"Life Changed By One Night"
Chapter 7:
"Hey, Simone!" Katie said, surprised to see her other best friend plopped down on a seat in the Book Cafe. She took a seat next to her.
"Hey girl," Simone replied, looking up from a book she was reading.
"I didn't know you were going to be here," Katie said.
A waiter close in age to the two females came up and asked Katie what she wanted to order. Simone watched Katie interact with the light brown haired, green eyed waiter, who was mildly flirting with Katie.
"Thanks," Katie flashed a whimsical smile at him before turning back to Simone, who had an amused yet aghast expression on her face.
"What?" Katie laughed at her friend's facial features.
"Girl, didn't you see how he was so into you?" Simone squabbled. "Are you blind or is it that you won't look at any man not named Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald?!"
"Keep your voice down," Katie hissed, sending her a glare. "You're the only person who knows how I feel about him. Well the only two people now."
"What?" Simone said, baffled. The conversation quickly shifted from the cute waiter to their longtime friend. "Who else knows?" Curiosity seemed to be her killing.
A smirk creeped up Katie's face, causing her lips to curve. "Miguel," she said simply, raising her eyebrows.
She laughed again as Simone's expression turned from inquisitory to utter disbelief.
"Your kidding!" the black girl stated, giving Katie a light push for good measure.
"Nope. He knows. He finally knows." Katie sighed in relief.
"You told him?"
"Of course I did. After all you were the only other person who knew, and I know you didn't tell him." She giggled at her lousy joke.
"But why would you tell him, Katie?" Simone questioned. "Why now?"
"Because he kissed me," Katie replied. "And I kissed him back." She was going to go on but was interrupted by the waiter placing her drink down on the table.
"Too bad for me," the waiter grumbled, having heard Katie's words. Cocking an eyebrow in sexual suggestion, he gave one last playful wink at her before walking away.
Katie and Simone laughed at the same time, once he was out of earshot. It felt so good to have silly and funny moments like these with each other.
"Miguel kissed you?" Simone asked, once their attention returned to their conversation at hand.
"Yeah, and it was great," Katie sighed in happiness.
"But why would he kiss you, Katie?" Simone asked. "I thought Charity -"
"Charity broke up with him a few days ago."
Simone digested her words. "She what? But... Katie, girl, I know how much you love him. I do. But the two of you kissing right after their breakup. I mean, don't you think it's too soon?"
"It is too soon," Katie nodded, acquiescing. "I mean, he kissed me. Much as I want him, I told him I don't want to be Charity's substitute for love or romance. So that's how I'm here. We were just outside, in the parking lot. I got out of his car, and here I am."
"Whoa," Simone stated. "So you think Miguel kissed you because of this whole substitute thing?"
"He says he didn't, but..." Katie sighed, not finishing her sentence.
"You think he did," Simone finished it off for her.
"Yeah," Katie nodded dejectedly. She took a small sip of her coffee, before putting it back down on the table.
"You said Charity broke up with Miguel right, not the other way around?" Simone asked, her voice dropping down to a whisper.
"Yeah, why?" Katie said, whispering as well.
"She must have had other interests," Simone mused, her gaze resting behind Katie.
"What do you mean?" Katie began to ask. Receiving a head nod in the direction behind her, Katie turned around to see what had captured Simone's attention.
There stood Charity and John, sitting down in one of the booths. Katie hadn't really spoken to her since that confrontational conversation they had shared. Charity looked very happy, smiling and talking with John as if they were the greatest of friends, or the likeliest of couples.
"I can't believe I'm saying this Sims," Katie said, turning back to Simone. "But I'm actually happy for the two of them. They deserve each other." Katie laughed scornfully, only meaning half of what she had said.
"They do look good together," Simone marveled. "Just like you and Miguel. And me and Chad."
"Yeah, but the thing is you and Chad are a couple. As are most likely Charity and John. But me and Miguel? We could have been a couple a long time ago, yet we've always remained friends."
"Come on, Katie," she insisted. "That's not completely true. I've seen the way he's been eyeing you lately. And I've known him just as long as you. Frankly, I'm not surprised to hear that he kissed you, nor will I be surprised if the two of you get together soon."
"Hope you're right," Katie mumbled.
They stood up to leave and were just about to walk out the door before Charity's greeting blocked them from leaving. John wasn't at her table at the moment she called the two girls over.
"Hi you guys," Charity smiled, waving them over.
"Hey, Charity," Katie forced out.
"How are you two?" she asked.
"Fine," Katie and Simone said simultaneously.
"How's Miguel?" Charity whispered, her tone changing from energetic and bright to worried.
"Oh he's good," Katie replied, sizing her cousin up. "Don't worry about him." Narrowing her eyes deftly, she sent a challenging look Charity's way.
"I see," Charity nodded, clearing her throat.
"Hi!" John exclaimed, returning to the table.
"You remember John, right Simone?" Katie glared at him while informally introducing the two. "My half brother."
"Oh yes, of course," Simone nodded, matching Katie's sardonic tone ounce for ounce.
Charity and John's face turned into those covered with frowns, while Simone and Katie smugly grinned at each other.
Simone didn't really have an agenda against the two people in front of her, much less revenge or hate, but Charity reminded her of her sister, Whitney Russell, who seemed to have everything going for her. She felt she could relate to Katie in that way, even though her thoughts weren't as sinister as Katie's.
"Well I'd love to stay and chat, cousin and homewrecker dearest, but I have to go. Tata." Sarcastically, Katie pretended to wave goodbye to them, as she dragged Simone out the door with her.
"You got guts girl," Simone laughed, once they were outside. "I would never be able to say something like that if I was in your shoes."
"It's not about guts," Katie replied matter of factly. "It's about anger. She took the love of my life away from me. And he? He took my family. The two most important things in my life. I don't know what I would do if I ever lost one of them. That's why I'm angry and I lash out."
Simone nodded. She didn't know how Katie was feeling but she sympathized with her and how the girl's family had split apart at the beams. Sam and Grace Bennett were still legally married to each other, but only in name. They were on the outs and it didn't look like David Hastings was ever going to let them be back in.
