Kari
Kari’s phone buzzed again and she left it ignored for the moment, sliding down against the door until her butt touched the cold tile. She let her legs extend out and concentrated on her breathing, the overwhelming sense of lost self-worth swimming precariously around in her thoughts.
If she was good enough this wouldn't have happened. If she was worth the wait.
Was it her fault?
She knew how sexually active Frank wanted to be and yet she'd asked that they take a break, purify themselves for the wedding night so that it would be something truly special, a gift of sorts instead of business as usual.
How long had he been sleeping around? How many people had he slept with?
A sob left her lips and she let her guard down, her tears rushing to wipe away the pain of loss and devastation. She let herself cry for as long as it took to release the pent-up portion of what she'd been through, her phone buzzing over and over again.
Suddenly anger birthed from the wound in the center of her chest, a small growl rising up from her as she pushed herself up and walked toward the table. She grabbed her phone and pressed the button to answer the call, her voice thick with pain and her words sharp like a knife.
"What could you possibly want?"
"Kari, please just listen to me, baby. Please."
"I have nothing to say to you, Frank."
"I know, baby, but just listen. You don't have to talk, just listen to me."
She had nothing to say and the mere sound of his voice set her nerves back on edge, the vision of him slutting himself out in front of everyone who mattered to each of them washing over her again. She pressed her fingers to her lips to hold back another sound that resurrected from her suffering. She couldn't respond, but he didn't wait long to continue anyway.
"I know what happened tonight was horrible. I know I did wrong, but baby, I'm sorry. Tomorrow you and I will be married and we will be one. Move past this with me and know that I'll never do anything to hurt you."
"Again," she whispered.
"Again?"
"You'll never do anything to hurt me again."
"Yes, baby... exactly. I didn't mean to hurt you tonight. I just... I just needed a release, Kari, and the guys got that girl. It's been so long since you've given it up, baby."
"How many?"
"How many what, Kari?"
"How many girls have you been with over the last few months since I stopped giving it up?" She hoped the venom of her feelings flowed through her words.
"Kari..."
"How many, Frank? I want to know."
"I don't think that's important right now. It's over and I'm sorry."
Her voice rose as she pulled the phone from her ear and pressed it against her lips as she screamed, "HOW MANY WOMEN, FRANK?"
"A couple."
"What's a couple? Two? Three? Fifteen?"
"I'm not having this conversation."
"You're right, you sorry bastard - you're not. I'll ship your ring back to you before I leave town and you can call our parents and explain what you've done." She sniffled, her mind clearing a little. "If you lie to them about what happened, I'll be sure to sleep with the editor at my newspaper and get him to run a story on you that shows nothing but the truth."
He didn't speak for a few minutes and she prayed like hell that he was shocked, hurt - devastated.
"Yeah... well, do what you gotta do, I guess," he muttered nonchalantly.
She chuckled, pain roaring back to life around her. "Fuck you."
She hung up and threw the phone across the living room, her tears spilling over again as she got up and walked toward the bathroom. She grabbed a towel, her chest heaving as she gulped for air in the middle of the emotional assault. He had some nerve not only cheating on her the day before the wedding, but acting as if she was simply going to take his apology and let what he did slide.
"It's not important? It's not important how many girls you slept with? Sick bastard." She stopped at the bathroom counter, pulling at her dress and ripping it over the top of her head. She tore at her bra, tears streaming down her face and smearing her mascara to represent the more macabre vision she felt like.
Kari came loose of her panties and bra and turned on the water in the shower, her mind forcing her to contemplate every horrible moment from the night before. The handsome guy at the beginning of the evening being the only good part that played along her senses.
Hot water hit her skin and her tears stopped for a few minutes, the comfort of warmth giving her a small escape. She stepped back and let the water wash over her hair, the smell of smoke clinging to her skin only after being in the bar for a few minutes. The vision of Frank and his female of choice washed over her again, the girl in her vision nothing like what she looked like herself.
Was he simply desperate or did he really like thin girls with no meat on them? She lathered up the soap and rubbed it on her lower back. She had a thicker bottom than top, her breasts small and perky, her butt a bit too big for her liking. Obviously Frank didn't like it either. The skinny whore he'd been with couldn't have weighed a hundred pounds.
"Maybe he thinks I'm fat?" she asked and quickly dismissed her thoughts. She was healthy and in great shape. The simple truth of the matter was that he was unfaithful - a jerk who didn't care where he found warmth and stimulation. Good for him. He could spend his nights in the arms of various chicks who didn't give a rat's ass about him, and she'd eventually heal from it all, and move on herself. There were plenty of men out there who would adore her.
"Right?"
She lathered her hair with shampoo, her heart painfully aching again at the very idea of being cheated on. There was no reason to fault herself, and yet she couldn't help it. If only she'd not have made the decision for them to have a sexual break, then things would've been fine. But would they really have?
What if they got married and she got sick? Would he sleep with someone else because her body wouldn't allow for that type of intimacy? What about when she got pregnant? She'd gain weight and the last thing she'd want was Frank poking his stuff around in her sensitive areas. No, this was for the better, though it left her raw and feeling less confident in herself and how others might see her. To know now was better, her friends were right.
And what about moving? She loved her job, but getting out of New York was a smart move considering that she'd have a fresh start, one that didn't include the sad disposition of everyone around her as they looked on her with pity. The very thought of it sickened her. Maine wasn't particularly on her list of places to go, but with Lisa and Sicily there, it was sure to be an adventure.
A knock at her bathroom door scared the hell out of her. She reached for her towel and called out from behind the curtain. "Who's there?"
"It's me, baby. I'll wait in the living room." Her mother's voice echoed in the small bathroom and Kari exhaled the sudden bout of fear. Lisa had most likely called her mom, who didn't live too far down the street. It would be good to let her tears flow in present company, her mom knowing exactly how she felt, seeing that she'd been through it years before with her father.
KariThe rest of the weekend was a blur, her mother and Lisa helping her to cancel everything related to the wedding with the thought of calling the various vendors to see about partial refunds being on the back burner. Her kitchen table looked like a file cabinet exploded all over it, her mother and Lisa moving papers around to find this and that.Kari sat at the bar top, looking into the kitchen on her mother as she worked to grill everyone a cheese sandwich, her long dark hair, full hips, and sleek figure very much Kari's older version. Her mom glanced over her shoulder, almost as if she could hear Kari's thoughts and smiled."You sure are beautiful, baby.""Thanks, mom." Kari took another sip of her coffee and set the mug down. "I wish I could wake up from this and it be a lie.""Me too, but it's better to know now than waste twenty years of your life." Her mother gave her a silly look and yet the sadness still lingered under her cheerful disposition."I couldn't agree more. That
KariKari closed the door behind her, turning to look over her shoulder at Lisa and Marc as they stood flirting in her kitchen. She locked the door and walked back to the living room, taking her position once more of cleaning up and clearing out. The soft snorts of laughter coming from both her brother and Lisa warmed her heart and stabbed her soul all in the same moment.Things would never be the same between her and men. She would always question where he, whoever the hell he was, or where he'd been or where he was going. The sense of inadequacy kept reappearing and she beat it back as best as she could, but the common denominator in the situation was her, right?It was she who hadn’t pleased Frank enough for him to wait.It was she who hadn’t been the right size or shape for him to be satisfied.It was her relationship with him that wasn't as strong as she thought or hoped.It was her.She sat back on her heels and closed her eyes, her fingers rubbing at her temples as she tried to
KariSteve sat back in his chair, Kari waiting for the explosion. Her boss had taken her under his wing for the last two years and had tried to start grooming her for larger responsibilities at the newspaper. She was happy just taking photos here and there wherever he needed her, but Steve wanted to eventually get her in front of a camera. She was quiet and introverted by nature, her willingness to stay in the background suiting her perfectly as a photographer, but he wouldn't have it."Where the hell is Bar Harbor? Is it even big enough to be on a map?" he grumbled, turning toward his computer, his thinning black hair combed over as best he could manage. He reached up and smoothed it down as if her thoughts were being read.She crossed her arms across her chest and leaned back in her chair, so grateful that he hadn't thought to scream at her just yet. The meeting wasn't over, but he seemed to be taking it better than she thought he would. He was highly emotional and belonged on a Bro
KariTheir goodbye had been quick, a stiff hug between them, but their parting words had given her comfort and renewed her sense of adventure. Life had thrown such a curveball her way, and yet because of it she was moving away from home, learning a new place and willing to eventually meet new people. The prayer was that she would meet someone who would love her the way she wanted to be loved - the way she loved.Her phone buzzed in her purse and she checked it, her brother, Marc making sure they were still meeting for an early dinner in Times Square. She confirmed and got into her car, resting her head on the headrest before bringing the car to life. More than anyone in the world, she would miss her little brother. He was her very best friend, her closest companion, the one quick to jump each time she needed him to, to defend her and to love her with silly openness.He was a jerk to most, a whore to many, and yet he was a perfect gentleman, a prince to her. She adjusted the rearview m
KariDinner with Marc had been exactly what she needed, the time with her brother had renewed her sense of self-confidence and given her a fresh outlook on things. He was silly and childish, but it was his unwillingness to fully accept all of the pressure that the world pushed on him that gave her permission for reprieve. He was riding a full scholarship for basketball, the team at NYU a total joke, but her brother was the glue that held them together, the fuel that forced the other players to strive to be better. He was immature, but when focused on a task, there was nothing that could stand in his way.Marc walked her to the car, his hands rubbing his belly as if waiting to feel the subtle kicking of an infant from deep within. He looked over at her and grinned before holding the door to the elevator for her."I'm so stupid full," he groaned and slumped against the wall of the elevator as she reached to press her floor."You ate your lunch, half of mine, and your chicken parm. Why d
Kari"Hey, sleepy, get up."Kari yawned and stretched, the sound of Lisa's voice pulling her from her peaceful dreams. The large truck was parked crooked across the driveway, Sicily cursing her bad parking skills and Lisa trying to calm her. Kari got out of the back and walked toward the house, her need for a shower driving her to reach the door first."I call shower first," she muttered, lifting her hand in the air."Oh, hell no," Lisa and Sicily joined in unison. Kari just laughed and shrugged."This is why no one wants to live with me."Lisa moved in front and unlocked the door to the small townhouse. "You lived with us some in college and you were extremely considerate. One year by yourself and you've turned into a turd?""Yep!" Kari jogged past Lisa, pulling her clothes off as she did. She reached the top of the stairs and slipped into Lisa's room, the wall hangings and curtains all put away. The room looking bare and unattractive, the once wine-colored walls now painted white as
KariKari slipped in and out of sleep as they drove to the restaurant, the homely pub a favorite of most New Yorkers. It was nestled into one of the suburban strip centers, the owner a little old Asian couple who made the best cheeseburgers known to man. Kari smiled at the thought of the two of them. Their story was a perfect analogy to the American ideal that you could do anything you wanted - opinions be damned. The car stopped and Kari sat up, stretching and leaning up between the seats where her two friends were arguing over something."I seriously think it would be best to have all the walls the same color. I don't think the house would look right to have ten different colors as you walk through it. It will look like a Mickey Mouse Playhouse,." Sicily growled, reaching up to adjust the hot air vent toward herself."I like Mickey Mouse," Kari added in, reaching up to turn the radio volume down so she could participate in whatever was going on in the front seat."See? Mickey Mouse
Kari"Alright… Enough of this madness. Fat cooks are the way to go. I need a steak, baked potato, and ketchup, please." Lisa sat back, looking up at Keith.He smiled and looked at Kari. "You, miss?""I'll take a double bacon cheeseburger and fries.""You the baker?" He laughed as Sicily swatted at him."No, that's me, and I'll take a side salad, no cheese or croutons, and the dressing on the side," Sicily responded.Kari picked up her beer and let herself relax a little as her friends finished ordering and messing with their adorable waiter.The basket of fried goodness showed up just moments before Keith left them, Lisa growling softly before reaching to get a long fried pickle spear. She bit into it and yelped at the hotness."It just came out of the fryer, Lisa," Sicily reprimanded her, reaching for a mushroom and putting in on her plate before carefully cutting it into several pieces."I know that, but your mouth is supposed to handle hotter things than other parts of your body,"