Page 36 of Monk
The silence between us lingers and the air between us crackles with an awkward tension. Kasey glances at her watch and frowns. I can tell she’s getting ready to go, but I find myself wanting her to stay.
“Nothing else you want to say to me? No more barbs you want to throw at me? Nothing snide you want to say?” I ask.
She smirks. “I have plenty I want to say, but it would hardly be sporting. It almost seems like kicking a man when he’s down. Let me just say that although I’m still pissed and hurt, hearing what you went through gives me a different perspective.”
“Is that you saying you forgive me?”
“I’m not sure yet,” she replies, a sly smile on her face.
Forgiveness wasn’t something I was seeking. It’s not why I told her everything I did. But I’d be lying if I said the thought of her forgiving me didn’t lift a weight from my shoulders that I didn’t know I was carrying. Suddenly, I feel lighter than I did before.
“Anyway, I should go,” she says and gets to her feet.
“Right. Yeah. I’ll walk you out.”
“Not necessary.”
“No, but I’m still going to walk you out.”
“Crime’s not a factor here.”
“No, but I’m still going to walk you out.”
She throws her hands up, apparently giving up the argument. Kasey turns and walks toward the doors and I fall into step behind her. We get out to the sidewalk and walk to the parking lot, neither of us saying a word. Not that I even know what to say at this point.
“This is me,” she says, pointing to a black Range Rover.
“Nice ride.”
“Gets me from point A to point B.”
“Husband buy that for you?”
Her expression darkens for a moment, but she doesn’t say anything, not rising to the bait. I cut a glance at her hand again and see that she’s still not wearing her ring. It’s possible that she’s lost it, or is having it cleaned, but something tells me she’s not with him anymore. Given her tan line, it looks like a recent separation.
“Thanks,” Kasey says. “For explaining things to me. It was… enlightening.”
The feelings flowing through me are lighting me up inside in ways I didn’t expect. Seeing her again—being close to her again—is heady. It’s overwhelming. Without stopping to think about it, I step forward, pushing Kasey against the side of her car, holding her by the waist. Leaning down, I kiss her. She seems taken aback, her body tensing, but Kasey’s lips part, allowing me to slide my tongue into her mouth.
Our tongues swirl languidly, the heat and passion undiminished from the last time I kissed her. She melts against me, gripping my upper arms as she kisses me back with just as much zeal, her soft whimpers lost in my mouth.
But then, she suddenly straightens up. Kasey’s entire body is rigid, and she abruptly pulls back. Her eyes are wide, her mouth hanging open, an expression of stunned disbelief on her face. Frankly, I’m as surprised as she is that she kissed me back. It had been nice—until she pulled away, anyway.
Kasey surprises me again when she hauls off and slaps me. Again. The sharp report of flesh meeting flesh echoing across the parking lot. Her expression shifts quickly from shock and disbelief to dark and angry in a heartbeat.
“You don’t get to do that. Just because I understand why you took off, it doesn’t mean I’m not still pissed at you,” she snarls at me.
“I imagine you are.”
She looks like she’s about to say more but seems to opt against it. She hits the button on her key fob, unlocking her car. Kasey quickly jumps inside and slams the door behind her. Her mouth is moving, but I can’t hear what she’s saying. I’m sure it’s nothing but her cursing up a blue streak and calling me every name in the book.
As she starts the Range Rover and drops it into gear, I take a step back, not wanting her to run over my feet either accidentally, or more likely, on purpose. Her tires chirp on the pavement as she shoots out of her spot and guns it out of the parking lot. She disappears around a corner and out of sight a moment later, leaving me in the parking lot with the faint memory of her kiss and the tingle upon my lips.
For a moment there, I got the idea that she was enjoying it. She felt like she liked it and wanted more, but had held herself back, eventually coming back to her senses. Regretfully. But still, it’s a crack in her self-control if I choose to exploit it. And that isn’t something I’ve decided on yet. The situation is complicated, to say the least.
I walk over to my bike and mount up, buckling the chin straps of my helmet and putting on a pair of yellow-tinted glasses to better see the road at this time of night. I drop my bike into gear and pull out of the parking lot, bound for home, a pensive look on my face.
As I cruise along the road, I savor the feeling of the cool air on my face. It takes some of the heat out of me and helps me think a bit more clearly. This night has not gone the way as expected.
