Page 11 of Fierce-Michael

Ty ran back to his room. He must be playing with something.

“He’s got some puzzles in there my parents gave him.”

“That’s good,” he said. “Are you doing anything today with him?”

“No,” she said. “I just wanted to get food. They’ve got a movie day in the community room here. It was like five dollars a person for a movie and snacks. Maybe I’ll bring him down.”

He pulled his wallet out and handed her a twenty. It was the smallest bill he had having stopped at the ATM to get cash for his date with Kelly tonight when he was at the store.

“Here. Take him. Let him have some fun. I know you said before they’ve got some vendors outside or something. Just have a good day.”

Her eyes got a little teary again. She always put tears out when she wanted something when they were dating.

“Thanks again, Michael. I’m glad you’re the one that knocked me up.”

He took a deep breath. It wasn’t funny, but she always wanted to joke. “Yeah,” he said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He walked out the door and told himself he had to get out of the mind space he was in or his date tonight was going to be a shitty one and he didn’t want that to happen.

4

DRINK AND CHAT

Kelly did one more turn in the mirror and checked her butt out in her jeans.

They were more fitted to her body, a green shirt tucked in, gray pumps on her feet.

She’d been looking forward to this date ever since she walked out of Marshall Printing with Michael’s cell phone number and his promise to text her a time and place.

He didn’t do it until Friday morning and she was losing hope and figured she’d set herself up with another loser.

She was glad to be proven wrong on that point.

When her buzzer went off, she walked over and hit the button. “Hello.”

“It’s Michael.”

“I was hoping it was you and not the creep in the building next door walking by and running his hand over all the buzzers at once.”

There was a sound like a cough or a snort. Probably not a laugh. “That has to be annoying.”

“And then some. But you get some characters. I’ll be right down.”

She put her gray jacket on, then grabbed her purse to toss over her shoulder, gave her hair one more tousle with her fingers, and walked out the door.

She dashed down the flight of stairs. Being on the second floor wasn’t ideal, as she heard noises above her and below her at times. But she liked where she lived and her apartment was modern.

Michael was standing by the glass door but off to the side. He had on a pair of jeans and button-down shirt. No jacket. She almost commented on it, but he was a big boy.

It was almost sixty out today and the sun was still out, as it was barely five.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey right back at you.” He grunted. “You know, you make a lot of funny noises.”

“I’ve heard that before,” he said.

“I bet other times they aren’t so funny.”

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