And so the pranks continued for the next week or so. Mike managed to remove the "e" key from Betty's typewriter and she didn't notice until the end of the day, which meant she had to stay late to re-type everything she had done, So she sewed the sleeves up in his jean jacket while he was on set the next day. He balanced a bucket of water on the cubicle door so as Betty walked through, it fell on her and soaked her, so she replaced his car magazines with Woman's World and Seventeen. Every time a prank would befall one of them they'd curse and swear to who ever was nearest and then as soon as they were on their own they'd laugh and silently give props to the other.
Things were tense at home for Mike simply because he wasn't home as much as he used to be and when he was, he liked to sit in his studio and plunk out new songs for the band to sing, or songs he thought would fit in with the show. Of course having a bevy of girls surrounding him and the others didn't help either but he was pretty sure he'd managed to keep as much of that in the studio (or in his car) as he could. But this latest girl - Betty - was on his mind a lot. Not only because he was trying to come up with different pranks to pull on her, but also because her face would just pop into his thoughts. Her smile lit a little fire in his stomach and the way she crossed and un crossed her legs while taking notes made him week in the knees. Some days he wanted to just stop all the nonsense and throw her into a corner and let all of the stress wash out of him. But he held back for some reason and that made him even more tension of course, led to some heated words and to him suggesting that maybe his wife take his son and spend some time back in Texas for a little while. Just to cool off and regroup and so she did.
Mike watched the car make its way down the winding road and then turned back into his house. He picked up the phone and asked his friend John to have a couple of drinks with him so he could loosen up and tell someone about what had just happened.
John showed up about half an hour later with a case of beer and his guitar and they made their way up to Mike's studio. After about 6 beer, the whole story and a few Merle Haggard songs John slapped his knee and sat back in his chair, "Have a party!"
"What? What is this 'have a party' - a party for what?"
"To let loose. To have some fun. My god Mike - you're more tense than-"
"If you say a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs I'm gonna hit you with this beer bottle." Mike joked holding up his beer.
John laughed and strummed his guitar, "Come on buddy, while the cats away - the mice will play. You need some time to just have some fun."
Mike took a swig of his beer and nodded, "A party huh?...Maybe."
Betty opened the door to her apartment to find 4 chickens running around and Lucille, her roommate standing on top of the bookcase squealing. Betty dropped her keys and bag and quickly shut the door, "Lucille, what is going on?"
Lucille swatted her wooden spoon at a chicken running by and glared at Betty, "I don't know. Someone knocks on the door and drops off a box - I open it up and these future tv dinners start running around, knocking shit down. If this has to do with the little joke war you've got going on with your office boyfriend I'm gonna start looking for another place to live!"
Betty sighed and grabbed the overturned box, "I'm sorry Lucille - I didn't think he'd take it outside of work. Let's get these birds round up."
Lucille crossed her arms and sat down on top of the bookcase, "No way. This is your problem - you do it!"
So Betty spent the next hour running around rounding up chickens and getting them into a box, "Can I at least borrow your car so I can take these things to a farm?"
Lucille climbed down off the bookcase and stood with her hands on her hips, "You damn right you're taking them to a farm. Better yet there's a McDonalds down the street - give it to them and then get your ass back here cause there is no way in hell I'm cleaning this up! In fact - I'm going out," she grabbed her purse and walked out the door, "make sure your shit is together by the time I get home!"
So Betty packed the box of chickens into the back seat of Lucille's car and made her way to the humane society since she really didn't know of any farms and on her way back her thoughts drifted away to the man that had caused all of this. He drove her nuts, he was moody and sullen and dark and sexy and she just wanted to run her fingers through that thick black hair. That's how it was, she'd start off angry and wanting to walk right up to him and put him in his place and then she'd start picturing his brown eyes, his long fine fingers, those side burns that you could just rub your nose against. She'd lay in her bed at night and wonder what he was doing with his wife and secretly wish he'd just show up - no questions asked and slip into bed with her. Then when she'd find she was missing a key on her typewriter or get some snide comment thrown her way she'd curse herself for thinking of him more than she should. And now - now - he'd involved her roommate. She had to get away...this wasn't going to get any better and she feared that if she stayed much longer she might embarrass herself by making a move or taking something a little too far.
Betty threw the keys into the little dish by the door and grabbed a beer from the ice box and laid on her back on her balcony staring up at the stars trying to figure out how she could work on her production demo so she could apply for that job at WRIF.
About an hour later she heard the door and her roommate grabbed a beer and sat on the balcony beside her, "You gonna let him get away with that?"
Betty sighed, "Isn't it getting old Luce?"
Lucille took a swig of beer and laughed, "That ain't the girl I know. Come on Bets, don't let him push you around! He took it to that level - now you have to! No fear girl, show him who's boss."
Betty sat up and she started to form an idea, "You know maybe you're right." Why not, she thought, he'd just pull another one anyway and maybe if she pulled a big enough one in front of HIS friends, maybe he'd let her transfer and things could go back to the way they were.
Lucille swatted Betty on the arm, "Hey my cat Tommy - you know camera man Tommy? He says there's gonna be a groovy party on Saturday, you wanna go?"
Betty looked up at her friend, "You know...that sounds like fun. I need a break!"
Friday night Mike grabbed his guitar and was making his way out to his car when he noticed a light on in the PA's room. He stopped and stuck his head through the door to say goodbye and blinked when he saw Betty sitting at her desk, "What are you still doing here? It's Friday night, don't you have a hot date?"
Betty looked up and smiled, "Uh no - last minute things...you know this job...hurry up and wait. I didn't get the go ahead on a few things until now."
Mike frowned and stepped inside the room, "Like what? Anything I need to know about?"
Betty shook her head and kicked something behind her purse hoping that Mike wouldn't notice, "No - no. It's actually um just uh organizing my to do list for Monday."
Mike looked at her and she looked back, both staring at each other in silence. The Texan looked as if he was going to ask something and then he blinked, "Alright well - I'll see ya then."
Betty nodded and smiled, "Sure thing, see you Monday." She watched his back as he walked out and let out a puff of air. She reached down and grabbed the box she had kicked behind her purse and fingered it for a moment, then quickly she ran to the door to make sure Mike was gone and then set to work.
