The Fresh Start
Chapter 1
Kay Bennet sighed looking down at her baby Maria. Maybe her life was a mess... maybe the love of her life had left her, along with her mother, her sister was on drugs, and her father was too busy loosing his mind with guilt over it all to realize she needed a father sometimes too, but she had this one good thing. It was only one thing, but it was amazing, and it was enough for her to hold on a little longer.
Until recently she had been very down on her luck. Working at the cannery wasn't exactly her dream job. But slowly things had started to look up. Luis had left town in search of Beth Wallace and his son, saying only that he would be gone indefinatley. Sad for him, but fabulous for her, she had been asked to run the rec centers day care program monday to friday. The pay was better, the hours were better, and the best part was that she would have more time to spend with Maria. In a few weeks she would even have enough money to get her own place.
She kissed her sleeping baby on the forehead and ran downstairs. It was only seven a.m.she definatley needed a cup of coffee. Tabitha was in the kitchen.
"Good morning dearie... just made a fresh pot" She smiled.
"Thanks Tabitha. With any luck this new job will mean a new start for Maria and I and we'll be out of your hair soon enough" Kay said. Tabitha smiled, she may be a fan of the darkside, but she had developed a soft spot for Kay.
"You are welcome to stay as long as you like" Tabitha smiled, it was good to see her so up beat.
"Well i'm off... wish me luck" Kay smiled grabbing her travel mug and purse and headed toward the car her father had lent her. Hopefully this would be the fresh start she had been praying for.
Fox Crane woke up with that feeling still in the pit of his stomach. He had been duped. Considering that he was the Crane in the situation, this should not have been the way it played out. Whitney had lied to him, and even after he discoverd Myles was in fact Chad's child, he was completley willing to work things out... he loved her afterall, and he thought that she loved him. But obviously this wasn't the case.
He felt humiliated, and something else he had never felt before... he was depressed. It seemed like everytime he had found someone, they left him. Was he that horrible to be around? This kind of thing killed a man's confidence. His phone wrang and he groaned looking at the caller ID. The Crane publicist... aka the biggest pain in the ass in the entire world.
"Yea" He groaned answering the phone.
"You havn't forgotten about your community service this summer have you?" She asked in that annoying voice
"Yea yea, i'm going" He said hanging up the phone. He had volunteered to give basketball lessons at the summer day care camp at the rec center. That was when he was happy, and wanted to do good things for other people. Now he wanted to wallow. He watned to lay in bed, and think about how depressing his life had become, and how unfair it all was. But no, she couldn't just leave him to his wallowing. He couldn't even have that all to himself.
Fox crawled out of bed and grabbed his robe heading toward the shower. Maybe it would get his mind off of things...
Pilar showed her around. She and Luis had been running that place for years, and when he decided to leave town, she couldn't think of anyone better to fill his position. Kay needed the job, she needed some stability, and some confidence. Besides, she felt guilty for the way Miguel had left her. She was a young girl that didn't believe in herself, that was left to raise a child on her own. And if anything, PIlar could understand that.
"Pilar i can't thank you enough..."
"Bring Maria by more often, thats all I ask" Pilar smiled "And don't screw this up, It took me a long time to convince TC that you wer capable of this"
"I won't let you down" She smiled hugging her. Her mom had left her, but she always knew if she needed anything, that Pilar would be there for her.
"Ok, follow me, we have one more stop" Pilar smiled turning the corner into a small hallway. Kay smiled at the door infront of her. Her name had already been printed on it.
"This is your new office... see... Day Camp Director... Kay Bennett"
After a long afternoon, of finger painting, duck duck goose, snack and nap time, it was finally time for her break, basketball lessons in the gym. She led the kids inside and they all sat down patiently waiting their instructor. After a few minutes the door opened, and Kays mouth dropped open. Fox Crane? You have got to be kidding me. Had he done a good deed in his entire life? Well besides claiming to save her life twice.
"Your the instructor?"
"Yea...don't sound so shocked" Fox laughed.
"Ok... I'll be back in a half hour, i'll be in my office if you need me" She said storming out the gym. So much for her fresh start. Fox Crane was annoying, he got on her god damn nerves and now she had to work with him five days a week... five days in a row at that.
Ok... maybe she was exaggerating a bit. He wasn't all that bad. And there had been that time with the shark... and then again with the earthquake... but wait what was she saying the creep had kissed her while she was unconcious and bleeding from the head. He swore up and down it was mouth to mouth... but she remembered it, she remembered his lips, it had definatley felt like a kiss... eww what was she thinking, this was Fox Crane, not some hunk... a hunk that had saved her, that was successful and stable and ...
"Stop it!" She groaned to herself collapsing into the chair in her office. She had to admit it was quite comfortable... she put her feet up on the desk and without meaning to, drifted off to sleep.
Fox had been thinking about her again. He was supposed to be babysitting a group of thirty 4 to 6 year olds. But for some reason, ever since the earthquake. He honest to god was trying to give her mouth to mouth, but had to admit he had gotten distracted by the softness of her lips. How he had started thinking of Kay Bennett in a romantic mannor was beyond his understanding. She was a huge pain in the ass... but she was a gorgeous pain in the ass, and she was smart and she was a fighter. He loved it when she got that attitude... he used to get annoyed, now he just wanted to kiss her.
She burst through the door and immediatley they locked eyes. For a moment they both stood still... before Kay snapped herself out of it.
"I'm so sorry i'm late, its my first day, i should know better, i just... i sat down and i must have nodded off" She rambled.
"I'ts ok" Fox smiled. It was nice to see some sort of volnerability in her.
"No its not... " Kay sighed disapointed in herself.
"Well how about you make it up to me..." He smiled. Kay looked up at him quizzically. "Come to dinner with me tonight"
"You can't be serious Fox..." Kay said ... there was that attitude again.
"Come on, just one dinner, and i'll never breathe a word of this" Fox smiled.
"Your love life must be pretty bad if you have to blackmail girls into dates" Kay laughed.
"You have no idea" Fox said laughing, shaking his head. Maybe she was a pain in the ass... but she was cute as hell...
-OK so this is my first Passions fic... hope you all like it, feedback is always appreciated!
