I woke up the next morning on the floor in my freshly painted bedroom. I still wore the same dress from the night before. I winced and rubbed the bridge of my nose. A tiny hangover was banging inside my head. During college I never really went crazy at parties. I knew I was a lightweight and one drink was usually my maximum. I didn't have that much more at the club but it was enough to feel sick.
The one bathroom in the house was barely serviceable. About the only thing my parents had done to it was a new mirror. Which didn't help because all it did was show me how messed up I was. My hair was all over the place and my makeup smeared. There wasn't a shower but a bathtub. I couldn't remember the last time I ever took a bath. Must've been when I was a kid.
I turned the knob for the warm water and the tub faucet choked out some brown water. I let it run for awhile until it finally came out clear. The bathroom slowly filled with steam and fogged up the mirror.
My dress dropped to the ground and I slipped into the tub. The warm water instantly relaxed me. The small hammer in my ears began to quiet down. I rested my head on the edge of the tub and closed my eyes.
The kiss from Michael popped into my head.
My eyes shot open and I leaned forward in the tub. I ran two fingers along my lips. What the hell happened last night?
There was something about Michael that was so different from the men I'd been with before. A secret he couldn't tell me.
That kiss was magical. I'd had never felt like that before.
And it scared me.
Michael had cast a spell on me and I was all to ready to go home with him. But there were too many red flags and somewhere deep in my brain told me to run away.
I was surprised I was able to walk away like that. But now I was afraid that I might not see him again. I didn't get his phone number and I only had his first name to go off of. I'd have to figure out a way to find him again.
Michael was too mysterious and I wasn't ready to leave that thread open.
But first I had a lot of work to do around the house. The second bedroom was painted and I have no idea why I thought that must've been the priority. I took the advice from the cute guy from the hardware store but he didn't understand how bad of shape this home was.
The place was a complete disaster zone. It needed to be cleaned from top to bottom. I couldn't believe that my parents had lived here for a few months in such terrible conditions.
I took out a pad of paper and began a things-to-do list. At the very top: sweeping the wood floors.
I went to the garage and turned on the light. My mom's white VW bug was still parked on the right side. The left side of the garage was empty. My father's black Ford F-150 would be there if they hadn't been in that accident.
I quickly grabbed the broom next to the door and got out of there. I didn't want to think about things too much. Now I knew why I went to the hardware store without checking out what tools my dad had. The garage was too much of a reminder that they were gone.
The downstairs floor was the dirtiest and that's where I needed to start. My mom had a record player in the hallway with her collection of vinyls and I picked out a George Harrison album. He was always my favorite Beatle.
I opened up the front door and began sweeping the dust out, moving my body to that sweet voice. I couldn't believe the amount of dirt that had been caked onto the wood floors. Clouds of dust followed me where ever I went. I got lost in the music and before I knew it, I had finished the downstairs and the upstairs.
My cellphone ringing broke me out of my daze. The name on the screen: Fiona. I didn't hesitate to answer this time.
“Hi Fiona,” I said, setting the broom against the kitchen counter.
“So how was he?” Her voice was soft and slow.
“What are you talking about?” I knew exactly what she was talking about but I didn't want to give it away that I'd been thinking about him all day.
“That guy from last night,” Fiona said. “The one who couldn't keep his eyes off you.”
“Oh, that guy? He was nice but nothing happened.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? You didn't go home with him?” Fiona was dead serious.
“I don't usually make it a point of going home with random guys I meet at a club.”
“Don't bullshit me, Kelly. We both know this wasn't just some random guy at a club.”
Fiona was right on the money. Michael wasn't just a random guy. But what was I supposed to do about that now? I had let him go without really giving him a chance.
“There will be plenty of other men, Fiona. Don't worry about me.” I really needed to convince myself of that and not Fiona.
“Well I was thinking about going back to Titan tomorrow night. You in?”
The thought of more alcohol made me nauseous. But then Michael popped into my head. What if he was there? I needed to make up for being such an idiot.
“I'm not sure, Fiona.”
“Didn't you have fun last night, Kelly?”
I twirled my hair with my index finger. “Of course I did. I just don't know if I need to go back so soon.”
“Don't make me twist your arm again,” Fiona said.
“Fine. I'll be there. You know Fiona, you're going to be the death of me.”
I could feel her grin through the phone. “That's exactly what I wanted to hear,” she replied.