Free Interlude by Josie Daleiden

weapon she needed. She reached
out to touch him, her fingers resting on his neck as she rubbed his
back lightly. Cal's entire body responded to her touch. Like a
desert cactus awash in a rainstorm, he could feel his unspoken need
flush away like a layer of silt. He reached up to grasp her hand,
his arm still aching from the IV site. The visible effect that
Karen had on him only served to make Alice angrier.
    Karen leaned down to speak with Cal in a
confidential tone, her voice still audible to Alice as she spoke.
“I want you to come and stay with me.” She said. Her hand moved to
his arm as Cal fought to make sense of everything. His mind was
still reeling from this mega-dose of his perfect drug.
    “But we hardly know each other. We've only
been together once in real life. You didn't even want to be with me
a week ago.” Cal recalled, his voice falling at the memory.
    “I never said I didn't want to be with you.
Karen responded in her defense, adding, “I just said that there are
things that you shouldn't have to deal with because of me, to be
with me.” She said, her eyes giving him an apologetic look. Alice's
rising frustration cut their moment short.
    “I can see you two have things to discuss.”
She finally muttered. As she left, she turned around like she had
forgot something. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a long
manila envelope and tossed it on Cal's bed, the weight of the
contents noticeable on his leg.
    “Daddy wanted me to give that to you.” She
said, adding, “It has something to do with your retirement savings.
Apparently there was a mistake early on with the account. Read the
forms.” She said mildly as she made her way out.
    After a few seconds, the tension in the room
subsided almost visibly. “Awkward...” Karen said musically. Her
smile was infectious as Cal struggled to regain his formerly
serious demeanor.
    “I'm still mad at you.” He said finally. His
seriousness limited to a smirk as he reveled in her presence like a
dog rolling on freshly cut grass. “Why did you do that to me?” He
looked up at her as she moved to occupy Alice's old spot at the
foot of the bed. Her presence was so calming to Cal. He found his
anger towards her melting away as she touched his leg, dissipating
into shivers up his spine as she spoke.
    “I live a life that isn't really ordinary. I
travel a lot, I deal with things that most people would go crazy
trying to handle. It's not fair to try and make it work with
someone when I know they will just leave because of who I am, or
what I am.” Karen's voice trailed to an urgent whisper as a tear
rolled down her cheek. Cal sat forward on the bed, his head singing
in pain as his bruised body took up the same tune. He winced the
pain back as he held Karen's arm.
    “I don't care who you are or what you did, or
do. If you killed someone, I'll help you bury the body. If you're a
war criminal, I'll run away with you in exile. If you were formerly
a guy and you had a special 'surgery', well, they did a pretty good
job.” He said, his boyish smirk returning as he comically looked
her up and down in approval. Karen laughed, dashing at her tears
with her finger. She slowly stretched out on the bed, her lithe
body lying next to his. Having her so near him was intoxicating,
Cal thought to himself as she moved her hands about on his
body.
    “Seriously babe, I just want to be with you.
I don't have anything holding me back. I have no job, no house, and
my car is making this weird rattling noise.” He said in a long
stream of words. “I'm like modeling clay, so mold me as you wish.”
He said lightly. Karen reached over and kneaded his ab muscles
playfully.
    “Ooh not there though.” He winced as his body
recoiled involuntarily.
    Karen lifted up the blankets. The cold draft
on his body was startling as she reached out to touch his bruised
skin.
    “Oh my god!” She said. Her hand over her
mouth in astonishment as she traced a line with her fingernails
from one