The Commitment(77)

"Aw, come on, Katie. Have a drink with me for old time's sake. We can catch up. I've been over in Africa for the past few months. It's nice to see a familiar face. Besides, you broke my heart, you know."

I frowned. "I didn’t break your heart. It was the other way around."

"You told me to fuck off and find someone else to push around, if I recall…"

"And then I apologized and tried to explain but you never returned an email or phone call."

"I was crushed. You made me feel like a monster. I knew that if I went back to you, you'd break up with me eventually because that was me – dominant, controlling."

"I was so," I said, struggling for words. "So naïve back then. I really didn’t understand myself or what was happening between us."

"Me as well. Kate, I want to apologize for being a first-class jerk in the way I treated you. I had all these needs I didn't understand. I understand them now."

I looked at his face and didn’t see any deceit on it, but he was so attractive, his face so innocent in its masculine beauty, I had no idea if he was putting it on or being truthful.

"Give me a chance," he said, leaning closer, his finger brushing my cheek. "Let's have coffee. Dinner."

At that moment, a flash went off and I turned, holding my hand over my eyes to see what it was. A photographer, hanging around outside the venue taking pictures in case a celebrity exited.

"Fuck off," Kurt said, turning his back to the photographer, sheltering me as I stood against the brick wall of the building. "Jerks," he said, looking down at me almost possessively. "I really missed you, Katie," he said as if he couldn't accept what I was saying. He moved closer to me, leaning his arm against the wall beside my head as if trying to block my exit. "I thought we were such a good match. I was really hurt when you broke it off."

The cameras flashed as someone else left the club – someone deserving of the paparazzo's notice. Kurt leaned closer, his finger tilting my chin up as if he was going to kiss me.

I pulled back. "Stop. I have a boyfriend," I said, touching my collar. "A serious boyfriend. We're going to Africa in a few weeks, to live there for six months."

"My loss," he said softly. His gaze moved over my face. "I missed those pretty green eyes of yours," he said, smiling. " "I always thought I was just your type, Kate. A marine like your old man, a volunteer, dominant… If you feel like giving it another chance, call me." He took my hand and kissed my knuckles. I pulled my hand away.

"Tell me about your new man."

"He's a doctor at NYP. A volunteer with Doctors Without Borders. A neurosurgeon."

Kurt raised his eyebrows. "Neurosurgeon? Not Morgan…"

I nodded. "Drake Morgan, yes."

Kurt frowned, his hand on the wall beside my head. "He's your old man's friend. He's really well-respected, but jeez, Kate. He's forty, isn't he? A bit old for you, don't you think?"

"He's thirty seven. Only six years older than you."

"Seven."

"Seven," I said, frustrated. "I'm in love with him and he's in love with me. I can't meet you or have coffee or anything." I turned and walked to the street, looking for my father's limo. It wasn't in sight so I took out my cell and texted the driver, requesting that he take me home earlier than I had indicated. He texted me back that he was getting gas and would be about ten minutes.

That was too long. I started walking to the street, planning on hailing a taxi.

"Kate," Kurt said, catching up with me again, standing far too close to me. "Let me at least give you a ride home."

"I have a limo service – and a boyfriend."

He sighed and smiled softly. "When you're free again, keep me in mind. I felt like we never really made a true go of it."

"We did make a go of it. It didn’t work out." I turned to him. "I'm happy with Drake."

"If you're ever unhappy with Morgan, please keep me in mind. I've learned a lot about things since we broke up. I've grown up, Kate. If things don't work out with you and Morgan, give me a chance."

"Things are working out with us," I said, turning away.

Luckily, an empty taxi pulled up. "Goodbye, Kurt," I said, never so happy to be out of a man's company.

"Goodbye, sweetheart," he said and blew me a kiss. I frowned as I closed the door. Kurt stood on the curb and watched, his hands in his pockets, a smile on his face as we drove off.

I fumed on the drive home, upset that Kurt felt so empowered to push me, and upset that I hadn't told him to fuck off the way I had before, just a year earlier. I was so unnerved to see him out of the blue. I knew he'd been away in Africa, flying for some regional airline, and so had no expectation that I'd ever run into him at a DWB function.