Rebound

Chapter 2

Chapter 2Kate and Debs had been together a little over 6 months but Kate was beginning to think they wouldn’t make it past the next 6 days.

She had agonised over what she’d said or done to prompt such a change, and whenever she thought about it she came to the same conclusions. Things had been good, no they had been better than good, up until about 2 weeks ago when Kate suggested that maybe they should move in together.

It was obvious from the start that Debs wasn’t keen, but she wouldn’t explain why, wouldn’t even discuss it. Hell, they spent all of their time together as it was, they rarely slept apart, it seemed silly for them both to be paying rent on poky little flats when they could pool their resources and get something much bigger while still reducing their combined spend.

Kate finished her drink and was about to leave the bar when she stopped.

‘f**k it! If Debs wants be an arsehole then let her, I’m also capable of looking after myself, and if I’m going to end up going home on my own then I might as well be drunk first!’

She headed back to the bar to get another drink, making small talk with a few of the people she knew along the way, but returned to her table alone where she sat sipping her drink and browsing through the local paper whilst trying to ignore her rising anger at the way Debs had acted toward her.

After a couple of minutes she got the feeling that she was being watched and looked up from her paper into the face of a girl sitting at the bar. It was obvious that she was watching her, although she couldn’t see her eyes through the dark sun glasses she was wearing.

She was tall and slim, with softly spiked short blonde hair and although she wasn’t exactly butch she was definitely tom-boy material; wearing a crisp white shirt, snug jeans and high top trainers she looked infinitely casual and comfortable and although Kate had never even spoken to her she couldn’t imagine her wearing anything more feminine. By god she looked fit though!

Kate smiled at her and returned to the paper but was soon interrupted by someone pulling a stool out from underneath the table and sitting down.

Once again she looked up from her paper into the same face, but this time the glasses were gone and she was staring straight into a pair of cobalt blue eyes that looked like ice on fire.

‘Do you mind?’ she asked, pushing a drink across the table toward Kate ‘I asked at the bar, they told me what you were drinking. I thought you might need another since I couldn’t help noticing that Debbie just walked out on you.’

Kate started to deny anything of the sort but stopped herself with a sigh. ‘Yeah, I think we may be about to break up, although she didn’t actually have the decency to say so.’

‘Yeah well, you’re not the first and I don’t suppose you’ll be the last’ she stated in a matter of fact manner that hinted at first-hand knowledge

‘How do you and Debs know each other?

‘We went out for a while just after we left school. She was Debbie back then rather than Debs, and I think I was just convenient because she didn’t know any other dykes. I wasn’t girly enough for her -- she likes her girlfriends to be a bit more feminine than me -- just like you in fact.’

Kate was very aware of this woman giving her the once over; from the tanned legs, soft feminine curves under her cotton dress and finishing with her carefully made up face and styled hair.

‘Sorry I didn’t mean to be rude, I’m Alex but my friends call me Lex.’

Kate introduced herself and took a sip of the drink she’d been given. ‘Jesus Lex, how much vodka is in that glass? Are you trying to get me drunk or help me drown my sorrows?’ she laughed as she tried not to cough.

‘Debbie has a habit of leaving people a bit broken and bruised, I thought you might need some fortification. You seem ok though -- not even upset.’

‘We haven’t even split up yet, I guess I’ll do my sobbing when it happens. You still seem pretty bitter considering you split up a long time ago, she must have hurt you badly?’

‘Could say. It was the way she did it more than the act itself. She set it up so that I walked in on her and some new tart while they were in bed together. Saved her the hassle of actually having to dump me and make explanations, it wasn’t a pretty scene.

She has a history of breaking up with people without actually dumping them outright. On one occasion she just changed her phone numbers and avoided the girl until she got the hint, I think she’s a coward who uses people.’

Kate stared into her glass, mulling this information over and thinking about Debs’ behaviour over the last 2 weeks. It was as if she’d been going out of her way to deliberately piss Kate off. Taking twice as long as normal to get ready, changing her mind all of the time, picking arguments about the most stupid of things, insisting on watching programmes on TV that she knew Kate didn’t like, even cooking meals that she knew Kate wouldn’t enjoy. She’d even become selfish in bed, whereas in previous times they’d enjoyed a very giving and fulfilling s*x life.

‘Lex, I think I’ve just had an epiphany, thank you. I think Debs has been trying to force me to finish our relationship to save her the hassle -- what a f*****g coward! If she’d had enough she could have had the balls to say something rather than put me through 2 weeks of hell; I thought she was just having a rough time so rather than walk out on her I tried everything I could to accommodate her -- what a b***h!’

The pent up anger that Kate had been feeling for the last 2 weeks suddenly came flooding to the surface and it was all she could do to hold the tears back as she ran for the toilet. She sat in the cubicle sobbing as it finally dawned on her that her relationship with Debs was over, and that it had never meant as much to her as it had to Kate.

Or had it?