Repercussions and Recompence

Jolting back into the present, Wes takes Katrina’s hand and places his keys in it. “Go to the car and wait for me to contact you.” The command shakes Katrina out of her own stupor, but she tries to stand firm. “But I –“ He steps around to be in front of her as if blocking the line of sight will somehow shield her from a calmly seated injured woman in another room. “Please Kat, just go!”

“Cool your jets Wes. I can explain, I invited her in.” Hearing the door close, Wes looks behind him to ensure Katrina has successfully ‘escaped’. “Well, doesn’t that sound familiar! Are you drunk again? Oh I know, why don’t we also turn off the lights as well to really set the mood for this reunion.”

Andre is not amused at the sarcastic outburst. “Come off it, I’m not being held hostage or any other crazy scenario your overactive imagination is conjuring up. No one is in danger. How about you and I speak in private on the back deck. Okay?”

“Alright…” Wes starts walking into the kitchen but starts sidestepping around the still calmly seated young woman. On passing her, he now completely turns around, so he is backing away from the table towards the sliding glass door but still facing the object of his squinting glare. All he can think of is words like ‘****’ and ‘extortion’. He takes a final step through the threshold.

“C’mon Wes turn around.” Andre’s request falls on deaf ears. He’s had enough of his friend’s overprotective behavior and grabs Wes’s shoulder to whirl him around. Wes protests “Hey, you can talk to me while I watch her.” Andre leans in almost nose to nose “I’m talking so the only person you need to look at is me. Got it?” Wes relents with an irritated “Fine.”

Pulling back his head and releasing Wes’s shoulders, Andre begins retelling the events leading up to Domeno sitting at the table. He describes how he went for a walk to clear his head. Maybe traveled a block away when he noticed a sleeping person in the car he was passing. Recognized who it was and felt concerned that maybe she was severely injured by the fall and the strike. He tapped on the window and she recognized him and yelled to leave her alone. He continued standing there until she rolled the window down an inch and asked what he wanted.

The conversation goes back and forth. Andre finds out she walked home that night because her car wouldn’t start. She walks back to her apartment, arriving early in the morning, and the landlord is ready to evict her. She was telling the truth about needing the money for her rent. Since she didn’t have it, he kicks her out and says she can only take whatever she can carry, the rest he would sell off to settle her debt. Having a messed-up shoulder, she wasn’t able to grab much. She carries her stuff back to the car and sleeps in it. Andre wraps the story up with “Seeing as we are both partially responsible for her current predicament. I invited her in to see if there is a way we can help her out. We’d barely begun talking when you returned.”

Wes is chomping at the bit to ask questions and takes the first opportunity. “Help her how?” Andre replies, “I was going to talk to you and Katrina about letting her live here until she –“ Wes interjects “Ah! Do not tell me you were about to say ‘until she gets back on her feet’. The answer is no, hell no!”

Andre does not back down. “Look, its my name on the deed to this place. I have full discretion on who lives here and who doesn’t. I am extending you a courtesy by asking as I want this decision to be unanimous. C’mon man, have a heart, how can you be so cold? She got totally fucked over by us last night… Uh… if you’ll pardon the expression. She lost her home and if she doesn’t get the car fixed soon I know it will end up getting towed. On top of all that, Katrina seems to like her, look for yourself.”

Wes has a quizzical expression and tilts his head to the side. Turning around, he sees Katrina handing Domeno an ice pack and chatting away. Immediately he opens the door, runs in, and chides Katrina “I thought I told you to wait in the car?! What are you doing in here?” She gives him a matter-of-fact look and flatly states “One, I live here, and, two, I was just chatting with our guest.”

“Guest?!” Katrina jumps in “How about you take a seat and calm down. I’m pretty certain this young woman isn’t back here for ****. While you were out there listening to Andre’s story, I was hearing her perspective. Are you seriously going to turn her away after all that you did to her? I know you have trust issues stemming from your past, but I don’t believe she intends us harm. We lose nothing but a little bit of our time by discussing some ideas with… um... what is your name sweety?”

“Dawn Nicholls.” She relays in a somewhat timid voice. Katrina begins the introductions, “I’m Katrina Porter, this irate spaz next to me is Wes Staunton. Don’t worry he’ll calm down once he gets to know you.” Katrina lightly jabs Wes in his side. Despite having kickstarted this meeting, Andre thinks it appropriate to offer a proper introduction. “And I’m Andre Donegan, the owner of this townhouse. As I told Wes outside, I would prefer our final decision to be unanimous. However, I have the final say.”

Outnumbered and outgunned, Wes wordlessly concedes and sits at the table next to Katrina. Andre sits in his original seat and the discussion begins. The topics decided on were: They would move her car to a different spot, help bring some of her stuff inside, go on an errand run for toiletries or other necessities, and fold out the bed inside the couch on the 2nd floor for her to sleep on. Dawn barely speaks, only answering questions directed at her. Wes remains silent the entire time, unable to stop staring at her.

Wes estimates Dawn to be in her mid 20’s. Outside of the bruise, there are no other currently visible marks, tattoos, or scars on her medium beige skin that isn’t concealed by her tank top. The lack of make-up allows him to see her naturally beautiful face. When she does speak, Wes can glimpse that her teeth are straight. He believes that she appears to at least have had a healthy childhood. Current circumstances notwithstanding, Dawn seems like every other normal person. Except for being more attractive than average, she provides no other indication she is different. Definitely not the type of person you would think of being a dominatrix, assuming such a type exists.

Katrina and Andre are lively and basically decide Dawn will stay until she has the means to support herself. Dawn informed them that she will no longer be a dominatrix for hire. In lieu of rent, Dawn offered to use the skills she acquired working for an interior designer to help renovate the ground level room. It was supposed to be a separate apartment, but they haven’t even started fixing it up. Still internally questioning Dawn’s motives, Wes sees a chance to keep an eye on her during the day and breaks his silence.

“You know what? We can’t expect her to work on this project alone without any help. The company I work for recently changed the rules about working from home. I should be able to hang out here most days and help fix up the ground level apartment with Dawn. I’ll let my boss know as soon as possible.”

Wrapping her arm around Wes, Katrina coos “Aww. See? I knew if we just talked it would put your mind at ease. It feels good to help out others doesn’t it?” Wes nods. There is no point in disagreeing now, he is biding his time. He knows Dawn is not all she seems and is forming a plot to extricate her from his life. He needs more info and time to set it up properly. Time spent 'working' with her will bring him ever closer to this goal.

Plans made, they all spend the rest of the afternoon executing their given tasks.