'Hey Kat, what did Ron do for you today?' asked a cheerful Cara, making Katherine raise her head.
All the four girls sitting before her were looking at her intently, waiting for an answer.
If only she had an answer
...
'I am going to be late, guys,' said Kat as she glanced at her watch.
Although there was plenty of time for her class, she didn't want to spend the day answering questions, questions which made her even more miserable. As soon as she had stepped away from the table, the three girls started bitching about her.
'Ooh! Miss Secret,' snickered Cara, not caring about the fact that Kat was only a few feet away.
'I bet that guy must have done something really special for her,' said another voice, making everyone burst into laughter.
If only Ron had done something for me
... thought Kat as she closed the door of the café behind her, drowning the sound of giggles. Hell! He hadn't called her for a week. It was their first Valentine's Day and Ron hadn't called her even today. She had been trying to reach him but his phone was either switched off or out of coverage area. She clutched her bag tighter and kept walking, wondering where Ron was.
Miss Secret, my foot
muttered Kat under her breath as she walked towards her college. She really needed a new set of friends and most importantly, a new boyfriend. Why didn't anyone realize how she felt?
She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't see the 6'1" tall guy standing before her. She felt like she had collided into a brick wall. She was off balance and hadn't the strong arms caught her, she would have been down on the ground.
'Watch where you are going, young lady,' chided the brick wall, playfully.
She raised her head at the familiar voice, only to find Ron standing before her with a cheery look plastered on his face.
'Ron!' she exclaimed, her eyes widening as she looked at the guy standing before her. 'What are you doing here?' she asked a little irritated, stepping out of his hold.
'My flight landed an hour ago. I am coming from the airport,' he said, jerking his head towards a taxi, standing a few feet away.
'But why are you here? In a street which doesn't lead to your home?' asked Kat, cocking her head.
'I missed you,' he said softly, tucking a few strands of her hair beneath her ear. 'I thought that you might be in the café with your gang' he said, as he placed his hand around her waist and guided her forward.
'You missed me?' asked Katherine, her tone surprised. She shot him a sharp look and hissed, 'I know how much you missed me.'
Ron urged her to walk with him towards the taxi, his hand never leaving her waist. She tried to wriggle out of his grip, but Ron wouldn't let her go. Not wanting to create a scene, she kept walking.
'I am sorry, Kat,' he said remorsefully. 'The stupid phone was down most of the times and ...'
'What about payphones and emails?' she asked, not interested in listening to his baseless excuses. 'Or I wasn't worth even that?'
'You aren't going to make this easy for me, are you?' asked Ron, pulling her short.
Before Kat could reply, Ron hauled her into his arms, his lips only a few inches away from hers.
'You are worth everything in my life, baby. And don't you dare think otherwise,' he murmured against her lips.
Sensing that she would protest, he fused his mouth to hers; swallowing her words and making her go limp in his arms. She tried to fight but as soon as his tongue entered her mouth, her fingers crept into his short hair, pulling him still closer, wanting and craving ... His tongue stroked hers, barely meeting before retreating. His mouth ate at hers, making her moan with pleasure. Knowing that they were on the middle of the road, Ron pulled back a little, steadying Kat with his arm around her waist.
'I was busy, sugar,' admitted Ron softly as he ran a finger across her bottom lip. 'Last week was hell, baby.'
'I am sorry,' she apologized and caught his hand, bringing it close to her heart. 'I didn't mean to shout at you,' she whispered as she pressed herself closer to him.
'I understand, doll,' he said as he laid his forehead against hers, his hand stroking her back absent-mindedly.
'I have a class today,' she said as she pulled back a little and looked at him. 'I will be free in the ...'
'Don't go,' he said, taking her hands into his. 'Spend the day with me,' he said, brushing his lips against her knuckles.
'Ron ...,' she ran her fingers over his forehead, pushing back his hair, '... Baby, I will have to go today. Mrs. Sanders will throw me out of the class if I don't attend her lecture.'
'Ok,' said Ron as he let go of her. 'I will see you in the evening then,' he said and started to walk away.
'Ron,' she called back, taking a few steps to close the distance between them. 'Your car is still in the parking lot.'
Ron couldn't stop chuckling as he remembered the perfect occasion to spend time with her. Unable to mask his grin, he asked 'In that case, can I spend the day in your humble abode?'
'Of course, you can,' answered Kat, knowing very well that she couldn't refuse him. 'The spare key is under the flower pot,' she whispered against his ear. 'Let yourself in. I will try to come back soon,' she said and placed a peck on his cheek, before walking away towards her college.
She is going to be the death of me
thought Ron as he looked at her retreating figure. She was the best thing that had happened to him in a long time and he wouldn't do anything to lose her. And he hadn't even wished her yet.
What an ass he was
! He chuckled as he remembered all the gifts that he had bought for her from his business trip. This was going to be the best Valentine's Day for her. He would make sure of it.
***
Katherine looked at her watch as she stepped into the elevator. It was already 5 minutes past noon. The lecture had gone for an extra 30 minutes after the scheduled time.
Damn her luck
! And Ron would be waiting for her. She didn't want to keep him waiting. He was a busy man and he was just back from his trip. He would have to file the reports, do whatever he was assigned to do. She didn't want to keep him from his job.
As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she searched her bag for the key. She reached the front door, unlocked it and entered her home, before closing the door shut. Where was Ron? The curtains were drawn closed, putting the entire living room in darkness. There wasn't a single thing that indicated of Ron's presence in the house. The house was just as it was since she had left it in the morning. Had Ron gone back to his office? May be he had some work. But his car was still in the parking lot. She dumped her bag on one of the couches and turned back. She was about to reach for her phone, when she heard a rustling sound from her bedroom.
Kat tiptoed towards the bedroom, only to find that it was no longer the same old room. There were colorful papers strewn across the floor. His luggage was in a remote corner. It looked like he had been shopping. Bags from various shops were peeking out of his open suitcase. Gifts wrapped in colorful paper were heaped on an empty chair. A cute teddy bear sat on the bed against the headboard. And then she looked at the figure sleeping beside the soft toy. Ron looked exhausted and worn out.
God only knows when he had last slept
thought Kat as she neared towards the bed. He had changed into a T-shirt and sweatpants. His stubble looked good on him, giving him a rugged look. Not wanting to wake him up, she removed her sneakers and crept into the bed stealthily, careful not to make any noise. Once she was on Ron's side, she laid her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arm around his waist. She breathed in his scent, the faint smell of his cologne. He was warm and she wrapped her arms around him and snuggled into his hold. She heard his approval as drew her close and dropped a kiss on her forehead, sleepily. She sighed contentedly, mentally promising herself that she would just rest for a few minutes and that was her last thought as she drifted off into sleep.
***
'Wake up, sleepy head,' said Ron as he looked buttoned up his shirt, looking at Kat's reflection in the mirror.
'Hmm ... What time is it?' she asked lazily, taking her fill of the handsome guy dressing up before her.
'It's 15 minutes past 6 and you need to get your lazy ass out of the bed,' said Ron, rolling up his sleeves.
'What? Why didn't you wake me up?' asked Kat as she jumped out of the bed and glanced at the wall clock. 'Oh my God! I have been sleeping the entire day,' wailed Kat as she looked at him.
'It's alright, doll,' he said as he moved towards her, his gaze soft. 'You needed the rest. But now, you need to get ready otherwise we are going to be late.'
'Get ready? But where are we going?' Kat asked, eyeing him curiously.
'You will know once you get ready, Kat. Now, no more questions,' said Ron as a warning. 'Go and freshen up. You have an hour.'
'As you say, sir,' said Kat playfully as she walked into the attached bathroom and closed the door.