Page 4 of Tricked in October
“I know you can handle it, it’s just that you don’t usually like confrontation.”
“Doesn’t mean I won’t handle it. For you.” He returned his hat to his head before spinning around on the stool to face the crowd.
Kelsey’s chest heaved and her words caught in her throat. She honestly didn’t know how she would’ve survived the last nine months without Davis’s friendship.
“Kels?” Julian called again, impatience in his tone.
“Coming,” she muttered to Julian.
Rushing into the kitchen, it didn’t take Kelsey long to see the problem Julian had warned her about. Water gushed from the shut off under the sink. He had placed a bucket there to catch the water but that was only a temporary fix. Especially by the looks of the wet towels laying on the floor surrounding the bucket.
This was not good. All she could envision was dollar signs flashing in her brain. Money she didn’t have.
Julian ran a hand over his tired face. “It’s the cold water shut off valve.”
She knelt to get a closer look. “You sure?”
“Yeah, pretty sure. I need a wrench to tighten it and I can’t find one in Ricky’s office. And Kelsey, besides the fact that I don’t have time for this, I’m not a plumber. I’m a line cook.”
She dropped her head. “I know, I know.”
“I told you last week it was leaking. And then I reminded you this morning.”
“Damn it, Julian, I know.” She folded her lips in between her teeth.
Charlotte stopped crying and sniffed, staring at her wide-eyed.
Kelsey wasn’t typically a stressed-out person. Where had the cheerful, easygoing woman she used to be gone? If that woman could come back soon, it would be much appreciated.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled.
Julian sighed, pushing both of his hands through his greasy hair. “I know you’re overwhelmed. But you don’t have to do everything on your own. You can ask for help once in a while. Or hire someone.”
Hiring a plumber would be costly. She knew how to use a wrench. How hard could it be to tighten the shut-off?
“I don’t need help. I’ve got this. I will find a wrench and do it myself.”
Julian threw his hands up and cursed under his breath. “Fine. You take care of it. I’ll go back to cooking. Or did you want to do that too?”
“Don’t be silly. I’m not a cook.”
“But you’re a plumber?” Julian retorted.
“Tonight, I guess I am,” she replied.
Julian backed away, shaking his head but smirking. “Smart ass,” he mumbled.
Kelsey rushed to the back office she’d now claimed as her own. She flipped on the light and set Charlotte down on the floor. While she’d left Ricky’s posters of monster trucks and 90’s grunge bands on the walls, current pictures of the kids now sat in frames on the desk. Orange and white faux pumpkins lined the windowsill and black, hairy spider toys perched in a fake web in the corner of the office.
Kelsey’s mama, Rita, stirred on the worn-out leather sofa. She wiped at her raccoon eyes, the black mascara and eyeliner smeared in smudged circles.
“Be a good girl, and turn off the light, will ya, love bug?” Rita asked groggily.
Kelsey ignored her and yanked open the closet door. She rummaged around in the closet, perching on her hands and knees until she finally located Ricky’s tool bag in the back on the floor. She lifted it and straightened, tossing the heavy bag onto the desk. The faded green, thick fabric had seen better days. It, along with the tools, had been passed down from Ricky’s grandad. She’d given him a hard time about not replacing the old tools, telling him they were rusty. But there were few things Ricky treasured in life, and these tools were one of them.
She dug inside the bag until she found a wrench set. She set it aside before lifting the bag in a hurry, but it was heavier than she’d expected, and she lost her grip. The bag slid off the desk, toppling to the floor with a loudcrash, spilling an assortment of tools and taking a stack of papers with it.
Her mom, Rita, groaned. “Kelsey, what is all that racket?”
