Wrongful kiss Chapter 10 : Kelly is the boss September 13th 2011
Carl was standing next to the coffee pot. He had a cup of coffee, black with sugar, way too much sugar. After last night he needed it.
“I do not know how you can drink that?” said Kelly. “You have half a pound of sugar in it.” There was not half a pound of sugar in the coffee. Only five spoons full, but they were large spoons.
Kelly was setting behind the counter typing something into the computer. She was getting a list of empty storage rooms that needed cleaning. There was a lot of work to be done today after she had spent most of the day before setting and talking with Greg.
Rent A Week, Rent A Month, Storage was a locally own company with six locations around the city. Kelly had not known that the company was owned by the family until the day before. It was a tax write-off for them, and a place to keep watch over Kelly.
She had found out about this yesterday from Greg, and at first she had been mad, but now Kelly thought she would let it ride. They were supposed to find Thomas and she would wait to see what happened.
This location, which Kelly managed, had 412 units. The location that Mona managed had 322 units. The other four locations had 300 units each.
Because of the extra units at Kelly’s location she was allowed a little extra money to be used to hire someone to do cleaning around her store. That someone had been Carl for the last few years.
Kelly hit the enter key on the keyboard. The printer started to print out a list of rooms that had been vacated, and needed cleaning. She turned to face Carl, then on second thought yelled for her daughter Tasha to come out of the bathroom.
“Are you going to live in there, Tasha?” she asked. There was no reply.
Every morning Kelly would get out of bed and have a cup of coffee. This was a habit that she started when she was with Thomas. She had loved the weekends and the days she was out of school when she and Thomas would set on the porch in the morning and drank their coffee. His always had a little extra something in his. He had even let her taste it once when she asked, but then she never asked for another taste.
By the time Kelly would finished the first cup of coffee, Tasha would have joined her and they would have a cup together. After that Kelly and Tasha would rush out the door and head to the storage company offices. On the way they would stop at the service mart for sandwiches for breakfast.
On this morning they went to a different store to get the sandwiches. Tasha asked why they were doing this and Kelly said she just wanted a change.
Kelly noticed the two men from the day before were in the same car and were following her when she pulled into the parking lot. She and Tasha went into the store and picked out their breakfast and made sure to get one for Carl also. He would be working today and Kelly would always feed him on the two days a week he worked for her.
On Tuesdays and Fridays Carl would come to the store to do the cleaning, and drink the coffee, and eat breakfast with them. Kelly had told him the biscuit was part of his pay, at lease that way she would know he eat something sometimes.
Carl was standing at the office when Kelly and Tasha drove up. He was worried about them. They had never been late before that he could remember, and the new stop had made them run about fifteen minutes over their normal routine.
They went into the store office and Kelly turned off the alarm. Kelly told Tasha not to turn on the lights just yet.
After making coffee the three of them set in the dark and eat breakfast. There was more than enough light from the lights outside. Kelly had wanted to be able to see outside and watch the two men.
Tasha also noticed the two men and pointed them out to Carl. She wanted to know from her mother why the men were watching them.
Kelly told them that the two men were security for the company and that they were watching the company for any trouble. She didn’t say what kind of trouble. She only said that all the stores now had security guards.
Kelly notice Carl was a little uncomfortable. “Don’t worry Carl; they will not be bothering you.”
After they had eaten, Kelly turned the lights on and Tasha then went into the bathroom to get ready for school. Kelly started getting the store ready to open.
Carl had gone outside to smoke. Then he went back in to drink more coffee. That was when Kelly asked Tasha if she was going to live in the bathroom.
Now Kelly was standing there looking at the bathroom door. She turned to face Carl. She didn’t say anything.
Carl had a small smile on his face, but it was a fake smile. He had drank his self to sleep last night after setting there thinking about Kelly and the guy he thought was her new boy friend half the night. He did not feel like smiling. But he had to keep up the front of being just a poor old guy that needed their help.
Carl and Kelly were looking at each other, both of them living a dream, a memory, and their eyes saying something to the other that the other did not want to hear.
Kelly knew Carl was in love with her. But she could not do anything about that. She did not feel the same.
The sound of the bathroom door opening was like a blast to both Carl and Kelly. They both looked toward Tasha with red faces, happy to have been saved from their thoughts.
Tasha stepped out.
Tasha had just turned eleven a few months ago, back in July. She was a beautiful little girl. She did not look like her mother. Kelly was cream color like she had a tan. Kelly looked like she was a model. She was the word Beautiful.
But Tasha was also beautiful. She was white, a pretty shade of white, with just enough color to look like she was starting a tan.
Tasha had the same green eyes that her mother and grandmother before her had. Her frame was all of four foot six inches of height, and ninety pounds of weight. She had no fat except for the small baby fat still holding on to her face which was trying to escape already.
Tasha’s hair was yellow and long enough to reach down to the middle of her back, and she always wore it in a pig tail. Tasha would not cut her hair, but she would not let it hang like a girl. There were too many boy things to do right now. And the hair would get in the way. But she knew one day she would need the long hair when she was ready to be a girl.
Tasha had on some jeans that looked like their best days had been well over a hundred years ago. She had better jeans, but these were her favorite and they were clean. All the holes had been patched over or were small and only in places not revealing anything special.
Her shoes were combat boots, black, and shining, just the way Keith had showed her how to shine them. She was too young to remember him teaching her this, but Kelly had taken over the teaching after Keith died, and would say to her, remember Keith said to do this and then this.
Kelly had fed the memory so clearly that now Tasha had a memory of setting in Keith’s lap and him shinning her boots.
These were not the same boots as the ones he had shined, but they had been given to her by him. He had gotten them for her the last time he had picked up a new pair for his self, just before he died, and told her that someday she would grow into them. They had been the smallest pair he could find and now they were the closes thing she had from him. They were a treasure to her and she only wore them to school once a week. She never played in them. They were a bit too big for her, but she did not care. They had been given to her by Keith and she had only been able to wear them at all just in the pass few months and had been so happy to find she could almost fill them out. She had just started to grow and had at lease another inch to go before filling the boots fully.
Her top was a different matter. She had on a Black pull over shirt, a boy’s shirt to be sure with a Bull Dog on front and the words ‘Pet This’. It was clear from the picture of the dog that trying to pet this was not a good thing to do. The dog was chewing a bone. It looked like a human leg bone.
None of that little girl stuff for Tasha. She would wear a dress if the need was there. But Tasha would walk a mile to make sure the need was avoided if she could.
She was holding her backpack.
“How do I look?” she asked.
“Beautiful. You look beautiful.” Carl said with a wink. He turned red almost as fast as he said it because he had put too much feeling into saying it he thought.
Kelly reached over to the printer and pulled off the paper that had just been printed.
“You need to hurry Tasha the bus will be here any minute. Carl here’s the room’s that need to be cleaned.”
Kelly handed the paper to Carl. He set his coffee on the counter.
“Unit 108 has some things in it that the customers left behind. If there is anything in there that you can sell then you can have it. I just need the unit cleaned.”
“Okay.” Carl took the papers. He picked up the coffee and turned toward the door.
“I will see you later mama.” Tasha said as she started out the door with Carl.
Kelly then said, “I want you to come right here when you get out of school. Don’t go any where else.”
Tasha stopped. “Okay mama, I will.”
“Right” Kelly said. “Make sure you do.”
“Okay” said Tasha as she closed the door and went to say goodbye to Carl. He had already started to walk to where the bus would stop. On the days he worked he always stood with Tasha and waited for the bus. Sometimes he would do this also when he did not work.
Kelly stood there watching her daughter and Carl through the window, the two of them were talking, having fun. They were laughing. They really liked each other. Or maybe loved was a better word, Kelly thought.
But no, Carl was not like him, not like Thomas. Carl would never do the things she and Thomas had done. Not with Tasha anyway. No he would never do to her daughter the things that Thomas had done to her.
She didn’t think it was wrong, but she knew it wasn’t right. But Carl would not do that, she told her self again. She was starting to believe it.
Carl loved her daughter, but in a different way. He would have been a good father. But that was not going to happen. Carl could not be Tasha’s father without being her husband. And she did not want a husband.
Kelly also saw the two men watching Tasha. She remembered Greg’s words to make sure that she and Tasha were safe. She trusted this man for some reason. She hoped she was not going to be wrong for that trust.
Kelly went out side just in time to see her daughter getting on the bus. Tasha stopped and turned. “Bye, I’ll see you this afternoon.”
Kelly raised her hand to wave by. As the bus pulled away, Tasha saw the car leave with the two men inside it. One of the men tipped his hat to her as they went by letter her know they were watching, and on the job.
Then Kelly turned and locked the office door. Turning to Carl, she said, “I am going next door and get something. Watch the place for me okay.”
“I can do that.” Carl said. He watched her leave. Turning, he walked toward the gate. He would be able to watch the front office from his storage unit. And he had a drink stored away. He had been going to save it for later, when he would need it. But watching Kelly leave, he thought that he needed it more now than he would later.
It had been a long day. The storage company was open from 9:00 in the morning, till 6:00 in the evening. Only 9 hours, but Carl thought it was more like forever.
If there was anything that Carl liked, it was his liquor, his cigarettes and his free time.
If there was anything that Carl did not like, it was work, and something that took up his free time. All this cleaning had eat up his free time. Of course, all the breaks that he had taken had not helped the day go by faster.
After drinking his stash, Carl had gone and got another twelve-pack at lunch, and that did helped the day go by faster.
Now he was finished. Twenty three units had been given his ‘Double AA special cleaning. That meant that they were as clean as needed. At lease he thought so. He was happy that he had been able to put in a full day of work. He would be even happier to hear Kelly say that he had done a good job.
Most of all, he would be happy to get his money and get to the liquor store and get a drink. He started up the hill.
Kelly was on the phone. She was talking to Mona. “I had six people move in today, and two people move out. I also have Carl out side cleaning the units. So I will look good for the inspection Saturday.”
The inspection had nothing to do with what happened yesterday. It had been planed for a month. It was nice to know that the family was keeping business as usual. That meant that there really was nothing to what happened yesterday and really no reason to worry. Still she could not get it off her mind.
The Storage company’s owner was in town. Not Uncle Dan, but his son who’s name the business was really in. He was spending one day at each location. Yesterday he was at one location, and today he had been over at Mona’s store. He was coming to Kelly’s store on Saturday.
“He is a nice guy and all, but he sure makes me nervous.” Mona said. “But he is cute. Nice ass even.”
“Yel, too bad he’s married.” Kelly didn’t really care but she thought her friend wanted to hear her agreement. “Did you pass the inspection?”
“Oh he is not married girl. He is only twenty two year old. He comes from money.” Mona paused to catch her breath.
“Yes I passed the inspection girl, and you know what? I am getting a raise.”
“A raise, damn how did you do that? Did you give him some of your ass?” Kelly wanted a raise.
“Are you kidding girl. I don’t think this guy would know what to do with an ass like mine. It would kill him.” Mona was laughing. She had been in a good mood all week. Ever sense the night her and Kelly had set and talked.
“I think that he is giving everyone a raise. He was over at Doris’s over on Franklin Road yesterday and she said she got a raise also.” Mona paused then said, “Now she might have given him some ass. She is a slut you know.” Mona and Doris had words a few months earlier and did not like each other.
“I can use a raise.” Kelly said changing the subject. “I am tired of eating beans. I want some steak.” She said this, but it wasn’t true. She loved beans. Something else that she had learned from Thomas.
Kelly looked up as Tasha walked into the main office from the back office.
“I finished my homework.” She said. She laid her books down on the counter as she looked at the clock to see the time. 5:54. it was almost time to go home.
“Can we take Carl home with us tonight?” Tasha asked. He was standing at the door, reaching for the doorknob.
“No.” said Kelly. She was talking to Tasha, but Mona said “No what?” Carl opened the door and walked into the office.
“Mama said you could come over and eat with us tonight Carl.” Tasha Said. She did not look at her mother.
“She did.” Carl looked from Tasha to Kelly. Hope in his eyes. Not for the food, but the time he could be with them.
“Mona I have to go now. Carl just finished, and he wants his money. Also it’s time to close.”
Kelly stood up.
“Okay girl, I’ll let you go, but you go home, and be careful.”
“Careful?” Careful about what, Kelly thought. “Careful about what?” she asked.
“Ain’t you heard? There is a serial killer going around town killing girls.” Mona said.
“What? Where did you hear that?” Kelly asked.
“It was on the radio just a little while ago. The cops are saying that there is someone going around killing young woman of mixed blood. He likes them with cream like you girl.” Mona laughed. “That means I am safe because I am Blaaaccck.” She laughed. “The cops said that we should be on the look out for any suspicious looking people.”
Kelly was standing there behind the counter, looking at Carl.
“That man that you have cleaning for you is about as suspicious as they come, girl.” Mona Said.
Kelly laughed. “Yel, okay Mona, I’ll be careful. I have to go now. I will talk to you tomorrow.”
The two women said bye and Kelly hung up the phone. She turned to look at her daughter. Tasha was looking out the door. She would not look at her mother.
Kelly looked at Carl. He was standing there looking like a little puppy.
“Did you get anything that you could sell out of unit 108 Carl?” Kelly asked.
“I got a pretty good pair of boots that I can use.” Carl said. “There was also two pair of jeans, and once I was able to get everything else into the dumpster, and get to the floor, I fount about three dollars in change.”
Kelly started to count her cash drawer. “Lock the door for me Carl.” She said. “Tasha, go into the bathroom and clean up a little for me.”
Tasha didn’t move. Kelly stopped counting. “Now!”
Tasha jumped. She knew that she had better start cleaning.
“Carl, we are having some chicken and potatoes tonight, if you want to come over and eat with us that is fine.”
“That would be very nice of you Miss Kelly.” Carl said.
Kelly started counting again.
“Miss Kelly, I wasn’t trying to hear in on your conversation, but were you talking about that killer that’s been going around?” Carl asked.
“I was talking to Mona about him. Why do you ask?”
“Well Ms Kelly, they been saying that this guy has been going around killing women he gets in bars.” Carl looked toward the bathroom door. It was closed. He walked closer to the counter and whispered, “They say he cuts them up pretty bad.”
Kelly stopped what she was doing. She looked at Carl. Did she really know this man? She thought of David from the bar and then the crazy person that tried to run her over the day before. She returned to the counting.
“What are you saying Carl.” She asked.
“Well Miss Kelly, I just was hoping that you would be real careful and all. And if you need anything, well you know where I am.”
“Thanks Carl.” She said. He was just worried about her. But for a minute there she had been afraid. But not for her self, she was afraid for her daughter. Tasha meant the world to Kelly. If anything ever happen to her, Kelly didn’t know what she would do.
“Hurry up Tasha, I am ready to go. We have to go by the store first.”
Kelly dropped her money into the safe. Then she handed Carl an envelope.
“Thanks for cleaning up for me today Carl” she said. She walked over and opened the bathroom door.
“I’m finished,” Tasha said. “All spick and span” She was smiling.
The two, mother and daughter looked each other in the eyes. The daughter eyes were saying what? The mothers eyes were saying I will talk to you later little miss. Tasha knew she was going to pay big time for this trick she had played on her mother.
Tasha was smiling as her mother went into the bathroom and closed the bathroom door. She looked to Carl.
“See, I told you I could get her to let you come over and eat with us tonight.”
“Thanks hon.” Carl Said.
“Okay, but don’t forget, you promise to help me.” Tasha was a spy.
She wanted to be a spy when she grew up. And she was in training. And she needed help. She wanted Carl to help her.
“I will. I’ll help you.” He started to say, but I won’t do anything wrong. But he stopped himself. This was Tasha. He knew she would never asked him to do anything wrong.
They shook hands, and when the bathroom door opened Kelly seen their hands drop. She gave the two suspicious looking people standing there in her store a look. She knew she had been con. And they knew that she knew.
The first stop was at the pet store to get some food for the ferret. Then Kelly had to stop by the Food Mart for some chicken. She said she had a taste for chicken. She was not mad that Carl was coming over to eat. In fact, it was nice to have company.
The house that Kelly lived in had an open front yard with grass only. There was a small wall running along the side walk with a set of four steps in the middle leading to a walkway that went ten feet to another set of four steps that ended at the front porch.
The front porch went all the way across the front of the house and there were several chairs on the porch along with one table and dozens of potted plants. Kelly loved her plants. The porch looked the same way now it had looked twenty five years ago when Kelly had first seen it.
This porch was Kelly’s favorite place in the world. It was here that she had first saw Thomas. He had been setting here on this porch and she had taken his breath away. She liked to think this is where she had captured his heart. She knew that it was the place he had captured her heart.
Kelly only rented the house. She did not have the money to buy it. But she would someday. This was Thomas’s home. And it was the only place she had ever been happy.
Fifteen feet separated the house from the other houses on both sides.
A fence went across the front corner of the house to the house next door on both sides. Another fence ran down the middle from those two fences to separated Kelly’s house from the other two houses on each side.
The entire back yard was fenced in, with a gate for the two car parking spaces which was fed by a small drive way running from the side street on both sides of the house. The drive way also fed the other parking spaces belonging to the other houses.
Kelly’s house was fifty-five feet wide with another fifteen feet for the side yards which gave the house a back yard that was seventy feet wide by one hundred feet long.
The backyard was full of trees and other plant life and bushes and flowers filled the yard. In the middle of the yard set a picnic table and a swing set.
Kelly had a history with this house which her daughter Tasha did not know about. But Carl remembered very well. Carl had been here a few times when Kelly lived here, and many times after Kelly had gone away.
Carl had set in the living room of this house and held Thomas’s head up, and then cleaned up after Thomas, when he had drank too much.
And Carl remembered watching Thomas one night as Thomas almost killed his self, playing with a gun, in the very living room of this house.
Kelly did not use the back parking space when they arrived at the house; she parked in front of the house on the street.
Tasha and Carl were set to work cleaning the rat’s cage together. Kelly went to work fixing dinner.
Now Tasha and Carl were setting in the backyard of the big house.
Carl was setting in a swing. The swing set had been there when Kelly rented the house. Tasha was standing in front of Carl talking. Carl was listening to what Tasha was telling him.
“There were four of them. All of them were older than me. I think they were like fifteen or sixteen.” She stopped and looked at Carl to see his reaction.
Carl was watching her. He was listening to her every word, but he really didn’t hear any of them.
“And then I told him that if he didn’t stop I was going to punch him in the nose.’ Tasha stopped talking and looked at Carl.
Carl didn’t say anything. He just set there watching Tasha. Then he realized that she was not talking. “What did you do then’? He asked.
‘You didn’t hear anything I said, did you’? She asked. Her hands on her hips and her head cocked to one side. Her bottom lip out.
‘Yes I did. You said you hit him in the nose…’
“No I said I was going to hit him in the nose. I didn’t do it because he was bigger than me. And that is when that other boy showed up.”
‘Which boy’? Carl Asked.
‘The one he had the fight with.’ She stopped; then said ‘The one that beat him up. His name is Martin.’
Carl knew Martin. He was no good.
‘Those woods are dangerous Tasha’. Carl had a worried look on his face. ‘You should not go into them.’
‘I had to. Don’t you see; I know they are hiding something down in the woods; they are up to something. And as a spy I have to find out what’. She had a look of mystery on her face. ‘It’s my job.’
‘I know but if Your Mama finds out….’
She cut him off. ‘You can’t tell Carl. You promised.
‘I know, I know, but…’
Kelly was standing at the back door. ‘Come and get it’. She said. ‘The food is on the table’.
‘Coming,’ Tasha Said. Looking back to Carl, “You promised.”
‘Yes ma.’ Carl said, shaking his head.
