Love in Disguise

Tuesday, June 3 The banging and clanking jolted me out of a sound sleep. I sat upright and listened. More bangs and clanks. I could tell they were coming from the kitchen. I rubbed my sleepy eyes and yawned, then swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up, unsure of what I’d find once I left the room. Not bothering to throw on a shirt, I reluctantly headed for the kitchen. Kya was going in and out of the cabinets. The center island was in disarray with all kinds of utensils, pots, and pans scattered about it. “What’s going on?” I asked. She stilled and looked over at me. “What’s going on is that I can’t find shit in here. You come and rearrange stuff, and then I can’t find it.” “But I showed you how I set things up, and you said it was fine.” “Well, it’s not fine now. Where’s the colander?” “In there,” I said, pointing to the proper cabinet. “What are you making?” “Thought I’d make some spaghetti,” she said in a now cheerful tone of voice. “I’ve been craving pasta lately, but all you’ve been making is fish, chicken, and beef with potatoes and veggies.” “Oh, well, all you had to do was tell me and I’d—” “There you go again!” she screamed, jumpstarting my heart. It was unnerving to see how fast she’d bounce from being in a pleasant mood to an angry one, and how often. I was feeling more and more like I was walking on eggshells around her. “What did I do?” I asked, trying to keep the tremor from my voice. “You make like everything’s my fault. It’s my fault I haven’t had pasta because I didn’t request it from the cook, right?” “No, not at all. Calm down, Kya.” “Don’t you dare tell me to calm down!” she shouted as she slammed a drawer so hard that it bounced back open. She walked right up to me. I was afraid she was going to hit me right then and there. I froze like a statue. Every nerve and muscle in my body was as taut as a rubber band. “In fact, don’t you ever tell me what to do at all.” “I’m not trying to tell you what to do, and I’m not implying that anything is your fault.” She softened a bit as I continued. “I just don’t understand why you’re so upset. You usually do the grocery shopping, so I’ll cook whatever you buy. Meanwhile, you can set up the kitchen however you want.” “No,” she said, relaxing her shoulders. “No, that’s okay. I’m just under a lot of stress lately. I’m sorry to have snapped at you like that.” “Under a lot of stress about what?” “Just a tough case I’m working on.” “Oh.” She gazed at me a moment, then went to put her arms around me. I was still stiff as a corpse. “Relax, babe.” I tried to, but it wasn’t easy. “Want some wine or something to relax you?” “No, I just wish you wouldn’t yell at me so much. It’s really getting to me,” I said. She simply stood there, silently gazing down at me with a look that seemed to be a cross between contemplation and emptiness. It was a silence and a look that slowly became discomforting. I wasn’t sure what to do. Should I just stand there and see what would happen next? Or should I turn on my heel and walk away? She continued her silent, motionless stare. Then something seemed to flash within her piercing dark eyes. It was a sparkle unlike one of happiness or lust. It was something else. Something that was making my mouth go very dry. Then, all of a sudden, without a second’s warning, her hand snaked out and slapped me across the face. I gasped in both horror and anger as my hand instinctively rose to my cheek. It stung with heat. “Hey! What did you do that for? Are you crazy?” “Not as crazy as I’ll be if you ever disrespect me like that again,” she warned in a dangerously low tone of voice. “How the hell did I disrespect you?” I cried. “You figure it out,” she shot back. “Meanwhile, I’ve lost my appetite and have to hit the road now anyway.” With that, I was left alone in the house. I began to believe there was a grain of truth to Laci’s ominous warnings.