Blurred lines by kd will.., p.21
Blurred Lines by KD Williamson, page 21
“What’s up, McCabe?”
“Stopping in for a bite. How you been, Julio?” She grinned at him. He was a big man, both tall and wide.
“You know, eating too much.” He rubbed his belly. “Drinking too much. My story doesn’t change, but I heard about what happened. Good to see you out and about.” Julio glanced at Nora briefly. “Where’s Travis?”
“He’s still in the hospital.”
“Damn. He’s good, though, right?”
“Yeah, it’s just gonna be a while,” Kelli told him.
“Well, I tell you what. Stop by here before you go visit him from now on. His food is on the house.”
“Really?” Kelli was touched and a little surprised.
“Yup.”
Kelli inched closer to Nora. “I brought you a new customer. Isn’t that worth something?”
Julio snorted. “Undying gratitude?”
Kelli glared at him, but out of her periphery, she saw the smile on Nora’s face. People always told her she was entertaining and making Nora smile was a huge bonus. “Thanks a lot. Appreciate it,” she added sarcastically. “We’ll have four carnitas tacos and two Negra Modelos.”
“Sorry, man. It’s a no-go on the beer and fountain drinks. I got a guy coming to check out my set-up within the hour.”
Kelli deflated a little. “You don’t have anything in a can?”
“Coke in a bottle, water, and Te—”
“Ugh don’t even say it.” Kelli paused. “Really?”
Julio nodded.
“What’s wrong with that one?” Nora asked.
Kelli did everything she could to keep from going on another beer tirade.
“Nothing. She’s a beer snob. It’s a popular brand in California and Mexico,” Julio said.
Kelli gave him the stink eye.
He smiled.
“What’s your point?” Nora looked at Kelli.
Kelli leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Moose piss.”
“It can’t be that bad.” In spite of their earlier discussion, Nora looked unconvinced.
“I thought you said you trusted me.” Kelli teased.
Nora lowered her gaze, but she had a slight grin in place.
Amused by the display, Kelli decided to play a little. “Give the lady what she wants. A can of beer, two cups, and a couple waters, please. We’re holding up the line.” A majority of the people in their line had moved to the other side of the window, but there were still quite a few behind them.
A couple of minutes later, and with food in hand, Kelli steered them toward one of the tiny tables that sported a giant yellow umbrella in the same shade as the truck, and they sat down.
“I forgot to get a fork,” Nora said.
Kelli chuckled. “You’re cute. It’s okay to get your hands dirty. I promise.”
And there it was again—the blush.
Kelli opened the beer and poured a little in each plastic cup. “Let’s get this out of the way first, and you’ll never doubt me again.” She placed the cup in front of Nora and picked up her own. “Cheers.” She knocked the beer back, cringing as it went down. She smacked her lips and chugged a half bottle of water. She looked at Nora and waited, but Kelli couldn’t keep the smirk off her face.
“You didn’t seem that affected.”
Kelli shrugged. “Drink up. It might be better if you do it like a shot. This definitely isn’t a sipping beer.”
Nora stared at her.
Kelli traded her smirk for a smile.
Nora brought the cup to her lips and took a giant gulp. Her eyes widened and her cheeks puffed out.
Kelli reared back in laughter. “Don’t forget to swallow.”
Nora glared at her, but there was a warm glint in her eyes as well. She swallowed and gasped. “That was—”
“Say it with me now—moose piss.”
“Somewhat disgusting,” Nora said instead.
“Mmm hmm. Eat your food before it gets cold.”
Nora coughed. “Obviously, you take beer seriously.”
Kelli opened a tiny plastic container full of red sauce and poured it on her taco. “Damn right I do. If I have beer and jelly in my fridge, I’m happy.” She took a bite.
“Is that some sort of additional condiment?” Nora pointed at the half filled container.
Holding up a finger, Kelli finished chewing before she answered. “It’s a garlic habanero thing. Spices things up quite a bit.”
“I didn’t get any.”
“You have to ask for it, but I’ve been here enough. Julio knows what I like.”
Nora twisted the top off her water. “May I have some of yours then.”
Kelli stared at her for a moment then asked. “You sure?”
Nora nodded. “Completely.”
Kelli pushed the habanero sauce Nora’s way. Their fingers touched in the exchange, and Kelli wasn’t sure if it was the peppers or Nora that made her feel so warm inside.
Nora lifted the corner of her mouth. “Thank you,” she said softly.
Well, that settled things. The peppers had absolutely nothing to do with the jolt of heat.
Kelli took another bite of her food and watched as Nora did the same.
Nora didn’t even flinch.
Hot damn. That was sexy. Kelli couldn’t look away—a normal occurrence when she was with Nora.
Nora chewed slowly and met Kelli’s gaze. She picked up a napkin to wipe her mouth. “Is there something—”
“On your face?” Kelli finished for her.
Nora nodded.
“No, it’s perfect.” Kelli continued to stare. When Nora’s eyes widened, Kelli realized what she’d said. “I meant…” She stopped talking and slowly let her gaze wander over every part of Nora’s face, from her porcelain skin, her intriguing, whiskey-colored eyes, delicate features, and her full lips. Kelli knew what Nora’s skin felt like. She knew how her lips tasted. In Kelli’s mind, there were no other word that could describe her. “I meant what I said the first time,” she said softly. “You look perfect.”
Nora opened her mouth, but she closed it a few seconds later. Her face blushed bright red, and her pulsed pounded at the base of her throat. Her eyes grew dark, her expression vulnerable. “No, I…Kelli…” Her voice trailed off. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, Nora looked utterly confused. “What you see when you look at me, it’s not who I am.”
For several seconds, Kelli remained quiet. She wanted her next words to have an impact. She chose them carefully. “Yes, you are. You just haven’t gotten to know her yet.”
If possible, Nora’s expression became even more vulnerable than it had been a minute ago, but Kelli also saw fear creep back into her eyes. “How do…who are you?” Her voice shook. Nora looked at Kelli as if she had never seen anything—anyone—like her before.
Kelli smiled and ate the rest of her taco.
CHAPTER 16
Under her own power, Kelli walked into Seattle Memorial and made her way to ICU. As she passed the nurses’ station, Kelli was a little disappointed that her favorite doctors weren’t hanging around. She chuckled quietly, confident that the scales would tip Nora’s way soon.
She knocked twice and then entered Travis’s room without invitation. She stopped abruptly to take in the sight of Gerald Travis Jr. with a white face. It took a few moments for her brain to catch up with the image and for her to realize that it was shaving cream. Or he’d developed some sort of skin disorder.
“At first, I thought you were wearing makeup.”
Travis wiped his hands on a towel and rolled his eyes. “Trust me. I have no desire to be white,” he said as he picked up his razor and mirror from his lap.
“Do you have to make it sound like the worst thing in the world?” Kelli smirked.
Travis snorted. “I can moonwalk. What can you do, white girl?”
Kelli groaned. “Too soon! It’s only been like ten years since he died. I’m still learning.”
Travis turned his head slightly and pressed the razor to the right side of his face.
“Why are you getting rid of the whiskers?” Kelli asked.
“Because I look like somebody pasted them on?”
Kelli snickered. “It was starting to fill out…a little.”
Travis glared. “Friends tell friends when they look ugly. Don’t get me started on my hair.”
“What? The curly bush thing works for you. Makes you look mysterious. Very Fu Manchu.”
He glared harder at her. “I can’t believe you just said that. I don’t even know what that means. Plus, I’m not Chinese. I’m half Korean, remember?”
Kelli smirked. “Yes, but you’re one hundred percent easy to fuck with.”
“Riiight. You still could have said something.”
Kelli murmured, “Considering what’s been going on, there was nothing wrong with a little white lie.”
His gaze softened. “Yeah, true.” He held up the mirror.
Quietly, Kelli watched him. The moment felt almost normal, as if she were waiting because they were running late for work. She missed the smell of the station—stale coffee and too much Old Spice. She missed teasing him about the tie he wore, but she did not miss the way his arm started to tremble.
“Fuck, my muscles are like jelly.” Travis plucked at the crisp white T-shirt covering his chest. “At least I’m able to get this on by myself.”
Kelli eased into the chair by his bed. “Isn’t that normal? The weakness I mean?”
“I guess. Can’t sit here looking like this, though.” Travis looked uncomfortable. “I guess I could get one of the nurses to do it. Sean’s already been by, but maybe my dad won’t be too weirded out.”
“I’ll do it.” Without pretense, Kelli stood.
Travis grinned crookedly. “You ever done this before?”
“Nope. Saw this movie once, where shaving someone was some kind of exercise in trust.”
“Yeah, sexy too.”
“Ew.” Kelli took the razor from him and dipped it into the cup of water before she sat on the bed.
Travis pursed his lips and batted his eyelashes. “What? You don’t think I’m sexy?”
“Fuck you,” Kelli laughed. “Now, give me instructions.”
Travis smirked. “Shave with the grain.”
“Say what now?”
“The direction of the hair growth.”
“Oh, gotcha.” With a steady hand, Kelli started where he left off.
He watched her quietly. “Things cool off between you and Sean, I take it?”
Kelli nodded. “I had to get over the whole lie-of-omission thing. Not gonna say it was easy, but there’s no way we could have handled Tony separately.”
“True. You know, you never said if it bothered you that Sean talked to me about Tony.”
Kelli shrugged and stuck the razor in the water to clean it off. “Not enough. I didn’t know about it until later. He had to tell somebody. I’m sure dealing with Tony alone was eating him up inside.” She grasped his chin and turned his face to the side. “I don’t get it, really.”
“Get what?”
“You’re a lot younger than me.”
Travis rolled his eyes. “Six years, for fuck’s sake.”
“That’s a lot like dog years.”
“Whatever. What’s your point?”
“You’re the go-to guy. For both of us, obviously. How the fuck did you get so wise?”
Travis chuckled. “Confucius say—”
Kelli stopped and stared at him. “Don’t even go there. I swear to God, I’ll cut you.”
Travis grinned. “Fine. We all have our roles, I guess. Yours is protector or asshole, depending on the day.”
Kelli laughed. “Shut it. Tilt your head up.”
They didn’t talk for a few minutes, but the quiet between them was comfortable as always.
“So…” Travis’s voice went up an octave or two.
“Mmm?”
“I hear you’ve been seeing Dr. Whitmore.”
Kelli took her hand away and glared at him. She wasn’t ready to discuss anything concerning Nora. “Really?” She grumbled.
Travis quirked an eyebrow. “Have I had anything to do besides gossip?”
“That doesn’t excuse it.”
“Yes, it does.” He countered.
“Whatever. You might not want to upset me right now.”
He laughed. “Your threat didn’t hold water a minute ago, and it still doesn’t. It’s not a straight razor.”
“Still, I’d hate for that baby face to be littered with toilet paper.” Kelli grinned.
“You’d do all that to protect your secret?”
“I don’t have a secret.” Kelli sighed wearily. This was the last thing she expected to talk about with him or anyone.
“Uh-huh.” Travis looked totally unconvinced.
She dipped the razor in water and pressed it to his face once more. “We’re just—”
“Don’t even go there. I do not deserve to be poo-pooed.”
Cringing, Kelli muttered, “You do just for saying it.”
“Don’t be such a dry box. I see right through you.”
Kelli did a double take. “A what?”
“Does shriveled sound better?” Travis asked innocently.
“How bout we not talk about my box at all?”
“Well, if you insist.”
“I do, dammit. I do,” Kelli said.
Travis held up a finger, and she pulled back. “But, I think the conversation is directly related to your box, so there’s no avoiding it.”
Kelli sighed. “You irritate the shit out of me sometimes.”
“I’m aware.” Travis chuckled and settled into a soft smile. “I’ve been out of touch. I want to know what’s going on with you.”
Now, she just felt shitty. This was Travis, and maybe, she was feeling a little generous today. They stared at each other for a few seconds, and that was enough to convince her that whatever was said here would stay here. “Yeah, we’re kinda seeing each other.”
“Kinda?” Travis looked confused.
“It’s…complicated. She’s scared.”
“Straight gir—”
“No, it’s not that.” Kelli shut him down.
His gaze continued, but she could see when realization hit him. “Oh, she’s one of those commitment-phobic people. Wait, you are too. Do you know what you’re doing?”
Kelli smiled. “No clue.”
Travis shook his head as he laughed. “You’re in trouble.”
“Yeah, kinda.” She started shaving underneath his chin.
He learned what he needed to know, so Travis didn’t ask a million more questions about Nora. He didn’t work that way, and he knew she didn’t either.
“Kelli?” His expression was soft, wistful.
“Hmm?” Kelli replied.
Seconds went by.
“I’m starting to feel prickles in my legs.”
Kelli stared at him. “Prickles?”
“Yeah, kinda.”
Kelli laughed.
* * *
Nora was surrounded by a paint crew, and her kitchen was essentially hidden underneath protective drop cloths and plastic. It felt good to move forward even with the small things like getting her house interior painted.
“Ms. Whitmore?”
She turned toward the voice. The man who spoke was tall and muscular with decidedly rugged good looks. His features were further highlighted when he smiled. She returned his smile to be polite, but it was only a slight lift of the corners of her mouth. “It’s Dr. Whitmore.”
“I won’t forget that next time,” he said.
“Thank you.”
He continued to stare. Clearly he was attracted to her, but she didn’t feel the least bit interested. Intellectually, she appreciated him aesthetically, but her libido didn’t seem to notice. “You wanted to ask me a question?” she asked crisply.
His smile dimmed. “I just wanted you to know that the kitchen shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours, then we’ll get to your living room.”
Nora nodded. “I’m aware. Your crew chief already informed me. It’s why I hired him.”
He took a step back. “Uh, I was just making sure.”
“Thank you.” Now able to smell fresh paint, Nora pressed a finger underneath her nostrils.
The man turned and rejoined his crew.
Unable to stand the fumes any longer, Nora left the kitchen and made a beeline for her bedroom.
The interaction disturbed her. Not because of anything he said, but because of her reaction. Or rather her lack of one. She decided not to overthink it. Her last attempt at casual sexual release wasn’t the least bit satisfying. Maybe her non-response was her body’s way saving her from disappointment.
As was her new normal, her thoughts inevitably turned to Kelli. This explanation made sense in regard to the painter, but it had nothing to do with Kelli. Her body came to life when she was around. Nora felt familiar stirrings in her stomach and so she searched her room for a distraction.
She picked up the remaining paint swatches and evaluated her bedroom walls by holding up several shades of red. The color would be a bold change from sage, but maybe it was time. She pressed a tiny square against the wall that had a more pinkish hue than the others. She pictured Kelli rolling her eyes and saying something snarky about Pepto Bismol. Nora sighed at her inability to keep her thoughts from drifting to Kelli. They saw each other every day and even talked on the phone. Nora was immersed in Kelli.
Her cell phone rang. Nora picked the phone up and stared at the caller ID. Apparently, thinking about Kelli invoked her presence in some form or fashion. Something in the back of her mind encouraged her to ignore the call. Despite that, Nora answered anyway.
“Hey. I thought I was gonna have to leave you a message. Glad you answered.”
“Hello to you as well, Kelli.” Nora smiled. She couldn’t help herself.
Kelli chuckled. “Always so proper. I can’t wait to see the day when you’re not. I’m gonna take video and put it on YouTube.”
Even though she was sure that Kelli meant nothing sexual, the statement made her stomach clench. “Well, that, I’m sure, will be the first sign of the apocalypse.”
Kelli didn’t respond for a moment, then finally said, “Did you…did you just make a joke of some kind? I mean, it’s been a while.”
