Chapter NINE

"More coffee?" Darius held up the coffee pot and frowned when she failed to look up from the papers scattered across the kitchen table. "Kim?"

"No, thank you."

"What about something to eat?"

"No." She stuck her pen into her mouth and paused to type something into her laptop. "You would think requesting the city's top elite asshats to donate what they really consider pocket change wouldn't be too much to ask but you should see some of the questions I keep getting about maximum and minimum limits." She shook her head. "Remind me again why I agreed to run the ball this year?"

Darius chuckled as he sat down in the seat adjacent to her. "Because you have a kind soul." He sipped at his coffee and eyed her papers. "You know, it's Saturday. You are allowed to take a break."

"I like keeping busy, you know that."

"I know you do it to keep your mind off other things, that's what I know." He lowered his mug onto the table, cupping it with both hands. "Did you get your phone fixed?"

Kimberly scribbled on the paper in front of her. "I bought a new one. Some thin piece of shit I was told I couldn't possibly live without," She shifted to type on her computer again, "which surprised me since my last phone was a different model and I assumed I was doing just fine."

"Did you change your number?"

"Of course I didn't." She shot him a look then focused back on the screen.

"Kim, did you turn it on?"

"Maybe. It's the green button and not the red one right?"

Darius chuckled and sipped at his coffee again. "You really should think about getting out of the house today."

"Is that a sly way of telling me you want time alone?"

"Actually it's an honest way of telling you that some sun would do you good. I love that you're here Kim, you're always welcome, but it's been an entire week and you've done nothing but go to work."

"You're right. I was thinking about switching up my routine a little. Maybe I'll call out some next week, lounge around in my pajamas while I do my work. I hear people that work from the home love it."

He sighed and lowered his mug. "As much as it warms me to hear you call this place home, a hermit you definitely are not. When was the last time you went home?" He shook his head as she opened her mouth. "The one you share with Bobby Kim."

"I go by there every day." She answered shortly. She narrowed her eyes at the disbelieving expression that crossed his face. "I do! And I call Jerry to make sure things are fine which they are, happy?"

"I'm not. How much does Jerry actually know?"

"He knows what he needs to, nothing more, nothing less. I don't have to report to him Darius; I'm not in a relationship with him."

"No, you're not. You're in a relationship with Bobby."

She threw down her pen and leaned back into her chair. "Please don't do this."

"It's been a week. I've been patient but I'm not going to sit here and watch you destroy yourself Kimberly. I care too much for you to let you do that." Darius pressed his elbows against the table, his eyes locked on her face. "You need to call him."

"What I need is to finish setting up the charity event. What I don't need is an interrogation."

"I'm not interrogating you. That's not my intention."

"What is your intention then Darius? You hate Bobby, you like Bobby; you want me to date him, you don't want me to date him? It's like you can't make up your mind. Excuse me for being confused!"

Darius sighed as she slid her reading glasses back onto her face and stared at the computer screen even though she wasn't touching the keyboard. "I don't hate Bobby. I just don't want you hurt." He reached out to cover the hand closest to him with his own. "I want you happy and despite the problems you've had recently, he makes you happy."

Her hand was shaking under his. "I didn't expect it to hurt this much." She whispered. She turned her face back towards his, moist eyes finding his. "Why doesn't he just come home?"

"He will Kimberly. You have to be patient."

"Every day he's not here, he's… he's out there and…" She shook her head and looked away. "I'm such a fool Darius."

"No, you're not."

"I am." She wiped at her face with her free hand. "I'm a fool that can't stop fucking crying."

"Hate to break it to you but I think it comes included in the package of being a woman." He joked, laughing as she smacked his arm with her free hand. He caught her hand and squeezed it. "Call him Kimberly. Tell him you're waiting for him." He let go of her hand to tap her chin. "And for God's sake, tell the man you love him."

She was quiet as he stood up from the table with his coffee mug. After a few seconds, the distinctive sounds of pots and pans rattling echoed through the house.

"Now…" He spoke up from the kitchen, "Do you want eggs or pancakes?"

She wanted to cuss at him or tell him once again she wasn't hungry but instead she found herself rolling her eyes and fighting off a small smile. "I want waffles."

"Waffles it is."

09090909090909090

The chill from outside was slowly seeping into the car but she barely noticed as she sat in the driveway and stared at the front door. She had been sitting there for the past fifteen minutes. Jeremiah's Volvo was parked in front of her and from where she was, she could see someone moving around inside.

It was almost enough to make her leave but she had already cut the engine; fleeing was out of the question. Slowly she climbed out and shutting the door, her briefcase in her left hand, she made her way up the walkway and onto the porch.

Her key still worked. There was no reason why it shouldn't but she still hesitated before sliding it into the lock. Clearing her throat, she entered and shut the door. "Hello?"

"Kimmy, that you girl?"

She shrugged off her jacket and hung it up just as Jeremiah appeared in the living room doorway. "Hello Jerry."

"Hey!" He grinned. "It's good to see you; the girls and I just came by to check on the pipes." At that moment, Amelia and Danielle ran giggling into the room, the two little girls still bundled in their coats. They were chasing each other but as soon as they saw Kimberly they grinned.

"Kimmy!"

"Daddy, Kimmy's here!"

He chuckled as he tickled Amelia's cheek. "Of course she is baby; she lives here. Be polite and greet Kimmy properly."

"Hello Kimmy." Both girls spoke simultaneously. "It's nice to see you."

She couldn't help but smile at that and squatted down onto her haunches. "Hello ladies." She opened her arms. "May I have a hug?" She chuckled as both girls ran forward and almost knocked her off her feet, their arms around her shoulders and neck. Closing her eyes, she inhaled the scent of baby shampoo and peppermint. "It's so very nice to see both of you too."

"We were here yesterday but you weren't here." Amelia frowned. "We missed you."

Danielle nodded as Kimberly stood up. "We had a big dinner." She gestured with her arms. "Daddy wanted you to come but you weren't here." She frowned. "Do you work a lot like Daddy does?"

"I've been very busy with work." She answered softly. "I'm helping throw a charity event next week and it takes a lot of planning. I'm very sorry that I missed your dinner though." Her eyes flickered to Jerry's. "I really am."

"It's fine." He smiled as the girls begin to chase each other again. "Hey, what did I just say? No running in the house!" He yelled after them. When they threw themselves onto the couch and focused on the playing television, he focused back on Kimberly again. "We're having lunch tomorrow after church; you're more than welcome to join us."

"Thank you but I already have plans. Perhaps later this week." She cleared her throat. "Are the pipes okay?"

"They're good. I made sure the faucets were all covered outside. You should be all set." Jerry slid his hands into the pockets of his overhauls. "I've been worried about you Kimmy. It's been days since I or Camille have seen you and when I call your office, you're always in a meeting or on the phone."

"Like I told your children, I've been busy. Planning such a huge event is stressful."

"I'm sure it can be. How is it coming along?"

She forced herself to smile. "Smoothly. I've had to sacrifice a lot of nights at the office but it's been worth it." She lied. "I'm positive we'll reach our donation goal this year."

"I sincerely hope so. Your secretary Melody was nice enough to send my office invitations to the ball but I doubt we're going to be able to make it."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

He shrugged. "Maybe next year after the business has established itself a little bit more." He smiled. "I can't thank you enough for taking a chance on us Kimmy."

"There's no need to thank me Jerry. You took the chance, I just simply gave you the extra push."

He glanced towards the living room at his children. "I guess we should be going. Camille's cooking and she wanted me to pick up some French bread before I came back home."

Kimberly nodded. "I'll walk you out."

"No need, stay in and keep warm. The weather's getting nasty." Still smiling, he clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Come on my pretty girls; time to go home."

09090909090909090

The house was quiet, only the soft ticking of the clock located in the living room breaking the silence around here. Kimberly took her time eating and cleaning the dishes. She dried each one by hand then cleaned the kitchen, leaving nothing untouched. When there was nothing more to do or redo, she forced herself to exit the room.

She felt pathetic standing there at the bottom off the stairs, staring up at them as if they suddenly had multiplied into the thousands. Regardless of nothing having changed, it still felt like it took ages to reach the top and with a forced steady hand, she opened the door to the room she shared with Bobby.

It was exactly as she had left it the day he took Marley to the airport. The bed was still unmade, a laundry basket of their folded clothes in the corner, and the laptop he used remained open.

Without even thinking, she scooped up an article of his clothing and sat down on the edge of the bed. She pressed the material to her face, the scent of his cologne filling her lungs, and cursed as she began to cry. Limp, she fell to the mattress with her arms wrapped tightly around the hoodie. The sheets beneath her were of no help, full of his scent as well. There was no use fighting it; her body shaking and she let herself go, no one to hear her.

Worn out and tired, she somehow fell asleep. Hours later she woke to darkness, the house still quiet except for the vibrating sound that could only be her cell phone. Shifting to lay on her back and stare at the ceiling, she slid the phone from her pocket and answered without looking at the screen.

"Hello?"

"I'm sorry."

Kimberly shut her eyes at the sound of his voice. "And what are you sorry for Bobby?"

"I'm sorry for making you upset. That's not what I wanted." He cleared his throat. "I know it's late so I'll let you go back to sleep but I wanted to call. I hope you'll start answering your phone now."

"I broke my old phone so I had to get a new one."

Bobby sighed. "Are you still at your friend's place?"

"No. I'm… I'm at our house tonight."

"Good."

She rubbed at her forehead. "I don't know how long I'm staying here Bobby. It's too quiet." She nibbled on her bottom lip and stared into the darkness. "I might go back to my friend's tomorrow."

"Is there a number there I can reach you?"

"You can reach me on my cell phone Bobby."

"How can I when you usually don't answer? If there's another number that I can reach you in case-"

"You can try 555-7962 but there's no guarantee that I'm going to answer that one either."

"7962, do I know that number?"

"I don't know. Do you?"

Bobby grunted. "This is your friend's number?"

"Cell phone. I don't know the house line." She glanced slowly over at the clock, 9:25 pm glaring at her in bright red numbers.

"Wait, 313-555-7962? That's your friend's number?"

She listened to the sound of rustling and movement in her ear and sighed, minutes later the reaction she expected erupting into her ear.

"You better be fucking kidding about this."

"I'm not Bobby. That's the number where I've been staying for the past week." She blinked as she heard Angel yell in the background something about giving back his phone. "Bobby…"

"Are you fucking him?"

"Bobby…"

"I asked if you're fucking him Kimberly. Are you fucking Green?"

She sat up in the middle of the bed. "No." She snapped. "I'm not fucking him! I haven't fucked anyone since you left and I'm starting to think it's a mistake."

"What the fuck does that mean?" A door slammed, voices that had been in the background now mute. "I can't believe what I'm fucking hearing! You've been at Green's place the entire time this week and you expect me to believe you're not sleeping with him? What the fuck are you thinking?"

"I don't know, you tell me. You're the cheater!"

"That's pretty low, even for you Kimberly."

"Yeah, well the truth has an ugly way of biting you in the ass when you least expect it." She flopped back down onto the bed. "I'm not sleeping with him Bobby. I told you before, we're friends. I've known him since college."

"Friends; right and I guess next you'll expect me to believe he's a fucking fairy and he's been sleeping on the fucking couch every night."

"I would never say that; I know he's not gay."

Bobby swore loudly and something crashed loudly in the background. "I'm on the next fucking plane out."

"I doubt they'll take your ticket two weeks in advance Bobby."

"This isn't a fucking joke!"

"No, I agree; it's not."

"How can you be so fucking calm after what you just said to me? If you've slept with him, you can tell me. You can…" He inhaled and cursed a line that would have made sailors change their careers. "I'm coming home. I'm buying a ticket and I'm coming home right now."

"Don't bother Bobby." She made herself sit up again. "I won't be here."

"What the fuck does that mean Kimberly? Kimberly?"

She closed her eyes and flinched, shoulders beginning to shake again. She made herself stop; made herself open her eyes and focus. "I have to go now Bobby."

"Don't! Don't you hang up on me Kimmy!"

Her thumb pressed down on the power button before he could say anything else.

09090909090909090

She could hear the sounds of the party in full swing downstairs in the lobby but the last thing she wanted to do was join the festivities. It had been a week since she had packed up her things and moved out of the Mercer house. She had taken her spare key to Jeremiah the same day, the surprise clearly written all over his face but there was also a look of understanding flickering in his eyes.

One week, seven whole days. Her voicemail was full of message the first couple of days and then there was nothing. Now the only time it rang was when it had to do with work or Darius.

Without probing into why, he had helped her move her things to an apartment near the office. He of course had tried to talk her into moving in with him but she had already made up her mind to distance herself. She signed a six month lease only because she had no intention to turn it into a home. Only the essentials were unpacked, a few outfits, toiletries, cookware. There was no desire to open anything else so the boxes remained taped and stuck in corners.

Melody said only a few words to her every day, long sentences saved only for business reasons, but she barely paid it any attention as the days came closer and closer to the ball.

Now it was here and she wanted nothing more than to bury herself deep in the sheets of her bed and fade away. Sitting up in her office with only the desk lamp on, she fingered the glass that she had filled moments ago with Scotch. She knew she couldn't hide away in her office the entire night but for now the illusion that she had escaped was an entertaining one.

Kimberly rocked from side to side in her seat, the silk of her gown sliding between her legs. Finding her dress had been thankfully easy thanks to her reliable friend Mr. Internet. The bonus has been that ordering it online there was no reason to leave the apartment. It was perfect much like the black and white dress. Costing her almost three hundred dollars, it was worth every penny with its plunging V-neck, fitted waist with silver gathered detail and floor length skirt.

A quick trip to the salon had taken care of her hair; her long strands styled sleekly in an intricate bun, and the finishing touch of a white lily had been positioned in the back. She had completed her outfit with comfortable heels, dangling black earrings, a dusting of natural base foundation, eyeliner and a coat of pink lipstick.

"Do you honestly plan on hiding in here all night?"

She glanced up from the glass to see her friend in the open doorway. "I was thinking about it."

"People are asking about you." Melody came forward, the light of the desk lamp making the silver metallic fabric of her strapless gown sparkle in waves as she moved. It was fitting for her secretary; flashy but leaving much to the imagination with a fitted bodice and layered skirt. Her makeup was minimal but expressive, her hair loose and falling freely to her shoulders. "They want to take pictures before the meal and start the auctions shortly after that."

"I'll be right down."

Melody hesitated then nodded. "I'll go back downstairs." She turned to head back out.

"Melody…"

The young girl paused and glanced over her shoulder. "Yes Kimberly?"

"You look beautiful."

Melody flashed a quick smile. "Thank you but I'm pretty sure as soon as you show yourself, I'll be the last thing on people's minds."

"Oh shut up."

"You don't pay me enough to do that."

Kimberly smirked as she rose from the desk, glass in hand. "Interest you in a drink?"

"I've already had two glasses of champagne so I better not." Melody's eyes went to the glass. "I thought you didn't like opening that bottle."

"I don't." Kimberly shrugged. "But it's a special occasion right? So what the hell." She tossed back the contents and lowered the glass back onto her desk.

"Can I get you anything when we get downstairs? Water maybe?"

She shook her head. "No, thank you Melody. You've done enough." She moved forward. "Remind me later to give you a raise for putting up with my bullshit."

"No complaints here but you really shouldn't be so hard on yourself Kimberly."

"That's what I hear." She smiled thinly. "I've told myself one day I'll believe it."