Page 13 of Last First Time
The photos were collected over the many years since I was in college, so it probably did seem sort of shady. But the fact is I don’t do relationships. I never have. I go out with a beautiful woman every now and then, but I’m not going to apologize for being single and occasionally getting lucky.
I shake Kettelbaum’s hand, which is cold and clammy with sweat. “What are you going to do about this, Reed?” he mutters at me.
I raise my eyebrows at him. He’s a married man with five children under the age of ten. “Are you really doing this right here and right now? I’m not as lucky as you. I haven’t found the right woman yet, so this is what I get instead.”
He shakes his head gravely at me. “You’re going to have a lot of work to do to fix this, Reed. I appreciate everything you’ve done for our school, but the senator’s photographs make you look like a trashy party boy. I’m going to be fielding calls from the parents in this school district for the rest of the month.”
I sigh heavily. “I wish I could undo the whole mess, but I wasn’t the one who made it in the first place.”
“Are you sure?” Then he shakes his head, mouth in a thin line. “It doesn’t matter, and you know it. It doesn’t matter that I didn’t know what was about to happen either. We’re both going to be the ones taking the heat for your inability to keep your pants up. Thanks a whole lot.”
We turn toward the local paper’s photographer, both of us giving the worst, most painful looking smiles of our lifetimes. Maryanne is going to catch on fire when she finds out about this new disaster.
I scan the crowd for K.T., but don’t see her anywhere. I was going to have to find her immediately and clear this whole thing up. I can’t let her have the wrong idea about what’s going on with us, especially with this entire thing still so new and fragile. I don’t want her having any excuse to shut down on me again.
I shake off the remaining reporters with a smile and head out toward my car, where she’s pacing outside and tugging on her hair absently. She does this whenever she’s really worked up, and I not-so secretly think it’s extraordinarily hot. Because it makes me think of pulling her hair. Sorry, not sorry.
“K.T.,” I call to her, but it only increases her pacing and frenetic movements. “Hey, K.T.”
Her eyes flick up to mine and her mouth shapes what are undoubtedly some extremely unsavory curse words. One thing about this girl, she could make a sailor blush with her filthy mouth. Considering she was raised by a pair of actual hippies, I can’t understand where her skill with profanity comes from. But just like the hair tugging, it makes me a little bit hot for her in all those naughty ways it shouldn’t.
“What were we thinking, Reed?” She stops pacing and swearing and faces me dead on. “We were so stupid that we endangered everything about your campaign.”
I sigh roughly. “Let’s not do this here, okay? Let’s get into the car and head home and talk about it over a pizza and beer and horror movie.”
“No. Stop it. We can’t pretend like nothing happened here. Baron von Evil is making a move for your job and making you out to be some sort of manwhore in order to shore up his attack.”
I grip her shoulders gently. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll have to be a little more careful about stuff between us. No spanky hanky panky until after dark.”
She shakes her head viciously. “That’s not going to cut it and I know you know it. Quit trying to cute your way out of this, Kade.”
I let go of her so she can resume pacing. Sheesh. I get it. She’s a super private person and the bare hint that she could be next is driving her crazy. “Look Kar, none of those pictures were recent and none were of you. There’s nothing to worry about on that front at least.”
She makes a noise that sounds like I shot a moose. I haven’t seen her this worked up since stupid Jeffrey finally shit the bed for the last time with her and broke her heart into smithereens.
“You don’t get it, you big stupid boy. You think you can go around banging whomever you want all dirty across a desk and get photographed and there’s no consequences. But there are always consequences. Didn’t you pay attention during that whole Bill Clinton thing?”
I laugh, low and naughty. “I was only a kid then. Really had no clue what was going on to be honest. But an office blowie… that’s a campaign strategy I can support.”
“You pig. You shut your face when I’m talking to you about serious, grown up things.”
“You were the one that went to office blowie land, Kar. Not me.”
She smacks me, her little tiny hand hard against my chest. It only makes me laugh harder.
“Reed, be serious for a moment. We both know that I’m not going to be able to move my bar to any of the places we saw. It’s time for me to pack up and start over somewhere new. Let’s call this off now before everyone in Valentine figures out you’re nailing the town barmaid.”
My hand moves to her face, tracing the contours of it gently. “I still prefer the term
tavern wench.” She pulls away from me, and it actually hurts to have her pulling away from my touch so willingly.
“I’m not kidding. I have too much to do to keep taking these stupid chances with you. Take me home so I can start packing and get the fuck out of your way.” Her perfect arms are crossed in front of her again. I want to pull her close and soothe all of her hurts, but she’s deep into her head, feeling scared of everything, and I can’t fix this for her.
I try anyway. “You’re not in my way. You’re never in my way.”
She huffs. “And I’m not going to be either. Let’s get out of here, Rich Boy. Now.”
K.T.
