Her phone ran as she started the truck to return it. It was KSL. "Hey, so I just got off of work and I can come help. What's going on?"
"Um, well I'm taking back the rental truck now. My husband is up at the studio if you want to swing by there, but as soon as I get back from there I have to drive him home. You could go hang with him if you want."
"Hang with your soon-to-be-ex-husband? No thanks. I'll walk around downtown for awhile." He said. It was the first time he'd really spoken of her husband disparagingly.
She hurried at the rental place, rushed back to the apartment, and took her husband back to her mother's house. When trying to leave her husband stopped her. "So, how do we do this?" She winced but stayed silent. "Do I call you, do you want to be left alone? Should I give you a week or something?" He asked.
She wanted to say "When did you ever call me before?" But didn't want to start a fight. Despite everything she didn't want to be cruel to him. She also wanted to leave to get to KSL who she'd kept waiting for over an hour. "Look, if something is funny and you want to tell me...then text me. If you don't, don't. It's that simple. I've got to go."
She sped back to her apartment. KSL had been walking around awhile and had worked up a sweat. Spring had seemed to finally arrive in the last few days. His face glistened as he walked in her door, and he made a bee-line to her 19th floor balcony. He praised the view of the river, the sight she was going to get of the fireworks during the 4th of July and for baseball games.
"This really is an awesome place you scored. This is going to be so good for you." KSL said as he gazed out at her view. The sun had just started to sink below the horizon and the colors were brilliantly streaked across the sky.
He was looking out over the river, at the exact place where they'd had
their first "portable alcoholic beverage" and commiserated about their
lives. Where they started breaking all their rules, starting with
crossing the line down to the river. Though she had moved in mere hours
before, she was already nervous for him to leave. She didn't want him
to.
She was glad that he felt she was doing what was best for everyone. She agreed it was really great, and she was only feeling mildly guilty about feeling so great. "Don't feel guilty. You are doing the right thing here." He said reassuringly, turning to face her. She gazed at him from just inside her studio's patio door. The air changed between them in an instant. It was charged like static electricity.
He took two big strides inside towards her, took her face in his hands, and kissed her.
With tongue.
As the kisses went on he bit her lip aggressively, and she thought that finally this was the KSL that she knew. This was him not holding back, this was him. When they finally broke apart, she smiled at him and said "THAT'S what I'm talking about!"
