Page 109 of The Alternate Captain
“Okay, fine. Just give me a minute.”
By the time weget to my place, we’ve come up with a plan. Kelly will use the elevator to come and go since most of the guys use the stairs. That’s been the case ever since a few of us got stuckin the elevator last season. I tell Kelly that it’s the best idea we have, and if she sees anyone when the doors open to the eighth floor, she can say she was looking for Mike’s apartment and she pressed the wrong button.
The whole thing is a bit of an effort since she’s got her cello and a bag of her essentials. I offered to carry them both, but she assured me she’s done it enough times to manage herself, and she pointed out that if someone sees me with both items, more questions will be asked.
When we make it safely into my apartment, we put all her things in my bedroom, just in case.
“Do you still have your key?” I ask.
“My key?”
“Well, yeah. The key I gave you. You can stay here until the glass is replaced.”
“Johnny—”
“Well, the offer is there.”
She hugs me, and it’s something I realised I’ve been wanting all day—at least since the shit with my sister earlier.
“Are you okay?” she asks, studying my face.
“I guess. Another rough day for me.”
I lead Kelly into the living room and we relax on the sofa, sitting close so her legs can lay over my lap.
“Wanna talk about it?” she asks.
“No,” I say.
But ten minutes later, I’ve told her all about the photoshoot at the rink this morning, and how my sister’s still pissed at me because she thinks I’m like our dad.
“That pissed me off,” I say. “It made me really fucking angry, actually, because there’s no way in hell I’d put my son’s career prospects ahead of his welfare.”
“Do you think he knew?” Kelly asks.
“Of course he fucking knew.”
I finish venting about my dad, and then I make Kelly and me some dinner.
After we eat, she offers to wash up while I work for a little while on my thesis.
I don’t get much done, because my phone pings in my pocket and I consider if I should bother reading it or not, until I see it’s from Vicky, telling me about a side gig she has lined up.
Vicky
If you want to come along, you can.
Johnny
I’m good, thanks.
I show Kelly the message.
“You have to go,” she says. “This is a great opportunity to reconcile.”
“At a rugby match?” I ask.
“It doesn’t matter what it is. It’s time with your sister while she has a primary task to focus on. Maybe you should consider it.”
