Part 350: Karleigh's Other Half
Dutch slowly walked down the stairs. He was getting sick of waiting for the elevator but he knew their would be people waiting to see him. He wondered if Surf Magazine was going to interview him. If here was any publication he would like to talk to it, it would be the one he’s read all his life.
Either that or Sports Illustrated.
Dutch opened the door and proceeded out. There was still a group of people with cameras and TV camcorders hoping for any glimpse of the survivors. The surfer made his way through the lobby and then stopped when a group of young women wanted his autograph. He didn’t think he was that famous but he admitted he enjoyed the attention. He stopped signing when the good looking black girl wanted him to sign her shorts.
Dutch walked back over to the restaurant and bar area, looking for his good friend. He was happy when he found him but wasn’t expecting him to be found in such a state. “Hey, Hal,” he smirked.
The cop was adjusting his tie. “Hey, Ian.” He grunted.
“You .uh . . planning on hanging yourself?” he chuckled.
“I’ve never felt comfortable in a tie. Even back at the department, I wear casual clothes.”
“Why are you dressed up, anyway?”
“Libby scored an interview with People Magazine.” Hal pointed over to the far side of the lobby, “when they learned that she and I were a couple, they wanted to interview us both; about strangers finding love on the Island.”
“No kidding?” the surfer chuckled.
Dutch paused for a second looking at Libby. The beautiful therapist was talking with a group of people, all with hand-held tape recorders. Seeing her only reminded him of his own problem. “I’m really happy for you and Libby, Hal,” he sighed.
The cop raised an eyebrow as he looked to his younger companion. “Well, you could have said it with a little more sincerity, Ian.” He smirked.
“Sorry.” The surfer replied.
“You want to tell me what’s on your mind, son?”
Dutch sighed and looked down at the ground. “Karleigh is waiting for me upstairs. She’s got a surprise for me.” He said.
“Sounds like a good thing.” Hal mentioned.
“Yeah, but Hal . . .I . .Love her.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I don’t know . . .If I love her enough to give up my life.”
Hal finally got his tie where he wanted it and took a deep breath. He put his hands on his slacks pockets and looked at the surfer. “You are referring to the fact that she lives in New York and you live here.” He mentioned.
“She the wealthy daughter of a guy who manufactures musical instruments,” Dutch said, “She even said she’s be running the company one day. How the hell . . .can I ask her to give up that stuff for me?”
“There isn’t any advice I could give you but one, Dutch. It was a piece of advice my old man gave me.”
“What’s that?”
“True love means sacrifice.” The cop said, placing his hand on his shoulder, “Don’t make any snap decisions. Hell, maybe go live in New York for a year or two, see if it agrees with you. If not, then do your best to convince Karleigh to come to California.”
“If I love her?” the surfer said innocently.
“Yeah, if you love her.”
“Thanks, Hal. I guess I just needed someone to talk to.”
“I’m always there for you, son. In any way I can be.”
“Hey, you two, “ Libby said, coming over.
She gave Dutch a brief hug then looked at her boyfriend. She started to readjust his tie. “No, please, Libby, I had it exactly the way I wanted it.” The cop took her hands down.
“But it’s crooked, Hal,” she giggled.
“You want me to be able to breathe through this interview, don’t you?” he smiled.
“Oh, all right,” she said, taking his arm, “Let’s go. They are ready for us.”
“See you later, Dutch. Remember what I said.” Hal patted him on the arm.
“I will. Take care, you two.”
Dutch watched the couple walk away to go get interviewed. He was happy for them; he really was. He knew his cop friend was right; he had his own problems to worry about. He did love Karleigh but was it enough to give up surfing and everything he loved about the coast of California. He wasn’t going to make a snap decision. He decided to not keep her waiting any longer. The surfer turned around and proceeded to go to the elevator up to the meeting areas.
Dutch stepped off the elevator and to his surprise, Karleigh was already there in the hallway. She was leaning over, sipping water out of a nearby fountain. She was wearing a very slinky gray dress. “Hey, baby doll.” Dutch said.
Karleigh leaned up, looking at him with a bright smile. “Hey, there,” she giggled.
“That is a sexy outfit. You buy this morning?”
“This? I’ve had this for a while.”
Dutch took her into his arms and she gave him a surprised gasp. “Well, wherever you got it from, you look great in it.” He gently kissed her on the cheek.
She smiled, and began to rub his chest. “Thank you, you sexy beast.” She giggled.
“Well, well, aren’t you in a frisky mood?”
“I always get this way when handsome men grab me.”
“Look, sweetie, there is something we need to talk about, “ Dutch tried to get serious.
“It can wait.” Karleigh pulled him closer and kissed him.
Dutch was a little thrown back by her aggressive attitude but like many times before, she always knew what she wanted. He learned back on the Island, not to fight her. He relished the feel of her tongue as she dug it into his mouth. He wanted her badly. Perhaps there time enough for their talk later. Like Karleigh always did; live for the moment. As they parted from each other, Dutch caught his breath. The young woman looked at him, also catching her breath. She gently bit her lower lip as she rubbed the back of his head. “My room or yours?” the surfer whispered.
“Your room.” She panted, “Definitely.”
“VERONICA!!!” a female voice screamed down the hall.
Dutch looked up, royally confused considering that it sounded like Karleigh’s voice. As he looked down the hall, he saw another Karleigh stomping down the hallway. The surfer then looked back to the girl in his arms and back toward the girl coming toward him. Except for a slight change in the hairstyle, they looked exactly the same! “GAAHHH!!” she screamed as he backed away from the doppelganger.
“Damn it.” The duplicate whispered.
“Veronica, what in the hell did you just do?” Karleigh demanded.
“I just cleaned his tonsils for you, sis,” the girl smirked, “He came onto me, by the way.”
“And you did nothing to CORRECT him, did you?” the rich girl sneered.
“I’ll admit I couldn’t help it. He’s a cutie.”
Dutch stared blankly at Karleigh and the girl named Veronica. The rich girl walked over to her boyfriend and gently took his hands. “Dutch, are you okay?” she whispered.
“Uh .uh . uh . uh . .uh . . .” he stuttered.
Karleigh turned around to her twin. “How much did you molest him?” she growled.
“I was about to close escrow when you butted in.” Veronica tapped her foot.
“Grrrrrrr.” The rich girl replied.
“Karleigh,” Dutch stammered, “What . . .what is this?”
“Dutch, I am sorry I never properly introduced you,” she said, taking his arm, “This is my twin sister Veronica.”
“Twins?” he gasped, “How could . . .how come . . .you never mentioned this?”
“You never mentioned me?” Veronica gasped, “Oh, My, God . . .so . .his shock . ..is for real?”
“I was trapped in a cage for over a month,” Karleigh glared, “And I’ve been shot at, scared half out of my wits and nearly eaten by a shark on that stupid Island. I had Dutch to watch over me. Why would I bother entertaining him with a knowledge of my brat sister when his eyes were all over me?”
“Takes a brat to know one.” Veronica retorted.
“I gotta sit down,” Dutch’s knees were buckling.
“Come on, Dutch,” Karleigh pulled his arm, “Daddy is waiting down stairs in the restaurant. I want you to meet him.”
“Can I come?” the twin asked.
“Of course,” Karleigh sighed.
The couple started to walk down the hallway with Veronica in tow. The surfer felt a weird trickle sweat slide down his back. He just made out with Karleigh’s sister and she didn’t seem to hate him for him. It was an honest mistake considering she never told him about her. TWINS!! Dutch could barely wrap his brain around it. The three of them waited at the elevator. The surfer felt extremely uncomfortable. He was fighting every single urge not to look at Veronica, considering the sexy dress she was wearing. How the hell was he going to cope with this? “You should be thanking me, you know?” Veronica told her sister.
“Shut the hell up.” Karleigh replied.
“What is she talking about?” Dutch replied.
“Oh, she didn’t tell you why she was in Australia, lover boy?”
“DON’T CALL HIM THAT!” the rich girl barked.
“She wasn’t supposed to go to Australia with our friends. It was supposed to be me.”
“Seriously?” the surfer gulped.
“So, had I not decided to let her enjoy the sun and surf, I might have wound up with you, Dutchie-pooh.”
“I wouldn’t trade Dutch for anything,” Karleigh said, pulling him closer, “However, I would have loved for you to spend a month in that bunker, Veronica.”
The door finally opened and the three of them stepped in. Dutch wasn’t sure what to do. He did love Karleigh and as of a few seconds ago, she professed her love to him by talking to her sister. He wasn’t sure what to do about telling her he did love her but wanted to stay in California. With the knowledge of Veronica, he was even more sure that he didn’t want to live in New York. No telling what she would do.
He wondered what her father would be like.
Either that or Sports Illustrated.
Dutch opened the door and proceeded out. There was still a group of people with cameras and TV camcorders hoping for any glimpse of the survivors. The surfer made his way through the lobby and then stopped when a group of young women wanted his autograph. He didn’t think he was that famous but he admitted he enjoyed the attention. He stopped signing when the good looking black girl wanted him to sign her shorts.
Dutch walked back over to the restaurant and bar area, looking for his good friend. He was happy when he found him but wasn’t expecting him to be found in such a state. “Hey, Hal,” he smirked.
The cop was adjusting his tie. “Hey, Ian.” He grunted.
“You .uh . . planning on hanging yourself?” he chuckled.
“I’ve never felt comfortable in a tie. Even back at the department, I wear casual clothes.”
“Why are you dressed up, anyway?”
“Libby scored an interview with People Magazine.” Hal pointed over to the far side of the lobby, “when they learned that she and I were a couple, they wanted to interview us both; about strangers finding love on the Island.”
“No kidding?” the surfer chuckled.
Dutch paused for a second looking at Libby. The beautiful therapist was talking with a group of people, all with hand-held tape recorders. Seeing her only reminded him of his own problem. “I’m really happy for you and Libby, Hal,” he sighed.
The cop raised an eyebrow as he looked to his younger companion. “Well, you could have said it with a little more sincerity, Ian.” He smirked.
“Sorry.” The surfer replied.
“You want to tell me what’s on your mind, son?”
Dutch sighed and looked down at the ground. “Karleigh is waiting for me upstairs. She’s got a surprise for me.” He said.
“Sounds like a good thing.” Hal mentioned.
“Yeah, but Hal . . .I . .Love her.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I don’t know . . .If I love her enough to give up my life.”
Hal finally got his tie where he wanted it and took a deep breath. He put his hands on his slacks pockets and looked at the surfer. “You are referring to the fact that she lives in New York and you live here.” He mentioned.
“She the wealthy daughter of a guy who manufactures musical instruments,” Dutch said, “She even said she’s be running the company one day. How the hell . . .can I ask her to give up that stuff for me?”
“There isn’t any advice I could give you but one, Dutch. It was a piece of advice my old man gave me.”
“What’s that?”
“True love means sacrifice.” The cop said, placing his hand on his shoulder, “Don’t make any snap decisions. Hell, maybe go live in New York for a year or two, see if it agrees with you. If not, then do your best to convince Karleigh to come to California.”
“If I love her?” the surfer said innocently.
“Yeah, if you love her.”
“Thanks, Hal. I guess I just needed someone to talk to.”
“I’m always there for you, son. In any way I can be.”
“Hey, you two, “ Libby said, coming over.
She gave Dutch a brief hug then looked at her boyfriend. She started to readjust his tie. “No, please, Libby, I had it exactly the way I wanted it.” The cop took her hands down.
“But it’s crooked, Hal,” she giggled.
“You want me to be able to breathe through this interview, don’t you?” he smiled.
“Oh, all right,” she said, taking his arm, “Let’s go. They are ready for us.”
“See you later, Dutch. Remember what I said.” Hal patted him on the arm.
“I will. Take care, you two.”
Dutch watched the couple walk away to go get interviewed. He was happy for them; he really was. He knew his cop friend was right; he had his own problems to worry about. He did love Karleigh but was it enough to give up surfing and everything he loved about the coast of California. He wasn’t going to make a snap decision. He decided to not keep her waiting any longer. The surfer turned around and proceeded to go to the elevator up to the meeting areas.
Dutch stepped off the elevator and to his surprise, Karleigh was already there in the hallway. She was leaning over, sipping water out of a nearby fountain. She was wearing a very slinky gray dress. “Hey, baby doll.” Dutch said.
Karleigh leaned up, looking at him with a bright smile. “Hey, there,” she giggled.
“That is a sexy outfit. You buy this morning?”
“This? I’ve had this for a while.”
Dutch took her into his arms and she gave him a surprised gasp. “Well, wherever you got it from, you look great in it.” He gently kissed her on the cheek.
She smiled, and began to rub his chest. “Thank you, you sexy beast.” She giggled.
“Well, well, aren’t you in a frisky mood?”
“I always get this way when handsome men grab me.”
“Look, sweetie, there is something we need to talk about, “ Dutch tried to get serious.
“It can wait.” Karleigh pulled him closer and kissed him.
Dutch was a little thrown back by her aggressive attitude but like many times before, she always knew what she wanted. He learned back on the Island, not to fight her. He relished the feel of her tongue as she dug it into his mouth. He wanted her badly. Perhaps there time enough for their talk later. Like Karleigh always did; live for the moment. As they parted from each other, Dutch caught his breath. The young woman looked at him, also catching her breath. She gently bit her lower lip as she rubbed the back of his head. “My room or yours?” the surfer whispered.
“Your room.” She panted, “Definitely.”
“VERONICA!!!” a female voice screamed down the hall.
Dutch looked up, royally confused considering that it sounded like Karleigh’s voice. As he looked down the hall, he saw another Karleigh stomping down the hallway. The surfer then looked back to the girl in his arms and back toward the girl coming toward him. Except for a slight change in the hairstyle, they looked exactly the same! “GAAHHH!!” she screamed as he backed away from the doppelganger.
“Damn it.” The duplicate whispered.
“Veronica, what in the hell did you just do?” Karleigh demanded.
“I just cleaned his tonsils for you, sis,” the girl smirked, “He came onto me, by the way.”
“And you did nothing to CORRECT him, did you?” the rich girl sneered.
“I’ll admit I couldn’t help it. He’s a cutie.”
Dutch stared blankly at Karleigh and the girl named Veronica. The rich girl walked over to her boyfriend and gently took his hands. “Dutch, are you okay?” she whispered.
“Uh .uh . uh . uh . .uh . . .” he stuttered.
Karleigh turned around to her twin. “How much did you molest him?” she growled.
“I was about to close escrow when you butted in.” Veronica tapped her foot.
“Grrrrrrr.” The rich girl replied.
“Karleigh,” Dutch stammered, “What . . .what is this?”
“Dutch, I am sorry I never properly introduced you,” she said, taking his arm, “This is my twin sister Veronica.”
“Twins?” he gasped, “How could . . .how come . . .you never mentioned this?”
“You never mentioned me?” Veronica gasped, “Oh, My, God . . .so . .his shock . ..is for real?”
“I was trapped in a cage for over a month,” Karleigh glared, “And I’ve been shot at, scared half out of my wits and nearly eaten by a shark on that stupid Island. I had Dutch to watch over me. Why would I bother entertaining him with a knowledge of my brat sister when his eyes were all over me?”
“Takes a brat to know one.” Veronica retorted.
“I gotta sit down,” Dutch’s knees were buckling.
“Come on, Dutch,” Karleigh pulled his arm, “Daddy is waiting down stairs in the restaurant. I want you to meet him.”
“Can I come?” the twin asked.
“Of course,” Karleigh sighed.
The couple started to walk down the hallway with Veronica in tow. The surfer felt a weird trickle sweat slide down his back. He just made out with Karleigh’s sister and she didn’t seem to hate him for him. It was an honest mistake considering she never told him about her. TWINS!! Dutch could barely wrap his brain around it. The three of them waited at the elevator. The surfer felt extremely uncomfortable. He was fighting every single urge not to look at Veronica, considering the sexy dress she was wearing. How the hell was he going to cope with this? “You should be thanking me, you know?” Veronica told her sister.
“Shut the hell up.” Karleigh replied.
“What is she talking about?” Dutch replied.
“Oh, she didn’t tell you why she was in Australia, lover boy?”
“DON’T CALL HIM THAT!” the rich girl barked.
“She wasn’t supposed to go to Australia with our friends. It was supposed to be me.”
“Seriously?” the surfer gulped.
“So, had I not decided to let her enjoy the sun and surf, I might have wound up with you, Dutchie-pooh.”
“I wouldn’t trade Dutch for anything,” Karleigh said, pulling him closer, “However, I would have loved for you to spend a month in that bunker, Veronica.”
The door finally opened and the three of them stepped in. Dutch wasn’t sure what to do. He did love Karleigh and as of a few seconds ago, she professed her love to him by talking to her sister. He wasn’t sure what to do about telling her he did love her but wanted to stay in California. With the knowledge of Veronica, he was even more sure that he didn’t want to live in New York. No telling what she would do.
He wondered what her father would be like.
posted by Jason | 8:41 AM
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