"...so that's where all that is." She was unsure why she had spilled the whole story to him. A wall had formed between them since their last show, she was sure he had talked about her to the director. Who else would have? Although KSL said that he didn't say anything to her. She guessed it really didn't matter now. Either way, he'd taken her out for a drink that had knocked her on her ass and she had spilled the whole story to him. He even paid, got her the souvenir bottle that she wanted for water at work.
"Wow, that's...intense. I need to walk this drink off...let's take this down by the river." He said, pushing his chair back and standing over her. The foot of height difference between them was never more apparent than when he was standing.
They walked down a few blocks, talking about their lives. His girlfriend had become quite a burden, and he had only gotten back together with her because he felt bad about how he ended it the first time. His therapist had said to give her a year to get her act together before he could leave her. She had 8 months left, although she didn't know this. His therapist sounded good for the amount he was paying, and he managed to get down to only going once a month with him.
His girlfriend was allergic to latex, had migraines more often than not, and all around seemed like a not fun person. She was unmotivated and left him holding the bag on their entire lives, financially and otherwise. She was unemployed and going to school part-time. She wanted to wait until he was about 40 to start having kids. It was a shame, because he would be an amazing father now. He had to pay for everything, and it was a lot of stress on him.
Seeing as how her husband just quit his non-paying job and didn't seem to be looking for another one, she was in the same boat. A blown transmission on his car had further proved that she would always be left holding the bag. It was a difficult situation for both her and KSL.
Suddenly KSL took a sharp turn towards the water and said "Let's break some rules." He walked over the chain rope leading down to the water and motioned for her to follow. As she was smaller, he laughed as she put her drink down and pulled herself under the rope instead of over. Sober she would have protested all this illegal activity, but drunk it sounded like just the perfect amount of rebellion they needed in their lives.
The weather had been warmer than usual, but a cool breeze still blew up from the riverbank. They continued to talk about their lives and their pursuits, slowly moving closer together for warmth. The marble beneath her registered as just a little too cold, but she held on as to not break the spell. She knew he would insist on moving if he knew she was uncomfortable.
They needed this little bit of defiance in their lives. They needed to regain control of what they could...so they sat on the river walk with their open containers in a county without an open container law, and they talked. Talked about movies, talked about their lives, talked about how different it would be if they were both single.
He put an invitation out to come over to his house, as his loser girlfriend was house-sitting elsewhere in the city and wouldn't be home. It was a desirable invitation, but she knew with how far they had gone in their feelings towards one another that night that it would be a mistake.
He admitted to making out with the director on New Year's Eve. She understood, as the director had gone around the party with mistletoe on a stick and convinced her husband to kiss a strange girl on the cheek. Seems the only person who didn't get a kiss on New Years was her. Husband had talked about the random strange girl drunkenly all the way home, and it had hurt her, both because of jealousy and because she understood his fascination.
"Were I single, I would take you in a manly fashion!" KSL quoted to her.
"Were I unwed, I might let you." She replied, deflecting the actual return line, afraid that it would get uncomfortable. Unable to take the cold under her ass, she convinced him to walk back to a cinema with her so she could go to the bathroom before they parted ways for the night.
Her whole life suddenly felt like a bunch of turnoffs she hadn't taken.
