Page 22 of Composed at Randy's
“You really have no idea, do you? You’re not just playing dumb.”
“I just showed up last night.” Do I sound defensive? I’m pretty sure I do, but wow, I hate when people call me dumb. I can use it when I talk about myself, but other people should keep it as an inside thought, don’t you think?
I don’t call her on it. My fingers do start getting twitchy though.
Whenever I’m uncomfortable or feeling wiggly inside, it always makes me want to draw. It’s a coping mechanism I developed when my parents died. When the inside stuff gets too big, I put it on a page and it becomes way more manageable.
It’s not something that usually sends me to Artland because it’s a conscious choice, but it’s enough of a danger that I know better than to ask for paper and pencil. I’m in a strangeenvironment with a stranger. Kai made me promise to hell and back again that I wouldn’t draw unless I was somewhere safe.
“You belong to Bael, right?” Laura asks, and it's such a non-sequitur that I forget all about my twitchy fingers.
“I don't belong to anyone.” Belonging to Bael sounds nice though, and my stomach wibbles from admitting I don’t. I don’t want to draw anymore. I just want to run away. “Actually, I need to leave now, but it was really nice meeting you.” I get up from the couch and search for the exit.
“Wait!” Allie calls from the kitchen and races into the common room. “Before you leave, I need you to sign something.”
“Sign something?”
For the first time since meeting Bael, alarm bells go off in my head. Why do I need to sign something before I leave?
Allie shoves about a million papers in my face. “It's a standard NDA. All hookups are required to sign one.”
What the ever-loving fuck?
“We-we didn’t hook up. Bael just let me crash in his room for the night.” Does Bael do this sort of thing often? He doesn’t seem like the type of person to ditch a person after fucking them. And if he is, it’s pretty mean of him not to bang me before ditching me.
Great. Now I'm sad.
My face must be showing that, because Laura jumps up and gives me a hug. “Sweetheart, don't let a one-night-stand get to you. You're too good for him, and if he's bailing on someone like you, he's not worth being sad over.”
“I absolutely second that, Wren,” Allie says, but then she sticks the papers in my face again, completely ruining the sentiment. “Once you sign these, I can get you a ride anywhere you need to go. You’ll never have to see him again.”
I dodge the papers Allie is thrusting in my face. Kai told me never to sign anything if he isn't there, and I gotta tell you, I hope to god Kai never even finds out I was here.
If he does, he’ll never buy my favorite breakfast cereal ever again. In fact, I'm willing to bet on him going directly to the company and every grocery store in town and terrorizing them into making sure I'm never able to buy them myself either.
Kai is a wholeass experience.
I'm pretty sure it takes someone that extra in order to keep me alive, though. Plus he’s better at playing Cards Against Humanity than any other person on the planet, including Marty, who has the darkest sense of humor of anyone I’ve ever met. Every time Kai joins the game, he makes me laugh until I’m ready to throw up.
I keep going on about Kai, don't I?
Don't get me wrong. I'm not in love with Kai, I don't want to have his babies (EW!), and I'm not pining over him or anything. But if you see somebody every single day of your life and they’re deeply invested in keeping you alive and happy, you're going to become a huge fan of them. Unless they’re an asshole, but Kai isn't. I may bitch and complain about his tyrannical ways constantly, but I absofuckinglutely adore him.
Just not in a dirty way.
Okay, moving on.
Allie and I play a vigorous game ofI'm not touching that NDA so please get it out of my facefor a bit before Laura finally intervenes.
“If you were going to make him sign those, you really should have done it before he came into the penthouse.” Laura is trying not to laugh at how Allie has me pinned face-down on the couch while I windmill my little arms and legs as hard as I can in an attempt to get her off me.
“I’m sorry, kid, but I have to do my job.” Allie only relents when Laura grabs her by the arm and pulls her off me. At least Allie has the decency to look embarrassed.
“Your job sucks,” I say as I pull together my last shreds of dignity and the lapels on my robe. Yes, I’m nearly naked at this point. Yes, I forgot I was only in a robe when I was about to leave this place a minute ago. And yes, you can shut your cake hole about it.
If the robe wasn't as big as it is, I would have shown these two ladies far more than I ever planned to share with them. Fortunately for me, they only got the dollar peep show and not the full Monty. Small though it may be, I paid good money for my downtown amusement park, and someone had better at least buy me a nice dinner before they see it.
Once I get myself put back together, I’m ready to magnanimously forgive Allie for mussing up my person, but when she tries to stick the papers in my face again, I leap off the couch and shout, “You’re a lot less nice than I thought you were!” Then I race back to Bael’s room.
