Rushing Water of Better Lives
"I am such an idiot!" Tigress shouted in a restrained tone. She was at her office reflecting about yesterday. "I could have just said yes and gone with it like he did." Tigress leaned back in her chair in exasperation. "I mean, here I am trying to give him clues and then I just turn around and say no? What is wrong with me?"
"Many things I think," Said a voice. Tigress ungracefully fell out of her seat, quickly popping back up when she saw Viper smirking at her. Tigress sighed. She might as well tell her everything.
After a few minutes of telling Viper, Tigress sighed again. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't want him to think I'm playing games with him. I'm just...I don't know if I can do this."
"You didn't do anything wrong, Tigress," Viper assured. "You did the right thing. You didn't feel like it was the time to open that door. It's not like you rejected him. He already knows that. I think the blame is on his part."
"What do you mean?" Tigress asked.
"Well, you don't just ask someone to their house on the fly like that. Don't you think that would be a little irresponsible? I think he's more angry at himself than you are at yourself," explained Viper. And she was right. Po was in his office, pacing around. He was trying to understand why he would just ask Tigress some kind of,
"Stupid idiotic question like that?!" Po exclaimed, plopping down in his seat. He covered his face with his hands and drug them down. "I've got to do this smarter," Po thought to himself then he stopped. Was he really going to engage in a relationship with this woman? He thought it would just lead to a disaster waiting for him at the other end, but he was seriously having second thoughts. He liked her company, that was sure. She was very intelligent, determined, and playfully mischievous. What she saw in him, Po would never understand. But would he risk it? Presently, the phone rang. It was Song with another job. Po rolled his eyes. He knew why she was calling. Tai-Lung now started skipping appointments with Po to go to Song's house. If he couldn't make, Song would actually call Po to schedule an appointment to fix something in the house. How she managed to ACTUALLY have something to fix every time they were there was a mystery to Po. Po picked up the phone and answered. "Hello?"
"Hello? Po. I need some help with my plumbing. The toilet's busted," Song replied hastily. Po quietly grumbled to himself. How did she manage to pull that off?
"I don't think I can make it. Tai-Lung's not with me so-"
"That's alright. I just really need someone to fix this FAST!" Song said almost urgently. Po said he would and hung up the phone. Okay, maybe she didn't make it up this time. Meanwhile, Song was frantically trying to cover up the water splashing out. Her plan to sabotage the toilet had gone completely bad when she accidentally knocked the refilling tank of the toilet out of place. Now the toilet was seeping water out and ignorant Song was trying to figure out how to stop the water. Finally, she located the turn off the valve and screwed it shut. "There! Now, I just have to cover up my tracks." The snow leopard was trying to keep her love interest for Tai-Lung a secret from Po although the panda already knew. They liked seeing each other. Song was cheerful and perky to Tai-Lung and Tai-Lung was just charming while also being as nervous as Po from time to time. They started seeing each other secretly, more times than Po knew about, and they really valued their times with each other. Po's truck screeched to a halt as he parked outside the house, knocked on the door, and waited for Song. The snow leopard opened the door, grabbed the panda, pulled him inside, and commanded him to "Fix my Toilet!"
"Okay, okay!" Po timidly replied, inspecting the toilet. He examined around the edges and corners and located the problem. He went to his truck, grabbed another refilling tank, and replaced the broken one. Then Po carefully turned on the water and the toilet was working again. Song sighed in relief.
"Thank you so much," Song replied with a smile, but Po wasn't smiling. He gave the snow leopard an even glare as she tried to dodge his gaze. "What?"
"The way this toilet broke makes no sense. What did you do with it?" Po asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about?" Song replied, trying to act innocent.
"Song, I know that you sabotage half of your plumbing just to see Tai-Lung," Po said, making it plain. Song's eyes widened as she sighed.
"Okay, you got me. Yes, I purposefully break the stuff so I can see Tai-Lung during your working hours," Song confessed.
"Why damage half your stuff just to see a guy? It's pretty stupid and expensive don't you think?" Po asked.
"Well, I tried to make sure that everything I broke fit in the 'small job' category of things to fix, and Tai-Lung isn't just some guy. He's more than that," Song replied.
"How?" Po didn't ask because he didn't agree. He was curious as to what she saw in him.
"Well, he's naturally charming, handsome, funny, and confidence when he's not nervous. And he's really ambitious and head-strong too."
"More like hardheaded," Po muttered but covered it with a smile when Song glared at him.
"My point is that I want to get to know him before I... I have to leave," Song said somberly. Po's eyes widened. "I'm a traveling journalist. I have to go from place to place a lot, and I don't get to meet a lot of friends. I was thinking that I could maybe-" She stopped short when she realized for herself the difficulty in the words she uttered. "It won't work, will it? I've seen what distance does to people. Some people can do long-distance, I can't. It's not going to work out, is it?" Song sighed as she slumped her back against the wall. "Why am I even trying?"
"Why not just take him with you on the trips?" Po suggested. Song's eyes widened as she stuttered and spluttered for an answer.
"WHAT! Are you crazy?! My company can only afford one room hotels and motels!" Song exclaimed.
"He can bring his sleeping bag," Po proposed.
"What about the added expenses?"
"Just have him work there. He's done camera work before," Po replied.
"What about his welding job?"
"It's in high demand. He can always get another one or be self-employed."
"What about you guys? Don't you want to be with him? What about your added help?" Song asked.
"I'll have my other friend help me. Plus, I don't think I'll be doing this plumbing job for long. I'll probably be in a better job by then. That and it's not like you're going around the world. You're staying in the states, right?"
"Yeah, but... what if... he doesn't want to come?" Song asked a little frightened. Po grumbled under his breath.
"Then take him as luggage," Po said sarcastically earning a disapproving stare from Song. "Come on, stop making excuses, Song. You know he would gladly jump at the chance. Don't be afraid of starting something like I am," Po advised. "Well, everything here is fixed. I'll leave you to your thoughts." With that, the panda left the snow leopard and drove back to the house where the phone rang just as he entered. "Hello?"
"Hey, Po?" Tigress said. Po gulped.
"Um... Hey, Tigress. Look, if it's about that thing I said yesterday, I-"
"Would Friday be good for you?" Tigress interrupted. Po was silent. He quickly snapped out of it when she coughed. "Um... Po?"
"Yes, Yes!" Po quickly exclaimed. "Friday works for me," Po replied.
"Great, I'll see you then," Tigress smiled as she hung up the phone. She leaned back in her chair at home and exhaled. "I'm actually doing this." She laughed at the thought. "A lawyer dating a plumber. I have to be crazy," Tigress said. She glanced at the bed where her office at home was and saw the shirt with Po's scent on it. She grabbed it and sniffed it again. She smiled again. "Or just in love."
To Be Continued...
There's no 'good' way to integrate this into the story, so basically, Po didn't finish college for his culinary degree, which for those who don't know is a degree in making and preparing food. So in order to be a professional cook, he would have to back to get his degree.
