015

Thankfully the flight from Toronto to Fort Lauderdale had been less than eventful, other than one numbskull moron who seemed convinced that the raven-haired beauty behind the Jackie O sunglasses and the black hooded sweatshirt was Kim Kardashian and kept shouting obscenities about butt implants and how she'd ruined the basketball career of Kris Humphries. She'd never been happier to see solid ground, and if not for the anxiety gnawing at her insides, she might have actually been relieved to be in the warmer climes of Florida. Compared to the blustery cold she'd left behind in Ontario, it was a blessing.

But she knew deep inside that Jenny had likely gotten here first. She was probably already armed with the knowledge that Christian Kincaid had been the man in the photographs, even though his face wasn't fully visible in any of the shots her husband had shown her.

The cab ride to Fight or Flight was the longest in the history of the world, and by the time it had arrived, she'd already chewed off all the perfectly manicured nails on her left hand and was starting in on the right. "Please be here," she whispered to herself as she made her way inside the familiar building, walking slowly towards his office. She would find no one in the office, as the gym was mostly cleared out by now since it was close to the end of business hours. A few students milled about, and Christian was nowhere to be found until he strolled out of the men's locker room.

He pulled a t-shirt on over his head, letting it fall into place as he picked up his gym bag which was sitting on the floor. Clapping his hands to get the others' attention, they all turned to him. "Alright, guys! Head for the door, it's time to close up for the day." The other students responded as they gathered their things and began heading for the door. "Hey, Eddie, lock the door on your way out." He got an affirmative response to that as he continued on in.

She watched him move, trying to get a handle on herself, and to try and guess just by his body language if she'd managed to beat Jennifer here, or if that crazy bitch had already been here and gone. She lingered in the doorway of his office, still nibbling on her thumbnail as she shifted from one foot to the other. "Christian, I'm sorry to barge in like this without calling you first. I just don't really trust technology right now." The words made her sound like a paranoid lunatic one step away from lining a hat with tinfoil, but they were completely true. She'd even gone so far as to disable the GPS feature on her Smartphone as well. "Do you have time to talk?"

He leaned around, looking to see the entrance to the building had closed and locked before nodding his head. "Yeah, we're alone now. Come on over and have a seat. I was kind of expecting you at some point, a phone call or something." He waved her to follow him before he pulled a couple hard chairs out and shoved them against the wall and took a seat. He patted the other for her to join him.

Reluctantly she crossed the room and sank into the chair, already feeling that magnetism of his that had drawn her to him in the first place. "She's been here, hasn't she?" She whispered the words, her voice breaking slightly as she stared down at her ragged nails. So much for that expensive manicure that had come out of her spa day with Samantha— just one more thing that she'd managed to ruin.

"You mean Jenny? Yeah, she was here earlier today. Poking her nose into things and trying to outsmart me." Christian shook his head, reaching forward and patting her on the thigh. "She might as well have talked to that wall right there, because she didn't get anything out of me." He flashed a smile to her, trying to get one in return.

"You..." she looked up at him, "didn't tell her anything? Honestly?" She breathed a sigh of relief, "what did she say, Christian? Can you tell me what she said?"

He nodded his head, smile still on his face. "She wanted me to say we had an affair, said she would prove it if I didn't. And I called her bluff. She said there were pictures, but she obviously doesn't have them. And I certainly never gave her anything besides that. I don't double cross the people I care about." He looked over to her. "For any reason."

"She never saw them," Kitty whispered, shaking her head, "and the ones Alex showed me... your face wasn't visible. Just your shoulder and part of your hair, I think although I've been trying really hard not to remember them for obvious reasons." Swallowing hard, her voice grew more vehement, "Jenny's trying to set you up because she wants to prove to Alex that I'm worse than her. The sad thing is," her voice grew hollow, "he already knows. That's why I haven't spoken to you in so long. He came to see me the day after Valentine's after I begged and pleaded to see him. He showed me those photos in an envelope and then he walked out. Oh, Christian... I don't know what to do. I've made such a mess of everything and now I've given that crazy woman a foothold to destroy me."

"I don't think it's that bad. She has no proof of anything. She's just basing everything off what people have told her. And I didn't tell her anything." He slid his chair closer to hers, and wrapped an arm around her, hugging her against him. "I think this is going to work itself out. She all but said she was in contact with a former employer of mine, two guesses as to who that is. And she could have helped me if I helped her. And when your husband learns she's been working possibly with you know who, then he's going to want her head on a platter."

"Gambini sent him the photographs." She said the words in a voice tinged with venom, "twice now that goddamn snake has tried to destroy my life. I can't let him win this time. I can't. I'll buy a damn gun and shoot the prick where he stands before I let something like that happen." The way she said it wasn't like a woman spouting off. She said it with cold conviction; as if it was something she'd actually contemplated more than once.

"I know you had told me about it. But I'll tell you what. He and I...I wouldn't call us friends, but he likes me. I have no use for him anymore, since he lost his job this week. But..." He sat quiet for a moment, looking down at the floor. "I didn't appreciate being threatened by that woman. So maybe...maybe someone who he likes can put a little bug in his ear about someone possibly looking to swerve him. That maybe a certain self-absorbed fake royalty....is looking to turn the tables on him."

"You'd do that for me?" She blinked at him, surprised at the offer. Stupidly, she'd assumed that when she'd stopped talking to him, that his care factor towards her would have bottomed out. "Pardon my skepticism, but why would you want to stick your neck out like that? I can't do anything for you in return..." she paused, sighing, "I used you, Christian. Not that I didn't care, because I did. I honestly did, and you were the best friend I ever had in those few months we spent together... but the truth is, we both know I never intended to leave Alex."

"I know you weren't. I've been like this for a long time for a lot of women. I can tell the ones who are serious, and the ones who are just there for the short term. But it's you..." A warm smile began to form over his face. "And even though I knew it then, still didn't change the fact that you were irresistible. And I was determined to make you happy one way or another. So yes, I would do that for you. I don't know if it will work, but I'm willing to try."

She bowed her head rather than face the wattage of that smile that was doing a number on her. One part of her wanted to kiss him in thanks while the other wanted to break down sobbing at how ludicrous and hopeless this entire situation had become. "I'd be forever grateful for that," she finally said, breaking the silence as she reached over and took his hand, giving it a squeeze. "You're a good friend, Christian. No matter what anyone says about you, I know that you're a good person."

"You don't have to thank me for anything, much less feel indebted to me." He patted her hand as he held it now with both of his. "This is going to sound really odd coming from me. But what we did? It's like this. I consider that when a woman shares her body with you, that is the ultimate show of love, affection, appreciation. I don't believe in casual sex, it all has a meaning. The point is what we had meant a great deal to me, and I wouldn't trade any of it, even if you would. Your affection, your body, it's a temple. And I'm just amazed that you shared it with me, and will never forget that you did."

"It meant something to me, too," she almost whispered the words, hoping that nobody was listening or recording a second after she said them. "I just can't stomach the thought of that filthy little liar twisting it up into something tawdry and disgusting. Just knowing that she wants to get proof to humiliate me... you... and especially the man she claims to want to 'save' out of 'love'," she finger quoted the words with heavy disdain, "makes me want to do something horrible. If I knew I could get away with it, I would break her neck in the ring. I would, Christian. It's horrible to even say, but that's how far this has gotten. That's how much I hate that sick little bitch."

"It'll be over soon. And I'm not a prophet, but something tells me you'll get your husband back before it's all said and done. And when that happens, then Jennifer is going to be very, very much in a world of trouble. You take after your husband in a lot of ways, brother-in-law, too." He trailed off for a moment, watching her nearly smile at words as though he'd paid her a wonderful compliment.

"I never met a Stryfe that I wanted on the wrong side of me."