With Love, Tori

Kyle King entered his old apartment, suddenly feeling like he stepped into a time warp. The dingy brown sofa bed still sat in the middle of the cramped living room, surrounded with a plethora of Tori’s unfinished paintings, and drawings on the wall, and floor. Speckles of paint, and broad streaks of charcoal pencils were all over the place. There wasn’t a spot you couldn’t step that didn’t have a touch of Tori’s influence all over it.

Depending on the day of the week, Tori was on fire with inspiration; as if her muse gave her a hit of acid before she took the brush to the canvas. Kyle couldn’t help but remember the night he and Tori lathered each other in a rainbow of finger paint and pressed their naked bodies onto the bedroom wall. Tori named the masterpiece: Mad Love, in Technicolor Unfortunately, Mrs. Kissell, the Landlord was less than impressed. She was downright pissed.

That was the theme of their intense 1-year relationship. It was mad, and they loved each other. But after a while Tori’s passion for life bubbled over in a cataclysm that was too much for Kyle to bear. She became jealous, possessive, and always brooding about something. Kyle realized they had nothing in common anymore. It was time to go.      

“Your clothes are over there”.

Tori’s husky voice brought Kyle back into the present. His eyes went to where his now ex-girlfriend’s finger was pointing. A black duffle bag sprinkled with red paint was plopped on the hardwood floor, close to the front door.

It had been only two weeks since the demise; feelings were obviously still raw. Tori silently sauntered around the room, avoiding Kyle’s looks as she tied her long Navy silk robe tighter around her waist.  He awkwardly picked up the bag, unzipping it, and peering inside.

“I didn’t set a booby trap in the damn thing” Tori huffed, “Just take it and get out”. Kyle shrugged his shoulders, looking into the bag again. Sitting on top of his leftover boxer shorts, jeans and graphic tees was a 9-milimeter. Kyle remembered the day he gave it to Tori. She always hated the thought of having a gun in the apartment, but Kyle insisted. He pulled the gun out of the bag, and tossed it onto the couch.

“I think you should keep that” He replied, “A women should have protection; especially now that you “-

“Live alone”? She seethed

“Uh, yeah…”

Tori eyed the gun from across the room, as if she expected it to go off at any moment. Her eyes welled with tears, threatening to spill over as she met eyes with Kyle,

“Will I see you again”?

Kyle shuffled uneasily, “I don’t know. Not for a while. I mean, I just need time”.

“Need time to what? Fuck every woman in sight”? Tori angrily spat.

The little bit of vulnerability Tori displayed a second ago disappeared almost as quickly as it appeared. Kyle was used to this. He threw up his hands in defeat, zipped up his bag and opened the door,

“Whatever you say Tori. I’m not going through this shit again”.

“I’m sorry Kyle”! Tori pleaded, tears free falling down her smooth cheeks, “I just miss you so much”.

She rushed over to the door, slamming it shut. She yanked the duffle bag out of his hands, and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest. Despite his annoyance, Kyle always loved the feeling of having her in his arms. He hugged her back, as she began backing up towards the bedroom, arms still locked around him.

“This feels so right, doesn’t it”? She whispered, “It can be like before”.

She kissed his cheek, gently moving her lips to his. Kyle didn’t resist as she easily slipped her tongue in his mouth, swirling around his in a familiar dance of excitement and arousal. Kyle felt his body respond to hers, as she continued to urge him towards the bedroom. Their bodies remained intertwined, as Tori undid his belt, almost tearing off his jeans in a sexual frenzy. Kyle couldn’t refuse the throbbing in his crotch. She ripped the robe from her naked body, as she bent over the edge of the bed.

“Please fuck me”! She urged, “Just one more time, and I’ll never bother you again, I promise baby. I just need to feel that big dick inside me one last time”.

She spread her thick pink pussy lips, coaxing him with a soft moan. Kyle didn’t bother taking off his pants completely. He pulled them down to his ankles and did what he was told. With each stroke he pumped harder, allowing all the frustration he ever had to fill her up as he released his semen deep inside her. She tumbled on to the bed with a gasp,

“I knew that’s all we needed” Tori breathlessly laughed, “Just one good hard fuck. Now we can start over, right”?

“No, we can’t”. Kyle hastily zipped up his jeans as he caught his breath, “I can’t do this anymore. We just don’t fit Tori. You know that –don’t you”?

“I do now”.

Tori curled up in a fetal position, staring blankly at Mad Love, in Technicolor Kyle followed her gaze, then carefully backed out of the bedroom, keeping his eyes on Tori. He left the studio without another word exchanged between the once inseparable couple.     

~~~

A sharp rapping on Kyle’s Hotel door jerked him out of a solid sleep. He glanced at the clock, 10:43 am. The knocking became sharper as Kyle toppled out of bed, grabbing his jeans slung over the end of the too-firm king-sized bed, pulling them on in haste. He opened the door with a scowl, “Yeah”?

‘Kyle King”?

“Yeah”?

The man casually flashed his badge with a wry smile, “My name is Detective Grazier. Do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions”?

“About what”?

“A Tori Green”? Grazier asked innocently. “You were in a relationship with her, right"? He asked again, as if he didn’t have a clue.

“Uh, yeah...but not anymore. It’s been over for a while”. He moved aside, as the Detective came in, keeping the door open, “What’s this about”?

“Ms. Green is dead”.

Kyle slightly bowed over, as if he’d been punched in the gut, “But I just –I mean, when did it happen”?

“She was found by her mother at 9:23 am. Apparently they were supposed to have breakfast together. Her mother got worried when she hadn’t heard anything, so she stopped by to find her daughter shot in the head, in the bedroom.

Kyle’s vision blurred, saying the first thing that came in his head “Tori was brilliant, but had trouble channeling her talents. I’m not saying she was crazy, she just felt everything way too intensely. But if you’re asking if I’m surprised she killed herself –no, I can’t say I really am”.

Detective Grazier raised an eyebrow, “Funny you should mention that. By the angle of the gun, it is highly unlikely she shot herself. She was right-handed, yes”?

“That’s right”.

“Whoever shot Ms. Green was left-handed, the fingerprints prove it. Well, that and the angle of the gunshot wound to the head –are you left-handed, Mr. King”?

It took a second for Kyle to understand what was happening, what the Detective was really getting at. It was clear there was more to the story than Kyle knew, but he never thought he would be under suspicion. Why would he? Tori killed herself. His eyes grew wide, as it all dawned on him at once,  

“She set me up”! Kyle yelled

“Please answer my question, Mr. King” Grazier said calmly, as if he’d seen this scene played out a million times: “Are you left-handed”?

“You didn’t know her”! He yelled again, his words pouring out in a jumble, desperate to be understood, “Look, towards the end of our relationship, she was mad at me all the time. I knew she didn’t want to be with me anymore, but she didn’t wanna let me go either. I’m telling you, that girl had problems –major fuckin problems”!

“Uh huh”…Detective Grazier replied, steadily scribbling on his notepad. “Now, how long did you say you had broken up”?

“About two weeks –why”? 

“The evidence proves she had sexual intercourse last night, a few hours before she was shot in fact –you know anything about that”?

Kyle toppled onto nearby chair, holding his head in his hands.

“Oh my God”….Kyle laughed suddenly, much to Detective Grazier’s surprise,

She planned this from the start; Kyle thought glumly, her final masterpiece.

“Mr. King, you’re gonna have to come downtown with me”.