"I take it this is a surreal chance meeting huh," Tommy places his hands on the table.
Kim bites her bottom lip. "Yeah, who would have thought that we would end up in the same hotel or run into each other in the lobby?" Kim wanted a stiff drink in her hand but could not muster up the courage to stand up and walk over to the mini bar especially with Tommy staring at her so intently. "You look good," Kim tries to soften the mood.
"Thank you," Tommy stands up. "I can sure use a drink; what about you?" Tommy pours himself a drink then looks at Kim.
"I can go for a drink," Kim gives Tommy a weak smile as he hands her a glass. "Thank you, it's like you read my mind," Kim takes a sip of her drink.
Tommy nods his head before he takes a long swig of his drink. "I guess we still share that special bond no matter what happened between us." Tommy retakes his seat at the table. "I really do not need to ask where to begin now do I?"
"No, you don't," Kim shakes her head and sets her drink down on the table. "Tommy, I am sorry for any pain that I may have caused you."
"Can I stop you right there," Tommy holds up a hand.
Kim nods her head weakly at him.
"The pain that I felt from your Dear John letter is long gone," Tommy takes a sip of his drink. "Now, do not get me wrong I still feel a sting every now and then especially when I look at all my friends and see them happily married." Tommy takes another swig of his drink. "Funny how the World works huh; my friends used to be your friends."
"I know," Kim touches the rim of her glass with her finger and makes small circles.
Tommy stills Kim's hand. "Look at me Kim." "I understand you not wanting to be around me but to drop your friends like they are yesterday's news was wrong."
"I know," Kim repeats. She looks at her hand that Tommy just touched.
"Really, Kim is that all you have got to say," Tommy questions. "I would think you had more tack than that; some of them you had known since grade school."
Kim bites her bottom lip again. "It is not that simple."
"Then please explain and use more than one sentence," Tommy runs a frustrated hand through his hair. He recently had a run in with his most recent ex-girlfriend and was not in the mood for games or the run around from his first ex-girlfriend.
Kim sighs, "I guess I should start from the beginning then."
"That sounds like an excellent idea to me," Tommy sips his drink.
"When I was living in Florida I had an epiphany that I had no idea who I was and that I needed to find out for myself the real me before it was too late and I was living life half full." Kim glances at the liquid in her glass.
Tommy looks at Kim with a confused expression on his face. "But you were… are Kimberly Ann Hart a beautiful strong girl that was turning into a stunning woman." Frankly, the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on.
"I was the Kim Hart that everyone wanted me to be but not for myself," Kim takes a long swallow of her drink.
"What was that supposed to mean; you seemed so happy," Tommy stares at Kim. "Excuse me you seemed happy to me but then again you did do something that I never thought you would do." Tommy walks back to the bar and takes the bottle back to the table before pouring himself another drink. "So, I guess I really never knew the real you to begin with."
Kim downs the last of her drink. "It was not like that." Kim pours herself another drink. "Listen Tommy all my life I have done what people expected of me and never what I wanted to do." "I was my mother's little princess and my father's amazing gymnast then most popular girl at school who became a power ranger, lastly I began the girlfriend of the great Tommy Oliver."
"You say that like dating me was one of the most awful moments in your life," Tommy glares at Kim. "If you realized during our relationship that I was stealing the entire spotlight than why not come to me instead of writing me that shitty letter?"
"Tommy that is not what I meant at all," Kim takes a long swallow of her freshly made drink. "One morning I work up and realized that I had been living my life for everyone else and decided to change that as soon as I could." Kim moves hair out of her eyes. "I competed in the Pan Global Games which qualified me for the Olympics and after I won all the gold medals for my events I came to the realization that I was ready for a change."
Tommy knocks back his drink in one gulp. "So, I was not to be a part of Kim's new life huh?"
"I did not even know what I wanted to do but I knew I had to do it on my own," Kim pours Tommy another drink. "How could I find myself with everyone helping me; it was something I had to do on my own." Kim bites her bottom lip. She wanted to bite her fingernails but gave up the bad habit in her teen years and did not want to start up the bad habit again.
"Alright I understand that but what I do not get is why didn't you want someone to help you in case you failed?" Tommy sips the drink Kim poured for him.
Kim looks at Tommy. "I needed to know that I could make it on my own." Kim sips her drink. "If I had you or any of the gang to fall back on then I would not know how to pick myself up and try and again if I failed." "Who is to say that I would not have given up and settled into the little nest that was my life?"
"I understand the need for finding yourself but what did I not possess that the guy you left me for did," Tommy has a hurt look in his eyes. "Wasn't I wonderful, kind, and caring?" Tommy takes a sip up his drink. "You know what do not answer that."
"No, I can answer the question, "Kim places a hesitant hand over Tommy's free hand. "I needed to find myself on my own terms and that meant cutting all ties with the people I cared about including my parents which was not that hard since my mother and stepfather live in Pairs and my father moved to a different town in California I was able to reinvent myself with no interruption." Kim sips her drink with her free hand. "There was never another man Tommy."
Tommy shakes his head at her. "Yes, there was Kimberly; you told me so in a letter." Tommy removes his hand from under Kim's hand.
"No, Tommy there was no man besides you during that time." Kim looks down at her hands. "Realistically the man was a metaphor for the future me." Kim flinches as Tommy gives her a weird look. "Think back to the words I had written down it was what I wanted to be mixed in with what I thought would soften the blow and help you to move on to the next girl for you." Kim sighs as she watches Tommy down his drink. "Maybe you should slow down some."
"I will decide when I have had enough," Tommy pours himself another drink. "You wanted to soften the blow for me to move on to the next girl huh?" "Well you did a bang up of a job there."
Kim flinches at Tommy's words. "I never intended to hurt you as bad as I did; I only wanted to free myself so I could discover myself." Kim takes a sip of her drink. "Does that make sense?"
Tommy takes a deep breathe. "Look, I am not trying to be mean especially after all the time that has passed but seeing you just brought all those feelings I had at that time back to light."
"I understand I really do," Kim finishes off her drink. "Tommy, you have to understand that I knew you would be alright; Kat knew that I was planning on doing something but she had no exact idea what I would do."
"She knew the whole time yet she acted as surprised as everyone else did," Tommy questions.
Kim bites her bottom lip. "I had talked to her a week before I had written you the letter stating that I wanted to end our relationship because I had found someone else." Kim arises from the table. "I think we need to order room service since we have drank so much alcohol already and I doubt we are finished drinking for the night."
"Order me whatever you are having I really do not have much of an appetite anyway," Tommy pours Kim and himself another drink.
Kim picks up the phone and orders room service. She walks back to the table and sits down. "She knew I was going to break up with you; why else was it so easy for her to book the tickets, set up the romantic dinner, and be dressed up when your date failed." Kim takes a small sip of her drink. "Kat learned of Heather being at the lodge and knew how much you admired her, so she took a gamble setting the two of you up." "Do not be mad at her, she was only trying to make you see that she would make a good girlfriend for you."
"Oh so I have no reason to be angry that another ex-girlfriend did me wrong," Tommy sips his drink. "Make no mistake that I will talk to Kat about the matter but what can really be said because she is engaged to Jason."
Kim smiles, "I saw the chemistry between the two of them on my last visit."
"You would have known if you decided to reach out to a few of us after you found yourself." Tommy hears a knock at the door. "I will get it." He walks to the door and opens it. "Thank you," Tommy moves aside and lets the man bring in the food. He hands the man a ten before he leaves. "Kim after all this time did you not want to contact anyone?"
"I did…I do want to reconnect with everyone but I am nervous as to how you all would accept me wanting back in," Kim gives Tommy a small smile as he sets a tray of food in front of her.
Tommy sets his tray down as he sits back in his chair. "We thought it was due to the fact that you had become this big star and did not want to associate with commoners." "I understand you wanting your distance from me because of how you ended things but with everyone else I always wondered why you ditched them and never looked back."
"Oh Tommy that could not be farther from the truth," Kim removes her top. "Looks good but I could have cooked it better."
"You cook." Tommy asks as he lifts up his top.
Kim nods her head. "Whenever I had down time I learned to cook from the best chefs." Kim puts her napkin in her lap. "I had no real friends, so cooking kept me busy."
"Oh alright," Tommy picks up his fork. "So, what brings you here?"
"I wanted to get away for a while and I never just stayed at the hotel for the fun of it I always had either a meet or a gig," Kim lifts up her fork and bites into her potatoes. "What about you?"
Tommy swallows a piece of steak. "I am seeing if this is a good place to host a family reunion." "I had a few vacation days and with no family of my own I was the best candidate for the job."
"Personally I think it is due to your amazing judgment," Kim eats some more potatoes. "Hmm I love potatoes; you can cook them in many different ways."
"I remember how much you love potatoes," Tommy eats a spoonful. "I recall how much you hated having to give them up when you were training."
Kim swallows a piece of steak. "You remembered I am touched."
"Well, I did not forget all things," Tommy bites into a piece of steak. "Matter of fact I remembered everything about you from how your brow would furrow when you were deep in thought, how your eyes sparkled when you were happy, how you preferred juice over soda, and how when you sang a song you put your whole heart into it." Tommy eats another piece of steak.
"I… am... uh flattered that you remembered but I bet you remember things about all your ex-girlfriends." Kim takes a big sip of her drink. "Do you think your current girlfriend if you have one will be upset that you are spending time with me?" "I mean I know that we dated years…"
Tommy interrupts Kim. "I do not have a girlfriend and I doubt that I would be with someone who could not accept me being with a woman in a platonic way is not right for me."
"Good…I mean… not you being single but that you have good taste in women," Kim tells him.
"I will take that as a compliment," Tommy eats some potatoes. "What about yourself; any special someone in your life," Tommy sips his drink.
Kim eats a spoonful of potatoes. "Nope it's just my pets and me." "Oh, no I am one of those women that have pets instead of a husband and children."
"I highly doubt you will become a spinster," Tommy chuckles. "So how long will you be vacationing for?" Tommy eats another piece of steak.
"A few more days," Kim swallows a small piece of steak. "What about yourself?"
Tommy eats the last of his potatoes. "I am staying for a few more days myself." Tommy sips his drink. "Do you ever plan on talking back to your old friends and maybe your parents if you have not talked back to them as well?"
"I talk to my parents and visit with them often," Kim eats the last of her steak. "As far as the old gang… um I am not sure they will want to hear from me."
"They would definitely want to speak with you," Tommy swirls his drink.
Kim bites her bottom lip. "I guess I will talk to them when I am ready, can you please wait to tell them that you saw me here."
"I can wait for a while but I will eventually tell them," Tommy stands up and walks to the cart. He lifts off the top of the desserts. "Chocolate cheesecake; one of my favorites," Tommy smiles.
"Well I take it you did not pay attention when I was ordering the food," Kim grins as Tommy brings over the desserts. "Thank you for giving me a little time."
Tommy eats a spoonful of cheesecake before he responds. "No problem; Kim I do not hate you."
"I figured that out when you did not curse me for living," Kim puts her spoon into her dessert.
"You do not seem sad; what is with the needing to get away," Tommy questions as he watches her play with her dessert before eating a piece.
Kim swallows a bite of cheesecake. "I do not have a bad life; I just need to escape all the happy families that my friends have." "My life is enjoyable but that little feeling is missing that I need to be fulfilled." Kim spoons another spoonful of dessert. "Know what I mean?"
"I understand; Rocky and Tanya are married, Billy and my best friend Hayley are married, Aisha and Adam are engaged like Jason and Kat, and Zack and Trini got hitched." Tommy glances at Kim as he eats some of his dessert.
"Honesty, I am happy for them," Kim sets her spoon on her dessert plate.
Tommy frowns at her. "Do your plans for the rest of your vacation include being in solitude or would you like to hang out with me?" "Not as a ploy for anything just two people enjoying the company of another…we could see a play, workout in that high tech gym, eat at the five star restaurants, and maybe go dancing."
"Could we go to the spa and to the swimming pool," Kim tells him half-jokingly.
"Just as long as I do not come out wearing nail polish on my hands and toes," Tommy smiles as Kim lifts back up her spoon and begin eating her dessert. "Also no new hair colors for me," Tommy runs a hand through his hair.
Kim laughs as she looks at his hair. "I am surprised you cut your hair that short."
"It is not as short as it was but it is still short considering how long I used to keep it before," Tommy eats the last of his cheesecake.
"What made you cut it," Kim asks.
Tommy shrugs his shoulders. "A girl I was dating at the time became upset with me for complaining about it hitting me in the eye when I would do karate and the fact that my hair was way better than her hair which drove her insane."
"Oh," Kim looks down at her last bite of dessert.
"I did not mean to upset you," Tommy quickly replies. "I was only…"
Kim interrupts Tommy. "You did nothing wrong; I just… it's just well don't you find it a little odd to be talking about ex-girlfriend and ex-boyfriend especially without history."
"I understand the thought of you dating someone is a little peculiar to me," Tommy looks at Kim. "It really felt weird after the break up and the idea of running into the two of you."
"Wow, I wish we could find a way to get past this awkwardness and just start fresh," Kim drinks the last of her drink. "Hey did Billy invent a time machine?"
Tommy laughs, "We can and we will get past the uneasiness." "Billy did invent a time machine but I would not want you to not find yourself and resent being married to me in the future."
"You think we would have been married in the future if I had not broken up with you," Kim smiles at Tommy. "So about that fresh start," Kim asks.
"We should try the fresh start thing," Tommy holds out his hand and Kim shakes it. "Well, I had better be going; my mother is supposed to call me in the next hour but I will call you later."
Kim nods her head. "That would be nice; we can find something to do."
"Cats is playing if you want to go see that," Tommy suggests.
"Sounds like a plan and if I know you we will be working out first thing in the morning right," Kim puts the plates and utensils back on the cart.
Tommy glances at Kim. "Duh, Kimberly be ready at eight am sharp."
"Yes, sir," Kim salutes. "Can we make it eight-thirty am since we have had a lot to drink?"
"Why not make it nine then," Tommy pushes the cart towards the door.
Kim stops a giggle. "When did you become so prompt?"
"When I turned eighteen and went to college and the alarm clock watch you brought me," Tommy chuckles. "My sophomore year of college I received I did not need it anymore and my best friend Hayley was quite impressed."
"Impressive," Kim makes a face. "So, nine am it is."
Tommy shakes his head. "Alright, nine it is but be prepared to work even if it is vacation time."
"Hey, don't forget your sports jacket," Kim hands him his jacket. "I never took you for the suit type before." Kim looks at him. "What do you do?"
"I am a paleontologist and science teacher," Tommy slips his jacket on.
Kim moves hair out of her face. "I did not expect that."
"Well expect the unexpected," Tommy opens the door and pushes the cart out into the hallway. "See you in a few hours," Tommy tells her as Kim stares at him before she closes the door.