"So I have to ask, is Kat short for something?" Mark asked looking at the attractive woman across the table from him. He hadn't expected to spend hours at breakfast; but once they started talking, he didn't want to end the morning. He knew he was going to catch hell from the guys, especially Glen, since he had made plans to hit the gym with him an hour ago. He'll understand; hell he was the one pushing me to go out and meet women. He took a sip of the coffee in front of him, it was way too strong and he had still managed to choke down 3 cups. It was a testament to how much he wanted to spend time with her.
"It's short for Katie, I figured Kat sounded tougher and I wouldn't get as much crap for it. Especially for the guys, no guy wants to tell his friends he got his ass handed to him by a girl named Katie," she laughed. "I guess after all the stuff growing up; I didn't really feel like being girly anymore. I never really liked wearing dresses and that stuff anyways. Don't get me wrong, I own practically the entire make-up counter at Macy's; but unless I'm working, I don't touch the stuff." Kat had one sip of the coffee and knew how awful it was, so she was amused that he was working on his fourth cup now. "How long have you been binge drinking diesel fuel Mark?" Kat grinned and nodded to the cup in his hand.
"Diesel . . . wait what?" Mark looked very confused until he noticed what she was gesturing to. A deep laugh escaped him, and he grinned. "Darlin', you have no idea how awful this stuff is. No doubt I'll be awake for the next three days, but totally worth it to be spending time with you. You're kind of a smartass aren't you? Don't be offended, it's meant as a compliment. I'm so use to women being overly sweet, just hoping to get what they want. It's nice to be around a woman who is willing to just be real." SHIT! Did I honestly just imply she wasn't sweet? "I mean you're sweet, a nice girl…well you know what I'm trying to say right? Crap, am I blowing this right now? Seriously, I can't think straight when I'm around you!" He cringed and decided to shut the hell up before digging himself a deeper hole.
Kat started laughing hysterically, she just couldn't stop. It was hard to believe this guy was more nervous than she was. Just before hyperventilation set in she managed to compose herself. "I got what you were saying, or trying to say. Look, stop drinking that crap first of all. Secondly, I think it's a compliment that you are such a big mess around me. I'm use to guys acting all macho and slick. Which is fine if it's a 'one and done' thing, but that shit gets old after a while. Why don't we walk back to my place and I don't know I'll give you some water to wash all that sludge down." Kat winked at him.
"Alright, but I wouldn't say I was a mess. Just a little off my normal self. Let's go." Mark put down the money to cover the bill and smiled at Kat. He put his hand out for hers, wondering if it would make her too uncomfortable. He was relieved when she took it and didn't give him a hard time about it. His parents raised him to respect women, treat them with manners. She was independent and stubborn but he could tell it was because she hadn't had anyone treat her like that. It was sad really, she had to get "hard"; it was the only way she probably made it through what she had. They strolled back to her loft, Mark followed her inside.
"Ok, well I really didn't have a plan for what to do once we got here. I just couldn't watch you drink anymore of that god awful coffee. I don't think I've tasted anything nastier than that." Kat chuckled and took a seat on her couch. She put an elbow up on the back of the couch and rested her head on her hand. She looked over at Mark, who had joined her on the couch. She looked him over and suddenly saw the tattoo on his neck. How did I possibly miss that? 'Sara', hmmm… wonder who is was/is? Kat suddenly heard him say something, but didn't catch it; she had been too busy staring. "I'm sorry Mark, what did you say?"
Mark laughed, "I was asking if you found something interesting. You were staring. Not that I mind, just thought I would give you a hard time since you gave one to me when I was staring earlier."
"Ok…that was different! You were staring at my ass! Not that I minded, but come on, I had to bust you for that. I didn't mean to stare at you; I was just trying to figure out how I managed not to notice the tattoo on your neck until now. It's right there, just felt silly for missing it before. You mind if I ask who she is?" Kat watched as he shifted on the couch.
"Sara is my ex-wife; I got the tattoo as my wedding present to her. Most painful tat I've ever had done. Which I suppose is fitting now in away, considering the divorce was also extremely painful. Seemed like a good idea at the time. I figured we'd be together forever, so getting it wouldn't be a mistake. Life has a crappy sense of humor. I'll probably get it removed at some point, just too new right now. You're the first person I've dated since the divorce was final. There is just something about you Kat." Mark was the one who started staring now. Moments of silence passed, and he could hear his heart beating in his chest. "I'd really like to kiss you right now, but if you aren't ready for that, I understand. No pressure."
Kat was silent for a few minutes. Kissing was no big deal right? She had kissed guys plenty of times. So why did this seem like a huge deal? Maybe because she actually liked Mark and kissing would eventually lead to other things down the road. Kissing him wouldn't be just making out with some guy; Kat knew that kissing him would mean she was serious about him. She debated in her head, was that a bad thing? He wasn't her adopted father, and he hadn't tried to get her into bed the second they met. Mark seemed like a genuinely nice guy. "Ok" Kat whispered.