Chapter Nine.

Corrie.

I looked at her as she seemed to take in all I had said. She looked so worried so I decided we should maybe talk about her which I thought was a good idea cause I had wanted to get to know more about her.

“Okay, I wouldn't say I had the same childhood you had. I think I had everything I could have ever wished for. I guess my parents were not badly off after all maybe except for the fact that I was a breech baby. At least that's what my mum normally told me blaming me for being pigheaded right from birth.”

“Okay but I'm sure you have something you would love to share. Right? Oh yeah, you can tell me about your ex boyfriend so that I know what to keep myself away from so that all that hatred can't be transferred to me.”

Seeing her smile again at my words seemed to bring out the best in me. I put my hand over hers caressing it to make her loosen up and

feel comfortable.

“You know you also don't have to say anything if you don't feel to it right now. In fact let's do something else. I know a place you're going to love. Okay let me say I'm guessing you will love it.”

"What makes you so sure I will love it?" She voiced back.

“Why don't you accept my invite first then we shall see about that later?”

"Ohh and aren't you so cocky after all. Its one thing I have always admired about you and your ability to make everyone around you

smile."

Her words surprised me and this meant I also made her smile. My hopes were all brought back up but I decided to have a laissez faire

attitude. I just hoped she liked what I was going to show her.

“So is it a yes or no, smiley? Or does everything about you mean patience cause if that's the case, then we won't have a problem

with each other.”

"Well, what do you think?"

“You tell me. Do I want to go or not?”

“So somebody wants to put up a challenge, huh?”

"Hey there, I'm taking Lauren out of here if that's okay with you." I called out to Carl and the rest at the counter.

"As long as you bring her back happier and in one piece then you have my permission." Jess said with a smile.

Carl and Trey seemed to agree with Jess and just smiled at me with a dismissing attitude. So I had their permission, not like I needed it

but I thought it would maybe make Lauren feel a little more at ease.

"Who says they get to decide for me?" Lauren snapped back.

“Oh no, they don't get to, the decision is now yours. I just wanted their approval which I got and like I said, if it needs patience then I

guess I'm not in a rush after all. I will surely wait on you. So what do you say?”

"Shhs, I'm thinking here. Let me see."

“Okay my patience has run out. I guess I am not that patient around you after all so...”

I pulled her out of her seat where thankfully she got up easily cause if she hadn't I had planned on lifting her meaning I was a little disappointed because I didn't get a chance to hold her but we were out of the diner shortly leaving everyone else in total amazement and satisfaction. It wasn't the case for me since I felt rather insatiable cause I wanted more than just a night out with her. It was her that I wanted wholesomely. It was her that I needed to feel alive again. It was her.

“Get into the car or I help you to it, smiley.

"I could sue you for kidnap."

“Let's see if this will not change your mind. And perhaps I wouldn't call it a kidnap. There were witnesses and there were no signs of

struggle meaning it was also your will.”

"You know the police here believe ladies more when we say anything so don't be so confident."

“Like I said, let's see if this won't change your mind. So are you getting in or what?"

"I thought you said you had a lot of patience."

“And I also remember mentioning it wasn't so much of the case with you. You make me this way.”

"Are you blaming me for what you already were before we even met."

“Not only that but also for what I am about to do.”

Lauren.

I don't know why his words left me in state where I couldn't see anything else but only him. He was now staring into my eyes causing me to feel a little uneasy. He was now moving from his side of the car to where I was standing. His eyes didn't leave mine and neither did mine. Feeling the skin of his hand on my arm alone was enough to send me to a new world. The intimacy of it all felt so surreal and that's when I felt his lips press against mine. It was happening. I won't deny I had ever gone this far just in my thoughts but living the moment was more of a dream than it was just in my head every other night. His lips were the soft kind and tasted like something fruity which I guessed came from the drink he had had earlier on as we chatted in the diner. His arms were wrapped around my waist and just like that I couldn't hold it back. I kissed him right back where it was a bit harder cause I had to raise my heels to farther reach up to his mouth with more ease where he even helped me to it and before I could notice he had opened the door to the backseat of his car and we were lost in each other.

Fifteen minutes later.

Corrie.

"I think we should take this slower."

“Yeah, you're absolutely right. We should.”

"Maybe we should get to where you had planned we should go earlier."

“Oh, yeah right.” I couldn't believe I had just done that with of all people, Lauren. We had not gone far but I can't believe I had just kissed the girl I had always had in my mind. Sitting in the same car as her as I drove to the place I always went to whenever I wanted to be away from home even sounded insane. I had lost my mind. I had never told anyone I was so close to about this place before cause I didn't want to be judged for my love of karaoke and now I was taking her. This was even bizarre. Whenever I fought with my dad or just wanted to be away from home for sometime. I normally walked to some karaoke bar which wasn't rather that far away but from the diner it was forty five minutes away by car. I thought she would love it there. Some days when I even got drunk, I would end up singing with the guys there. So I guessed it would be the place to take away her sadness just like it always worked for me.

"Are you ready to get wowed?" I called back to her as I packed in the nearest station. I opened the door for her as I pulled her towards where the bar was stationed.

"This place looks a bit familiar."

“Does it really?”

"No, don't mind me. I think its just all in my head."

Okay that had really surprised me but I let it pass. We could now see the crowded entrance door with everyone struggling to get in but since I normally came here and sometimes sang, the manager had granted me a customer pass. I just always used the exit to get in.

"How the hell do you even expect us to get in there?"

“Don't you worry about that. I gat it all figured out, my lady.”

I think I was getting used to the way she always smiled at what I said but I don't know why it always seemed new and let me see how to put it. Horrendously different. I wondered how she always managed to smile differently every other time but watching her smile made me feel alive. We entered through the exit and theinside was almost full but I had called earlier and asked for a VIP spot to be reserved for me. So we scurried on through the sweaty audience directly into the VIP corner. I pulled out a seat for her and headed to the counter to pick up some drinks for us. As I came back and sat close to her wrapping my arms around her waist, I noticed it was my favorite band playing tonight. You're going to love listening to those guys play. I told her that and seeing her jumping with a lot of excitement meant she had loved it. I knew I hadn't messed up. She had loved my surprise and we were all interested in karaoke. We felt the music and surprising we were all singing along. Okay this was amazing, she enjoyed karaoke just like I did.

Lauren.

Seeing Corrie drive up here was a little surprising. I had been here before like a couple times. Hmm mm, that's obviously because Terry had brought me here to listen to him sing. He had belonged to some band that performed here sometimes. But remembering how Corrie had been excited about surprising me which surprise I had almost ruined by saying the place looked familiar, I decided to just play along and enjoy his surprise. It wasn't really that hard to pretend cause I had enjoyed it here before, I loved the bands and most of all I adored karaoke. I only hoped Terry wouldn't be here

tonight. We sang along to the song which I noticed surprised Corrie but he too kept singing.

"Hey there man, I didn't know you would be here tonight." A voice came from beside Corrie where by it softened up almost into a whisper as I looked up to find out who it was cause the voice seemed rather not new to my ears. It was Terry. Terry fucking Winston. I couldn't hold back my anguish. It had just been rejuvenated.

"Lauren?"

Hearing him say my name again and the way he had talked to Corrie as if they had known each other for a while even drained the little energy I still had in me.

"You guys know each other?" Corrie had voiced back as if in question looking between Terry and I as if trying to join all the dots.

This made me think considering the fact that they knew each other,maybe Corrie was also gay and I didn't know about it. I hoped my intuition wasn't right.

“Yes, he is my ex-boyfriend.”

“Ex-boyfriend?” Corrie looked to be taken aback by my revelation which meant of course he knew Terry was gay.

“But how is that even possible, Terry is...”

"Gay." I completed for him but he moved on as if to the next line.

“And perhaps, he has never mentioned that to me cause I had once talked about you. Ooh that explains why he knew you but I thought

he had just seen you around campus. But still there is nothing here that makes sense. Anybody care to explain this to me?”

Hearing him admit he had once talked about me to another guy made me feel I guess a little flirtatious. It also made me forget the possibility that he may have lied to me and that he is actually not gay but I still had my doubts.

"I will explain but first we need to get out of here." I told Corrie as I picked up my bag. He looked back at Terry as if excusing himself

from him and followed me to the exit.

"Okay, we are out now, care to explain what just happened in there?" Corrie said as soon as we were out and walking towards his car so I started.

“Terry is my asshole ex-boyfriend. I obviously didn't know he was gay before that which was one of the reasons we had broken up.

He had lied to me and cheated on me with men. I know you're now thinking I am stupid but yeah I wouldn't blame you cause that's

exactly how I felt when I found out. The fool fucking admitted to it all in my face.”

I felt tears run down my cheeks. This day had just been my worst since the day senior year had started. I felt like crap at this point.

"Of course I don't think of you as stupid. It was not your fault that scumbag I had always considered a friend had had you all fooled around. I could use kicking his ass right now for hurting you but it wouldn't bring me any good.”

He had just said they were friends. It made me feel a little jealous but the fact that he had considered kicking Terry's ass for me made

me feel I guess, loved.

"It's getting late, I think we should get going." I told him as I opened the door to the passenger's seat. He joined me in a second later and I felt his hand on my thigh as he caressed it.

"You know I didn't expect tonight to turn out like this."

“It's not your fault. I should have told you earlier when I had thought he would be here when I recognized the bar but I guess everything happens for a reason.”

With that, he drove me back to my apartment where he left after apologizing to me and leaving a kiss on my forehead. I didn't know

what to think of tonight. I didn't want to talk to anyone as yet and luckily Tess was not yet back from her date. I washed up and entered my bed as soon as I was through with texting Jess I was back but would talk to her about it the next day. She replied in agreement and wished me a good night where I did the same in return. I wished I would wake up the next day with everything back to normal and was as happy as I was earlier on before karaoke. At least I still trusted Corrie which I guessed was more important to me. A small part of me was still optimistic and grateful for the night he had worked hard to give me though it didn't turn out in his expectation. I just wanted to sleep it off.

Just Like That. ©2020 by Laurie Lae.