Chapter 22

Richie had bumped Kara to first class for her trip home and, as tired as she was, she was glad for the bump. With her seat reclined she had her headphones on and was staring sightlessly out the window as she replayed the last few days in her head. She had no idea what she was going to do. She had been honest about what she had told Richie, she had always want to perform, to sing for the masses, had wanted it more than anything. But did she dare get her hopes up again, could she trust Richie to help her do things the way they should have been done the first time? Would she be able to handle it if things didn't work out, either with Richie and/or with the singing? Kara rubbed her forehead; it was going to be a long flight if she kept this up.

When the plane landed Kara was no closer to a decision than she had been when she boarded the plane. She did, however, have a pounding headache and a perverse desire to crawl into bed, pull the blankets up over her head and stay there until the spring thaw.

Walking into her apartment she heard her phone ringing, juggling her bags and keys she managed to get to the phone before the machine picked up. "Hello."

"Hey sweetie, how are you, how was your flight?" It was Jen with her usual impeccable timing. Kara loved her friend dearly, but right now, all she wanted was a warm shower and her bed.

"Hey Jen, my flight was fine, but I'm beat. Can I call you tomorrow?"

Jen could hear the weariness in her friend's voice. "Are you sure you're okay? And of course you can call me tomorrow."

Kara tried to smile, "I'm fine Jen, really. It was just a long flight and I just want to go crawl into my bed."

Jen took pity on Kara, "okay you go get some sleep we'll talk tomorrow."

Kara called her brother to let him know that she had made it home. She talked to Lucy while she unpacked. She forewent a shower opting for a soak in the bath instead. With a glass of wine in one hand and her phone in the other she sank into the steaming tub full of bubbles groaning appreciatively as she called Richie.

Richie had just walked in the door when his phone rang. He threw his jacket over the banister and, glancing at the window to see who it was, answered the phone with a smile.

“Hi princess. How was your flight?”

Kara smiled at the sound of his voice, “my flight was just fine and thank you for the upgrade. It was a nice surprise.”

He sat down on the couch in the den as they talked, “well I couldn’t have one of my best girls flying coach, now could I?”

Kara sat up, sloshing water over the edge of the tub, “one of your best girls?” The emphasis on the word “one” didn’t go unnoticed by Richie.

He heard her movement at the other end and the distinct sound of water, “what are you doing and yes princess, one of my best girls. I have three, you Ava and my mother and I always take care of my best girls.”

Kara blushed, “I’m in good company then. And to answer your question about what I’m doing, I’m in the tub. What are you doing?”

Richie closed his eyes against the image that came to mind of her, naked, wet and covered in bubbles. “I’m sitting here on my couch trying to behave myself now that I know what you’re doing.”

“Behave your…oh, gotchya.” It took a minute, but the meaning behind his words had her warm for reasons other than the water in the tub.

Richie chuckled at the other end of the phone, “princess, you finish your bath and get some sleep. I’ll call you when we get to Japan.” He knew the next few days were going to be busy and he didn’t figure he’d have a chance to call her before then.

They hung up and Kara closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the edge of the tub. It was going to be a long three and a half weeks.