Skins may not be mine, but the grammatical and spelling errors are.
Katie
The past five days had been a bit of a whirlwind. Freddy had lead me off to a different club every night. And while he was not as thick as some of the footballers I had dated and he was adequate in bed, he just didn't have that spark was looking for. He was easy on the eyes but a bit dull.
I had not seen Effy in as many days, I was out of the building when her shift started and back long after she was done. And she never showed up at any of the clubs we were at. I wondered more then once if Freddy was keeping us apart.
I was meeting Freddy a little later today and Effy was at the desk as I crossed the lobby. She was helping another guest as I walked by and did not have time to do more then glance in my direction.
I rounded the building and there was Freddy as normal leaning up against a tree waiting for me. It should have been another of those red flags that he never came into the building or even up to the front door, but I ignored it like the rest of them. I was greeted with an embrace and along kiss. As the kiss ended I was preparing to ask what was the plan for the evening when I felt Fred look at something behind me and tense up. I glanced over my shoulder and locked eyes with Effy.
Have you ever watched a cat stalking a mouse? There is that moment when the mouse sees the cat and freezes. The mouse knows if it looks away it is dead, if it runs it is dead, so it just holds still and hopes the cat has not seen it. At that moment I felt a lot like the mouse. We continued the stare down for a long moment. Effy spoke first.
"I should have guessed. This explains everything." She turned and started to walkaway.
Some of the peaces started to fit together, but it still didn't make since, I don't steel guys, they leave their girls and come to me! So why is she giving me the evil look and stomping away? "What the fuck is your problem?" That might not have been the right approach to take, but it did generate a response.
Effy turned back towards us and moved two steps closer. She didn't yell, it was instead a low cold dangerous tone, "Fred. Gone. If you come back around here again..." She didn't finish the threat, at least not with words. The look in her eyes said it all, and it was not pleasant. He did not run, but there were no wasted movements as he crossed the street and disappeared down the block. As he moved from her line of sight the eyes fell back on me.
"How are you so important you can dismiss him like that?"
"Katie, did you stop to wonder how at 18 I could be the evening manager of this place? Or for that matter how I could afford these shoes working here?" She let me think on that one for a moment. "My family owns this place, and the building and the block. So if I tell him to stay away from my place of business he had better. And if you two want to make kissy face across the street... whatever. I have to go back to work. We can talk later, if you want."
I watched Effy walk back around the front of the building, and stared at the spot where she had last been, trying to understand what I had gotten myself into. I made my way to the coffee shop, got something to drink and found a table to sit at.
I sat and looked down at the cup in front of me. The more I thought about it the more I realized I had given up control of what was going on around me. I let Freddy convince me there was nothing with him and Effy, when I should have know better. I let Effy lead me around when I had no reason to trust her. I let Joel get the best of me several times. I should have called the cops when I had him trussed up. I felt like someone owed me an apology, I just wasn't sure who.
A body sat down in the chair across the table from me. I didn't look up, I didn't need to, I knew who it was. And his voice confirmed it.
"Hey Katie, you okay?"
"Go away Freddy."
"Katie?"
"I need some time to think, and you are not helping. I'll find you when I'm ready to talk."
I am sure it was total confusion on his face; I still had not looked up. He sat for a moment more, I guess hopping I would change my mind. But I had moved on, I didn't even care that he was still there. He eventually rose and walked away. I know it was a little cold but I just didn't care which way he went or even that he was gone. I felt like I had been played, first by Effy and then by Fred. I think that was what bothered me most; Katie Fitch doesn't get played.
"Katie sham," I apologized to my self. Time for Katie Fucking Fitch to take her life back.
I got something to eat and went back to my room. Effy was at the front desk and looked up as I passed. We made eye contact but no words were exchanged. Once safely in my room, I laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, wondering if Emily was okay and if her holiday had been as eventful.
At just after 9 there was a light tap at the door and it sounded like a blunt object was being used. I considered ignoring it, but decided to get it over with. I opened the door to find Effy standing in the hall with a bucket of ice under her arm two glasses on one hand and bottle of Absolut in the other. She pushed into the room and set the ice and glasses on the table. Holding the bottle up, "Peace offering," she broke the seal, threw the cap in the rubbish bin and pored us each a glass.
"This another test Effy?"
"No. Well maybe it is. Are you willing to accept a gift and talk about this?"
"I got two conditions. No ice in the next glass, and no hitting on me. I don't do girls; I leave that to my sister."
"Well I only do guys so that shouldn't be a problem, and I think we can reach an understanding on the ice." The smirk was back, and I wasn't sure I totally believed her.
"So your family really owns this block?"
"This one and a few others downtown. Granddad was a timber baron who picked the right time to get out of forest products and move to real estate."
I took a very big sip of the vodka and looked at my glass wondering if I really wanted the answer to the next question. "Were... or are you and Fred together?" I half expected that to be the moment she threw her drink at me and or beat the shit out of me. Well tried to. I might let her have the first swing, I was not going to just let her beat on me.
Instead she finished her drink, pored another and offered to refill mine. I downed was was left, dumped the ice and held my glass out. "I's complicated," she started as she pored the drink. "I guess we are not really together. We hang together at the clubs. It keeps the randoms from hitting on me, and on occasion I go back to his place or he comes home with me."
"So why the big scene in the street."
"I thought Fred and I were friends, and then with out saying a word he ditches me for a week and I find out he was hanging with you. I don't know, I guess..." she let the thought trail off and looked down at her glass that was once again empty. She reached for the bottle to pore another.
"You do care about him. You two are just using each other and I get the privilege of standing in the middle. Thanks a lot bitch."
She kinda tilted her head to the side and just looked at me. "You know if anyone else in this city had just said that to me there most likely would have been violence, but coming from you I'll take that."
"Good. Now what are we going to do about this?"
Picking up the bottle off the table she said "Bring your glass and come with me." Effy headed out the door and down the hall to the elevator. We entered the car and and waited for the doors to close. She took a key from a chain around her neck and put it into the control panel next to the button for the ninth floor, pressed the button and retrieved the key. After a brief ride the doors opened onto a short hallway with a door at each end. Effy turned right and unlocked the door in front of us. "Welcome to my home."
I stood in the hall and just looked at her with total confusion. "Relax Katie, if I was going to off you over Freddy I wouldn't bring you to my apartment. And I already promised not to make a pass at you. So lets get comfortable, work on this," holding up the bottle, "and figure out what to do with Freds."
I entered the apartment and was amazed by the surroundings. First off it was large, very large. It took up half of the ninth floor and looked to be larger then the home the my family of five had lived in. The door way opened into a great room that included the kitchen, living room and a formal dinning area. It was like walking into a photo shoot for an interior design magazine. The furniture was expensive and comfortable looking; the accents and art work were mature and tasteful. I turned and looked a Effy with my mouth hanging open.
She smiled at my expression, "Yes I really live here. But I keep thinking the commute to work may be too long to put up with." Her joke brought me back to the moment and I continued looking around. The far end of the room was at the exterior corner of the building, and the floor to ceiling windows looked across the city and the mountains to the east. The was just before 10 and the final light of the day painted the entire vista in a warm red glow. I was drawn over to the view and stood and watched as the reds became dark purples and finally faded to black, only to be replaced by the lights of the city.
Effy put some music on, refiled both our glasses and then collapsed into one of the over stuffed couches, kicking off her shoes and tucking her legs up under her. "Who are you Katie Fitch? You don't strike me a socialite, your too down to earth, and you are not the typical European gap-year backpacker. So what is your story?"
I took a seat across the coffee table from her. It might have been the vodka, or maybe the surroundings threw me totally off balance, but I told her my story, all of it. From my time as a footballer WAG to Joel to why I was in her living room. I don't remember how long I spoke or what else we talked about. All I know is I woke up in that over stuffed couch when the sun came through those east facing windows. And as I watched the sun beams move across the floor I thought if I had to hide from what was happening at home this is where I would most want to do it.
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