Kali awoke the next morning momentarily stunned at the big man lying beside her. A smile slowly crossed her face when she remembered why he was there. Seeing that he too had awaken, Kali moved closer to him and he wrapped his arms around her.
"Good Morning." Taker said as he softly kissed her neck.
"It is indeed a good morning." Kali replied as her eyes took in his magnificent body. Being a tattoo artist, she had a special appreciation for his ink. She didn't have a favorite, but admired all of his tattoos, knowing each one was an extension of who he was. Kali was her hand over his huge, muscled arm, feeling the power and strength he possessed, not only in his arms, but also in his entire body. She still found it hard to believe that this man was here with her. She had been attracted to him for as long as she could remember, but she never dreamed in a million years that this would happen.
"I'm glad you think so." Taker said, smiling slightly, then frowning. "I can't believe I have to go back on the road today. I could stay here like this with you forever, I think."
When will you be back?" Kali asked, knowing it could be weeks, if not months before they came back this way.
"In two weeks I have a day off. Think you might want some company that day?"
"Two weeks, huh? That's going to seem like an eternity." Kali said as she turned and looked at the clock on the table beside the bed. Groaning softly, she got up. "Morning always comes way too soon. I have to get going. My first appointment is in an hour." Kali grabbed clean clothes and headed for the shower. She was pleasantly surprised when Taker joined her a few minutes later.
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Judy showed up at the shop at noon. Kali was busy working on a design for one of her regular clients. "Judy, you're late!" Kali said rather sternly, but if Judy could have seen her eyes, she would have seen the humor that shone there.
"I'm sorry. It's just that…." Judy stammered, not knowing what to say.
"Ah, don't worry about it. I had to give you a hard time, but I would appreciate a call next time that you're going to be late. I was a little worried about you." Kali turned around and Judy could see the happiness that lit her eyes like the fourth of July. "Now, how'd your date with Kane go?"
It went good....very good." Was all Judy would say. "How about you?"
"It was nice. We had dinner, a good conversation, and um...." Kali stopped, blushing at the thought of Taker's hot body next to hers.
A little over an hour later, Kane stopped by before he went to the airport. Kali watched him intently as he talked to Judy. She had always thought he looked familiar, but Kali had never taken a good look at him until now. It only took her a few minutes to realize who he was. There was no doubt in her mind. He had a different name back then, but so did she. Before she knew what was happening, Kali's mind traveled back to the last time she had seen him.
It was ten years ago and Kali had been 17 years old. She and her boyfriend at that time had been dating for well over a year when he asked her to marry him as soon as they graduated from high school the next year. Kali's parent's did not approve of her boyfriend, saying that he was from the wrong side of town, he had the wrong friends, and his parents didn't have the "right" name. When Kali threatened to run away with the man, her parents packed her up in the middle of the night, moving half way across the country to keep her away from him. They went as far as changing her name, and altering her appearance slightly so that in the event that he did come looking for her, she wouldn't be recognizable to him. Kali was heartbroken from being forced away from the man she loved and wanted to be with. Late one night, she decided what she would do. Without a second thought, she cut both of her wrists, hoping to end the misery and pain in her heart. She woke up in the hospital two days later, having been found by her mother. That was ten years ago. Kali hadn't seen Jeff since the night her parents took her away, until now. He was standing in her shop and he now went by the name of Kane. Kali almost hoped that he wouldn't recognize her now after all this time. Her life was good now, and Kali certainly didn't want anything to interfere in Judy's relationship with Kane. But if he did, one day realize who she was, Kali would tell him the truth.
"Kali!" Judy said for the third time, finally bringing Kali back to the present.
"Hmm? I'm sorry. My mind was elsewhere." Kali said in apology.
"Kane was wondering if Taker has left already." Judy eyed her friend curiously wondering what was on her mind. She knew it wasn't Taker. Kali didn't have that dreamy look in her eyes that she got when she was thinking of him.
"Yeah, his flight left at 10:56 this morning." Kali replied as her next client walked through the door and ended the conversation.
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Chapter Five~~~Judy
Judy wondered what was troubling Kali. She had been quiet and preoccupied since right after Kane had entered the shop. She knew that what ever it was bothering Kali, had to do with Kane. Her instincts told her that. Judy learned a long time ago to trust her instincts. As soon as she got the chance, she would ask Kali what was up.
"ARGH!!!!!! Thank goodness this day is over!" Kali said with an exhausted sigh! They had been busy all day! Not only did they have their scheduled appointments, but a number of walk-ins as well.
"Yeah, it has been a long day!" Judy said, stretching a mile, then sitting down across from Kali.
The door had been locked and all the lights were off except the desk lamp. The hot pink from a neon sign hanging over Judy's work area, added to the faint light in the otherwise dark parlor. Kali had propped her feet up on the edge of her desk, resting a moment before doing the day's paperwork.
"Kali, we need to talk!" Judy began, but the guarded look on Kali's face, caused her to pause before continuing. "Something is bothering you, and I've a feeling it has to do with Kane. Do you want to tell me about it?" Judy's voice was soft and gentle. Her alert blue eyes didn't miss the guarded look that came into Kali's blue eyes.
"Please don't take offense, but I'd rather not. It's a very personal and very painful matter." Kali glanced down at her slightly shaking hands, pulling the sleeves of her cotton tee down to cover the faint scars on her wrists.
"I understand. But I want you to know I'm a good listener, I don't pass judgement, and it might help to talk about it." Judy's soothing tone and genuine concern convinced Kali that maybe she should confide in Judy.
With a heartfelt sigh, Kali asked if Judy wanted to go out for a bite. "Sure thing! Come on. Leave the paperwork until tomorrow. I'll even come in early to help!" Judy said generously, grinning wickedly.
Laughing companionably, the two women left the shop, locking the door behind them. They went to the coffee shop on the corner. Taking the back booth, the two women ordered burgers and iced tea. When the waitress brought their tea, Kali sipped hers before saying anything.
"This goes back about 10 years. I really feel uncomfortable talking about this. It brings back a lot of bad memories. But I guess you're right. I do need to tell it. Maybe it will help." With a ragged sigh, Kali told her tale.
"Kane's real name is Jeff. Back in high school we planned to marry after graduation. Yes, he and I were high school sweethearts! My parents didn't approve and took matters into their own hands, in an effort to separate us. They even went so far as to resort to minor plastic surgery in an attempt to alter my appearance. Just in the case we ever crossed paths, by some chance. Anyway, when Kane came in this morning, I really looked at him. He's changed some, but it's still Jeff." Kali pushed her mostly untouched burger away from her.
Judy did the same, having suddenly lost what little appetite she had. Reaching for her cigarettes, she lit one before saying anything. Finally, she met Kali's eyes. Kali's were filled with pain and bad memories, Judy's were guarded and unreadable.
"Have you considered talking to him? Seeing how things are?" She asked casually.
"NO! But I guess you're right! I should talk to him." Kali helped herself to one of Judy's cigarettes.
"Do you still love him?" She hated to ask, but had to know.
"I don't know! It was quite a shock when I realized that Kane was actually Jeff. Why he shows up now, I don't know! I broke my own cardinal rule. I got involved with a customer. Taker spent the night with me. He's the first and only man I've ever slept with. Now I don't know how to feel or what to think." Kali finished miserably. She was looking at the table top and missed the look on Judy's face.
Judy didn't say anything for several minutes. "Kali, I need to tell you something. As you know, Kane and I had dinner last night. He spent the night as well. I didn't know, or I never would have accepted his invitation, let alone invite him back to my apartment. I'm sorry, I just didn't know." Judy finished, her voice tired and with a hint of resignation. One thing was certain, she wasn't going to see Kane again. That thought saddened her enormously. The two women talked quietly a few more minutes, and then after paying the bill, went their separate ways.
Judy walked slowly up to her apartment. As she unlocked the door, she heard her phone ringing. Letting the machine pick up the call, Kane's voice could be heard, as she locked the door behind her.
"Judy, I guess you're not home! Call me when you get this message." Kane's husky voice sent shivers down her spine, yet filled her heart with sadness.
Laying her purse down on the table, she rewound the taped and listened to the message again, tears falling unnoticed as she thought about Kali's claim on the heart of the man Judy had chosen for her own.
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Chapter Six~~~Kaliegh
The next morning Kali called Judy to let her know that she wouldn't be in for work that day, and possibly for the rest of the week. " I went back after we talked last night and did the bookwork before I went home so you don't need to worry about that. I've also rescheduled all of my appointments for the next few days." Kali's voice was quiet and tired. Judy guessed she probably didn't sleep much last night. "If you don't want to go into work either, that's fine. Just make sure to reschedule all of your appointments as well." Then after quietly asking for Kane's cell number, Kali said "good-bye" and hung up the phone.
Kali paced her living room floor, smoking one cigarette after another for well over an hour before she finally got up the nerve to call Kane. "Kane, this is Kali." She said softly when he answered the call. "I need to know what city you're going to be in tomorrow. You and I need to talk."
Kane was thunderstruck. He had thought for sure that it would have been Judy on the other end of the line. Why would Kali be calling him? "We're in Dallas tomorrow, but I don't understand. What's this all about?"
"I'd rather not talk about it over the phone, but if you could tell me where you're staying in Dallas, I'd appreciate it."
Kane gave her the necessary information and then made plans to meet with her tomorrow afternoon before the show.
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The following afternoon, Kali walked slowly to Kane's room. She stood in front of the door for several moments taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart. Finally she knocked. Kane immediately opened the door, and stepped aside to allow her into the room.
"Kali, please come in. I have to admit, your phone call yesterday took me completely by surprise. For the life of me, I can't figure out why you'd want to fly all the way to Dallas just to talk to me. Everything is okey, isn't it. I mean, Judy's okey? I've been expecting her to call me, but she hasn't yet. I've been a little worried about her." Kane said as he closed the door. Then turning around, he tilted his head to the side, studying her.
"Judy is fine. I haven't seen her in a day or so, but…." Kali sat down in one of the chairs with a heavy sigh. She looked down at her slightly shaking hands as she tried to decide just what to say. "Kane, do you have any idea who I am? I mean, who I REALLY am?"
Kane's eyes clouded with confusion as he thought about what Kali had just said to him. "Well, no, I guess I don't know who you are. I don't know anything about you except what you do for a living. I still don't understand what you're getting at."
Kali lit a cigarette and after taking a long drag off of it, she began to speak again. "I know something about you. I know your real name isn't Kane. It's Jeff."
Kane's eyes widen in surprise. There were very few people who knew what is real name was, and Kane couldn't recall Kali being one of them. "How the hell do you know that? Who told you?"
"You told me your real name yourself." Kali said as she got up from where she had been sitting. Stepping up to the big man, she continued. "Take a good look at me Kane. Look into my eyes…See who I really am and how I know who you really are."
"You look like someone I once knew, but she died a long time ago." Kane ran his fingers through his hair as a pained expression came into his eyes.
"Is that what they told you? I swear, there was no limit to how low those two would stoop to keep us apart." Kali shook her head in disbelief. She couldn't believe the things her parents had done.
A look of wonder crossed over Kane's handsome features as he finally realized what she was trying to tell him. She looked some different, but looking deep into her eyes, he could tell it was definitely her. "My God, my sweet Angel has come back to me." Kane's voice was husky with emotion that he had been carrying with him for ten years.
As Kane and Kali talked, the Undertaker was on his way back to the room that he and Kane were sharing. He walked through the door just in time to see Kane wrap his arms around Kali and bring his mouth to hers in a tender kiss.
"What the hell!" Taker hollered at them, his thunderous voice bouncing off the walls in the small room. In the three years, Kali had known him, she had never seen him so upset. "Well, that's just wonderful, Kali. I fall in love with you and then you turn around and stab me in my back."
Kali didn't know what to say as Taker stared at her with hell in his eyes. "You don't understand, Taker. Please give me a chance to explain the situation."
"Cut the shit, Kal. I think what I saw explains the situation quite well." The coldness in Taker's voice matched the look in his eyes. "If you'd rather be with Kane, that's fine. But why did you even bother with me? Do you have any idea what it meant to me the other night when we were together. I thought it meant something to you too, but I guess I was wrong." Taker ran his fingers through his hair, the hurt in his eyes was undeniable. Then giving Kali one final look, he said, "You have to make a choice, Kal. Either him or me. You have to decide." Then he turned and left the room
Kali's eyes filled with tears as she watched Taker leave. She cared a great deal for him and the last thing she ever wanted to do was hurt him. Try as she might, she couldn't get the look in Taker's eyes out of her mind. Turning to Kane, she said "I need some time alone. Can I see you after the show tonight? There are still a lot of things that need to be discussed."
"Yes, that's fine. I'll call you when I get back to the hotel. Should be around 10:00 or so." Kane paused for a moment and then continued. "I'm sorry about that kiss. There was no way I could have stopped it from happening though. Oh, and don't worry about Taker. Once he's cooled off some, I'll explain everything to him." Kane watched her as she left. He had been very affected by the kiss they shared and he knew she had been affected by it as well. He still loved her, even after all these years. He wondered if she felt the same.
Kali slowly walked back to her room, thinking about what had just happened between her and Kane. His kiss had opened a floodgate of feelings that Kali thought were long gone. All the memories that Kali had worked so hard to forget, came back in one big rush. As Kali opened the door to her room, her thoughts turned to Taker. She had some pretty deep feelings for him as well. Kali didn't know what to think anymore. The easier she tried to make the situation, the more complicated it got. Kali closed the door behind her with a sigh, suddenly feeling very exhausted. Laying down on the bed, she quickly fell into a restless sleep.