'Oh, no!'
'What is it?' I asked, immediately concerned.
'I can’t find my house key! Mom will kill me.'
'Hang on. Before you get upset, check all your pockets.' Kendall shoved her hand into every pocket, including the smaller coin pockets at her hips. She blew out a breath, placing her small hand over her chest.
'Found it.' She brought it out of her back pocket, just a single key.
'Kendall, why don’t you put that on a key chain? It would be a lot easier to keep track of.' She shrugged.
'I forget to buy one.'
'Here, Kendall. My treat.' I looked up, as did the girl, and immediately my brows drew. Haley held a key chain in her hand, which is all fine and good, but at the end of it was a brightly colored Koosh ball. She grinned and winked at me. 'Come here,' she beckoned Kendall to her, which of course she went, and whispered something in her ear. I watched, suspicious.
'Cool. Thanks, Haley!' Kendall looked at the key chain, rubbing the soft ends on her cheek. 'So? Can I get this, Andi?' She held the Barbie up.
I sighed, looking at the girl again. Without a word, I dug into my pocket and got my wallet out, grabbing a twenty, and handing her the money and the doll. 'Yay!' She took it, a double treat as she was getting to the point where she loved to buy things herself, feeling like an adult to hand the clerk 'her' money.
Haley and I followed her up to the register, standing back to give her room to do business.
'What did you tell her?' I asked, glancing at Haley.
'Oh, nothing. Just that Koosh balls used to be your favorite toy as a kid.' I turned fully to her.
'What? You didn’t.' She grinned, evil. I shook my head, tucking my bottom lip into my mouth.
'You’ll pay.' She grinned wider. 'I need to get her home.' I checked my watch.
'Mind if I come along?' I looked at her, smiled, shaking my head.
'Not at all.'
I watched from the car window as Kendall ran up the walk, her Toys ‘R’ Us bag in hand. The front door opened, and there was her mom. She waved at me, and I waved back, then pulled away from the curb.
'That is one smart kid.' Haley looked at me, and I smiled at her, nodding. 'How did you start seeing her?' I shrugged with a sigh.
'My mom knew of her parents, and we met.'
'Oh.'
'She’s great. I love the time I’m able to spend with her. She keeps me young.' I smiled at Haley. She chuckled.
'Well, someone’s got to.' I glanced over at her as I pulled to a stop at a red traffic light.
'Meaning?' She shrugged, then looked at me.
'It seems like your life is your work. You need some fun.' She punched my arm. 'Want to have some fun with me tonight? Grab some take out and watch a movie, or something?' I just looked at her for a moment, trying to decide if I wanted company or not. Finally I smiled, put the car in gear, and we drove on.
'Yeah. Sounds great. Have you eaten at Wong’s yet?'
'Are you kidding? Anyone with any sort of taste for Chinese food has.'
'Okey doke. Wong’s it is.'
I pushed the garage door open, holding it open for Haley who followed with a brown paper bag in hand, oozing incredible smells that made my mouth water. I set the packages of things I’d bought today down on the kitchen counter, and turned lights on throughout the house as I went, headed toward what had become Bunsen’s room.
The Pug came running out of the room, doing his little happy dance at the sight of me, and especially of Haley. He loved company, and expected them all to love him.
'Who’s this?' Haley asked, kneeling to grab the puppy up in her arms, trying to keep the squirming body from falling back to the floor, yet avoid puppy kisses at the same time.
'That would be Bunsen.' Haley looked at me, her head cocked to the side.
'Bunsen?' I nodded. 'As in burner?' Again I nodded. She chuckled, staring at the dog. 'Only you, Andi.' Getting the dog to calm down, she held him close to her chest, petting Bunsen’s head and back. 'So, mind if I look around?' She wiggled her brows, eyes mischievous. I nodded.
Haley walked to the living room, and I flipped the lights over the fireplace on, revealing the sculpture I had on the mantle.
'Oh, that’s beautiful.' She walked toward it, taking it in. 'It’s two women, isn’t it? Their bodies entwined.' She looked at me, I nodded. 'It’s gorgeous. Very sensual, yet tasteful.'
'I picked it up in New York a few years ago. I was there for a conference.' She turned away from the fireplace, and looked at the rest of the room; the wood floors, brown suede furniture with rustic wood accents. Wood and glass tables.
'You like knick knacks, don’t you?' She asked, picking up the glass figurine from the coffee table. I stuck my hands in the pockets of my cargo shorts, suddenly feeling very shy. She smiled, and headed into the kitchen. 'Oh, a whole wall with hanging utensils.' She said, her voice excited. Putting Bunsen down to better examine things, she grinned at me, holding a utensil, pointing it at me. I looked at it, confused, then it came back to me.
Haley busted out laughing.
'I had no idea you could turn red, Andi.' She hung the potato masher back in its little nook, and turned to the appliances. 'Oh, I like your stove.' I had a butcher block island, the stove was built in, just a stove-top.
'Yeah, it’s great. Saves on counter space.' Suddenly Haley looked at me, a grin on her face.
'You know, this makes me feel so old.'
'What’s that?'
'Us, standing here talking about appliances, and me going through your house. This was the furthest thing from our minds when we were friends, you know? Back in Winston? Hell, at that time we were talking about where we’d go to school, so excited to get away from that town.' She chuckled, shaking her head, then headed out of the kitchen, patting my shoulder as she passed. I followed her down the hall, the main bathroom to the left, the three bedroom doors to the right. The first of the three doors was my home office.
Haley flicked on the light, and looked around, then burst into laughter. I looked around, trying to see what was so funny.
Oh. Hehe.
'You still have those?' Haley pointed to the cabinet that I had built into the wall, large, glass doors protected my collection. She walked into the room, headed straight for the Beanie Babies. 'Do they even sell these anymore?'
I shook my head. 'No. They’re a real bitch to find now.'
'Do you have more?' I nodded, feeing the excitement inside bubbling at my near life-long hobby.
'I have to find most of them on the internet now, or even in antique shops. Imagine that. Talk about feeling old!' We both chuckled.
'May I?' She asked, her hand on the handle of one of the doors.
'Go ahead.'
She opened the door, and carefully handled the toys, reading their individual labels, each one kept in its plastic cover to protect it.
'These are just too cute. How many do you have?'
'Oh, jeez. Let me think. Um, at last count I think three hundred and thirty.'
'Wow!' She looked at all of them, then her brows drew. 'Where’s the Kung Fu one?'
'Oh, Suki?' She nodded. I sighed. 'I was dating a woman once years ago who liked to bring her golden retriever over, and well, Barney liked to chew.' Haley looked at me, her face the portrait of pity.
'Oh, Andi. He didn’t.'
