Kyle stood with Kara in line at the CVS off of Main Street, both looking incredibly exhausted. It was ten a.m. on Christmas morning, and here the two were, at the only place open during the morning hours of Christmas day. The line up to the front counter was actually a relatively long one, a large group of people who had done exactly what they had - forgotten ingredients for Christmas dinner. They were doomed to spend twenty minutes in line only to purchase three boxes of stuffing.
Kara's cell phone began to ring, and with a nod she stepped out of line to answer it quietly in the greeting card aisle. Kyle stood alone in line and began to stare at the gum. So many flavors - what do I want to chew? Kyle laughed at the Dane cook reference. It was just two month's shy of a year ago that he himself had actually been partying with the man. That had been the night of his bachelor party, the night he had slept with...
"Next," the female cashier said. Kyle broke his gaze from the gum then stepped forward. Without even looking at the cashier, he took out his wallet and began to pull out a twenty. "Eleven twenty six is your total."
"Here you g-" Kyle began to hand the woman the money when suddenly he stopped and his mouth dropped. "Holy shit."
"I'm sorry sir?" The woman raised her brow. She was a pretty girl, with hair dyed to look like stripes and a nose piercing. She too, looked at Kyle for the first time. "Oh. Wow."
Kyle let out a nervous laugh. "Wow's right. How are you, Kristin?"
The cashier blushed in knowing that he had remembered her name. She didn't doubt that he had remembered her; it's kind of difficult to forget the woman you slept with on the night before your wedding. There hadn't been a day for months after the wedding Kristin hadn't kicked herself in the ass for being so blind and ignorant to the situation. She had been so ashamed that she couldn't bear meeting with the family, with Kyle and Whit, after the wedding that she had just sent them copies of all the pictures for free. Complimentary, she had called it.
"I'm fine," she shrugged with a light laugh. This was awkward on so many levels. "Yourself?"
"Great," he nodded, still looking a little dazed. "What are you doing here? I thought you were a photographer."
"I am," she nodded with a laugh. "Day job, puts food on the table."
"Ha," Kyle laughed. "I understand."
He thought that it was a nice coincidence running into Kristin. Of course, he was embarrassed and felt very awkward in the situation, but for some reason he didn't mind it. He hated himself for what he had done to Whit, but he couldn't help but be over it. Life was too short to live in regret; why waste it?
"So," Kara said stepping up next to Kyle at the counter. "Looks like Sarah's boyfriend decided to fly halfway across the world to join us for supper tonight, and he brought his brother. Looks like we're going to need another box of stuffing."
"Your wife?" Kristin motioned to Kara as she ranted.
"My sister in law." Kyle rolled his eyes.
"Really?" Kristin squinted. "She looks exactly like her."
"I'm sorry." Kara turned her head. "Do I know you?"
"Kara," Kyle said, slightly embarrassed at how she wasn't exactly dealing out the Emily Post formality. "This is Kristin. She was the photographer at the wedding."
"Hell- oh," Kara started the greeting and then remembered. "Nice to see you again."
"You look exactly like your sister," Kristin laughed.
"I get that a lot," Kara nodded. "Only usually there's a comment about how her boobs are better than mine."
Kristin let out a small laugh and Kyle scoffed. "Kara, do we need another box of stuffing or not?"
"Negatory. Mom should have some anyways."
"Is this all then?" Kristin pointed to boxes she had bagged.
"Yeah," Kyle nodded. He handed her the money, and she gave him the change and receipt. Kara took the plastic bag and headed out to the car to turn it on and warm up. As Kyle was ready to leave, he took one last look at Kristin. "Merry Christmas, Kristin."
"Happy New Year, Kyle," she waved and then turned to help the next customer. Feeling slightly more chipper than he had been earlier, Kyle set out of the CVS and into the lightly falling flurry of snow that had begun early on Christmas morning.
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