---7---
"Make it quick, Kate," he said, in a voice so cold she could hardly recognize it.
"Don't rush me," she said, trying to match his coldness, but falling short.
She tightened the belt on her robe, and sat down next to him on the couch. She turned slightly towards him, crossed her legs and cleared her throat. "OK, well...Wow, I don't even know where to begin." She let out some quick, nervous laughter. He didn't even crack a smile, which heightened the awkwardness in the room to alarming rates.
"First of all, I need to make something clear to you. I don't need a personal bodyguard to give a beat down to anyone who so much as raises their voice to me. Punching him out just now was completely unecessary. Satisfying, but completely unecessary."
"Yeah, well, the guy ticked me off. You don't talk to a woman like that, though I have to admit, you probably push them in that direction. Still doesn't excuse it."
"What? Roman, you weren't here. You have no idea what hap--"
"Well then what happened?" he said, annoyed as ever.
"I---I made him leave."
"And why is that? I mean the guy seemed pretty well-to-do. Certainly your type. Nice suit, few morals, but probably more than makes up for it in the cash department" His voice became increasingly louder and more demanding. "Tell me, Kate. What is it about 'Mike Tyson' that didn't appeal to you?"
During his tirade, tears had formed in her eyes. Tears that she would give anything to fight back. "Because, I---," she began and paused, briefly closing her eyes. She was clearly fighting a losing battle with her own emotions. "I don't feel anything for him."
He gave no reaction, which signaled her to go on. "Roman, I've---When it comes to relationships, if anyone knows the definition of the word 'meaningless', it's me. I mean, I've had so many of them, and every single one has been a disappointment in some way."
He couldn't believe his ears. A sincere conversation. This was one for the record books.
"I went into my bedroom to change after we'd gone out for drinks, and being alone for that instant, I got to thinking about...things, the vicious cycle I've adapted to...and---and I thought about you---and how much more I'd be feeling had you been here instead."
There was a pause after this revelation. Kate looked down at her hand and played with a ring on her finger as she went on. "And I want to apologize for this morning. I realize that sometimes I can cross the line with you." She looked so nervous that it almost made him smile. "I should've been considerate of what you were saying to me and I wasn't...so, I'm sorry." She finally looked up. He was slightly nodding.
"You can be the most infuriating man, but you can also be a lot of other things. I'm just not sure this can go anywhere."
The last sentence stunned him. It seemed as if it didn't even belong in her collection of thoughts. She stood up and he followed her lead.
"Relationships---on any level---are a give and take sort of thing. I just don't think I have anything left to give. Too many let downs.....I'm not sure I have it in me to go another round." Her voice cracked at the end, and he couldn't take it anymore. He pulled her in and hugged her. She was trembling. Moments like this, though there had been a few already, still surprised him. Kate Roberts, jet-setting, caviar-loving, designer label Kate Roberts--the woman with the most frigid demeanor imagineable. The woman who gave new meaning to the word 'cut-throat'. The woman who pretended to have no fears, no faults, and no feelings, who could stare down even the most unfaltering opponent was now clinging to him like a needy child. This was the Kate he was looking to unearth.
She finally let go, but he kept her close to him. He placed his hands on her shoulders, and she looked up at him, tears now clearly evident. "There," he said softly. "Now, was that so hard?"
She laughed slightly and wiped her eyes. "Listen," he said, "We can talk about the future of us some other time. I'm just glad my point got across."
"Loud and clear. I'll do what I can to be more upfront with you. I really will. I'll make a conscious effort," she promised.
"That's all I ask." He smiled and let go of her. "Well, I'll let you get some sleep."
"You can't stay?"
"I better not. Not until we know what's going on here yet. I don't want to blur any lines."
"Oh," she replied. Maybe he had a point, she thought. She wasn't used to these healthy relationship guidlines. "No blurred lines" read her mental note. "We're friends, right?"
"Of course," he said reassuringly.
"Well, friends don't let friends stay alone. Will you just be here with me until I go to sleep? I haven't lived by myself in so long, and truthfully speaking, I don't like it."
"'Truthfully speaking', now there's a phrase I hope to hear a lot more of from you," he said smiling. "C'mon." He grabbed her hand and they went to bed.
"Make it quick, Kate," he said, in a voice so cold she could hardly recognize it.
"Don't rush me," she said, trying to match his coldness, but falling short.
She tightened the belt on her robe, and sat down next to him on the couch. She turned slightly towards him, crossed her legs and cleared her throat. "OK, well...Wow, I don't even know where to begin." She let out some quick, nervous laughter. He didn't even crack a smile, which heightened the awkwardness in the room to alarming rates.
"First of all, I need to make something clear to you. I don't need a personal bodyguard to give a beat down to anyone who so much as raises their voice to me. Punching him out just now was completely unecessary. Satisfying, but completely unecessary."
"Yeah, well, the guy ticked me off. You don't talk to a woman like that, though I have to admit, you probably push them in that direction. Still doesn't excuse it."
"What? Roman, you weren't here. You have no idea what hap--"
"Well then what happened?" he said, annoyed as ever.
"I---I made him leave."
"And why is that? I mean the guy seemed pretty well-to-do. Certainly your type. Nice suit, few morals, but probably more than makes up for it in the cash department" His voice became increasingly louder and more demanding. "Tell me, Kate. What is it about 'Mike Tyson' that didn't appeal to you?"
During his tirade, tears had formed in her eyes. Tears that she would give anything to fight back. "Because, I---," she began and paused, briefly closing her eyes. She was clearly fighting a losing battle with her own emotions. "I don't feel anything for him."
He gave no reaction, which signaled her to go on. "Roman, I've---When it comes to relationships, if anyone knows the definition of the word 'meaningless', it's me. I mean, I've had so many of them, and every single one has been a disappointment in some way."
He couldn't believe his ears. A sincere conversation. This was one for the record books.
"I went into my bedroom to change after we'd gone out for drinks, and being alone for that instant, I got to thinking about...things, the vicious cycle I've adapted to...and---and I thought about you---and how much more I'd be feeling had you been here instead."
There was a pause after this revelation. Kate looked down at her hand and played with a ring on her finger as she went on. "And I want to apologize for this morning. I realize that sometimes I can cross the line with you." She looked so nervous that it almost made him smile. "I should've been considerate of what you were saying to me and I wasn't...so, I'm sorry." She finally looked up. He was slightly nodding.
"You can be the most infuriating man, but you can also be a lot of other things. I'm just not sure this can go anywhere."
The last sentence stunned him. It seemed as if it didn't even belong in her collection of thoughts. She stood up and he followed her lead.
"Relationships---on any level---are a give and take sort of thing. I just don't think I have anything left to give. Too many let downs.....I'm not sure I have it in me to go another round." Her voice cracked at the end, and he couldn't take it anymore. He pulled her in and hugged her. She was trembling. Moments like this, though there had been a few already, still surprised him. Kate Roberts, jet-setting, caviar-loving, designer label Kate Roberts--the woman with the most frigid demeanor imagineable. The woman who gave new meaning to the word 'cut-throat'. The woman who pretended to have no fears, no faults, and no feelings, who could stare down even the most unfaltering opponent was now clinging to him like a needy child. This was the Kate he was looking to unearth.
She finally let go, but he kept her close to him. He placed his hands on her shoulders, and she looked up at him, tears now clearly evident. "There," he said softly. "Now, was that so hard?"
She laughed slightly and wiped her eyes. "Listen," he said, "We can talk about the future of us some other time. I'm just glad my point got across."
"Loud and clear. I'll do what I can to be more upfront with you. I really will. I'll make a conscious effort," she promised.
"That's all I ask." He smiled and let go of her. "Well, I'll let you get some sleep."
"You can't stay?"
"I better not. Not until we know what's going on here yet. I don't want to blur any lines."
"Oh," she replied. Maybe he had a point, she thought. She wasn't used to these healthy relationship guidlines. "No blurred lines" read her mental note. "We're friends, right?"
"Of course," he said reassuringly.
"Well, friends don't let friends stay alone. Will you just be here with me until I go to sleep? I haven't lived by myself in so long, and truthfully speaking, I don't like it."
"'Truthfully speaking', now there's a phrase I hope to hear a lot more of from you," he said smiling. "C'mon." He grabbed her hand and they went to bed.