"I'm really sorry..."
For a brief instant, Kenny fantasized about shoving those words right back down Dr. Cox's throat. This morning he'd had a job. Not a great one, but it kept his bills paid. And, now... But what really stung was how just hours earlier he'd admired the man who was now mouthing meaningless platitudes. He'd let none of this show in his demeanour, however choosing instead to simply walk out. He banged into the crash bar at the exit.
"Kenny, wait!" He turned. Maybe it was all a mistake. "That smock is hospital property. You have to leave it here."
"Fine!" He whipped the garment off, throwing it at the other man. With any luck, the pointy name tag would take an eye out.
-
He needed milk. Maybe for a while he'd have to take his coffee black. That would save a few dollars. But if he had to start buying the cheaper store brand coffee, too, YUCK! But you do what you have to do.
-
The woman ahead of him stood right in the lane. Great! He just wanted to get his few items and go. "Oh, I'm sorry. The guy ahead of me wouldn't move," She said with an apologetic smile.
"Right! Everybody's sorry, but nothing gets any better!" The girl stood in shock. Kenny was a little shocked, himself. This was so not like him. "Now, I'm sorry. I had a bad day, but there's no excuse to take it out on a total stranger."
"Okay. It happens." She was clearly still a little nervous. "Well, I'm going, now."
-
Maria Anders hefted the two heavy shopping bags. She always wound up getting more than she'd intended at the grocery store. Now she had a major load, and nothing to carry it home in.
"Walk you to your car?" It was the guy from the check out line. "To make it up to you."
"Um, I don't have a car. I just live nearby."
"Okay." He moved some bags from the child seat. "Let me give you a lift anyway."
Sore arms decided for her. "All right." She put the bags into the cart. "Thank you. So, I gather you just got some bad news?"
"Pretty bad. I sorta got laid off today."
"Oh, that's too bad. There's just too much of that going around." She thought for a moment. "How long have you been at your job, if you don't mind me asking?"
"About three years."
"And you had no seniority? That's odd."
"Well..."
"You did have seniority. They can't do that."
"Well, it certainly wasn't about job performance. I was always meticulous about following all the health and safety regulations. You have to in a hospital."
She stopped and leaned on the cart. "Sounds to me like wrongful dismissal."
"Say what?"
"Sorry, that's the lawyer in me coming out. Maybe you should take some action."
"Legal action? No offense, miss, but you guys are pretty expensive. Money is in short supply right now."
"I guess so. I really wish I could help. You actually seem like a nice guy when you're not blowing up in my face."
"I don't normally do things like that. I like to think there's good in everything. And everyone. Well, that can go out the window, now."
"I'd like to restore your faith in human nature." They had reached her building, a modest, but well-kept hi-rise. "Why don't you take my number, and think about it?" She extracted a business card from her purse. "Call me."
-
He stared at the number for a while, feeling uncharacteristically vindictive. If they thought they could save a few bucks by giving him the old heave-ho, they could think again. He dialed.
"Hello. Maria Anders."
"Uh, hi, Miss Anders. It's Kenny O'Reilley. From the store? Are you serious about wanting to help me?"
"I never make an offer I don't mean. Now, I don't want to make any big promises, but if we can find out what happened, you may be able to take it to small claims court. What I can do, is go to your work and nose around. I'll talk to you on the weekend, 'kay?"
"Sure. How about if you come over for dinner."
"Hospital meatloaf?"
"Oh, I think I can do better than that, Miss Anders. Say Saturday, around six?"
"I'll see you then. And by the way, please call me Maria"
-
"Love what you've done with the place," Maria noted of Kenny's apartment
"I call it 'early thrift store' with a touch of 'dumpster rescue'. But it's all clean and in working order."
"Well, that's all that matters." A somewhat worn-out sofa was covered with a floral print comforter, and an eclectic pile of cushions. An open card table dominated the center of the room with two mismatched kitchen chairs.
"I can have either the bed or the table open. Table seemed appropriate tonight." He explained. "Let me just check on the chicken."
"Um, Kenny? You may feel different after what I have to say."
"You mean I should open the bed?" He said, with an impish half-grin. "Isn't that rushing things a little?"
"Uh, no. What I meant was, you may not be so happy. I tried to talk to some of your former workmates and well, it didn't go so good."
"You got Cox's version of things?"
"I wasn't able to get any version. It's a very insular workplace, and everybody just closed up when an outsider started asking questions. Sorry."
"Yeah. So...?"
"So, the thing is, the only way people are going to talk is if I subpoena them. The court fees for that would be quite steep."
"How steep?"
"Hundreds. I'm really sorry. What?"
"Nothing. Anyway, I hope you're hungry. I made a pile of real Southern barbecue here."
"Kenny, why did you tense up when I apologized a moment ago?"
"I did not!" He protested.
"There's no need to get all defensive."
"I'm not getting defensive! You don't know what you're talking about!"
"Okay, you're right. I'm really sorry. AHA! You did it right there?"
"What does that mean? 'I'm really sorry'! Like it makes everything all better! It's bull, that's what it is! Do people just not care that they're throwing someone's life into the trash? I'm waitin' to hear about unemployment, I'm hopin' to find another job, soon! And what about Dr. 'Imreallysorry? Has he lost one minute of sleep these last few days? I doubt it! He's so full of..." He let it trail out.
"You've been betrayed," She said, softly. "You though you could take people at face value, and you got burned. I'm rea... um, yeah." She trailed off.
"Starving, I hope." He finished. "Let's eat."
-
"Well, I must say. That was a superb meal. Far better than anything I ever got in a hospital cafeteria." Maria leaned back, fully sated.
"That's how they do it where I come from." Kenny said. "If it's not barbecued, it's fried, my mama always said."
"Your mom taught you to cook? I love that woman!" Maria enthused.
"Well, what I didn't learn at my mama's knee, I got from cooking school."
"Whatever it is, we certainly don't get anything like that around here. I wish we did."
"How about if I open a restaurant? Let's see, I have..." He pulled a handful of coins and bills from a pocket. "Um... Forty-two dollars and... seventeen... eighteen cents. Well, there's my capital." He laughed, a high pitched giggle. Maria would have been embarrassed to hear it from any other guy. Coming from Kenny, though, it was a sweet sound.
"I'm sure there's plenty of positions for a good cook like you." She ventured. "In fact, would you be offended it I talked to some people?"
"What kind of people?" He asked.
"Well some of my clients have businesses. I may hear about someone hiring. Unless it would bother you, accepting help like that."
"Um... I don't know..."
"Kenny, I'm not talking about a handout, but a leg up. Please don't be too proud."
"I've never used the grapevine to my advantage. It seems kind of dishonest, in a way."
"No. Not at all. I'm just offering to keep an ear out and pass on information. It helps the people hiring as much as it helps you. Everybody gets something."
"They used the grapevine at the hospital. This one guy, he was always talking about his wife and three kids. Nobody would fire him, no matter how much he screwed up. Funny thing, I never saw this family. He couldn't take her to staff functions, 'cause they couldn't get a sitter, No pictures..."
"You think he made them up?"
"And put 'em in the grapevine to gain sympathy. So some guy with an invisible family is still there, goin' on and on about his tough life. I could just never do that. I'm a happy guy, and I like to show it."
"And a lot of workplaces would like that in an employee. Will you let me ask around? Please?
"What do you get from this?"
"What I went into law for. I like to see things end up right for people."
"Well, I like to say I have my pride, but right now, I can't afford any. Maria, I would be glad to accept your offer. I hope I can do something for you some day."
-
"Kenny? It's Maria. I've been doing some thinking. Can I see you today?"
"What's going on?" He asked.
"Meet me for lunch. I had a brainwave!"
"Okay, when and where?" After taking down the information he hung up, promising to be there.
-
Kenny stared, a little daunted, as he entered the restaurant. A busboy couldn't afford to even look in the window, never mind an unemployed busboy. "I'm over here!" Maria called.
"Hi, I don't think I've ever been in a place like this." He picked up the menu and gasped. Even the water was 3.50 a bottle.
"Don't worry. This one's on me."
"Um. You don't have to do this, you know."
"I always meet clients here. That's what I wanted to talk about."
"I think we've already established that I can't afford to be your client."
"Not right now," She said. "But who knows what the future holds?"
"You're up to something."
"Kenny, when you were talking about opening a place of your own, did you ever think about that as a real possibility?"
"What possibility? I have no capital. Laid off, remember?"
"I remember. What if you had the capital? A backer?"
"What do you mean?"
"I have this client that I help with investment contracts. I think he'd be just right for you."
"I don't know. I mean, I did minor in business admin, but still..."
"So you thought about something like this, then?"
"Yeah, but still, this will take some thinking. I don't want to crash into anything too fast."
"Of course. Let me know if you want to set up a meeting. We can talk about the details and I'll help you develop a prospectus and business model then." She picked up a menu. "So, now that we've talked business, the company's paying for lunch. Let's order."
-
"What are ya doin' to me, back there?"
"It's just a little trim, dear,"The stylish woman assured him.
"What's that thing?"
"It's called a flatiron. It will make your hair stand up."
"What if I don't want my hair to stand up?"
"It'll look really nice. Try to keep your head steady, 'kay?." The stylist spoke in a fake, sweet voice.
"I'm not a little kid. Maria?" Having decided to go forward with her suggestion, Kenny found himself the object of a fashion makeover.
"That's what I was talking about. When I first saw you in the store, I thought you looked about eighteen, nineteen tops."
"And I acted like a twelve-year-old who didn't get what he wanted for Christmas."
"You acted like someone whose faith in his fellow man was badly shaken." Maria had insisted that Kenny visit her stylist for a more mature look. "Now, just relax. When Sylvia is done, you're gonna look like a new man."
"That's what I'm afraid of."
-
"So, where are you taking me to eat?" Jordan asked.
"What do you think this is, a date?" Perry countered.
"No, of course not. We don't date, we just have great sex. But you still ought to feed me once in a while."
"Okay, whatever." He looked at a nearby sign. "This a new place? The Leaky Cow?"
"You're kidding, right?" She said. "It sounds like some sort of middle-class pub."
"So what? It's right here. Let's go."
Inside, they approached the hostess and he gave his name. "Uh, yes. I'll see what we have, Dr. Cox."
"Thank you." he snarled, sarcastically. Doctor Perry Cox was a man accustomed to getting what he wanted, when he wanted it. He might just have to speak to the owner of this establishment about this little snip. As he ruminated, the door opened and a young woman entered.
"Maria!" A cheery voice rang out. "How've ya been?"
"Uh, Mr. O'Reilley..."The hostess began.
"It's okay, Dana. I have this." He turned to the beautiful woman, with only a passing glance at the waiting couple. "Why, darlin', let me look at you. I swear you look lovelier than a field of daisies to a hungry bumblebee."
"I love it when you talk sweet to me."
"I'll do it more, whenever you like. I have your favourite table ready. C'mon." He placed his hand on the small of her back, leading her in.
"Excuse me. We were waiting here and..."
Kenny turned to the interruption. "Oh, Dr. Cox. Of course. It's been a long time, hasn't it?" He surveyed the not quite filled room. The Leaky Cow didn't take reservations, preferring instead to welcome the hungry passers-by who walked through the door. It was a working policy, as soon the place would be filled with happy diners. "Looks like we don't have room for you." Suddenly Perry recognized the sharply-dressed, spikey-haired young man standing in front of him. "Ah'm really sorry," He chuckled. The young woman joined in, as they walked away, arm-in-arm.
-
A/N: I know in real life, problems aren't solved in thirty minutes or less. But they are in sitcoms, and can be in fanfic. And don't we all prefer a happy Kenny?