Karen Black Ch. 01

(This story is in two parts, I've often wondered if something is too good to be true, is it always the case. Human nature makes us wonder but sometimes when it stares you in the face, you do have to ask yourself, maybe... Just maybe.)

My very special thanks go to LSEiland, for her editing of both these chapters.

*****

Being asked to step into my boss' office one sunny Monday morning and fed enough bull to make me want to throw up about how this company couldn't do without my talents... blah, blah, blah... did not start my week off all too well. I had zoned out and waited for the punch line. Not even I saw this one coming down the tracks- I was given one of those good news, bad news talks by my then boss.

The good news was I was being promoted to become one of the youngest department heads in the company. The bad news was the job promotion meant I had to up sticks and move to a new state. It seems our company was opening a new office in Houston and you can guess who they wanted to run the IT side.

I think what made my boss stall was how quickly he got me to agree. Hell, why not. My last relationship had recently cratered with most of our friends taking her side. When Jasmine decided to pull the plug on our relationship, she did a fine job of pulling up the drawbridge on the way out. For some reason she thought I would drop to my knees and beg her to stay.

When I didn't go crawling to her, she got pissed about it. This wasn't fitting her plans to leave me a broken wreck. Yes, Jasmine was a real piece of work and the false accusations and out and out lies that followed made me wonder who this woman really was. The accusations ranged from taking her ass while she was asleep to feeding drain cleaner to the neighbor's children.

All my time was spent countering her accusations that in the end, I just didn't have it in me to fight her anymore. At least we never made it past the engaged stage. Lord knows what I would have been worth when she finished divorcing me.

So for the last three months, all I seemed to be doing was drifting. A change was what I needed and if this company was going to pick up the bill for the move, and throw a promotion into the mix as well... Hell, why not.

Although I would never admit it to upstairs, it was one of my smarter moves. The team I found when I got here was a good bunch and reaffirmed to me that geeks make good computer people. We were actually working sixty hour weeks for the first two weeks- until I pulled everyone aside and reminded them they had a life outside of work.

Tony being the mouth of the group pointed out that I didn't. The room hushed some right about then. Poor Tony shifted on his feet and found the floor real interested just then. What could I do? The guy was right, so I did what this geek needed to do and checked the internet for locations of gyms in my area. Shortly, I found myself sitting with one of those personal trainers who asked what they could do for me.

I did stretch a point and ask if they could make me into an Adonis, but would settle for some exercises that made sure my stomach didn't extend over the waistband of my pants. Well the girl laughed, much to my relief. She let me down gently when she mentioned that the Adonis look may take a while, but she did get me started on the machines that would keep my waistline at bay.

So there you have but a brief glimpse of my life as I huffed and puffed away on one of those pain machines. A man in his late twenties, head of IT in a city I had never been in until my promotion, staring at myself in one of those mirrors they always seem to place strategically around the room.

*******

Karen didn't make any sort of grand entrance, but you sure knew she came into the room. My attention was divided between the machine and Karen, simply because of what went on when she came in. The gym rats just nodded to her and continued to lift the equivalent of a truck engine at each end of a bar. The women looked and smiled, some waved, but everyone -and I do mean everyone- left her alone.

It was clear to me that she was known in this gym, yet not one person went up and talked to her. All I could say to describe Karen was that she was definitely a woman. I wasn't sure about the rest because she wore track bottoms and either a sweatshirt or track top. It was both her face and demeanor that made you look, and if you weren't careful, stare.

She was a brunette with hair that stopped short of the middle of her back. The eyebrows matched, so I figured the brunette in her came natural. There always seemed to be a look about her that made you smile as she passed, yet never initiate a conversation with her. She was never rude and when she did talk to the folks at the gym, they always felt like she had made their day.

One time I passed her and noticed her head height matched mine. She was five foot seven, although she never used her height to intimidate anyone. Her beauty was natural, what she looked like as she came into the gym would be what you saw when she woke next to you in the morning.

If a piece of equipment was already being used and Karen looked like she wanted to be next to use it, invariably the person using the machine would step aside. Not in fear. Karen never gave off that sort of vibe; it was just genuine respect that led to people cutting short their own fitness regime for her. She would always smile and thank the person. You could tell, even from across the room, that there never was any animosity about it.

So that's how my life was for the next three months- work, work, work. Did I mention I worked a lot, the typical no life guy? First one in the building and the last out; even then I didn't go home, instead heading for the gym. Sometimes I would see Karen every day, but then she would disappear for a week or so. Another thing about Karen was the tracksuits; she was never out of them.

She would train in one until the sweat seeped through, but it never came off in the gym. The change came in mid-June. The AC at the gym decided that it didn't want to play anymore. Most folks went home and some of those who stayed lost a couple of pounds in that sauna. Even I was thinking of heading home when Karen walked in.

Her routine was always different; today she had decided to bench press some weights after looking around for one of the gym assistants. When she couldn't find one, she asked one of the knuckle draggers to assist her. I swear that man added an inch in stature that Karen had not only spoke to him, but had asked for his help.

Karen set off with warm up weights but soon got into some impressive stuff. As she was lifting, the arm of her tracksuit got caught on something and ripped. Seeing the danger, he grabbed the bar while Karen slid out from the weights. His stature went up another inch when she thanked him. She then pulled her top off and for the first time, I noticed that Karen had tits and a very impressive set at that. The sports bra held them firm to her body, yet showed them in a glorious light.

It was as she once again lay on the bench that I spotted the bruise on her right side. About the size of my hand and very recent given the color. There were a couple on her arms and a smaller one on her left side. I watched for a while, yet the knuckle dragger didn't seem to notice the damage to this woman's body.

The last few of us left in the gym either didn't notice or care. It was that very moment that Karen Black became an enigma to me that would haunt my thoughts for days. How could a woman with such an aura about her be nothing but a punching bag? Why wasn't anyone in that gym the least concerned that one of their own was being beaten, and judging by the bruises, pretty badly as well.

The words 'it's none of my business' haunted every thought I had about her along with the words 'don't get involved.' Hell, I only knew her name because a couple next to me said it as she walked in with one of the gym assistants one day.

*******

Even though work was still full on, the demands from the folks upstairs started to ease off and my team actually managed to sit down for a few minutes a day. To us, that was a step in the right direction.

Tony still kept the badge on his chest as the mouthpiece of the team.

"You know boss, we've been here for just over eight months now and you haven't mentioned a girlfriend, boyfriend even."

As I looked up at him, he held up the family photo he had on his desk.

"You know your yearly evaluation is going to suck right? You know that when I fire your ass you won't have a reference worth shit?"

Tony shrugged his shoulders.

"What can I say, the team delegated me to look after you and make you feel welcome."

I laughed, and could see the relief on the faces of all in the room as well. I still didn't answer his question; knowing why saddened me slightly. The cratering of my last relationship and this promotion left me with no time to do much else than hit the gym for an hour or so, and go to bed after I had eaten.

Knowing that I had to break the cycle I was in, and actually do it, seemed to be the puzzle I was dealing with now that upstairs had started to ease the pressure on us all.

The unexpected manner of this cycle ending came in the form of a flower lady standing by the entrance to the gym. She looked like she could use a good meal, and the thirty I gave her for the flowers made her smile. The trouble was it left me with a bunch of flowers I had no use for. Keeping the red colored one and handing the rest to the nice lady at reception was all I could think to do.

She smiled and even held up her hand to show me her wedding ring. It simply made me laugh. I told her it was a thank you for her smile each day, not a bribe. As I made my way up the stairs to the changing room, I did notice that she stood to get something to put them in, rather than tossing them in the trash can. The machines kept me company as my thoughts once again drifted back to the comments Tony had made.

For months now I had no excuse. With the pressure easing on us all, there was no logical reason to continue this way. All my team had made that point very forcefully. It was also then that Karen came in and sat on the machine next to mine. Although she set about her exercise regime with some venom, it was plain to me she had something on her mind.

With a sigh, and visions of those bruises on her body I had seen some months earlier, I was still at a loss to decide if any of this was my business. It was also time to head on home. I had an early meeting in the morning and then onto a plane back to head office. As I picked up my bag, the flower came into view. Still my mind screamed it was none of my business, perhaps one day I will listen to myself.

Karen looked up as I stood in front of her, her hand automatically coming out to accept the flower. The confused look as she held it made me wonder if anyone, even a stranger like me, had ever given her flowers.

"Just remember you're never alone. People do care and wish you well. Take that to heart and choose the path that will help you achieve what your heart wants the most."

I didn't think I was being profound. Hell I was more shocked she didn't tell me to take a hike. She just smiled and thanked me before I left the building and drove back to my apartment.

Other than spending half the night staring at the ceiling, my mind went over what I had said to Karen, thinking that it was the stupidest thing I had ever said to a woman. Hell, thinking about it, I was even more amazed she didn't call security and have me tossed out of the building.

With a sigh and a thought that I really should get some sleep, I tried to think of a positive about the event at the gym. The only thing I could think of was that she didn't laugh in my face. Sleep took me soon after the flush of embarrassment subsided.

*******

The next ten days were a haze of meetings at head office. The good news was I got a slap on the back for the job we did to get the office up and running ahead of schedule. The bad news was there would be times they would send me places to do the same again. That wasn't such a big deal with me, since my social life sucked real bad anyway.

So with smiles all around, I headed back. Since it was late when I landed, heading home seemed the most logical thing to do.

Being updated from my team meant I was still at work well past office hours, sorting out the details. The gym got missed again that evening, but picking up my bag in the morning on the way out was a must. The receptionist at the gym waved and smiled as I passed her. That girl had the cutest smile.

I was deep into my session on my last machine when Karen came in. It was the voice that startled me; I hadn't even seen her until she spoke.

"You need to talk to one of the assistants. You're using that machine wrong; with your stance, you're placing too much stress on your lower back."

Turning to look at her made me smile. I hid the anger real well. Karen had her sweat top off and the bruises had moved to different parts of her body this time, but looked recent. I understood the advice of a total stranger wasn't worth shit, but why was she still putting up with the beatings? And why didn't her friends say something? That's what I didn't understand.

"Thank you, but the damage is already done. Skiing accident when I was twelve years old. My back now has a slight bend that the traction couldn't fix."

Karen winced as I explained, the smile returned soon enough though.

"Skiing sure sucks doesn't it?"

I thought for a moment, before mentioning that skiing didn't suck but rolling down the hill only for a tree to stop me from going any further sure did. Karen looked like she wanted to be sick about then.

I had to leave, seeing those bruises on her and the casual way she dismissed them started to make me sad.

"Thanks again for the advice and the flower. Although I noticed that Cheryl seemed to have got the better end of the flower deal. She kept them until they died. You have a fan for life with that girl."

I shrugged my shoulders. She was married, and I'm not a home wrecker. I liked Cheryl and her smile sure made my day.

"Advice is cheap; it's what we do with it that counts."

I knew I should have kept walking. The showers seemed to be calling to me, yet I stood and looked at her. Her eyes were captivating. The feeling that I should try just once more rushed at me and made itself known before my senses told my mouth to shut the fuck up.

"You have no idea how well people like you. I'm a casual observer and I see it. You have what it takes to turn this around, yet for some reason you don't feel you can. Look around you and see. Even the folks in this room alone would walk side by side with you on this. Stand and fight it Karen. You're not alone, you're never alone."

I had to force myself to stop, even biting my lower lip in case she sensed my anger growing at the casual manner she looked over the beating her body was taking, and the lack of anyone doing anything about it.

Even as I walked out of the gym and to my car, I still asked myself how anyone could treat a woman like her the way she was being treated.

That evening, I resolved to quit the gym. I liked Karen and wanted to get to know her better. The beatings she was taking showed she was already in a relationship. Hell, even I snorted at that thought - some relationship that is. But the evidence was in front of me. When she was just an enigma, I coped. When we started talking to each other, those dynamics changed.

*******

Work became my buddy again. Upstairs wanted two of the rooms converted into video conferencing rooms, so we set about putting in all the bells and whistles. We also used one of the smaller offices as a training room to familiarize the folks using the conference rooms with the equipment going in.

We finished three days ahead of schedule and one, or both of the rooms, seemed to be in constant use. I did insist on a service period for each of the rooms, and a roster went onto the door so the geeks didn't clash with the non-geeks. Houston started to get noticed by head office. The big boss was lavished with praise and as usual, the worker bees got ignored, or so I thought.

Three weeks after the completion of the conference rooms, I was summoned to head office. When my ass hit the seat, I was told that upstairs was so impressed with the work done at Houston on the video conferencing rooms that they were going to use them as a template for the rest of the company. Some rooms would only need updating, while others would have to be ripped out all together and replaced with more up-to-date technology.

I swear for a week while we worked out the details, conference room six looked like geek central. Come five o'clock that Friday, everyone was in a cab and heading for the airport. I wasn't stupid - no one was leaving until all the work was done and upstairs had signed off on it.

I was still in my hotel room packing when my cell went off. I never answer withheld number calls, but felt this time I had no choice, in case it was one of the bosses and there were questions.

"Hello?"

"Hi... It's Karen."

I went through every woman's name at head office in my head and couldn't come up with a Karen. The laugh on the other end sounded like she needed to fill in the gaps.

"And here I was thinking I was rather memorable; Karen from the gym."

Sitting down was a necessity. The pause was longer as well. I thought it best I spoke this time, and asked her how she got my number. It turns out I'm not the only one who could bribe Cheryl. Karen commented on the fact that I had left rather abruptly, and not returned. She listened to me telling her of the project that got dropped onto my lap and had taken all my time. I even added the trip to head office.

When she asked me where head office was, she practically squealed down the phone that she was in town for an event. Once my hearing came back, I asked her what event she was at.

"You're kidding right, the MMA event over at Tara-Plex Stadium? I tell you what, stay an extra night and come and watch me. I will leave a ticket at the reserved tickets counter for you, ok?"

I agreed, told her what hotel I was at, and she said that was only a couple of miles away, but to get a cab over by six so we could talk before the event started. Pulling my laptop out of my bag, I looked up the Stadium and then looked up what MMA was. I will say one thing; we geeks know nothing about sports. What an eye opener this was.

After adding another night to my room, getting a cab to the stadium got me there ten minutes early. The crowd already started to gather. It took me a moment to find the ticket counter and show them proof of ID before being handed a pass and told it would allow me backstage, as well as grant me a seat in the balcony overlooking the event.

Whoever Karen was, she could sure pull some strings. I did wonder how much this pass would go for any of the people waiting to come in through the front door. The woman at the ticket counter told me to come in and stand over by the wall. Someone was going to come for me. Still unsure what or why, I did it anyway. Five minutes later, some guy came up and checked my pass. There was not an inch on his arms, other than his hands, that didn't have a tattoo on it.

He smiled and introduced himself as Brad and asked me to follow him. And thank goodness he did, I would never have worked out the labyrinth of corridors and doors we went through to finally come up to a single door. He knocked once and when he heard something, opened it and let me in, closing the door behind me.

Karen sat on a table in the middle of the room in shorts and a tight top, her hair held back and tied to form a tight ponytail. I would like to think of myself as polite, but even my jaw dropped.