Chapter 122

“Lunch is ready, Jon.” Kim called out two days later.

“I still think we should have ordered something to eat. You shouldn’t cook. You still need to rest, hon.” Jon said while sitting down at the table.

“It wasn’t a big deal.” She told him with a soft smile.

“What are we having?” he asked when she set the plate in front of him. It looked great and no coleslaw in sight.

“Potatoes, green beans and…… liver.” She stated calmly.

“Liver?” Jon asked shocked and dropped his knife.

“Yes, baby.” Kim said smugly and ate some of the beans. She disliked liver too, but she knew her two furry friends would love it later. They were trying to get some of it already while she was cooking.

Jon sighed deeply and put the fork down. Tomorrow his kids would come over for a long weekend before school would start again. She had to forgive him or his two oldest kids would wonder what he did.

“Kimi, can we talk?” he asked hesitant.

“About what, baby?” She had to use all her control to keep a straight face.

“About this.” He pushed the plate away disgusted.

“The liver?” Kim asked in a mixture of confusion and amusement. He gave her a long look. But she wasn’t going for it.

“More what it stands for.”

“And what does it stand for, Jon?” Kim asked and put her fork and knife down as well.

“Me being an absolute idiot.”

Kim looked at him expectant. He sighed.

“Ok, ok….me being an absolute idiot, that has no idea how to treat you right and is self-centered and egoistic and…and…” he paused shortly.

“Kimi, I love you, I don’t wanna lose you. I’m sorry.” He choked lightly while saying those last words.

She looked at him for a whole minute before getting up and rounding the table. Her dogs jumped up immediately and stepped closer to her chair. For liver they would beg.

“Off!” Kim said in a sharp voice when Sambo put his paws on the chair to reach her plate. Jon jumped a little and looked at her surprised. She chuckled.

“Not you, Jon….him.” she pointed at Sambo, who slowly sank down on the ground again.

“Oh, I didn’t see....” he didn’t finish the sentence. Kim sighed softly and grabbed his hand to pull him to his feet.

“Come on, hobble over to the couch with me, baby.” He got up and followed her. She didn’t like that he was so out of balance. She wanted the Jon back she met at the charity gala. She didn’t wanna deal with this slightly daunted version of him.

“Jon, I love you. And I can accept most of your little ticks…” he smiled gently, but still looked a bit like a caught school-boy.

“…there are two things, I won’t accept though…” she continued.

“Two?” he asked surprised.

“Yes, baby.” He swallowed hard.

“First you ordering me around and taking me for granted.” He nodded.

“Second…you beating yourself up about it and becoming this timid, slightly demur person.” He stared at her in shock. Was he really doing that?

“I want my Jon back. I don’t wanna tell you what to do. You are old enough to know it yourself. I want a partner, who is strong and independent.” She looked at him and hoped he would understand her.

“I had no idea, I was doing that, Kimi.” He finally admitted. But he couldn’t say it surprised him. He had always been hard on himself or he wouldn’t be where he was today.

“I thought so. But when I can forgive you, you have to forgive yourself as well, baby.” She leaned in and kissed him gently. He sighed happy and wrapped his arms around her to pull her closer. He missed her so much.

When their kissing was getting hotter and more demanding, a loud noise came from the kitchen area. Glasses were flying and shattering on the ground, claws scratched over the wooden table and Sambo was close to his goal and Kidd right behind him.

“What the….?” Jon couldn’t believe it. He’d never seen those dogs behave like that. They were always obeying and never going after food.

“SAMBO, KIDD OFF!!!!!” Kim’s voice echoed back from the walls. She stormed forward and grabbed Sambo at his collar to guide him down the table again without stepping in the broken piece of glass.

“I don’t believe it. You are in trouble!” she pushed Kidd away from her when he tried to sneak up.

“Did they ever did that before?” Jon wondered and tried not to step into broken fragments of their glasses or on the cutlery.

“Only for liver.” Kim said and grabbed Kidd’s collar as well. She pulled both dogs to the patio doors and shoved them out.

“You stay there, Mister.” She said angrily when Sambo tried to squeeze in again before she could close the door. Kidd whimpered softly.

“Will you give them the liver?” Jon wondered when he helped Kim clean up the mess.

“No. They would think it’s a reward.” Kim shot them a look when they dared to bark.

“I’ll be right back.” Jon looked at her surprised. She vanished into her office and seconds later appeared on the patio. She had obviously taken the other door to get out.

“Off!” She said strictly when Sambo started to bark again. He was still very upset about not getting the liver and wasn’t reacting to Kim like Kidd did, but was even taking a step towards her.

Kim reacted very fast and pushed the dog to the ground and turned him on his back. For a few seconds he was fidgeting and trying to get up again, but then he suddenly calmed down.

Jon looked at her stunned, when she returned to the apartment.

“Why did you do that?”

“Because he was questioning me as a leader. I think I will have to spend some time with both of them at the pet obedience school again. I was gone too long.” She sighed deeply and pulled the vacuum cleaner out of the closet to get rid of even the tiniest piece of broken glass.