Awakening

4.

She
had instructed him to wait in her room while she got cleaned up he she sat down
on her bed, glancing around as he did so. He saw her phone lying beside him and
couldn't help noticing that her most recent message was still on the screen. He
knew that he should just leave it where it was, but knowing was one thing …
With a quick glance at the door, checking that Kelly wasn't about to return, he
lifted it and ran his eye over it, frowning at the seemingly innocent words.
Glaring at the phone, he had to resist the urge to send his own reply, telling
him exactly where to go.

style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Verdana'>Bug! Hope it's
terminal, bastard! style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Verdana'>hestyle='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Verdana'> thought angrily, but he was
distracted by light footsteps outside the door and dropped the phone back to
its original position, leaning back casually on the bed.

"All
done." announced Kelly as she walked in, her face scrubbed free of make-up
and her hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. Reaching down, she pulled off
her boots and then paused before turning to him.

"Turn
around …"

"Huh?"
he said, puzzled by her request, "Why?"

"Because
there's no point in being all dressed up with nowhere to go - I'm class=SpellE>gonna change and much as I appreciate you coming over, class=SpellE>ya ain't getting' a free
show!" she explained patiently.

"Oh,"
he said, realising then pretending to heave a sigh, "Damn!" He
started turning to face the wall, but then changed his mind. "No, wait -
don't do that. Lets - can I turn around again? - lets
make the most of a bad situation. Let me
take you out …"

"You
don't have to do that." she said, but she was smiling gratefully, knowing
he just wanted to cheer her up. "Besides, I wouldn't be much company right
now …"

“Ah,
come on, it'll do you good! You know the problem with you chicks? You think too
much! Now, take us guys – we got a problem, we go get wasted and forget about
it!" he tried to persuade her, "And besides, I'm offering to take
time out of my busy schedule here - the least you could do is class=GramE>make the most of it!"

"Oh,
of course," said Kelly, with a knowing look, "And how is the
wonderful Amy? How come she's giving you the night off?"

"Had
to tell her I'm washing my hair!" he joked, running a hand over the dark
stubble of his closely shaven head with a broad grin. "Nah, she's visiting
her sister for the weekend - thank God!"

Glad
to be distracted from the problems of her own love-life, Kelly focused her
attention gladly on Shaun's. "What's this - trouble in paradise? I thought
you two were a pretty hot item, by all accounts?"

"Too
bloody hot!" he retorted, "The girl has me worn out - I don't know
where she gets the energy!"

"Jesus,
Shaun, are you sick or something?" laughed Kelly,
"I never thought I'd hear you
complaining! Maybe you should be staying in tonight to recover?"

"I'll
survive …" he sighed with a long-suffering look, but there was a twinkle
in his eye as he added casually, "Just as long as you don't try jumping me
or anything!"

"You
don't half fancy yourself!" she scoffed, swatting at his arm, "But,
okay - I'll come. But if you end up sick of me looking like a wet weekend,
you've only got yourself to blame!"

He
smiled as she sat on the floor to tug her boots back on before hurrying to
reapply her make-up.

style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Verdana'>Sick of looking at her – yeah right!
Don't know why she's even bothering with that stuff, she looks gorgeous just
the way she is ... he thought to himself, style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>God, is this really a good idea? Why torture
yourself like this, man? It's more than obvious she's still in love with style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>him, even if he does treat her like
shit …

"Uh,
Kel?" he said aloud, having just realised that
he was wearing an old pair of sweat pants and a shirt which had seen better
days. "I'm just gonna scoot home and change -
can't have you showing me up! I'll bring the coundound when I'm ready, 'class=SpellE>kay?"

"Yeah,
just don't be long or I'll have time to change my mind!"

"I'll
be back before ya even have time to miss me!" he
quipped on his way out the door.

style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Verdana'>Why can't all guys be so …
reliable? Kelly
thought hopelessly, her face falling for a second. However, she appreciated
what Shaun was trying to do and decided she could at least make the effort,
even though going out was the last thing she felt like doing … It sure beat
curling up in a ball on her bed and crying her eyes out though; she couldn't
deny that. She could try to … get through …

*