Kim Pritekel - Crossing Lines

"I saw it a few years ago, and fell in love with it before I even know it was yours. When I found out it was, I had to have it." She smiled shyly, but couldn't help her gushing over the stunning piece of art.

Kansas felt an aw garsh moment coming on. She actually scuffed her toe against the stone of the fireplace! "I'm glad you have it." She glanced shyly up at the brunette before quickly looking away. For just a moment, the awkward 17 year-old was back. Then, just as quickly, the cocky, confident 26 year-old was back. "So tell me, Nina, you finally figure out the benefits of being with a woman?"

Nina blinked once, twice, then took a slight step back. "I don't think that's any of your business, Kansas."

The blonde took a step toward the woman who had made her truly understand her sexuality. "Come on, Nina," she said, standing dangerously close, her eyes never leaving the brunette's. "Let's continue where we left off on your back porch." Kansas reached her hands out, lying them gently on the brunette's hips. Standing no more than a couple inches away, she leaned in, inhaling Nina's scent. "God, you smell so good," she whispered. "I always remembered that about you."

Nina's eyes slipped closed, her body pulsing. Then Kansas' words struck a chord: "I can smell you, baby. . . Smell good." Kansas' whispered words from the bathroom stall a week before. Nina grabbed the blonde's biceps in a firm grip, pushing her away. Kansas looked at her, stunned. Nina shook her head. "No. I refuse to be just another one of your girls. I won't be a notch for you, Kansas. I really want you to leave."

Kansas stood there, mouth falling open before snapping shut. She tried to hide her hurt but wasn't sure how successful she was. Running a hand through her hair, she kept it cool, backing away toward the front door. "Well, I hope you enjoy your purchase." With a small salute, Kansas was gone.

Nina stood in front of the fireplace long after the slam of the front door had cracked. Raising her gaze to the statue on her mantel, she sighed. "Shit." She headed upstairs to clean up the mess in the spare bedroom. As she gathered the cardboard that had kept the picture safe, Nina noticed the cardboard tube that had been set on the bed next to it. Curious, she sat on the edge, popping of the plastic end. Slipping her fingers inside, she felt the smooth face of thick paper. Slowly, carefully, she finagled the mystery sheet out, unrolling it. "Oh, Kansas," she whispered, seeing her favorite of the family of sketches from the back wall of the gallery. She checked the tube, hoping for a note. Nothing. With a heavy sigh, she glanced over at the photograph Kansas had just hung for her.

***

Nina headed into the gallery with purpose, eyes scanning the area. A few murmuring customers stopped their chatter to see what the rush was, but returned back to their conversations when she passed. She spotted Michael speaking with someone about one of Kansas' paintings, so walked over, but not too close. She paced impatiently.

"Sweetheart, what's the matter? You look like you're about to walk a hole in the floor," the man said, walking over to the brunette.

"Where's Kansas, Michael?" she asked.

"She hasn't come in, yet. I think she was finishing up a piece first. Why? Is everything okay?" Michael looked at her with concerned eyes.

"Yeah. I just need to talk to her. Listen, I'm going to head over to that bookstore across the street, get some coffee in the café. If she comes in within the next hour or so, please send her over."

Michael nodded. "Okay." He watched as the beautiful brunette headed out of the gallery, shaking his head. "Oh boy."

***

The bookstore was small, a locally owned shop with a surprisingly large selection of books and newspapers. Nina had made herself comfortable in an armchair with the latest Newsweek lying out on her lap. She sipped a mocha breve as she read.

Three scattered magazine later, and a very cold last few sips of mocha breve, someone sat down in the chair next to Nina's. She glanced up, blinking in surprise as she'd gotten so lost in her reading. Kansas grinned at her.

"You rang?"

"Hi. Uh, yeah." Nina slapped her magazine closed and tossed it to the small pile, scattering them to the floor. She chuckled shyly as she gathered them back together on the small table. "How are you?"

"I'm alright. And yourself?" Kansas reclined in the chair, crossing an ankle over her knee, booted foot tapping an unknown beat.

"I'm, well," Nina looked down at her hands, then up into the expectant green eyes of her companion. "I won't apologize, as I don't feel I did anything wrong, but I do want to thank you. The sketch was a wonderful surprise."

Kansas studied her for a long moment, then nodded. "You're welcome. If you're not going to apologize, then I guess I will." Kansas paused, running a hand through already messy hair. "I was an asshole. You don't deserve that." She grinned, crooked and rueful. "Guess maybe there's some latent anger in there somewhere."

"So then talk to me about it. Get it out." Nina indicated herself. "I'm here. Here's your chance."

Kansas stared at her for a moment like she'd lost her mind, but then seemed to warm to the idea. "Okay. I was pissed as hell at you for a long time. You were my first heartbreak. How's that? Let it out enough for ya?"

Nina sat there stunned, now wishing she'd never asked for it. She could see by the look in Kansas' eyes that she was speaking from the heart. "I guess I do need to apologize today," she said softly. "I hope now, living a little bit of life and understanding the way things work, you can understand why I did what I did."

"My head does. But my heart. . . "

"Doesn't have a clue," Nina finished.

"Pretty much." Kansas waived the coffee shop girl over, giving her a charming smile as she ordered a bottle of water. The girl quickly headed off to do her bidding. She turned her gaze back to Nina, waiting.

"I was trying to do you a favor by leaving the way I did, Kansas. It was wrong for me to feel the way about you that I did, and I knew that emotionally I was not in the right place to be feeling anything, or to trust any of those feelings. I left to give us both a chance to start over, fresh, and honest." She pleaded with her eyes for the blonde to understand. "You needed time and room to grow up and I needed time and room to figure out what the hell I wanted to do with my life, since I'd just walked away from my old one. Does that make sense?"

Kansas was quiet for a long moment, pulling out a couple bills to pay for her water as the girl returned with it. Twisting off the top, she stared off into space, thinking. Finally, after a long swallow of the cold drink, she nodded. "Yes. I can appreciate that. It doesn't mean I have to like it," she said with a raised finger, "but I can understand."

"Quite honestly, I figured you'd go on to college, meet some cute girl your own age, and forget all about me."

Kansas studied her for a moment, blonde head cocked slightly to the side. "Is that what you wanted me to do? Forget about you?"

"Well," Nina hedged, a small smile on her lips. "Maybe not completely, but I did want you to find happiness, yes."

"Did you? Find happiness."

"We're not talking about me," Nina said, trying her best to divert the attention back to Kansas.

"Oh, bullshit!" The blonde reached over and slapped her leg. "You're so full of crap your eyes should've been brown instead of gorgeous baby blue. Come on, Professor, teach me something."

"Cute," Nina drawled. "Yes. For the most part, I did find happiness. I leaned to be true to myself, and I got myself out of every situation that was bringing me down in life, or that was less than what I would accept- my marriage, my career, the lies I told myself, and had been since I was 22 years old."