Willfully Blind

CHAPTER 19 Shady Grady

Lisa lingered in the shower, allowing the hotter than usual water to run down her back, now coming to realize how Dirk could like it so hot. It was soothing once she got past the initial scald. She was using the bathroom in the master bedroom and had made sure to lock the door. It was not something she would normally do, but she didn't want to be pulled into any other sexual escapades with Dirk. She wasn't about to allow him to take her backward.

Lisa toweled off before stepping down onto what she discovered to be a damp bathroom rug.

"Dammit, Dirk!" she said, under her breath. No matter how many times she asked him to dry off before stepping down on the mat, he couldn't remember to do it. Few things sucked more to her than stepping down onto a wet bath mat. And he had the nerve to say she couldn't remember anything.

She pulled a sheet of paper towel from the roll stationed on the vanity top and wiped the mirror, looking for her reflection on the foggy glass. She caught a glimpse and saw the bags under her eyes had finally disappeared. Thank God. Although things weren't rectified with Dirk, at least she could sleep through the night again. She truly appreciated Tangie for her lending ear. Especially for not casting judgment. She had avoided talking to her about Dirk for years, fearing conviction. But there was none. Not even the slightest hint. Shannon even having knowledge of Dirk's foolishness, still embarrassed her, even though she didn't think Shannon would run around blabbing about what she'd seen. But who knew? Juicy gossip was juicy gossip.

She knew she was at a crossroad with Dirk and had to make a decision with her own best interest at heart. He had taken full advantage of her tolerance through the years, but not anymore. He had some choices to make, or she would be making some for him.

Although he should have left for work hours ago, Lisa was still paranoid that Dirk could be lurking around a corner somewhere in the condo. She dressed in a hungry behind the closed guest bedroom door.

Slipping on her Patagonia sweater Dirk purchased for her, she zipped it up and was reminded of one of the first times she had worn it. She couldn't forget, even though she'd tried.

It was the first time she confirmed with hard evidence that Dirk could not be trusted. Until then, she had trusted him. Of course, she had heard talk around campus about him being a ladies man, but she didn't judge him based on his past. He'd never given her a reason not to trust him. Perhaps she was naïve or had maybe been wishful thinking.

They had been dating for two years, just graduated from college and living a few miles apart from each other. Having a key to his apartment, and he to her's, she had no reason to think he wasn't on the up and up. That was her thinking the night she popped up after injuring her ankle during rehearsal. She was supposed to be going out of town with the Luvabull squad, but a backup was sent in her stead.

Using her key, she walked into the apartment and right away noticed a woman's Fendi bag sitting on the kitchen counter. Her heart dropped, and she stood there, listening. She heard nothing but remained paralyzed, trying to decide if she should walk into their room and find something she would never get over or should she call Dirk's name and allow him to come out and explain what appeared pretty obvious. Her feet decided for her, and she pushed the door open, finding him lying in bed fully clothed, on the opposite side of his ex-girlfriend Karen. Lisa remembered meeting her one night when they were out at a movie and felt uncomfortable with the way she seemed to flirt with Dirk right in front of her. They were lying there fast asleep, and Lisa tried to think of what to say.

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting?" she blurted out, hands resting on her hips and chest pounding,

Dirk jumped out of bed, dazed, rapidly blinking his eyes. Karen sat up slowly. Pulling her legs into a lotus position, she placed her hands over her face.

"Oh, my goodness... what time is it?" she asked, softly.

"Hey, baby. What are you doing here? I thought you had a game?"

"What the hell is this, Dirk? Are you cheating on me?" she yelled, instantly feeling silly for even asking the obvious.

"No, babe!" he said, grasping her arm and pulling her out of the room. He closed the door behind him.

"You see I wasn't doing anything with her, so before you trip out -–"

"Are you seriously telling me not to trip out, Dirk? And why are you pulling me out of the room instead of that bitch!" Lisa shouted towards the door.

"Calm down, Lisa. She just lost her grandfather, and I was just trying to be here as a friend. That's it."

"This is bullshit. I'm outta here." Lisa turned and stomped towards the door, forgetting about her injured ankle and all. Dirk ran past her and jumped in front of the door.

"Move, Dirk! I'm leaving."

"No, don't leave, Lisa. I'm going," Karen said, emerging from the bedroom.

"He didn't do anything wrong, really. I needed a friend, and I reached out to him. He was just trying to be there for me."

"Should've opted to call a girlfriend," Lisa said, voice modulating at the end of her suggestion.

"Lisa, can you wait for me in the bedroom, please? While I let Karen out, okay, baby? Just give me two minutes," Dirk said, walking her towards his bedroom. Giving them both a hostile stare, Lisa moved slowly towards the bedroom, trying to decide if she wanted to give him an opportunity to explain.

"Whatever," Lisa said, storming past Karen towards the room.

"I'm sorry, guys. Really. I didn't mean to cause tension between you two."

"Don't worry about it. I'll explain everything to Lisa..." she heard Dirk say as she slammed the bedroom door and collapsed onto the bed. Then jumping back up, she quickly canvassed the room for proof that something else was going on. She looked in the garbage can for condom wrappers and under the bed. She hadn't found anything but figured it could have been a case where he hadn't used anything. She contemplated for a moment that maybe it was innocent. But still, it struck her more than odd that it conveniently happened when she was supposed to be halfway across the country.

She had forgiven him, only accusing him of using poor judgment. But then came the other times when she had never actually caught him engaging in the act, but deep down in her soul, she had an awful feeling he was capable of cheating on her and that feeling sometimes consumed her. She was constantly waiting for Dirk's proverbial habitual shoe to drop.