"Hello?" Karen answered her cell phone while eating some cherries in Will's kitchen. He had just left for work and she was still in her pajamas, alone and happy. There was no response to her answering the phone so she shrugged and placed it back on the counter. As soon as she took another cherry in between her lips, the phone rang again. She rolled her eyes and answered. "Hello?" She, once again, received no response. She hung up and decided that she wouldn't answer it if it rang again.
"Hey, Karebear, you want to go shopping?" Jack walked through the door and jumped on the couch, sitting with his legs underneath him. "I feel like a new pair of shoes."
"I just want to laze around today, honey. We could watch movies." She walked over to him and put a cherry into his mouth.
"You would rather watch movies than go out and buy things? Are you sick?" He held his hand to her forehead, causing her to giggle before sitting next to him on the couch.
"No, I'm not sick. I just don't feel like going out today." Her phone rang once again and she rolled her eyes.
"Aren't you going to answer that?"
"No. Someone keeps calling and then I answer and they won't speak. I'm just ignoring it, honey." She opened a bottle of water and took a small sip before rummaging through her bowl of cherries. Her phone beeped, indicating that there was a voice message. Jack walked into the kitchen and got some water from the fridge.
"Do you want me to see who it was?"
"Yeah, just push the speakerphone." He dialed her number and pushed the speakerphone button, waiting for a voice. She assumed it was Grace, not wanting to actually speak to her, but to make sure that she was okay through voice mail. But her heart turned to ice when she heard who it was.
"Hello Karen. You look so sexy with your new hairstyle. You know, I miss being inside of you. You're screams when we were together that night, still rock my world…"
His profane speech continued until she hurried to shut off the phone, which was still in Jack's hands. His eyes were wide, and he could feel how cold Karen's hands were when she snatched the phone from him, pressing the 'off' button. She was shaking, completely horrified, and their eyes met.
"That wasn't a former lover, was it?" His voice was taking a matter-of-fact tone and she knew that she had to tell him, but she really didn't want him to know. He had always held her up on a pedestal, and she didn't want him to ever think any less of her.
"Let's go shopping, honey. You look like you need a new pair of shoes." She smiled and tried to walk away, but he grabbed her hand, maybe too roughly. He pulled her close to him and met her eyes. "Please, don't."
"What happened with that guy?" She bit her bottom lip and looked away. It didn't feel like the right time to tell him. She wanted to wait until it felt right, when they were sharing secrets.
"Jack, can we talk about this later?"
"I don't think so." He walked her over to the couch and pulled her onto his lap. She wrapped her arm around his neck and intertwined the fingers of her other hand with his. She was so nervous that it was difficult to catch a deep breath. "I understand if it's hard, Kare. But, please. Did he hurt you?"
"Promise not to think any less of me." He placed his hand under her chin and brought her eyes to meet his.
"I promise I never could because I love you, Karebear." She gave him a soft smile and he pecked her lips, hoping to bring her some comfort. She finally took a deep breath and began to speak.
"Well, the night that I came to live here, I was getting ready for bed and I heard a noise downstairs…"
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Will walked into his apartment to find Jack and Karen on the couch, sleeping. Karen was in between Jack and the back of the couch and he was holding her close, protectively. It was often that he came home to find them like that so he didn't think too much about it. But at a second glance, they looked different. It was as if there was something attaching them together, a mental connection.
Her phone rang and he reached down to answer it, not wanting the sound to wake the sleeping friends. Karen stirred, but cuddled closer to Jack before her sleep deepened. Will rushed into the bathroom and answered the phone. He heard nothing on the other end of the line so he hung up and shrugged. It rang again, instantaneously, and he hurriedly answered. Finally, the person on the other end of the line spoke, in a voice that sounded oddly familiar to him.
"You must be Will. May I speak with Karen?"
"She can't come to the phone right now. I'd be glad to take a message."
"I would really like to speak with her. Could you wake her up?" Will's heart jumped a bit.
"I never said she was asleep."
"But she is, isn't she?"
"Who the hell is this?"
"Just give the phone to Karen."
"I don't think so, buddy. Stop calling." He pressed the 'end' button on the phone and sighed. Suddenly, Jack was in view.
"He's been calling her all day." Their eyes met in a moment of understanding. Jack shrugged and leaned against the doorframe. "She told me earlier."
"Has she spoken to him?"
"No. She only listened to the voice message."
They continued their conversation as Karen slept soundly on the couch. She rarely ever slept peacefully so they decided to allow it. When she finally did awaken, she could smell the warm meal that Will was cooking. She heard her blackberry ring in the distance, but didn't move to answer it. She knew who it was and she wasn't willing to deal with him. However, she was unprepared for Will to answer the phone, cursing at the man on the other end, telling him to stop calling and leave her alone. She opened her eyes and looked into the kitchen, where Will had just turned off the phone.
"Honey, was that him again?" She sat up and rubbed her eyes, her contacts were foggy from sleeping in them.
"Yes, but you have no reason to worry." She stood and walked over to him, standing behind him as he stirred some vegetables on the stove. She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his back, breathing in his scent. He had changed into a tee shirt when he got home and she could feel his warm skin beneath the thin fabric. Her fingers tickled his stomach as she drew shapes with her fingernails.
"You should have woken me up, honey. Now I won't get any sleep tonight." She slipped her hands beneath the bottom of his shirt to caress the skin of his stomach. "We'll have to find some way to make me sleepy again."
"You don't want to eat first? I'm making something I found in the Oprah magazine." She giggled and moved to slide his arm around her. She pressed her lips to his and kissed him, sensually running her tongue over his bottom lip. She pushed her knee in between his legs to caress his thighs before breaking the kiss.
"How was your day, honey?" She pressed her pelvis into his and smiled.
"It was really good. I'm up for partner."
"What? Oh, honey, that's wonderful." She kissed him again, running her hand over his cheek. Her cell phone began to ring again and she pulled away from their kiss with a sigh.
"How are you?" His eyes dug deep into hers and she shrugged.
"Didn't you say I have no reason to worry? I'm fine, honey." But no matter how convincing she thought she was, Will couldn't believe her so easily.