Project Whores

Chapter 17

Deuces. Kyle left the DFAC and went to the PX. He went to the medicine aisle and found what he was looking for. He purchased the sleep aid and went back to his office and told his staff he was not feeling well, and was taking the rest of the day off. Kyle was not lying; his head hurt and he was exhausted. Plus, he needed to be alone. I have not enjoyed good night's sleep since I told Rejoice Battle I made a mistake by seeing her. She was under his skin and he could no longer deny it. He missed her in a way he could not understand and he almost blew it today. Task had no idea how close Kyle was to running behind her at the DFAC and... He caught himself. What the hell, Kyle? You cannot do this! He had not washed his sheets because they still had the faint smell of her scent on them. He had not been seeing any other women either. Kyle decided to take a break from all of it. He needed to rethink his life and put things in perspective. Candy deserved better and he was just going to focus on his marriage and his job.

He paid some bills online and sent his wife a long email telling her how much he missed her and the boys. Kyle also told her they were going to discuss a game plan for him to come home permanently. She had been telling him for the last two years she was ready for him to come home, so he was sure she would like reading that. Maybe that really was the ticket. Maybe I should just go home.... Since he took care of his business, he looked around his room. First, he picked up all the clothes off the floor, and put them where they belonged. Then he cleaned out his footlockers and the built-in wardrobe closet he had stuffed to capacity. Being in theater for so many years caused him to accumulate a lot of junk. He threw away old clothes and shoes, and straightened up the ones he was keeping.

After a long, hot shower, Kyle lay across his bed and turned on the television. He thought about calling Tyra, but that was work. She always wanted to be reassured he was not seeing anyone else. Yeah right. He could call Misha, she had no requirements whatsoever. But he really didn't want to be bothered with either of them. Damn Kyle! Why are you making such a big deal out of this? To hell with it, I'll just chill by myself tonight and watch a movie. I have to get used to this anyway. Yeah, that's what I'll do. Kyle powered up his laptop and started watching a comedy. Midway through the movie he dozed off, and when he woke up an hour later, he was starving. He tried to ignore the growling in his stomach but it was no use. He did not do hunger well. Going to the DFAC was definitely out of the question, so he called and ordered a large pizza and was told it would be ready in 15 minutes.

Kyle walked over to the PX to pick up his pizza and when he opened the door to leave, he moved to the side to let a few females enter first. His heart skipped a beat when he realized one of them he let pass was Joice. He went out the door and tried to walk back to his room, but got as far as the lot that sat in the middle of all the shops, and his feet would not move. Did she see me? Kyle stood a moment longer, then forced himself to walk a few paces. He stopped in front of a jewelry shop and turned toward the PX. People were starting to stare at him, probably because he looked lost and confused. He took a deep breath, and exhaled. Standing there seemed to be the only thing he could do at the moment. I must look like an idiot, Kyle thought, as he stood in the middle of the shopping center holding a pizza box and acting like he did not know where he belonged. Finally, he turned to go back and deep in his heart, he knew his actions were symbolic of what would now become a life changing event for him. Kyle was going to retrieve something he never had any business having in the first place, and he could not shake the feeling that going back for her would prove to be ominous. But he could not help himself; he had a thing for Joice and no matter what he did, it lingered. Even as he reached for the knob, Kyle told himself that he had done everything in his power to stay away from her. When he opened the door, their eyes locked. She definitely saw me and was waiting for me to come back for her. He looked at her, tilted his head, and raised his eyebrows. She got up and went to him. They walked to his room in silence.

Once they were inside, he put the pizza down and took her in his arms. "I'm sorry, Joice," he whispered, as he embraced her. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, and Kyle closed his eyes as a blanket of warmth covered his body and made him feel... whole. He put his hand on the nape of her neck and continued to whisper, "Please stay with me. I don't even care if we don't do anything." Kyle bent down to kiss her, but before he did, he said, "Just lie down with me. I can't sleep when you're not here."

So began the saga of Kyle Brewster and Rejoice Battle. Saga is actually a nice way of saying their sordid affair. Had he not gone back for her, perhaps both their lives would have turned out differently. Kyle was married and had two children. Rejoice was in a committed relationship with a man she'd promised to wed. Something happened between them and while Kyle knew they would never have a relationship outside of the project; he could no longer deny they were in a relationship. Nor could he deny this relationship was something he wanted more than anything.