minutes later with the guy I recognized from your description as the douchebag who called you fat—twice! Am I right?"
"Well yes, but..."
"There are no buts when it comes to men like that, Kim. Like I said before; he's an idiot if he can't see how gorgeous you are. Yet here you are galavanting around town with him."
"But you don't understand," I try once more.
"Worse," she interrupts me again, "You're ditching me to do it."
"If you'd quit browbeating her for one second, she could explain things to you." I swing around at the sound of Mal's voice behind me. Fuck. How long has he been standing there?
"I thought you were walking Boo," I say stupidly. "How long have you..."
His eyes bore into mine. "Long enough, and your friend's right, I'm an idiot, but as to why, that is something I'll save for you."
"You've got some nerve," Kerry jumps in. "What are you doing here? Cutting this woman down twice not enough? You wanna embarrass her some more?"
"Please Kerry, if you’ll just let me explain—"
"You know what? Guys like you are all the same, too shallow and dumb to be able to handle a real woman." Kerry just continues as if I never spoke and now Mal is right beside me wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me tight.
"I'm thinking it's three times now that you've either missed what Kimeo said or you just plain ignore her. Now you tell me? How are you not a douchebag? For fuck's sake she's right here, let her explain." With that he presses a kiss to my head and walks out of the kitchen. Kerry’s looks at me with her mouth hanging open and I'm frozen in the spot. Seriously, I
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