Where Will I Be When I Wake up Next to a Stranger
He Tastes Like You Only Sweeter
At Vision Night club things were always how they were on a Saturday night. Peter had a permanent bar stool near Katherine, watching her every now and then. The bouncer made sure that everyone was on watch for Brian Martin, at every door. Music was blaring at its normal sound, and most people were dancing, drunk, or both. If Katherine was either scared or nervous, she didn’t show it well as she kept on smiling and laughing with customers.
“I’m ready for my break.” Katherine sighed to Peter as she untied her apron.
He just smiled at her and followed her like a puppy dog to the women’s bathroom.
“Peter, I’m a grown woman. I know how to pee. I’ll be right out.” Katherine tried to get Peter to cool down as she went into the ladies room.
She stared at herself in the beat up dirty mirror, and then turned around to walk into the stall when she was pushed onto the floor.
“Oh I love how they don’t put windows into account for breaking in.” Brian breathed as he stood over her.
He grabbed her by her hair and pulled her up to be face to face with him.
“I thought I told you not to tell, pumpkin.” He grinned at her before throwing her into the wall.
Katherine pushed herself up from the ground and leaned against the wall.
“Do you have something to say hun?” Brian asked her as he grabbed her chin roughly.
Katherine clenched her right fist and dug it into Brian’s stomach, leaving him gasping.
“I’m not your fucking pumpkin.” She said, and spit blood on the floor.
“You’re gonna pay for that.” He told her as he came at her with a fist.
Katherine somehow grabbed it, and shoved him to the floor before she scrambled to the door.
“He’s here.” She said breathlessly as Peter already seemed to get the picture and called to Jonathon.
Jonathon and Peter didn’t hesitate to drag Brian out front, making a scene the entire way.
“You motherfucker.” Peter gritted as he tackled Brian to the ground.
Katherine and a crowd followed them out front, watching the whole thing.
“Are you alright?” Jonathon asked her as she watched helplessly as Peter and Brian beat the shit out of each other.
“Aren’t I always?” Katherine said as she spit more blood.
Police lights started to flash down the road, and Katherine started to get antsier.
“Peter that’s enough!” Katherine called to him as he continually was connecting his fish with Brian’s face.
“Damn it…” She sighed as she was forced to break it up herself.
“Peter, I’m serious, enough.” Katherine said before she put her hand on his shoulder.
She stopped him in mid punch, and he restrained himself from punching Brian again. Brian laid on the ground, bleeding from his mouth and nose. He smiled up at Katherine and Peter and began to chuckle.
“You’re gonna leave me, for this fag? How pathetic, Katherine.” Brian said at the police finally showed up, and Officer Lindsey herself came up to cuff him.
“The only thing pathetic here is you, Brian.”
“Don’t drop the soap.” Peter said to him as he was shoved into the back of a police car.
“Jesus Peter, look at you.” Katherine sighed as she ran her hand against his swelling lips.
“I’m fine.” He played off his pain as Katherine saw right through him.
She shook her head and demanded that he stay still while she talked to the police. After putting her two cents into what happened, talked to Jonathon, and grabbed her things from the back of the club, she found Peter sitting on the ground in the exact spot she left him.
“Come on you crazy motherfucker.” Katherine smiled at him as pulled him up and dragged him to their waiting cab.
“Hospital please.” Katherine told the cab driver as Peter disagreed.
“I am not going to the hospital.” He told Katherine as the driver waited to be told where to go.
“Fine.” She said and proceeded to tell him the address to her father’s house.
“I hope you don’t mind coming to my house then. I told my little girl that I was coming home tonight.” Katherine informed him as he shrugged.
“Fine with me.” He said as they smiled at each other.
---
“Sit still.” Katherine grunted as she patted a warm wash cloth over an open cut on his face.
“Easy for you to say, I have the wounds.” He said back to her as she rolled her eyes.
“I didn’t ask for your help. I had him under control thank you very much.” She said matter-of-factly as he laughed.
“You didn’t need to.” He smiled as she tried to hide her own.
“Katherine…” Peter breathed as she put ice on his swollen lip.
Peter’s hands laid on Katherine’s hips, pulling her closer to him. As she laid the ice on the counter, his lips enveloped hers. Despite the pain in his lips, he pressed harder as she didn’t stop him. He started to run his tongue over her bottom lip when she pulled away.
“Peter we…” She started as she sighed.
“I understand. You don’t have to explain.” He said as he hopped off the counter.
“I really, really don’t want you to go.” Katherine told him as he was readying himself to open her bedroom door.
She leaned on her door frame, and bit her lip.
“Alright.” He grinned as he started to strip off his shirt and pants.
“Peter, what the hell are you doing?” She asked him as she turned away.
“I’m just getting into my pajamas. Did you really think I was gonna get naked?” Peter played with her as he face turned beet red.
“I don’t know what you would do Peter.” Katherine shook her head as she went through her drawers for her own pajamas.
“I’ll be right out.” Katherine told him as he nodded and was looking at the pictures on her vanity.
“Who’s this?” Peter asked Katherine, holding up her junior prom picture once she emerged from the bathroom.
“Oh that’s Mark, Amity’s father.” She said nonchalantly as she rubbed some lotion on her arms and shoulders.
“Oh. What happened to him, if you don’t mind me asking…” Peter said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.
“He left me when I found out I was pregnant. He was too scared, and wasn’t ready. I haven’t heard from him since.” Katherine shrugged as she pulled back the covers to climb into bed.
“Ah, I’m sorry to hear that.” He told her sincerely as he climbed into the opposite side of her.
“It’s fine. It’s better that he’s gone anyways.” Peter turned off the lamp, sending them into darkness aside from the moonlight and the red glow from her alarm clock.
“Well I’m glad you’re optimistic about it all.” Peter smiled to her through the darkness as they both situated themselves into a comfortable position.
“Goodnight Peter.” She finished their conversation, turning her back towards him.
“Goodnight Katherine.” He replied, closing his eyes, trying to sleep himself.
“I’m ready for my break.” Katherine sighed to Peter as she untied her apron.
He just smiled at her and followed her like a puppy dog to the women’s bathroom.
“Peter, I’m a grown woman. I know how to pee. I’ll be right out.” Katherine tried to get Peter to cool down as she went into the ladies room.
She stared at herself in the beat up dirty mirror, and then turned around to walk into the stall when she was pushed onto the floor.
“Oh I love how they don’t put windows into account for breaking in.” Brian breathed as he stood over her.
He grabbed her by her hair and pulled her up to be face to face with him.
“I thought I told you not to tell, pumpkin.” He grinned at her before throwing her into the wall.
Katherine pushed herself up from the ground and leaned against the wall.
“Do you have something to say hun?” Brian asked her as he grabbed her chin roughly.
Katherine clenched her right fist and dug it into Brian’s stomach, leaving him gasping.
“I’m not your fucking pumpkin.” She said, and spit blood on the floor.
“You’re gonna pay for that.” He told her as he came at her with a fist.
Katherine somehow grabbed it, and shoved him to the floor before she scrambled to the door.
“He’s here.” She said breathlessly as Peter already seemed to get the picture and called to Jonathon.
Jonathon and Peter didn’t hesitate to drag Brian out front, making a scene the entire way.
“You motherfucker.” Peter gritted as he tackled Brian to the ground.
Katherine and a crowd followed them out front, watching the whole thing.
“Are you alright?” Jonathon asked her as she watched helplessly as Peter and Brian beat the shit out of each other.
“Aren’t I always?” Katherine said as she spit more blood.
Police lights started to flash down the road, and Katherine started to get antsier.
“Peter that’s enough!” Katherine called to him as he continually was connecting his fish with Brian’s face.
“Damn it…” She sighed as she was forced to break it up herself.
“Peter, I’m serious, enough.” Katherine said before she put her hand on his shoulder.
She stopped him in mid punch, and he restrained himself from punching Brian again. Brian laid on the ground, bleeding from his mouth and nose. He smiled up at Katherine and Peter and began to chuckle.
“You’re gonna leave me, for this fag? How pathetic, Katherine.” Brian said at the police finally showed up, and Officer Lindsey herself came up to cuff him.
“The only thing pathetic here is you, Brian.”
“Don’t drop the soap.” Peter said to him as he was shoved into the back of a police car.
“Jesus Peter, look at you.” Katherine sighed as she ran her hand against his swelling lips.
“I’m fine.” He played off his pain as Katherine saw right through him.
She shook her head and demanded that he stay still while she talked to the police. After putting her two cents into what happened, talked to Jonathon, and grabbed her things from the back of the club, she found Peter sitting on the ground in the exact spot she left him.
“Come on you crazy motherfucker.” Katherine smiled at him as pulled him up and dragged him to their waiting cab.
“Hospital please.” Katherine told the cab driver as Peter disagreed.
“I am not going to the hospital.” He told Katherine as the driver waited to be told where to go.
“Fine.” She said and proceeded to tell him the address to her father’s house.
“I hope you don’t mind coming to my house then. I told my little girl that I was coming home tonight.” Katherine informed him as he shrugged.
“Fine with me.” He said as they smiled at each other.
---
“Sit still.” Katherine grunted as she patted a warm wash cloth over an open cut on his face.
“Easy for you to say, I have the wounds.” He said back to her as she rolled her eyes.
“I didn’t ask for your help. I had him under control thank you very much.” She said matter-of-factly as he laughed.
“You didn’t need to.” He smiled as she tried to hide her own.
“Katherine…” Peter breathed as she put ice on his swollen lip.
Peter’s hands laid on Katherine’s hips, pulling her closer to him. As she laid the ice on the counter, his lips enveloped hers. Despite the pain in his lips, he pressed harder as she didn’t stop him. He started to run his tongue over her bottom lip when she pulled away.
“Peter we…” She started as she sighed.
“I understand. You don’t have to explain.” He said as he hopped off the counter.
“I really, really don’t want you to go.” Katherine told him as he was readying himself to open her bedroom door.
She leaned on her door frame, and bit her lip.
“Alright.” He grinned as he started to strip off his shirt and pants.
“Peter, what the hell are you doing?” She asked him as she turned away.
“I’m just getting into my pajamas. Did you really think I was gonna get naked?” Peter played with her as he face turned beet red.
“I don’t know what you would do Peter.” Katherine shook her head as she went through her drawers for her own pajamas.
“I’ll be right out.” Katherine told him as he nodded and was looking at the pictures on her vanity.
“Who’s this?” Peter asked Katherine, holding up her junior prom picture once she emerged from the bathroom.
“Oh that’s Mark, Amity’s father.” She said nonchalantly as she rubbed some lotion on her arms and shoulders.
“Oh. What happened to him, if you don’t mind me asking…” Peter said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.
“He left me when I found out I was pregnant. He was too scared, and wasn’t ready. I haven’t heard from him since.” Katherine shrugged as she pulled back the covers to climb into bed.
“Ah, I’m sorry to hear that.” He told her sincerely as he climbed into the opposite side of her.
“It’s fine. It’s better that he’s gone anyways.” Peter turned off the lamp, sending them into darkness aside from the moonlight and the red glow from her alarm clock.
“Well I’m glad you’re optimistic about it all.” Peter smiled to her through the darkness as they both situated themselves into a comfortable position.
“Goodnight Peter.” She finished their conversation, turning her back towards him.
“Goodnight Katherine.” He replied, closing his eyes, trying to sleep himself.