Kaylor: The Timeline

Chapter 7.1

July 16, 2014

Karlie does her best to focus on the pieces of information being exchanged, they are Karlie's Kookies after all, but the notebook in front of her is incredibly blank. The pen she is holding absentmindedly is slick with sweat. She can't keep her eyes from Josh, on the opposite corner of the room, who is having no problem jotting down the occasional note.

He knows.

After returning to Taylor's apartment last night, they had a less dramatic couple of hours. There was lots of talking, lots of comfort, and things almost felt resolved. So, naturally, something else had to come along just like this.

Karlie stiffly stands up, staring at Josh. Her partner slows her speaking, tentatively looking to Karlie, wondering if the model has anything to say or a particular reason for standing. Josh maintains her eye contact, as other people in the room curiously glance at her as well. Perhaps in a different situation, she would be able to come up with something to play off the odd display.

Her partner goes right along speaking at her normal speed, ignoring Karlie. It is then that the model takes a few long strides to the opposite side of the room, finding herself face to face with Josh, before grabbing his shirt's collar and roughly leading him to the door of the room. They leave the meeting, which has become deadly silent at the undeniably inappropriate action that has just taken place in front of close to a dozen people involved with Karlie's Kookies.

"Karlie?! What are you doing?" Josh hisses, allowing himself to be pulled by the shirt into the now empty kitchen of the bakery. "Everyone is going to think—"

"What the fuck is your problem?!" Karlie exclaims, once safely in a private setting, roughly shoving Josh in the chest with both hands. The impact is harder than she expects, and her both wrists hurt as Josh is thrusted backwards a step.

"Hey!" Josh exclaims, looking at her as though she is crazy, rubbing his chest.

"This is work. This is part of my job. You didn't think it was a bit of an inconvenient and shitty time to interrogate me like that?!" Karlie exclaims. "I wouldn't have done that to you!"

Josh groans and puts both of his hands on top of his head, gripping his hair tightly by the roots. "I know, okay? I know. I'm sorry! I told myself I wasn't going to bring Taylor up, I kept telling myself I wouldn't. But I just couldn't fucking help myself when I saw you, I had to know," Josh groans, sounding apologetic and frustrated.

"Well you don't know anything, got it? I didn't tell you anything, you don't know anything, and you didn't ask me anything," Karlie says quickly, sternly.

Josh gives her a knowing look, a disapproving look, as he harshly smiles and rolls his eyes, looking away. "Don't at least I deserve a little bit of respect at this point for you to at least be honest? I don't have a right to know?" Josh asks darkly.

"No, you don't have a right to know, Josh! This is my life, and you're not a part of it anymore!" Karlie exclaims in disbelief.

"Oh, so you were all for wanting to be a part of each other's lives still a couple weeks ago? So I could tell you, 'Don't feel guilty. It's all good.' But now you don't want that because you're done with me. Out of sight, out of mind?" Josh asks darkly.

Karlie glares at him silently, not even sure how to respond. Is that true?

"If it isn't true, just deny it right now then. You and Taylor are dating, right? You've probably been going behind my back since the road trip. Right? That weird trip you took when I was in California, you skipped work. What was that? Running away from your guilt and Taylor back in New York City? I have to wonder how many times you left my apartment, saying you'd rather sleep in your bed and wake up early for work, did you go to Taylor's instead? You went behind my fucking back and had the nerve to even spend time with both me and Taylor at the same time," Josh replies. The tone of his voice is even and steady, but there's an undeniably calm anger there, and for some reason it sounds more ominous than it would if he had been shouting.