Project Whores

Chapter 11

Attached. They all walked back to the LSA together. Kyle had grabbed Joice's glasses off the table on the way out of the DFAC, and put them in the top pocket of his jacket. When they got to her RLB, she said good night and went to her room. Kyle and Task headed to their containers. Kyle waited until Task was out of sight and stood at the bottom of the staircase that led to his room and texted Joice. He asked her to meet him by the watershed. He went and stood on the side of the shed, hoping she would show. After waiting about ten minutes, he texted her again and told her he had her glasses. He would have bet his whole paycheck she was tearing her room apart looking for them right at that moment. Less than 5 minutes after the second text, she joined him. Kyle took her glasses out of his pocket and gave them to her. She put them on and looked at him, her eyes blinked rapidly.

"Thank you for getting my glasses. Good night."

"Wait, Joice, I.... I guess I owe you an apology," he stammered. "No, you really don't," she countered, "everything is alright. I'd just like to forget I ever tried to do this and go back to my quiet life where things were peaceful." Joice turned and started walking back toward her RLB.

"Would you please wait?" Kyle asked, raising his voice slightly, but she would not stop walking.

Now she had pissed him off. He was not going to beg her. "So, what? Are you acting like this because you think it makes you hard to get? What, does this nonchalant attitude make you the one?" he said to her back.

"First of all, I am not an actress. I do not act," Joice replied, halting and turning to face Kyle. She pushed her glasses up on her nose and squinted, looking him up and down disapprovingly. If Kyle hadn't been so irritated with her, he probably would have laughed. Her face had that look people have when they get the first whiff of a really bad smell. "Second, has it ever occurred to you that I am the way I am because I'm not the one? Having sex with you the other night was like having sex with a robot," she continued, walking back toward him and pointing her finger. "You... you were selfish and you were... fast, if you know what I mean." Joice shook her head yes after that last statement, the way your grandmother would if she had just scolded you.

Kyle was taken aback by her candor. "What were you expecting, something romantic? Flowers maybe? I don't do that love shit and you knew what you were getting into when you came to my room, so you got what you deserved," he said, smiling at her but seething on the inside.

"Finally, something we agree on," she retorted thoughtfully, "you are absolutely right. I gambled and I lost miserably."

He was taken even further aback now. "As far as that comment about love, you're way off base, Kyle. I never asked you to love me. I don't need you in that way. However, you presented yourself as someone who wanted what I wanted, which was sex. The last time I came to your room you had sex and sent me away like I was some whore you paid to get you off. You said I got what I deserved. Please tell me what I did to deserve that?"

For some reason, Kyle was very aware of the complete absence of anger in her tone. Her voice was soft, and never had he been cut to shreds so gently. Joice was now standing only inches from him, those eyes making him feel like he was naked in a room full of people. God, he hated this woman. She actually expected an answer.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" he said, unable to think of anything else to say. Normally that 'you got what you deserved' comment would have been the end of it, but not only did she take it, she actually agreed with it. What the hell do you do with that?

"Rejoice Battle," she said, looking over her glasses at him like he was crazy.

"Alright, well Rejoice Battle, you stand here and argue by yourself. I'm out!" he said, as he walked away.

"What have I done to make you act so hatefully toward me?" her voice rose with that last question, giving Kyle a little relief to see that she was at least somewhat human. He stopped walking and turned around to face her. "Because I don't like this game you're playing, Re-joice! Don't you think it's a little late for you to be trying to play hard to get?" He stalked off again, after seeing the look of confusion on her face and feeling himself weaken. "I don't know how to do that," she said, softly behind him. Kyle wanted to keep walking, but he could not move. The sound of her voice was doing something to him. He turned and, unaware she had been walking behind him, was face to face with her.

She reached over, put her hand on top of his, and said, "I don't know how to play hard to get... I, I wish I did." Joice looked down and realizing she was touching him, withdrew her hand. Kyle looked in her eyes and saw nothing but truth. She's being honest. She has no idea what I'm talking about. I don't know what to do about this woman... "I guess I'm no good at this.... this night time Bagram Boo, Desert Sex Love thing," she stammered, speaking awkwardly of the nicknames people used to describe relationships they had on the project that would never go any further.

"Tell me what I'm doing wrong and I will correct it. What in god's name do you want from me?" Rejoice spoke those words, folded her arms, and looked at Kyle expectantly. He studied her for a moment and decided he no longer wanted to play this game with her. It was getting to be too much. She was getting to be too much, so needless to say he shocked himself when his mouth said, "I don't know, Joice."

"After the way you spoke to me by text, I guess I will not do that anymore either. You call the shots, Kyle because I cannot seem to do anything right where you are concerned," she said, to his back.

Kyle returned to his room alone. He lay across his bed on his stomach and mentally chided himself for the way he handled the Joice Battle situation. I don't know, Joice? He still didn't know why he'd said that. She gave him the perfect out. After her little tirade, all he had to say was that he did not want anything from her and that would have been the end of it. But no, his dumb ass just couldn't do that. No worries though, because Kyle Brewster is done with Miss Rejoice Battle. While I still can, I'm getting out of this... whatever this is, because she is going to end up making me lose my job or worse, he agonized.

Do you hear yourself? While I still can? Get it together, Brewster! Kyle rolled over on his back, put his arms behind his head, and looked up at the ceiling. Why can't she just leave well enough alone? I don't want a relationship. It just complicates things and I don't need problems with women. Anyway, out here, why would any man tie himself down with one woman when there are so many willing participants? To hell with that. Besides, it's not like she's all that. She's attractive, but attractive goes by every five minutes. Hell, I have attractive at home. If I'm gonna go all out and be monogamous, she would have to be so bad, every man out here would want her.

Kyle shook his head at the thought. He could talk trash all he wanted, but never in his life had he reacted to any woman the way he did to her, the first night she came to his room. The things he said to her. The things he did. He closed his eyes and tried to block out those images... But who was he fooling? Kyle knew who was pushing this sex game they were playing to the next level, and it wasn't Joice. Sure, she was a player, but he had the feeling she really would do whatever he wanted. If he wanted to elevate it to something more serious, she was down as long as he treated her right. If he wanted to keep things as they were, she would do that too. The problem was, he didn't want to keep things as they were. Not good, Kyle, he thought, shaking his head. Not good at all......