Chapter 5: Kim

I'm a light sleeper, so when I heard a noise early Sunday morning, I was instantly awake. I crawled out of bed and I could see the light was on in the bathroom. Satisfied the noise came from Amy's trip to the shower, I crawled back into my nice warm bed. Amy must have had another late night with Nick. I don't know what she sees in that loser, I thought, tucking the comforter up under my chin, and I'm glad he never comes over here. Every time he looks at me, I get a creepy feeling down in the pit of my stomach.

Nick never looked me in the eye; he always talked to my chest. Of course nearly every guy I ever met talks to my chest, I conceded with a sheepish grin. Can I help it if I wear a 40D bra? I wish I had a chest more like Amy's. I would be happy with her 36Cs.

Only the creeps like Nick ever asked me out. For some reason they thought that just because I had a big chest, I'd be an easy lay. Nice guys like Kevin were always so afraid that I was dating someone like Nick that they wouldn't talk to me.

Just then, I heard the shower turn off. I wondered if Amy and Nick just had sex again. The though of Nick and Amy doing it actually turned my stomach!

I pushed all thoughts of Nick out of my mind and tried to go back to sleep. Just as soon as I had successfully pushed Nick to the background, Kevin replaced him. I really liked talking to Kevin the other day. I couldn't wait to see him again next week. He was smart, cute, and at just under six feet tall, he's the perfect size for someone like me...

Kevin walked up to me and grabbed me with his manly arms. He brushed his lips against mine. I reached my arms around Kevin's waist and pressed my body tightly against his. Kevin looked down and his blue-green eyes stared passionately into mine. He moved his head closer to mine and there were sparks as our lips touched. I greedily kissed him back. Just as I was starting to feel light headed, Kevin moved back slightly. Both of us were gasping for breath.

"We shouldn't be doing this" I whispered in his ear, guilt consuming me. My conscience demanded we stop, but my heart wanted him to do anything but.

"I know", he responded huskily, licking his swollen lips.

"You really should stop", I sighed, quickly losing the willpower to call it quits.

Instead of responding to my half-hearted suggestion, Kevin moved his face closer to mine. I could feel the heat of his breath on my lips. Then he opened his mouth and... BANG!

My dream was shattered when Amy slammed her bedroom door. I tried to go back to sleep - I wanted to see what Kevin was going to do next - but it was not to be. I reached over and picked up the romance novel I was reading earlier, and read until I finally passed out again.

A little after ten the next morning, I heard someone knocking on the front door. I grabbed my robe and put it on, tying the belt snugly around my waist. "I hope it isn't Nick" I thought as I walked sleepily to the front door. If it was him, I decided I would hide and hope that he would go away!

Before I opened the door, I looked out the peephole. Instead of Nick, I saw Kevin standing there with an anxious look on his face. I opened the door and invited him to come in. Kevin's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw me. I realized that I was wearing a pretty short robe, and that he could see far more of me than I wanted him to, except for in my dreams.

"Please have a seat," I suggested, motioning to the overstuffed sofa. "I'm going to get dressed and I'll be back in a minute."

Wondering why Kevin was here this early on a Sunday morning, I opened my closet and looked for something to wear. I decided my Maryland State University sweatshirt and a pair of baggy jeans would be the best, or at least safest, bet.

When I walked into the living room, Kevin jumped as if he thought I was going to hurt him. I decided that maybe something to drink would help calm him down. "Would you like some coffee?" and for some reason he turned beat red.

"Do you have some Coca Cola?" he asked, his voice cracking with nervousness.

I walked over to the kitchen and poked around the 'fridge. I found a forgotten can of Coke way in the back, and grabbed a Diet Coke for myself. I brought them out and handed Kevin his can, wiping the moisture left on my hand from the can on my jeans. He thanked me with a mumble and sat there lost in his own thoughts.

Sitting down on the chair across from the sofa, I asked in my best Bugs Bunny voice, "What's up doc - to be?"

Yeah it was corny, but a hint of a smile appeared on Kevin's face. He looked at me for a moment and, his voice quivering, said "I was hoping to talk to Amy... Is she here?"

"Amy's here, but I think she got in really late last night." I sipped some of my DC and added, "I don't expect to see her up and around for hours."

"Ohhh..." said Kevin, with a look of disappointment on his face. "I really need to talk to her. Maybe I'll come back later - after she wakes up."

Kevin stood up and shuffled his feet toward the front door, his head hung low.

"You don't have to go right now." I set my Diet Coke on the coffee table and followed him to the door. "You can wait here", I added without thinking. Betrayed by last nights dream, I thought.

Kevin looked me in the eye for a moment, and I felt a tiny shiver go though my body. I reminded myself that this was the real Kevin, not the Kevin from my dream.

"Thanks," he said, and then sat down in the chair I had been sitting in. I sat down on the sofa and curled my legs underneath me so that I was more comfortable.

Neither of us said anything for a few minutes. Kevin stared right though me as if I didn't exist. I could see that he was upset about something, but I couldn't imagine what it was. So wanting to be helpful, I said "I know that you really wanted to talk to Amy, but can I help?"

Kevin sighed and said, "Probably not. Amy introduced me to one of her friends last night and..."

"Which friend," I asked, a tinge of curiosity in my voice.

"Joyce," Kevin replied.

"Do you mean Joyce McDermott," I asked thinking of Amy's friend with the pierced tongue.

"I never found out her last name," Kevin said, clearly uneasy about that fact.

I tried to picture Joyce McDermott in my head, and all I could think about was how much it must have hurt to get a pierced tongue. Finally I asked, "Was she taller than me with dark hair and a very athletic body?"

"That sounds like her," Kevin said, absently flipping through a tattered magazine from the coffee table.

Somehow I didn't think the fashion magazine was quite up his alley. The poor guy was really in bad shape, that much was obvious.

"I only talked to her a couple of times, but she seemed okay to me." I commented cautiously, referring to Joyce.

Kevin thought for a second and then asked, "Did you know that she had a piece of metal in her tongue?" The way he cocked his head as he asked the question was almost boyish.

I laughed, "Do you mean 'Did she have her tongue pierced?'" Kevin nodded. "The answer is yes. I know a few other girls that had done it." I decided to tease Kevin a little bit and added with uncharacteristic forwardness, "They say it drives men wild in bed." Then I remembered that this wasn't the Kevin from last night's dream and, slightly embarrassed, looked at the floor rather than directly at him.

"It certainly was different" said Kevin after a moment's thought.

I looked up at Kevin and saw he was blushing. He looked so cute when he was embarrassed.

I decided to push Kevin a little bit. "Kevin, I don't mean to be rude, but did you sleep with Amy the other night?"

He nodded his head, and his face turned even redder.

"Was she your first?" I asked, somewhat unsteadily.

He nodded again.

"Ahh... That explains a lot of things," I said. "There's no need to be embarrassed. There has to a first time for everyone. How do you feel about Amy?" I pressed, somewhat shocked by the intimate turn the conversation was taking, and even more shocked that I was the one initiating it!

Kevin looked hurt and confused. I moved over to the sofa and sat beside him. I reached over, held one of Kevin's hands and said, "Amy's having boyfriend problems right now. But deep down inside, she's a good person. I don't think she meant to hurt you, at least not deliberately." I gently rubbed the top of Kevin's hand with my thumb in an attempt to soothe him.

"But why did she hand me off to Joyce?" Kevin blurted out. "Joyce treated me like I was a toy or something. She took me home and practically raped me last night, and then she was going to drag me out to get a tattoo... and a ring in my... you know..." he said, nodding his head in the direction of his crotch.

I was stunned by Kevin's words and his openness. "I don't think Amy thought Joyce would do anything to hurt you. I think Amy really likes you. And she wanted to set you up with someone that would make you happy. Maybe she didn't realize..."

"Didn't realize what?" a voice asked from behind us. I turned around and saw Amy standing behind the sofa in her pink terrycloth robe.

Kevin looked equally startled at the sudden intrusion and let go of my hand. Then he looked up at Amy and said, "I'm sorry we woke you up. But last night... with Joyce was... a... unique... experience for me." Kevin's voice trailed off in nervousness after every couple of words spoken. "I really needed to talk to you about her. She was going to have someone put a ring in... my... my... ummm... never mind."

I bit my tongue to prevent a grin from escaping. Poor Kevin, he was so embarrassed by the whole situation. And the more embarrassed he became, the more endearing he got.

Amy looked at the floor and fiddled with the belt on her robe. "I'm sorry if Joyce and you didn't get along," she apologized, her voice sounding regretful. "I knew that Joyce wasn't dating anyone and I thought you might like her. I knew that she'd take you to bed and I thought that would make you happy."

Kevin looked back at Amy, taking in every word she said.

"As for my boyfriend problems, I don't have a boyfriend problem as I don't have a boyfriend anymore. As far as I'm concerned that fuckin' asshole can move to hell and stay there." Amy spat with venom.

I looked Amy in the eye, and mouthed "Wanna talk?" to which Amy just shook her head no. I made a mental note to talk to Amy about Nick in private. I know something bad must have happened, but I couldn't even begin to guess what.

I looked over at Kevin and he appeared stunned at Amy's comments. He just stared at her in disbelief. Then I noticed that his look of disbelief slowly turned to one of hope as it slowly sank into Kevin's mind that Amy might now be available. He looked up and down Amy's short robe noticing her attributes.

Amy must have noticed this also, as she said "I guess we really need to talk, Kevin, but I'd like to get dressed first."

I stood up and asked Kevin if he was hungry "I'm hungry and I was thinking about making some pancakes."

"The frozen kind?" Kevin asked.

"No way," I said, walking toward the kitchen. Kevin followed me like a puppy dog on a leash. I opened the cupboard and pulled out a box of Bisquick. "Would you mind getting me the carton of milk and a couple of eggs from the 'fridge?" I asked, grabbing a mixing bowl from the cupboard above my head.

"Sure," Kevin replied. He walked over to the refrigerator and brought them over to where I was working. By then, I had already dumped just the right amount of pancake mix into the bowl. I added the eggs and some milk, and started stirring the batter.

"I think there's some bacon in the 'fridge if you're interested," Amy said as she walked in to the kitchen and gently pushed Kevin out of the way. She looked far more composed than she was a few minutes earlier. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a small package of bacon.

"Poor Kevin," I thought upon seeing Kevin's lost expression. I walked over to him, grabbed his shoulders, turned him around, and started steering him toward the dining room table. "I know you want to help, but two cooks make one crowded kitchen - three cooks is even worse. Just sit over there at the table and we'll bring you some breakfast when we're done." I gave Kevin a smile as he pulled out a chair from the table and sat down. Kevin seemed to be calming down a bit.

While Amy was opening the package of bacon, I dug a frying pan and my favorite pancake pan out of the cupboard and put them on the stove. Amy reached over, turned the burner on, and put a few slices of bacon in the pan.