Craig stepped out of the shower
and grabbed his towel. He already was feeling better, almost as if the
hot water steamed some of the stress out of his body. He felt almost
relaxed as he grabbed his towel off the bar and wiped the mirror. He
toweled off, and slung the towel around his waist, tucking in the end so
it wouldn't fall. He opened the bathroom door and started toward his
bedroom down the hall. He stopped short, though, as his eye caught
movement in his kitchen. He had lived alone since his girlfriend Carrie
had moved out when they broke up six months earlier.
He quietly walked toward the kitchen, and saw a petite... blonde? Her hair was short, cut to the jawline at an angle, and had streaks of pink, green, and purple. He jumped back, surprised at the fact that someone was in his apartment. "Who the hell are you?"
The young woman closed his refrigerator door and smiled. "I'm Laney! And you must be Craig. How nice to meet you! Carrie's told me so much about you."
"How did you get into my apartment? And why are you even here?" Craig demanded. She didn't seem like a robber or murderer, but you never know in the city. Besides, if she was really Carrie's friend she would know they were history. "Tell me or I'll call the police." He hoped she wouldn't notice he wasn't exactly carrying a phone in his pocket.
"I'm Carrie's cousin. I've been in the Pacific Islands working for a year and we planned to meet up when I got back to the states. Didn't she tell you? Anyway, I couldn't reach her because apparently the phone number I have for her is wrong or something, but I knew your address and decided to come surprise her. Couldn't you hear me knocking?" she asked.
"Uh, no... I was ... "
Laney suddenly noticed how he was dressed. Or rather, not dressed. Her face turned as pink as the streaks in her hair. "Oh my goodness. I am so embarrassed! It never dawned on me that you'd be home during the day and showering. I thought you'd be at work and Carrie and I could catch up for a while before I met you."
"Let me put some clothes on real quick," Craig said. He hurried to his bedroom and closed the door, throwing on the first pair of jeans and t shirt he could find. How was he supposed to tell her about the breakup? It's obvious she knew Carrie... unless she was some stalker. He didn't get a bad vibe from her, though. And how did she get into the apartment? She never did answer that. He was still pulling the shirt down as he walked back down the hall. She wasn't in the kitchen any more, but was in the living room drinking one of his beers.
"I hope you don't mind that I grabbed a beer," she said. "It's been a year and I just couldn't resist."
"No problem," he said, getting one himself and sitting down on a bar stool at the counter that bridged the two rooms. "Are you really Carrie's cousin?"
Laney laughed. "Yes. Our mothers are sisters. They don't get along well, and I don't fit the conservative mold like the rest of the family. I'm the black sheep! Carrie and I stayed close, though, until I got fed up with family BS and took a job in a remote island village. I packed one suitcase with clothes and one with sunscreen and escaped."
"I still don't know you're not a stalker," Craig said. "Carrie never mentioned you to me. Tell me something no one else besides us would know."
"Like what, her birthmark on her ass?" Laney said. "Or her secret navel piercing from spring break that she finally took out because she was afraid of what her parents would say?"
Craig remembered the birthmark all too well. He knew about the piercing, also, and that she only had it for two weeks but it left a tiny scar.
© Copyright 2012 Christine (InspiredLife) (UN: christine918 at Writing.Com).
All rights reserved.
He quietly walked toward the kitchen, and saw a petite... blonde? Her hair was short, cut to the jawline at an angle, and had streaks of pink, green, and purple. He jumped back, surprised at the fact that someone was in his apartment. "Who the hell are you?"
The young woman closed his refrigerator door and smiled. "I'm Laney! And you must be Craig. How nice to meet you! Carrie's told me so much about you."
"How did you get into my apartment? And why are you even here?" Craig demanded. She didn't seem like a robber or murderer, but you never know in the city. Besides, if she was really Carrie's friend she would know they were history. "Tell me or I'll call the police." He hoped she wouldn't notice he wasn't exactly carrying a phone in his pocket.
"I'm Carrie's cousin. I've been in the Pacific Islands working for a year and we planned to meet up when I got back to the states. Didn't she tell you? Anyway, I couldn't reach her because apparently the phone number I have for her is wrong or something, but I knew your address and decided to come surprise her. Couldn't you hear me knocking?" she asked.
"Uh, no... I was ... "
Laney suddenly noticed how he was dressed. Or rather, not dressed. Her face turned as pink as the streaks in her hair. "Oh my goodness. I am so embarrassed! It never dawned on me that you'd be home during the day and showering. I thought you'd be at work and Carrie and I could catch up for a while before I met you."
"Let me put some clothes on real quick," Craig said. He hurried to his bedroom and closed the door, throwing on the first pair of jeans and t shirt he could find. How was he supposed to tell her about the breakup? It's obvious she knew Carrie... unless she was some stalker. He didn't get a bad vibe from her, though. And how did she get into the apartment? She never did answer that. He was still pulling the shirt down as he walked back down the hall. She wasn't in the kitchen any more, but was in the living room drinking one of his beers.
"I hope you don't mind that I grabbed a beer," she said. "It's been a year and I just couldn't resist."
"No problem," he said, getting one himself and sitting down on a bar stool at the counter that bridged the two rooms. "Are you really Carrie's cousin?"
Laney laughed. "Yes. Our mothers are sisters. They don't get along well, and I don't fit the conservative mold like the rest of the family. I'm the black sheep! Carrie and I stayed close, though, until I got fed up with family BS and took a job in a remote island village. I packed one suitcase with clothes and one with sunscreen and escaped."
"I still don't know you're not a stalker," Craig said. "Carrie never mentioned you to me. Tell me something no one else besides us would know."
"Like what, her birthmark on her ass?" Laney said. "Or her secret navel piercing from spring break that she finally took out because she was afraid of what her parents would say?"
Craig remembered the birthmark all too well. He knew about the piercing, also, and that she only had it for two weeks but it left a tiny scar.
Oh man- now you have me wanting to read MORE- I want to know what ends up happening to Craig and Laney- you have to finish this!
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