This Time Around

Ó Starrylies

Kirsten stared at the TV in horror. Her usually styled and perfect black hair was disheveled, raked through a million times and just a plain mess around her beautiful oval face. Her mascara had been smeared across her eyes and dripped down her cheeks trailed in her salty tears as her body shook. Her purse laid in the middle of the floor, the contents spilled out over the white carpet when she had heard the flooding words of the newscaster’s late breaking news.

Kirsten stared blankly ahead as she heard the hammering noise of the phone ringing. She guessed that it was her mother, or her sister Jessica, or maybe even Joseph from work, but she felt the news smothering her making her gasp for air. Maybe it was the new shampoo that she had picked up so that her long raven black strands were clarified and flip worth, or maybe it was the fact that she was suppose to be that flight. Just ten minutes earlier she had been at the airport waiting on him.

"What do you mean you can’t come?" Kirsten had asked her newly manicured hand perched on her shapely hips.

Beau looked at her, his dark eyes those holding that soulful look that she had fallen in love with when he had been her teacher’s understudy in college. He looked like he hadn’t shaved in a day or two, stubble shadowing his chin like a tortured artist making her knees weak. She had the sudden urge to whisper dirty little thoughts in his ear, pull him in one of those airport bathrooms, and peel off that cute little lumberman’s shirt he was wearing with those rugged dark jeans. "She knows something’s up. I can’t risk it Kirsty," His voice rumbled. It jumped through Kirsten’s spine like warm honey, feeling it to her toes.

She, of course, was Beau’s wife, Lauren. Kirsten’s dark brown eyes looked to his wedding finger where he was sporting the simple gold band that he usually hid in her presence. She knew the touch of it by memory, the way it slipped off so easily when they were entangled in a kiss. In the band it had inscribed Beau and Lauren, March 17, 2000. Forever is never too long with love. Sweet, Kirsten thought, feeling bile rise up in her throat at the realization of what was going on.

"So its off?" She stated not hiding the annoyance. She had been planning this getaway for a long time. Her bags had been packed and she had even bought fun new lingerie to test out, but then again…a wife put a damper on everything.

"I can’t Kirsty, I’m sorry," He stated reaching for her hand.

"Don’t," Kirsten stated pulling back out of his reach. She didn’t want to feel his skin on hers. She didn’t feel like ralphing on her new Doc Marten’s. Her eyes wanted to burn holes in him. She wanted him to know she was disappointed and that she just couldn’t be "strung" around.

"Maybe we can get together later," he suggested quietly, his eyes pleading with her. His dark irises pulling at her heart strings willing her to give in. She didn’t say anything, which she knew, made Beau nervous. "Kirsty don’t do this to me," He commented shaking his head and shoving his hands in his pant’s pocket.

"I didn’t do anything. You’re the one that chooses to stay with her," Kirsten accused her eyes narrowing as she felt like a complete fool.

"I know, and it will be over soon. I just don’t want to hurt the kids," Beau frowned looking hurt by her words and scorn.

Kirsten grabbed her bag up and slung it on her shoulder. She had better things to do like get her bags back from check out and trade her ticket in to something else. She had taken her time off from her local newspaper to take this vacation, blabbering to everyone about how she was going away for a romantic weekend with the man of her dreams, and now she would be the laughing stock of the office if she went back. Her mom and sister had also knew of the tryst and deeply disapproved, but wanted Kirsten to be happy.

"Kirsty…" He uttered grabbing for her wrist gently.

She reflexively wiggled out of his wrist and hissed, "Go to hell." Before leading her feet blindly to wherever the hell she was going. That was then. She had been so bitter about Beau calling their vacation to Rome off, and now she was sitting on her couch in her Raleigh apartment watching the wreckage of the plane that they’d be on right now burning to ashes as firefighters fought to control the hungry flames. Irony, Coincidence, and Fate were real funny. Kirsten idly wondered if she had missed the joke of it all and if it really even mattered….

Authors Note: I have been toying with the idea of making a writing group (via yahoogroups) that would be like a beta group for writers who write about modern women/girls who are spunky, not afraid to say anything, etc. If you are interested in the idea, please send me an email at . Thanks