Free Kathy's World by Shay Kassa Page A

really, really sorry and I am leaving right now, and I will totally call the cops on my way out if you want.”
    “Please, just go!” Kathy said, now on the verge of tears.
    The redhead picked up her stuff and ran downstairs without even getting dressed. Mark pulled on his pants and T-shirt, and tried to plead with her. “Kathy – ow – just give me a chance to -”
    “JUST GET THE FUCK OUT!” Kathy screamed, and he finally made himself scarce.
    She looked around at the mess in her bedroom. The sheets were all over the place. There was a used condom on the floor beside the bed. Mark's underpants were draped over her bedside lamp.
    She sat down and began to sob.

    *****
    At least the rain had eased off by the time she was woken up. It was the middle of the afternoon the next day, and the doorbell was buzzing loudly. Kathy had slept on the couch, in her pajamas, with only her dressing gown to cover her. The bedroom was not an option until she could replace everything that had been soiled by Mark's infidelity.
    She stood up groggily. The room spun for a moment until her sense of balance returned, then she staggered out into the hall and to the door. The bell rang again, and she finally managed to work out the latch and open it. Almost immediately, she held up her hand to keep the painfully bright light from her eyes.
    A woman of medium height, short red hair, and narrow stature stood outside, in ripped jeans and a tank top. She stared at Kathy for a moment. “Uh, hi. Remember me?”
    The lip ring was what brought back the memory. Kathy looked her up and down, and her first instinct was to close the door. Just the sight of her was enough to bring back the twisting pain in her stomach, and the knowledge of everything she had lost. The woman was much quicker than her still-woozy reflexes, however, and she caught the door before it slammed shut.
    “Please! Please, just wait a minute, I just want to talk, okay?”
    Kathy groaned. “I don't care what you have to say, I don't want to talk to you.”
    “Please, just give me a chance? I didn't know he's your boyfriend. I'd never, ever sleep with another woman's guy. I'm not a bad person, I swear.”
    She was so earnest. Kathy didn't know what to make of her. “Why are you here?” she asked weakly.
    “I, uh, I think I left my phone here last night. And I figure I owe you an explanation, or whatever.” She shifted uneasily. “I guess you should know what he was doing, right?”
    Kathy leaned against the door and rubbed her eyes. She couldn't deal with this right now. She couldn't deal with anything, not after a week long actuarial conference and the events of the previous night. It was too early to process it all, especially with her head swimming with fatigue. “I'm jet-lagged really badly and I had to sleep on my couch. Could you at least have waited until this evening or something?”
    She winced. “Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't think about that. And I can't come back later, I have to work,” she said, then sighed. “I'm really sorry about all this. Can I please just have a few minutes to find my phone? I know you don't want me here but, well, I can make you breakfast or something. You don't look so good right now.”
    Kathy considered this. It wasn't really her fault if Mark had lied to her too. And she had slapped him... “Are you a hooker?” she asked.
    “Holy shit, no. You think I'd be dressed like this if I was?”
    She gave up. The world was apparently still out of whack if she was even talking to her and not clawing her eyes out. She just didn't have the energy to be angry right now. “Alright, c'mon in.”
    The redhead followed her inside. Kathy lead her into the kitchen, and pointed at the coffee maker. “Breakfast first, then you look for your phone, okay?”
    “Sure. My name is Gina, by the way.”
    She sat down heavily at the table. “I'm Kathy. I guess you know that already?”
    Gina set the coffee brewing, and began to investigate the fridge. “No, I