I've Been Wrong Before
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Author's Note: Thank you for all your reviews! I love waking up to them! XD
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Chapter 11: An Inconvenience
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Accounting for the ridiculous traffic that cornered me at every intersection, the infrequent stops of the car in front of me who refused to let me pass, and the ornery public in general, I was undeniably late coming home. While I had intended to arrive, at the latest 6:30, it was actually an hour longer than that.
I opened the door, not bothering to sneak inside, closing it with a click. My hat went on the hat rack; my effects (holster belt, gun, flash light, night stick) laid neatly on the desk under the coat racks behind the door. As I made my way into the bedroom upstairs, I recognized the smell of bleach coming from the bathrooms, windex cleaner from the windows, and lemon scented furniture polish. The smell was aromatic, but I knew it meant one thing.
Gary wasn't happy.
He liked cleanliness, of course, but when I could recognize the overt neatness of the two-story house, I knew Gary was definitely unhappy with me. He straightened things up out of habit, but emphatically cleaned when he was disturbed. As I undressed, taking my shirt off and over my head and made my way to the bedroom to get into my night shirt, I wasn't surprised to open the door and see Gary in bed, hands cradling a book while his eyes slowly lifted to look at me.
There were shadows under his eyes, bags shaping there. His hair was unkempt, and I smiled faintly to realize that he looked as if he had been crying. I wasn't smiling because he looked a haggard mess; but this was one of the few times—rare, actually—that I could see what my absence did to Gary. The emotional cage in which he kept diligently locked away could be seen in the phenomenal way he looked at me: there was relief, but there was pain.
I noticed he was wearing a robe—at least he'd bothered to get into pajamas.
"You're late," Gary noted, glancing at his book. "I thought you said you'd be here at six-thirty."
"I did say that." I returned lightly. "But traffic delayed me." I kicked my shoes off, and then later, bent down to put them directly beside Gary's shoes in the closet; he kept his dress shoes so shiny, they embarrassed my own shoe wear. But I smiled; they would not be Gary's shoes if it didn't.
I straightened, turning to see Gary getting out of bed. He seemed exhausted, stepping towards me with a look of condescension.
"Katelynn, I can't keep waiting for you." He muttered. "Your schedule is inconvenient."
"Tell me about it," I agreed.
I moved past him to sit on the bed as I undressed my lower body, all but my underwear and threw my nightshirt over my head, straightening it so I felt comfortable. I glanced from the carpet and met Gary's eyes. In them, I saw uncertainty.
"What?" I asked.
"Have I annoyed you?" Gary asked softly.
I blinked.
"No." I told him, my voice softening. "You haven't annoyed me."
"I must have done something—you are an hour late. That's hardly..."
"Gary, I've had a long night." I told him quietly, moving the covers back so I climbed under them thankfully. I sat with my back against the wall.
"So have I," argued Gary, turning to me. He shook his head: "Have you any idea what it was like lying in that bed alone? I couldn't sleep. I couldn't...Katelynn, aren't you aware what happens to me when my routine is disturbed? You must have some idea, you must!"
I stared at him.
Leave a man for twelve hours and suddenly, his eyes are floating in tears and he's breaking out his emotions to you. Never had I seen Gary in this state before, but for some reason, I doubted it was because of my last night's absence. He'd not be so sincere to go that far. I frowned when Gary's eyes hardened.
"I know what happens when your routine is disturbed," I told him. "But I couldn't help that. Prathart called in, and I was available. I'm not going to say 'no'."
Gary scoffed, "You're a wife to a profound Defense Attorney. Why must you feel to leave here at such a ridiculous time to go and baby sit a bunch of prisoners for a man who obviously doesn't respect you enough to give you a day's heads up? He never shows up for work, and you are forced to..."
I shot daggers at him as I snapped, "I'm not forced to do anything."
Gary looked at me uncertainly. Did he want to tangle with me right now, I'd say not, but I could tell he wanted this conversation to continue. So, that being said, I sat on the edge of the bed, my hands rubbing my face as an exhaustive sigh emitted from my parted lips.
"I have a job to do," I uttered tiredly. "I have a job to do, and I do it well."
"Then why the lack of promotion?" offered Gary.
I frowned at him: "Don't you remember? Lyle Bolton took that."
"Katelynn, I don't see why you deal with this ridiculous job, and your has-been supervisor. You're my wife, a wife to a profound lawyer. I would have expected this to be a fall-out job where you work a few months and then, hey, go be a doctor."
"I'm not going to be a doctor." I returned. "And this job isn't ridiculous. I'm making a difference."
"You sure are, Katelynn. You sure are. You're making a difference in my schedule," Gary stated. "Because of you, I have to go into work today without any hours of sleep. Do you have any idea what kind of affect that has on my job performance?"
"I wouldn't know," I stated sarcastically. "It's not like you tell me every fucking day."
Gary frowned deeply: "That language is rather unnecessary, don't you think?"
I gaped at him.
"Gary, I'm tired. I'm exhausted from working last night, for twelve hours. I don't have the emotional capacity to sit here and argue with you." I stated lightly. I lifted my feet off the floor and scooted by body to the headboard.
"Regardless," Gary stated as if I'd not spoken, "I'm going to work. I'll see you at three-thirty." Gary stepped towards me and leaned forward to give me a kiss.
Reluctantly, I faced him so our kiss met our lips, but it lasted no more than three seconds. Gary looked at me curiously, questioning my lack of response. Perhaps he didn't dwell on it long, assuming I was just tired (and I was) for he smiled encouragingly at me.
"I'm making the deal breaker of a lifetime," Gary said with a smile. "When it happens, we can take that honey moon down to the Isles—just you and me, no one else." He touched my cheek with his hand, caressing my jaw. "You're an inconvenience to me, Katelynn."
Wow. Ouch, much?
"But that doesn't mean I don't love you," Gary said lightly.
"Thanks, that means so much to me." I returned sarcastically. "While you're at it, you can tell me you regret marrying me."
"I don't regret that," Gary said. "You're a free spirit—I've known this. I have no regrets in marrying you—it's just a harsh lesson I've come to learn over the few years."
Damn, that hurts.
"You know," I told Gary, taking his hand from my cheek. "You think you're being endearing, but what you've said to me in the past few minutes are really hurtful things." I sunk into the covers, turning from him: "But you wouldn't know the difference."
I didn't see Gary's reaction, nor did I believe he understood his own fault to the pain in my chest. I wasn't having a heart attack, but in spite it all, I felt unappreciated for my tentativeness towards his needs. I knew I was at fault in being late, but did I need to be called an inconvenience or a harsh lesson? I doubt that.
"Katelynn, I have to go to work."
"Then go," I muttered.
Knowing Gary, I expected him to touch my shoulder in a cold, indifferent way and tell me he loved me but I heard no such movement or whisper. He simply hummed his way out of the bedroom as if I'd given him permission to go to a school trip—and he was just happy to oblige. I shook my head.
You're an inconvenience to me, Katelynn.
It's a harsh lesson I've come to learn over the years.
You're an inconvenience to me, Katelynn.
It's a harsh lesson I've come to learn over the years.
I frowned dispassionately at the comforter.
'Well, Kate...Even I'm at a loss for why you shouldn't start this thing with Joker. At least with him, what you see is what you get.
I half-smiled at my mind. At least all the voices agreed with me this time.