Kissing Booth

"Being male I'll never know what it's like to have a human life growing inside me, but as a human being, I can imagine how amazing that would be."

Brad paused then said, "And I can imagine how heart rending it would be to lose that."

She could tell Brad wasn't just speaking words to pacify her. He was sincere, open, and genuine, and that touched her heart in a way she didn't anticipate.

"Thank you. I...I had all these dreams, you know? About starting a family and raising children. Watching them grow up and sharing our lives together. Birthdays, Christmases, first dates, maybe even grandkids one day."

For the second time she saw Brad's hand moving her way. But this time she didn't freeze. She found herself welcoming his gentle touch and when he put his hand on hers, she held it back. When she did, he smiled at her, and although he didn't say it, she could hear him telling her this was more proof there was an 'it' going on.

Brad could see her thinking and asked what was on her mind.

"I was just thinking about something Marie said."

"Which was?"

"She...she told me there couldn't be any harm in, you know, just...spending some time with you."

"Was she right?" came the calm, gentle reply.

Kayla knew she should deny what she was feeling. She should tell him, "No. Not really," but her heart was overruling her head.

"Maybe," she said with a warm smile that made Brad return it and squeeze her hand just as their server asked if they'd like anything else.

Neither of them did, so she set the check down. When Kayla glanced at it, she noticed a red heart. Then, just below it, she saw a ten-digit number.

"I believe someone likes you. Someone closer to your own age," she said, now feeling foolish for thinking she could ever be with someone so young.

Brad saw the cute, 19-year old girl smiling at him, but he didn't return it.

He looked at Kayla then said, "If that someone isn't you, I'm not interested."

Before she could react, he stood halfway up, leaned across the table, and kissed her.

Initially stunned, Kayla's eyes opened wide in disbelief. But once again, her heart told her brain to be quiet and to close her eyes and kiss him back. She did, and although the rest of the kiss was less than a second, it felt so right that she was more surprised by the whiplash of emotions than the kiss itself.

"I like you, Kayla. Not her. And not anyone else. Just you."

She'd given the briefest of glances toward their waitress who rolled her eyes and sneered at her. Rather than be offended, Kayla felt...happy. Brad watched it happen and once it was over, he again asked her what she was thinking.

"I'm usually quick to admit I'm wrong," she said, which only made him furrow his brow because it didn't explain anything.

Kayla looked at him and did explain.

"As much as I don't want to believe you were right, I can't help but agree that there is some kind of...it...happening. I can't explain it, and it makes no sense to me, but it, whatever 'it' is, IS happening."

"Is that so bad?" Brad asked.

As she contemplated what to say, she sat there looking at his face and thinking about his words. She felt warm and also...lighthearted. It was as though the burden she'd been carrying around for so long had been lifted. Not completely, but it was the first time since learning what happened in the accident that she didn't feel an oppressive force hovering over her.

"No. It...it isn't bad at all," she admitted, knowing it was true. "But can you maybe give me some time to make sense of all of this?"

Brad smiled at her in way that not only stirred her, it made her aware of a warmth she hadn't experienced in so long she'd almost forgotten how pleasant it could be.

"As long as I can spend some of it with you," he told her.

"I'd like that," Kayla replied, again knowing that she would.

"You ready?" Brad asked as he picked up the check.

"I'll get the tip if you want to pay for the meal," she said.

"Um...okay," Brad said as he watched her pick up her purse.

"Go ahead. I'll be right there."

She got another funny look from him, but he got up and went to the register as she fished out a ten dollar bill. She then grabbed a napkin and wrote, "I waited tables in high school and college, so I know how important tips are. But please let me give you a tip more valuable than money."

Kayla advised the young girl not to make assumptions about people...or rather about couples...based on their age.

"Because some might be tempted to leave you a penny."

As she walked to the register herself, she saw the girl looking at her. She could see then ten spot on the table and said, "Thank you, and have a nice day."

Kayla smiled as she walked by and said, "Oh, I will. With a boyfriend as handsome as mine, how could I not?"

That was so out of character for her that she should have felt bad for saying it. But she not only didn't regret her words, she walked up beside Brad and took his hand.

"Thank you for asking me out."

"Thank you for saying 'yes'."

Kayla smiled happily then told him, "This was...eye opening."

"Oh?" Brad asked as he kind of pulled his head back indicating he wasn't quite sure why.

"Uh-huh. I think I learned a lot about myself in the last hour or so."

"Oh. I see," he replied, still having no real idea what she meant.

But as they drove back to her place, he began to understand. Kayla seemed like a different person. She was more open and playful and...happy. Brad wasn't exactly sure what might have happened in that hour at Bailey's, but whatever it was, it was a most welcome change.

When he walked her to the door she thanked him again.

"It was my pleasure. And I'd love to see you again. Soon."

"That would be my pleasure," she told him very sweetly.

Brad smiled happily and told her how glad he was to hear that.

She moved slightly closer, smiled back at him, then said, "It would also be my pleasure if you'd kiss me again."

"Oh. Well, I believe I can do that," Brad said as he lowered his head.

This kiss was soft and sweet and lasted 3-4 times as long as the first.

"Was that your pleasure?" Brad kidded when it ended.

She nearly giggled when she laughed and told him it was.

"Same here," he told her. "I'll call you. And when I say 'I'll call you', you can be sure I will."

"Please do," Kayla told him before kissing him then saying she should probably go inside.

Brad was all smiles as he drove home while Kayla was on the phone before she sat down.

"Are you serious?" Marie asked excitedly after hearing about the unexpected visit and lunch date.

"I am," Kayla told her. "And you were right. Spending time with Brad didn't hurt at all."

"Oh, my gosh! I am SO happy for you! And I want to know everything and don't leave out a single detail starting with, 'Did he kiss you'?"

When Kayla said, "Well, maybe... ," Marie squealed with delight.

"I really can't explain how I changed the way I feel about him so fast. All I know is...it happened."

When Kayla said 'it' she laughed.

"Why is that funny?" Marie demanded to know in a friendly way.

Kayla told her and got a second squeal in return that made Kayla squeal right back.

"I kind of feel like I've lost my mind."

"Is that such a bad thing?" Marie asked, forcing Kayla to again confront her feelings—and his age.

"I haven't told you how old he is yet."

"No, no you haven't. So...?"

"Oh, boy. It seems bad when I think it to myself. Now that I'm saying it out loud I really do wonder if I've gone stark raving mad."

"Again—so-ooo?

"He uh, he's...twenty four."

Marie needed a second to let that sink in before trying to sound positive and supportive.

"That's not...bad. Right?"

Her response told Kayla all she needed to know. In an instant everything Kayla had been feeling came crashing down in a heap of emotional rubble.

Kayla hadn't cried since the two-year anniversary of the accident. But she felt so...ashamed and foolish and naive that she was on the verge of tears when she replied.

"I...I can't do this," she said, barely holding it together.

Kayla wasn't flighty or dingy. She was stable and emotionally strong, so when Marie heard her say that, and more importantly the way she said it, she found herself at a loss for words.

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked her friend.

Kayla took two long, slow, deep breaths and steadied herself out.

"No. I...I have to do this myself. In person."

That was the Kayla Marie knew and loved, and she felt relieved when her friend pulled it together. But she was also sad knowing that Brad was the first man her friend had had any feelings for since Steven.

"If you need me, I'm here for you," Marie said.

"Thanks. I'll definitely be needing you, but now I need to try and find a way to back out of this...insanity."

Marie didn't bother asking what that meant. It didn't matter that she would be thrilled to date someone like Brad, age difference or not. But Kayla wasn't her, and all she could do was respect her best friend's wishes.

"Let me know how it goes, okay?"

"I will. Thanks, Marie. And I love you."

"I love you, too, sweetie. Good luck."

Kayla hated putting things off, but she couldn't bring herself to call him just yet. She needed time to think about how to put things in a way that would be as gentle as possible while being true to herself. So she put the call on hold and spent some time going over her various options.

By 10am the next morning she was ready. She hated doing this to him, but she knew it had to be done.

"Kayla? Hi," she heard him say with enthusiasm when he answered the phone.

"Brad. Hi. Listen. Is there any way we could maybe get together and talk?"

"Yeah. Sure. I'm working right now, but I can get away for an hour around noon if that works."

"That's perfect. Where would you like to meet?"

They agreed on a location near the firehouse, and Kayla went back to going over what she'd nearly memorized to say when they got together.

Her stomach was in knots when she walked into the little cafe a block from where Brad worked. He was already there waiting for her, and when he saw her and smiled at her, she nearly lost her nerve.

She was very thankful he didn't try to kiss her when she walked over to his table, but they did hug, and that was bad enough.

"I'm starving. What would you like?" he asked her as she sat down.

"I...I'm not really hungry."

"Okay. Maybe just some coffee? They make a really good cup of Joe here."

"No, thank you," she said before looking right at him.

"This isn't going to be good, is it?"

Kayla slowly and carefully said exactly what she'd planned. She saw the hurt on Brad's face and that took her off script.

"Brad. Listen. I'm...I'm almost 37 years old. In another 13 years, when you're my age, I'll be 50. And you won't think I'm this...beautiful woman. Because I won't be. I'll just be..."

He gently touched her hand to stop her then said, "You'll always be beautiful to me, Kayla. And were we to stay together, we'd change one day at a time. You're trying to jump ahead a whole lot of years as though we'd suddenly wake up the day you turn 50. And, well, that's just not fair and it's not true, either."

After hearing that it tore Kayla's heart out to have to sit there and not ask him to forgive her and kiss her. She knew that were she to do that she'd also ask him to...take her to bed...and she'd never be able to leave.

Now utterly confused again and wondering if she was making an even bigger mistake, Kayla fought back another bout of tears and told Brad she was sorry.

"And in time, I hope you'll come to believe this was for the best. I'm truly flattered by all of the attention, but please try and see me how I'll look rather than how I look right now, okay?"

Before he could answer her, tears began falling, and she got up and left without saying another word.

"Here's your order, handsome," a woman named Fran, who'd waited on him dozens of times said. "Where'd your...friend go?"

"I uh, I just got dumped," he told her.

"She's beautiful. Maybe a little old for you, but she's a very pretty woman."

"Yeah. She's all that and more," Brad told her.

Fran thought about telling him that were she the other woman's age, she'd be happy to date a much-younger man. But she could see he wasn't in the mood for her flirting.

"I'm sorry. But maybe it's for the best, you know?" Fran told him.

Brad looked at her, forced himself to smile, then said, "Yeah. Maybe so," before picking at his food for a minute or two before giving up on it.

*****

Five Months Later

"Let's go people! Get a move on!" Brad said when the alarm sounded.

It was just after 8pm, and he'd been there for two hours on his second day of swing shifts when the first call of the evening came. He was riding up front this evening, and as clarifying information came in, he audibly gasped when he heard the address.

As they pulled into the neighborhood their siren was blasting and the driver hit the horn several times to let people know to pull over. Brad strained to get a look at the house and his heart sank when he saw how far the fire had spread. All he could do now was hope and pray that she wasn't home or that she'd gotten out.

The lieutenant was right behind them with another engine, and he took charge as soon as he got out of the command vehicle. He gave orders to both teams and Brad found himself on the business end of a hose he directed into the brunt of the flames.

Two other firefighters were tasked to try getting in through the back door to see if anyone was inside. As Brad and someone from the other engine poured hundreds of gallons of water onto the side of the house, their co-workers broke down the back door and began looking around.

They were inside less than two minutes, but it seemed like two hours as Brad watched and waited. He saw one man who went in reappear carrying someone who was as limp as a rag doll in his arms. Right behind him was Kathy who had her arm around a woman, helping her walk as she coughed and gasped for air.

As they walked by, Brad saw Kayla and nearly lost it. He called to the lieutenant and explained what was going on and his boss assigned someone else to take the hose.

Brad ran over to where the EMTs were and saw what he feared. Kayla was on the ground, an oxygen mask over her face, and one of the EMTs was tending to her.

"Is she okay?" he called out over the noise.

"She will be. She lost consciousness from smoke inhalation, and she's got burns on her left arm and left side of her face, but she'll be okay."

Brad could see the burns. The one on her arm looked serious. The one on her face didn't, but it was on her left cheek, and he felt certain it would leave scarring. He'd seen plastic surgeons perform miraculous repairs, but in most cases, facial burns left their mark forever.

"Brad?" he heard someone say.

He stood up and turned toward the voice and saw someone he couldn't place.

"It's Marie. From the fair? You know, the kissing booth?"

"Oh. Yes. Sure. How are you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. But how's Kayla?" Marie said, lifting the oxygen mask she'd be given to talk.

He told her what he knew but left out the worst of it.

"Thank God! It...it happened so fast. I'm not sure how it even started. And then we...we were breathing in smoke and I...I panicked. That...that's the last thing I remember before these amazing heroes came in."

Kathy was there and heard Marie's words.

"Were not heroes. We're just trained pretty well," she said as modestly as she could.

"No. Sorry. You are heroes. And you are my personal hero," Marie told the woman who helped her get out. "You saved my life. And my best friend's life."

Kathy excused herself and once she was gone, Marie moved closer to Brad then said, "She's never stopped thinking about you, Brad."

"What?"

"Kayla. It tore her apart to break things off with you, but she...well, she did what I just did. She panicked. She couldn't get over the age difference, but when she came over that night after she told you how she felt something happened. It was like a switch had been thrown. She was all bubbly and happy then out of the blue she says she just made the biggest mistake of her life."

"Marie? Are you tell me it's not too late?"

"I honestly don't know, Brad, but I do know she hasn't had the least interest in anyone else since you. So if I were in your shoes, I'd tell her how I feel. And while I can't be sure, I think you might be pleasantly surprised."

It was over an hour later before the fire was completely out. Most of the house was damaged, and a good share of it had been destroyed. That was bad, but the only thing Brad could think about was getting to the hospital to see the woman he'd been unable to get out of his mind since the first time he kissed her.

He still reeked of smoke when he walked up to the front desk to find out where they'd taken Kayla, but all he got was smiles from the two nurses working there. He thanked them them headed to her room where she lay sleeping.

He walked up to the bed, and when he saw her, tears filled his eyes for the first time since he was eight years old. He gently put his hand on hers as he looked at her arm and then her face.

She hadn't been sedated but he saw a morphine drip for the pain. When he squeezed her hand, she opened one eye.

"Brad?" she said, barely able to talk.

"Shhh. Don't talk, okay? Just rest."

She saw him look at the gauze covering the burn on her face and looked away.

"You see. You did luck out."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"The doctor said the burn on my face can be...addressed...but I'll...I'll have a scar there. For life."

He squeezed her hand again and waited for her to look at him.

"How shallow do you think I am?" he asked, that amazing smile on his face.

"I...I don't understand," Kayla croaked, her throat still burning from the hot smoke she'd inhaled.

"Do you think something that trivial could ever change how I feel about you?"

"It's a moot point, anyway," she whispered. "After the way I treated you...the way I hurt you..."

"Kayla, I've thought about you every day since," he told her as he stared into her eyes.

Kayla wanted to smile but couldn't as she hoarsely said, "Ah, thinking of ways to hurt me back perhaps?"

He leaned a bit closer, smiled again, then said, "Hardly. More like ways of trying to persuade you to reconsider."

She tried to laugh but only coughed, and the coughing hurt worse than trying to smile had because her lungs had also been mildly singed.

"Up until today I might have said 'yes'," she told him in between the sharp, painful coughs.

"Nothing's changed," he told her.

She tried to look at her cheek which was impossible then said, "That's not true. You have eyes. You can see it for yourself."

"Again, do you think I'm really that petty?"

Kayla felt like crying, and she knew that if she did, it would hurt badly enough that she'd have to call for a nurse.

"I...I'm really tired, Brad," she told him, hoping he might leave without being asked.

"Okay. You get some rest. I'll be back in the morning, though."

She went to tell him not to do that, but he bent down and kissed her on the forehead while squeezing her hand again.

"I'm so glad you're okay," he told her as he raised his head back up.

"Thanks to you and your comrades," she whispered. "Please thank them for me, okay?"

"I will. Now get some rest."

Kayla was exhausted and fell back asleep within moments.

Brad took the next day off and was back at 8am when visiting hours began. He saw someone changing the bandages on her arm and knocked to let them know he was there.

"Hi. Come in," Kayla said, talking and feeling a little better. "This is Doctor Coleman. Doctor Coleman? This is one of the firefighters who saved my life last night."