The Scheme

I coughed, choked on my water, and tried to compose myself as Kendy laughed in front of me.

“I’m kidding. So kidding.” She covered her mouth to tame her laughter. “There’s no way. I always use double protection.”

I picked up my napkin to wipe up the water, which had trailed from my mouth down to my shirt. “I just wasn’t expecting that.”

“I’m for real, though. It’s super hot in here.” She eyed my glass of water and I nodded, letting her know she could have a drink. Then she gulped it down, faster than the first one, and slammed the glass on the table. “Okay, let’s order, quick, before I have to pee.” Her eyebrows pulled together as she studied the menu. She bit her pinky nail, a habit I noticed when she was thinking deeply.

When she peered up from her menu, she quirked an eyebrow. “Do you already know what you want?”

“Yeah. Chicken sandwich,” I replied, entertained by her unladylike demeanor.

Her cheeks returned to their normal color as the flush from earlier left her face. “You know what? That sounds great.” She stood and squeezed her hands in front of her stomach as she started to bounce on her toes. “Order two. I really have to pee. When I come back, we need to talk.”

I shook my head, amused because she reminded me of a kindergartener, unable to hold her bladder. I watched her retreating back as she sprinted to the bathroom as people moved to the side.

Make way, people, I thought. Kendy’s gotta go potty.

***

KENDY

I stuffed a big bite of the chicken sandwich into my mouth, lessening the hunger pang in my stomach. I was starving. It was two-thirty in the afternoon, and this was my first meal of the day. The savory chicken had the right amount of spice, which had my belly singing its praises.

“So . . . what do you want to talk about?” He placed his sandwich on his plate and reached for his glass.

“Just about, you know . . . about us and last night.” I shied away as warmth spread from the apple of my cheeks to the tips of my ears. I took in his face, knowing we knew each other on a different level now. Nothing should be embarrassing anymore. We’d seen each other buck-naked. But I still had no idea how to start this conversation, so I used humor to cover up my unease in typical Kendy-like fashion. “We need to talk about last night and the power. Did you feel the power?”

Brian spat out his drink again, throwing his head back in a huge belly laugh. “Jeez, Kendy. Give a guy a warning.”

I batted my eyes at him. “You never answered my question.”

He leaned in, a seductive smile creeping up his face. “Yes, you’ve got the power, and I want a repeat sometime.”

His lusty look made my whole body tingle. I bit my lip, trying to understand this reaction. Yes, I was most definitely aroused, but there was something more that I couldn’t place. I shoved down the feeling and forged forward.

When I touched his forearm, once again I felt a zap of electricity zinging between us. “You’ll feel it, all right,” I said, my seductive tone matching his.

My bare back hit the cold chrome seat as I rested against it. I needed some air, some space between us if this talk was going to turn serious. “First, though, we’ll need to discuss some rules, expectations.” I waved my hand in the air like it was no big deal. “We’re just doing this for fun, right?” I wanted to know we were on the same page and he had no issues with our arrangement.

He tilted his head, thinking about it for a second, which made me nervous. Then he said, “Sure, no worries.” Though, his eyes were tight. “I’m too occupied with work to think of anything else.”

I must’ve had a distressed look on my face because he placed his hand on top of mine on the table, his thumb caressing my fist. “Don’t worry. I know you’re set on Stiff.” I sensed a tinge of bitterness in his tone, and I suddenly felt like the biggest hoochie.

What woman had her sights set on a guy she was going to marry, all the while making arrangements to sleep around with her friend?

But as soon as I asked myself the question, the little devil shoved that little angel off my shoulder and said, A strong woman who doesn’t take shit, who knows what she wants and how to get it. If you’re up front with Brian, why can’t you have your cake and eat it, too? Guys do it all the time.

The little devil was right. Why the hell not?

Still, it made me a bit uneasy. I’d feel better if he was all in and totally okay, not just saying it to make me feel better.

His eyebrows pulled together, giving me an inkling that he was having doubts.

“Does it make you feel uncomfortable?” I asked. “That I have my sights set on Dr. Klein?”

“No. Not at all.” He gave me a small smile as he paused to examine me. “I just don’t get it, Kendy. You’re beautiful and smart, and that guy seems like a total dick. I guarantee you he’s not settling down anytime soon.”

So he was worried about me? The doubt I sensed earlier was caused by his concern for me, and my insides swooned at his thoughtfulness.

And he just called me beautiful. I didn’t realize I was smiling so big until my cheeks started hurting.

Dimming that smile, I told him, “I’m attracted to him.” It wasn’t a good enough answer. “And . . .” I paused, ready for him to laugh again. “It’s what that psychic predicted.” The truth was, I’d been holding onto this prediction for years, my last string of hope that I could move on from what Cole had done to me, a hope for ending my tormented past.

I reached for the saltshaker and stared at the minuscule particles. My voice dropped an octave. “You have to know what I’ve been through to understand.” I winced, the desperation I was so familiar with emerging.

Brian put his hand on mine, but I pulled it back. I didn’t need consoling; I needed to move on. I had this bitter taste in my mouth, all because the psychic’s last prediction had had everything to do with Cole.

“It’s her last prediction. And it has to come true.” I let out a heavy sigh, forcing myself to see the speck of light at the end of the tu

Brian broke me from my morbid thoughts and threw a twenty on the table. I hadn’t even realized the waiter had dropped off the check. Again, thoughts of my past were keeping me from being in the present.

“You ready?” he asked, standing. “Want to take a walk through Central Park?”

He held out his hand and, after a beat, I stood and placed my hand in his as the familiar warmth from earlier spread through me.

“Sure.” I smiled. “Let’s go.”

***

BRIAN

As much as I hated that she was still going after that prick, who didn’t deserve her, I needed to erase the desolate look from her face. I sensed something deeper going on with her obsession with this damn psychic, but I wouldn’t press her.

Central Park bustled with people enjoying the su

“You know the great thing about this country?” she said. “We get to walk around freely, do what we want. We have free will to choose, not like some countries that live under a dictatorship.”

Odd topic choice.

She stopped and moved to the side as joggers passed us. I expected her to make some comment or joke about the shirtless guys, but she just stared blankly in front of us. “When your free will is taken away, that’s when all hope is gone.”

I frowned at her, my muscles tensing. What was she getting at? And why did it sound like she was speaking from experience?

I wondered where this conversation was headed, but I kept quiet, because she still had that look in her eye. The spark, the light I was usually accustomed to seeing in Kendy’s eyes was replaced by a desolate look of utter despair.

She turned to me and such hopelessness passed over her face. “What if that one person, the person you loved the most, who you thought would never, ever do you wrong, took away your free will . . . and suddenly you felt helpless?” Her eyes broke, and all of me wanted to cross that invisible line and ask her who the hell had hurt her so I could rip their limbs apart.