30. Different Scenario

30

DIFFERENT SCENARIO

T hree weeks later, Kelly and Michael were at his house on Saturday. Ty had been dropped off hours ago and the two of them were going to get some dinner and then come back here for the night.

She’d spent the night two weeks ago when Ty went to Electra’s and found that his king-sized bed was much more comfortable.

“I hear water running,” Kelly said.

“What?” he asked.

“I was in the bathroom brushing my hair and I heard water. The toilet wasn’t running and the sink wasn’t on, but it sounded like water was running through the pipes.”

He went upstairs into his bathroom with her on his heels and started to look around. “Let’s go check Ty’s bathroom.”

The same thing there. “Nothing,” she said. “But you hear it too, right? The water running.”

“I do,” he said. “Let me check in the kitchen under the sink. The dishwasher isn’t on so it’s not that.”

They got to the kitchen and there was water on the floor. “What the heck?” she said.

“It’s coming from under the fridge,” he said. He moved the fridge out from the wall and water was coming out from a little plastic tube.

“What is that?” she asked.

“It’s either for the water or the ice. Shit.”

“I’ll grab towels and start to clean this up,” she said, running back upstairs to grab as many as she could.

When she came back down, he was still looking around. “I can’t find a water shut-off for this anywhere.”

“What are you going to do?” she asked.

“Shut the water off to the house,” he said.

He left and went to a utility room. She was watching to see if the water stopped. “It’s slowing down,” she shouted.

He came back out and the water was just a trickle at that point. “Must be what is left in there. Shit.”

“Can you just replace that hose?” she asked.

“I’m going to try,” he said. He walked over and got his laptop. “I need to see if I can figure out which one it is and then try to find it at a store somewhere.”

“Just do that and don’t worry about dinner,” she said. “No way you want to have the water shut off and your mind will be on this.”

“Thanks,” he said. “Sorry about that.”

“Don’t be sorry,” she said. “Life is messy and things like this happen all the time. Well, I’d just call maintenance to come fix it.”

“I don’t have that luxury,” he said.

She was cleaning up his floors and then mopped while he was researching things.

“Did you figure it out?” she asked when he got up to go look at something behind the fridge.

“Yes,” he said. “It’s the water hose. It’s cracked. It’s what is feeding water to the ice machine too. They have the replacement hose at Home Depot. I just need to run and get it.”

“Go,” she said. “I’ll see what you’ve got to eat here and I’ll make something for us.”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Positive,” she said.

He came back twenty minutes later and got to work. “This is going faster than I thought,” he said. “If it works we can still go out.”

“Don’t worry,” she said.

“I hate to make you cook,” he said. “We don’t get too many nights to ourselves.”

“Just focus on that,” she said, laughing. “I’m adaptable.”

When the hose was replaced, he went to the utility room and turned it back on and it seemed to be fine. But the minute he walked into the kitchen, the hose blew off and water was spraying everywhere.

“Damn it!”

He ran back and shut the water off and she started to clean up the mess right there.

She heard the phone ringing and found it on the counter. “It’s Electra.”

He let out a sigh. “Figures.” He picked it up. “Hi, what’s going on?” She sat there and watched his face turn red. “I’m in the middle of a mess here in the house. Can you just give me a bit to come get him?”

“I can do it if you want,” Kelly whispered. She wasn’t sure why she volunteered that, but she could see he was stressed over the water situation and it’s not like she could handle that. He could just leave the water off, but she also knew he wanted this done.

He nodded his head at her. “I’m sending Kelly over to get him,” he said. “Is that going to be an issue? I’ve got a water leak here in the house and I can’t leave until I get it under control.”

He hung up a minute later. “She’s fine with it?”

“It’s not her decision to make,” he said.

“You asked her if that was going to be an issue,” she said.

“I meant more if she was going to make it into an issue. Are you sure you want to do this? I could leave and come back but...” His eyes went back to the mess on the floor and behind the fridge. Water was even dripping off the wall where it sprayed everywhere.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said. “Ty shouldn’t have a problem going with me, right?”

“Not at all. Just take my SUV because of the booster seat.”

“Can you tell me what is going on?” she asked.

“She has a stomachache and headache and he’s driving her nuts.”

“That’s the reason he has to come home?” she asked. Talk about crazy. “Unless she thinks she’s contagious?”

“It’s that time of the month,” he said. “She’s always like this. She’s a pretty happy person, but she gets cranky and whiny and she was crying and didn’t know what to do and her head hurt.”

Kelly wasn’t sure she liked that he gave in so easily over something like that.

It felt in her mind like maybe Michael enabled Electra to continue to do these things.

She knew he didn’t like Ty being there but then would say he wanted his son to have a relationship with his mother too. How many parents out there had a bad day or headache and couldn’t call someone to get their child?

Rather than argue or say anything about it, she asked, “What’s the address and I’ll just put it into my phone.”

He gave it to her and she left to get Ty. It was about ten minutes away, she parked and went to the apartment number and knocked.

The door was opened and Kelly wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but it wasn’t the brassy blonde with her hair in a ponytail pulled back tight enough that the skin on her face was yanked some. That alone would give her a headache.

Electra had more makeup on than Kelly ever wore and it looked freshly applied. Tiny jean shorts barely covering her ass and a crop top with a lot of cleavage hanging out.

Jesus. Was that what Michael liked?

Here she was in a pair of black shorts that were mid-thigh and a purple T-shirt fitted and resting on her hips. Everything was covered on her and she felt a little plain.

Not that she’d want to look anything like Electra, but talk about night and day.

“Hi,” she said, “I’m Kelly.”

“Kelly!” Ty yelled. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

Ty ran toward her and hugged her legs. He didn’t normally greet her that way and she wondered why he did.

“Hi, buddy. Daddy is in a really big mess at home. Water is spraying everywhere. It’s kind of cool.”

“I want to see it,” Ty said.

“He’s trying to get it under control,” she said. “So I offered to come get you since your mother doesn’t feel good.”

“Thanks, Kelly,” Ty said. “I’ll get my bag.”

“You’re not what I expected,” Electra said.

“I could say the same,” she said, keeping a smile on her face.

“You must be good in bed,” Electra said. “That is what Michael likes. Man, the things I’d do to him. I could give you some pointers. I know just what turns him on and to this day he still gives me what I want.”

She couldn’t believe she was hearing this. Or that Ty was in the other room while it was being said.

“I’m good, thanks,” she said.

“Just so you know,” Electra said. “I could get him back if I want. So if you aren’t good in the sack, I know what he likes. I offer it to him all the time.”

Kelly wasn’t going to let her reaction show in the least. She knew from their first date that Electra did that, but she hadn’t known it was offered all the time.

That was a whole different scenario in her mind. Even if she trusted Michael, it was uncomfortable to know those things.

Ty came running back. “I’ve got everything. I’m ready.”

“Me too,” she said, holding her smile in place. Electra was actually grinning at her. It didn’t seem to her that Michael’s ex was all that sick. She wouldn’t put it past her to just want to interrupt Michael’s date night and he fell for it.

They got to Michael’s SUV and Ty climbed in and buckled up.

“Sorry that I’m coming home,” Ty said. “But I’m glad.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Because my mom was whining that she had cramps and it was taking too long for her aspirin to kick in.”

“So she did take something?” she asked.

“She always does,” Ty said. “But she said they were worse and I was driving her nuts.”

She didn’t want to question a child and let it go. She’d let Michael deal with it.

“I’m going to cook dinner tonight,” she said. “Once your father gets the kitchen all cleaned up and put back in order. And if he doesn’t, then I’ll go pick up dinner somewhere else.”

“Can we get pizza?” Ty asked.

“We’ll see,” she said. “Let’s get home first and find out.”

She drove home and Ty went running into the house before her. “Hi, Dad. Kelly said there was water sprayed everywhere. Can I see it?”

“I got most of it cleaned up,” he said. “I’m going to turn the water back on and see if I fixed it.”

“I want to watch,” Ty said, jumping around.

Kelly was keeping the laughter back because it wasn’t funny and wouldn’t be if water sprayed everywhere again.

Thankfully it didn’t and the problem was resolved.

Michael pushed the fridge back. “What is going on with your mother?”

“She was upset because she couldn’t get rid of her cramps. But it’s fine. She kept asking me what you were doing tonight and if Kelly was here. I don’t know why.”

She looked at Michael. This was all making sense to her, but she wouldn’t say anything right now about it.

“Why don’t you go to your room and put your stuff away,” he said. “I’m going to talk to Kelly for a minute.”

When Ty was upstairs she said, “I think she did this on purpose.”

“I’m sure she did. The question is what she said to you to get you upset because I can see it on your face.”

“You mean you were sure that she did that on purpose and you gave in?” she asked. She knew that question pissed him off, but she had to know.

“I didn’t want my kid to get the brunt of it,” he said. “That is my decision and choice as a parent.”

“I’m back,” Ty said. “What’s for dinner?”

“We’ll talk about this later,” she said. “I told Ty that I could order out or cook. You let me know as the parent.”

Kelly knew that was petty on her part, but couldn’t help herself from letting it be said.