Chapter 6 part 2
In a flash, many things were coming together about Khrystine. He understood why she was so outgoing one minute, and so reticent the next. The very act of loosing her boyfriend in death was such a painful wound to her that she protected her feelings around others without even realizing that was what she was doing. She was glamorous, beautiful, confident sure, but she also had a deep tender spot in her heart that ached, and it spurned on his attraction even more. To hurt was human, and it made Khrystine more human that ever before in his eyes. Still he never wanted her to suffer so. He wished he could erase her grief with the stroke of his hand, and abolish memories she found so painful. However she seemed reluctant to talk about it, eager to change the subject.

“That pizza was really good,” she said softly.

“Yeah, Sals is the best,” he said.

“Beer?” he asked, pouring her beer in the paper cup she’d asked for.

“Thanks. I love Corona’s,” she added sipping gingerly.

It cracked him up how lady like she sipped her beer, he wanted to laugh, but he didn’t want her to mistake his laughter for making fun of her. She just had cute ways that made him want to chuckle.

“Corona’s eh? Well, I’m a Budweiser man myself. That’s all I drink, that’s all that tastes good to my pallet, andheiser bush,” he said chuckling.

“Dylan, I’m surprised to hear you say that. If you really like beers, there are all kinds that are good. Mexican beers, Chinese beers, of course none so good as an Australian beer to me,” added Khrystine.

“So you really drink beer huh? I thought you just liked it to go with your pizza or something, I mean I know you said in the pizzeria that you liked beer but, it doesn’t fit in with you, and your image,” added Dylan.

“What image?” chuckled Khyrstine.

“I don’t know…sophisticated. I didn’t know classy women dug beer, but since you do now I know that’s true,” added Dylan.

“Dylan, you’ve gotta stop categorizing people so. Maybe I am classy, I don’t know, I never thought about whether I was or not, people say that I am…but I love a good brew! I love something good to drink period. That’s probably my worse trait,” chuckled Khrystine.

“You too? It’s the business, I swear it, they drive us to drink,” he said falling prey to chuckles.

She chuckled too.

“Yeah I like all sorts of stuff, mixed drinks, wine, beer, it’s not only for sweaty guys watching the football game,” chuckled Khrystine.

“Hey I’m one of those sweaty guys that likes to watch football,” laughed Dylan.

“Hey I don’t know much about football, but you know, I like to play that BackYard BaseBall videogame,” laughed Khyrstine.

Then she clammed up.

“Khrystine, it’s okay, to be yourself. Nothing wrong with liking BackYard BaseBall. A lot of people like videogames. I happen to have a copy of that game at home. If you’re really good, maybe you can play the master,” he said pointing at his chest.

“Ha, yeah right. I shouldn’t have admitted to playing that silly game,” she said softly.

“No yeah you should have. I don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours, but you aren’t loosing sophistication points with me. I mean it’s nice that you are glamorous, but even nicer that I know that along with the time you spend in the mirror you like videogames, and beer. That’s stuff that we have in common. It’s cool. I’m not gonna go run and tell the tabloids,” he added softly.

“Well I mean, I just don’t wanna be childish. People already treat me that way because even though I’m an adult, I’m still young. Most of the guys on my staff have kids my age,” she sighed.

“Yeah, but that’s the point, they are on your staff. But you are the woman running the show. You are only Twenty-one. It’s okay to like games, its okay to like beer. Be yourself. I like who I’m learning about,” he added softly.

He could see her shoulders square as though she was literally gaining confidence. She leaned on the side of his car, one hand on her hip as she recounted…


“I play dirty on that game. There are no fouls, there is no walking, and I play just like I was playing baseball in the backyard, I’ll pull your shirt if you get in my way and everything,” she laughed.

“That’s what Backyard baseball is all about. Heck I’d cork my bat if I could. The dirty advantage. That’s how dudes really play ball. Listen, this was fun and everything, but I’m not ready for it to be over. Why don’t you come back, see my apartment, and we can play that game. I wanna see how good you are,” added Dylan excitedly.

He couldn’t hide his delight, he was grinning ear-to-ear and beaming. Who knew the beautiful and sophisticated Khrystine Morgan liked beer and videogames. He’d stereotyped her, and she had probably thought of him the same way.

“Dylan, I don’t know, it’s getting later, and I have some interviews to do tomorrow and…”

Everytime he tried to get closer to her, she backed away. And given the excitement he’d just felt over her revelation, it was beginning to frustrate him.

“Khrystine, if you don’t wanna hang out with me anymore today, just say so. Get in the car and I’ll take you home,” He added walking around to the passenger’s side and opening the door for her.

She sat in her seat, he sat in the driver seat, put the car in motion and sped down the hill toward the direction of the city.

“Dylan you don’t’ have to get so mad, I mean I have other commitments,”

“Other commitments? Khrystine, you frustrate me. I can admit it to you. I understand you’ve been hurt in the past. I understand that life right now has got you feeling like you don’t wanna trust people. But I wouldn’t hurt you Khrystine. I just wanna get to know you, play a little videogame, show you my home and the things that are important to me. I never invite people into my home, but the band, and my male friends,” he added softly.

“Well Dylan that’s really sweet but, I really do have interviews to do tomorrow and I…”

“Khrystine, I think you are making excuses. I do interviews, you only have to be halfway alert enough to answer their questions. And if they are phone interviews, please. What are you afraid of? Are you afraid you actually might enjoy yourself, and have a good time,” added Dylan hotly glancing at her.

“Dylan, woah, why are you coming at me so strong. It’s like you are yelling at me and inviting me to come over at the same time. You are being unreasonably aggressive right now, and it makes me uncomfortable and you are speeding,” she added glancing at the speedometer.

He let up off the acceleration.

“I speed when I’m angry. I’m sorry. I’ll slow down. I’m also sorry I made you uncomfortable. But you’ve gotta know how frustrated you make me. Every time I try to get to know you a little better, you give a little and then you back away. Am I creepy to you or something, is that it?” he added ducking down the main boulevard.

“No you aren’t creepy, but you are acting like a spoiled brat because I don’t want to play with your toys, and that is creepy. I had a great time today, but I’m ready to go home. You can’t just plan an itinerary and expect everyone can just go along with you at the drop of a hat,” spat Khrystine.

“I’m not being a spoiled brat. This is craziness. Fighting over an invitation to spend more time together. I’ve never met anyone quite as difficult as you. You are a rose, but I keep getting stuck by the thorns around the base,” he sighed.

“Thorns, thorny? Dylan, I’m not like anyone else you might have in your harem, you can’t just expect that you’ll say jump and I’ll say how high,” scoffed Khrystine.

“Harem? Harem? That’s how you feel about me. Oh so I see why you don’t wanna come to my place. You think I want you as part of a Harem? You really think that after I comforted you on the rock, showed you my secret view of the city, and my top secret Chevy restoration pictures. You think that I was just selling you a line, and all those things aren’t really important to me. Sounds crazy but in a few days I was starting to feel real close to you, especially after you revealed about your boyfriend. But I see the feeling isn’t mutual. You think I’m just a hardheaded rebel playboy like they show in the press,” he sighed.

“Dylan, that wasn’t what I meant, I was angry because you said I was thorny. You think I’m a difficult to deal with spoiled, snobby diva. I can tell. You thought I didn’t drink beer, you acted surprised that I had emotional feelings beyond my hair and nails, so, my press has preceded your dealings with me as a person too,” snapped Khrystine.

“Yeah, and that’s another thing, you’re so defensive, always ready with a quick witted comeback, always ready to twist the javelin deeper in my side. I don’t think you want anyone to be close to you. And that’s a shame. I see things about you that are lovely even amongst the things that frustrate me. But I’m not a faucet. I’ll not be turned on and off. When you’re ready to deal with a person that you can’t turn on and off like your cosmetics mirror, come find me. I’m not real sophisticated, not exceptionally articulate, or bright, but if I really care about something, I care about it deeply. But hey, the press doesn’t see that, and anyway, they need to sell their papers. Where do you live, I’ll take you home,” added Dylan.

“I’m not always ready with a quick witted comeback. I think you don’t like me because you can’t control me,” she said hotly.

“Control you? Control you? I don’t wanna control you, I just want to get to know you better. I was offering to share things with you that I only care with my closest buds. I wanted to be a friend to you and know you, but I’m sorry if it got mistaken for being controlling,” he said softly.

Dylan, I’m sorry, you don’t have to take me right home, listen, we can go back to your place and play with the game and…”

“No Khrystine. I don’t want to be the recipient of pity time. When you spend time with me, I want it to be because you really wanna be with me, not cuz you feel sorry because of an argument we’ve had, or you feel badly about your actions,” he said.

“But Dylan, I had no right to react the way that I did. I really did have plans, but I shouldn’t have blown up at you earlier and said what I had about the harem, I wish I hadn’t declined now. I wanna take it all back,” she added glancing at him.

The sincerity in her eyes pained him. But he had to put his foot down. There could be no more of this close one minute, backing off the next, it hurt him too much. He had to let her know how much this displeased him. Still the tender side of him wanted to hug her and say….all is forgiven, and he wondered where that came from, he didn’t know how tender his feelings could be before he’d met Khrystine.

“I shouldn’t have called you a thorn either. I wish I could take it back. But you heard me, and once someone hears something sometimes its too late to take it back, you can just work though it. Listen, it’s best for me to take you home. You said yourself you had interviews to do, and I don’t wanna feel like you are with me only because you feel guilty about something. I want you to be with me because you want to be there…” he said softly.

“But Dylan I’ve changed my mind and I wanna go back to your place now,” she added insistently.

“Some other time maybe. I’ll take you home. I had a nice time today. Now where is it that you live again?” asked Dylan.

“I live on Monroe Boulevard,” said Khrystine softly.

He couldn’t even look at her as he made the turns down the boulevards to the one he directed. Her whole expression was pained and hurt. He did not want to hurt her, but it was too painful for his heart to deal with her hot and cold emotions. He had to show her that he needed her to deal with him consistently, even as the thought of bidding her goodbye, when he’d planned to spend the whole rest of the day with her pained him. He’d miss those beautiful dark eyes, her heavenly smile, the adorable chuckle. But it was ever more painful to think of these things appearing and disappearing flickering into a realm beyond his control.

He drove to her condo in silence, and when she finally pointed out the section for him to pull in front of he mentioned…

“I had a great time today. I’m sorry it ended on such a sour note. But whenever you are ready to deal with someone you can’t turn on and off, you know where to find me,” he added softly, his voice was growing husky and he felt a trickle in his throat.

It may well be the last time he’d see her, but he couldn’t deal with her shutting him on and off again. He was starting to care deeply for Khrystine, the beautiful r&b princess and the vulnerable person hidden behind all those layers.

“Take care,” he murmured hugging her chastely around the neck.

Her eyes were clearly watery and she said…

“I’ll call you,”

“Only if you wanna deal with someone you can’t shut on and off. Mama I can’t deal with this on off stuff, and I really don’t wanna play games. Heck you know from the press that there are plenty of women to play games with. My heart was coming from a place that was real…and since it’s real, I can’t do the on, off stuff. And if you aren’t ready for that, then I’ll see you around, they’ll be functions and stuff. I wish you all the best Ms. Morgan, I know you’re going straight to the top in that life of yours,” he said, valiantly putting on a smile even though he felt nearer to tears than he had since he was a young man.

“I mean don’t make it sound like we are saying goodbye forever,” said Khrystine stepping out of the car.

“We don’t have to be. I thought it was clear. But you of all people should know that I don’t wanna feel like a toy,” he added softly.

“You aren’t a toy to me. Dylan, I’m sorry. I had a nice time too,” she said.

“So did I. See ya around,” he added speeding off in his Chevy.


- posted by Mahogany @ 2:35 PM