But then he had left a note on my desk that read, ‘this desk belongs to a best-selling author.’ I thought it was sweet the way he supported my dreams. He encouraged me to write every day and even bought me a brand new computer. He said he wanted nothing but the best for me, or so it seemed.
After rushing into things so quickly, I told him I needed to take a few steps back, that I was someone who needed my own space. He respected my wishes and was okay with me staying in his spare room. Of course, there were times in the middle of the night when he would sneak in and slide under the covers with me.
When I went to the kitchen to grab a glass of water that morning, I noticed David’s keys on the counter. That's strange, I thought to myself as I walked downstairs and headed toward the garage. I opened the door and my jeep was gone. He had taken my vehicle to buy groceries. I was a bit taken back at first but then figured he had a good reason. Maybe he was having car trouble.
I was about to walk back upstairs and take a shower when the doorbell rang. Still dressed in my pajamas, I was hesitant to open the door. When I looked through the peephole, I saw a heavily made-up young woman standing there. My first thought was maybe she was at the wrong house.
As I opened the door, she barged right in and stood in the foyer.
“Is David here?” she asked, chewing a piece of gum and gazing over my shoulder.
“Uh, no, he’s not. He should be back shortly, though.” A handful of questions flashed through my mind.
Glaring at me, she twirled a long strand of hair. “And who are you?”
“I'm Valerie, and you are?”
“Kayla,” she replied, eyeing me up and down through her inch-long lashes. “David has something of mine I need to pick up.”
“I’ll let him know you stopped by.”
“He has my number. Tell him to call me.”
“Okay then.”
She spun around and headed back out the door. In her tiny tank top and short shorts, I watched as she turned the sidewalk into a catwalk, her long blonde ponytail bouncing behind her.
What on earth have I stepped into? I had to shake the unpleasant thoughts that entered my mind. She acted as if she knew him well and I wondered how well. I headed down the hallway and into the bathroom. I needed a long, hot shower to wash away my unconfirmed thoughts.
When David came home, it was lunchtime, and at that point, he had been gone for nearly four hours.
“Hi,” he leaned in, kissing me on the cheek. “I’m going to make a salad. Care to share?”
“Yeah, sounds healthy.” Gazing at him, I noticed his face was flushed. He didn't make much eye contact as he started chopping vegetables.
“What have you been doing this morning? Have you been writing?”
“No, not yet, I’m a little slow getting started today.”
“Well, don’t let me interfere. After lunch, I need to run back out.”
I couldn't imagine why he would have to leave so soon when he had just returned. And prior thoughts were creeping their way back into my mind.
“Someone stopped by earlier looking for you.”
“Oh, who?”
“Kayla.”
“She’s my neighbor.”
“She said you have something of hers she needed to pick up.”
“I do. Her photos.”
“Photos? Of her?”
“I took some photos of her for her portfolio. She’s a model.”
“Oh, I see.”
“I could take some of you if you'd like.”
“But I'm not a model.”
“But you could be.” He glanced up from the cutting board covered with diced tomatoes and cucumbers.
“Nice try.”
“You're not upset, are you?”
“No, no I’m not upset. It’s just the way she burst in here like she owned the place.”
“That's Kayla,” he let out a laugh, “that’s how she is.”
“So she’s been here before.”
“Well, yeah, you know I’m a photographer, right. I may be an amateur, but still…”
“What else do you do with her?”
“Please tell me you’re not going to go there,” he said, holding the knife by his side, “not here, not now, not ever.”
“I'm sorry, but I had to ask. I need to know what I'm getting myself into.”
“Getting into? C’mon Val, you know I take photos. Just take a gander at the walls around you,” he voiced, waving the knife through the air.
“Yeah, but I didn't know they included women… young women,” I paused, “half-naked women.”
“Look,” he said, still holding the knife. “What I do is my business. It doesn't concern you. If you think there's more going on, you're wrong, dead wrong.”
“I'm sorry, but think of it from my perspective. What if you moved in with me and were home alone one day and some hot guy came knocking at my door asking for me, telling you that I have something of his. Wouldn't you wonder?”
“No.”
“You wouldn’t?” Crossing my arms, I glared at him. “Not even a little bit?”
“No, because it's none of my business.” David's face reddened as his voice grew louder.
I figured I better drop it. I could never convince him to see my side, my point of view.
I retreated to the spare room, sat down at my desk, and stared out the window. I did some deep breathing as I tried to shake off the remnants of our first argument. In hindsight, it shouldn't have upset me as much as it did, but I allowed my emotions to get the best of me.
It brought me right back to our dinner that night at the harbor when I caught him leering at those two young women who had the same look as Kayla. I had the feeling he was attracted to those types of females and wondered what he was doing with me. I’m the complete opposite.
Flipping open my laptop, I clicked on a new document and gazed at the blank page. I tried forcing myself to write, but I couldn't concentrate.
