Chapter Twenty-Six

"It's been two weeks, Kai..." my friend sighed as he slumped back into his chair. "I haven't seen or heard from her at all." I glanced up from my desk, still idly flipping through the catalogue he'd just given me, and what I saw upon doing so was very sad indeed. Poor ol' Denny was sitting there looking more ragged than ever, but maybe I only thought that because he'd actually been trying to better himself in the past month or so. After all, while he definitely wasn't at his best, it could've been a lot worse. At least he'd gone out and bought himself some new clothes for once even if he still never ironed them. Something told me that wouldn't be changing any time soon, though.

"Ever think that maybe she's just trying to figure things out?" I offered, lending him a reassuring smile. He only sighed again before trying to run his fingers through his hair, but even though he'd cut it recently, he still hit a snag like always. "All I'm saying is to give the little lady some more time to get her life situated," I explained, reclining back into my own chair. "It's a hell of a lot better than driving yourself up a wall wondering what she's up to every day."

"Maybe..." he reluctantly agreed with yet another sigh. That far off gaze of his made it clear that he was still worried over the woman which made it even harder for me not to at least chuckle about his impatience. Kids these days... Like he could really expect her to just drop everything for him and a life of welfare. Not that I was knocking it, of course, since it seemed to be her best option at the moment. Nothing wrong getting a little bit of help to get back on your feet especially after a fall like that.

"Just give it another week," I encouraged him with an even broader grin and a wink. "She's a lot like you, you know..." Denny blinked as if he couldn't see the connection I was trying to make, but I only chuckled and shook my head. Was he really that dense? After all, it was pretty obvious to me that neither one of them was very confident when it came to these things. His face reddened a little, but I only laughed. "Don't worry, I'm sure you two'll figure it out sooner or later."

He only nodded even though I figured he still didn't understand what I was saying, but I wasn't sure how to make it any clearer for him. Before I could even try to explain things to him for his own sake, though, my phone began to beep with an incoming call, and he quietly slipped out of the room. However, I still hesitated to pick up, but when I saw the number, I knew I didn't have much of a choice. After all, I couldn't really turn down good business being that I was still at work for another hour.

"Moon Industries, Kai Makani speaking," I droned as I leaning over my desk and massaged the bridge of my nose in annoyance. I swear the damn thing still hurt even after it had supposedly healed...

"Kai, it's Aja," a sweet voice rang through the speaker, clearing my thoughts of my friend's predicament. I tried my best not to sigh, but it was just as painful to smile to know who I was speaking to right then. While she was a nice enough girl, she had a bad habit of running her mouth just as much as I did. Unfortunately for the two of us, I wasn't really myself these past few days, or I might've been able to enjoy some nice conversation since she was easily one of my favorite clients to work with. Like I said, a nice girl. "I just needed to ask you something about that last order."

"Something wrong?" I replied. I'd never fucked up an order before, but by the sound of her voice, I'd probably done exactly that. However, the reason I made said mistake was a complete mystery to me. "Didn't you order a C-37?" I asked thoughtfully as I rolled back in my chair to reach into one of my drawers for my records. I usually had a good memory when it came to these things, so it wasn't really a surprise to see that was exactly what I'd written down in my ledger. That still didn't explain what the problem was, though...

"Yeah, but you sent me an A-71," she explained which caught me completely off guard. I sat there for a moment, my mind racing to sort out what went where and who had what, but as I thought it over, I realized that for the first time... I had no friggin' clue.

"An A-71..." I mumbled to myself again as if that might jog my memory. Nothing came to me, of course, but that only frustrated me more. How the hell could I screw something up like that when it should've been second nature? After all, it was the part that needed purchasing the most often... "Give me a second," told the woman before putting her on hold.

While I knew what I needed to do to find my mistake, I couldn't really say I was all that willing to go into the other office to get the information necessary. Not with knowing exactly who and what I'd have to deal with anyway... Still, Aja was good to me when it came to purchasing though me first, so I knew it was in my best interest to help her out especially when I was the one who screwed up in the first place. Even with that being the case, it wasn't any easier for me to go in and have to ask Claire for some help.

Of course, having Gray standing there with her didn't really help matters any, either.

I'd already known it was going to be rough since the young woman had been giving me the cold shoulder lately, but the glare I was getting from him made me break into something of a cold sweat. The fact his eyes seemed to be straining in their very sockets just to see me there made the chill even worse. I still tried to stand my ground, though, since I was there strictly for business reasons. As long as he knew that as well, I figured we shouldn't have any problems for the time being. Or at least... that's what I was hoping for being that he didn't look all that willing to be civil with me under these or any circumstances at the moment.

"Claire, I just had a-"

"That's 'Miss Muller' to you, Kai," she corrected me, her voice just like ice. I flinched slightly, but I did my best to smile all the same. This was going to be even more difficult than I first thought apparently...

"Uh... right," I agreed somewhat sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck out of nervous habit. "All I need is to see the records from last week," I explained as I continued to keep that smile plastered on my face. "It won't take me long," I assured them, "so if you'll just let me take a quick look, I'll-"

"Just tell us what you're looking for," Gray muttered when I went to take a step over towards the file cabinet next to her desk. "You can wait out in the hall." I struggled to keep myself from rolling my eyes, but I did what I was told regardless of how childish it was. However, he still didn't hesitate to put himself between Claire and me with his arms crossed over his chest as if to dare me to even try to take a step into that office with her present in the room. What the hell did he think I was going to do to her? It wasn't like I was plotting to steal her away from him any time soon... if ever. They'd done their best to keep things quiet, but I was pretty damn sure it was obvious to everyone here what was going on between the two of them.

Even if she hadn't told me about their little date, the way his gaze softened around her was proof enough of that.

"Fine. All I need to know is if I order a C-37 on Thursday," I explained with an aggravated sigh. After getting a stiff nod from her man, Claire pulled open the bottom drawer, but I could only linger in the doorway like some sad puppy waiting for some damn kibble. Something told me Gray would've liked for me to sit up and beg for it, too.

"Not by the looks of it," she replied. She scanned the printout once more before shaking her head. "The only thing you ordered last week was an-"

"A-71, huh?" I sighed, already heading back out the door. "Thanks." The woman might've been offended to have me cut her off so sharply, but if they wanted nothing to do with me, then I wasn't going to stick around longer than necessary. There wasn't any getting back with her, so it wasn't my place to even care at this point. Let her fall in love with another guy who wasn't worth her time because I was done.

I was done with women, every last one of 'em...

Still, at the very least I wouldn't have to worry that I sent another wrong part elsewhere, and all it would take to fix the problem was ordering the right one. I'd just have Aja send me back the C-37 in exchange for whatever she needed. Since it was a commonly used item as well, I could easily sell it to whoever happened to ask for it next, and that would be that. A simple miscommunication with a simple solution. There would be no tears, no screaming, no pointing fingers... Just a little tact and some business sense.

Too bad the rest of my life couldn't be so damn easy because I really would've appreciated that comfort right about then. I was just tired of all the bull shit, I guess. What was the point of trying to play the nice guy when I knew I was only going to fail again? Just not worth the trouble.

Convincing myself of that entirely was the real problem, though.

Most of my life had been spent with other people, women preferably of course, and now I'd been put on the outs just because of that lifestyle. It wasn't like I intended to love 'em and leave 'em occasionally, but there were still times when it just happened without me even realizing it. There wasn't supposed to be any hurt feelings left behind, and yet I couldn't always help it that there were. Even though I truly loved each and every one of them in some small way, those feelings could never be expected to last forever. Maybe one day they would for some girl, but that day just hadn't come around yet. Wasn't it better for me to tell them like it is than lie about it for months on end anyway?

Or did I have it wrong this whole time? Hell, by the way everyone was treating me, maybe I should've. Maybe then i wouldn't be the odd one out, and when a girl finally dumped me, I could walk away without being the jerk, the asshole, the son of a bitch...

With that thought, my fist came down hard on my front door which sent a streak of pain racing through my arm. I didn't really care much, though, because at least it did what I was hoping for. As if being brought out of some bitter nightmare, my body rightened itself out of the slumped position I'd been in all day, and I shook off any remaining doubts and for a moment. Those unwanted thoughts come back soon enough, of course, but for now, I had a little peace of mind. How Denny managed to think so much, I couldn't even begin to imagine. No wonder he was depressed until he met that young woman.

Best of luck to him... the poor bastard.

Standing there in the middle of my empty apartment, I was finally beginning to understand how Grace must've felt every time she came home to that pent house of hers. Loneliness was something I'd never dealt with before, and yet even experiencing the feeling for the first time, I knew I didn't want to have it ever again. No wonder she was always so willing to call me in the middle of the night for some late company.

I didn't really know why she bothered with someone like me, though. So what if she couldn't get with Vaughn yet? There still had to be better options for her out there than me, and I probably knew that better than anyone.

Things like this never used to bother me, but maybe that meant some good actually came out of that situation with Claire. In any case, she seemed to be a lot happier which was nice enough I guess. I actually smiled softly to myself just to think how cute she was these days with a new man in her life. She had always always such a sweet kid... but that's probably where I'd gone wrong in the end. Thinking like that was exactly what made me so selfish in the first place.

Assuming I was the best man she'd ever had, letting things slide because I didn't want to deal with her problems... I was such an ass. And yet I knew she would still forgive me after the dust had settled although I really had no clue as to why she'd do such a thing for me. While I was getting good and angsty, though, there came a knock at the door, and I decided to let those thoughts go for now.

"Rick... and just when I thought my day couldn't get any shittier," I mused with a sly grin as I leaned in the open doorway. The man glared at me as usual, but then his gaze softened ever so slightly behind those thick lenses of his before he let loose a heavy sigh. "So what do you need from me?" I asked smugly. "If you're looking for your wife, I haven't seen her around here."

"I know," he replied confidently. "She's still at work." I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow to hear that since it was well past six right then. It was obviously too early for her to be going to the club, but she should've been back from the supermarket for the day by this time. That left just one answer, and we both knew what it was even if I was the only one out of the two of us who was willing to say it aloud.

"Did she run off again?" I pressed, trying my best to keep a solemn expression on my face. Her husband frowned then and narrowed his eyes, but I just had to pity the man knowing full well that it was pointless for him to deny it. After all, Karen was well known for disappearing every now and then. Although she usually wasn't too hard to find, I could only imagine how frustrating it had to be for the man to have to keep track of her all the time. "I can help you look for her," I offered in a selfish attempt to get out of my own apartment for a while.

"No, it's alright," Rick assured me with a sigh before putting his hands in his pockets. "I do need a favor, though..." he confessed quietly while reaching up with one hand to run his fingers through his hair. I waited a bit longer for him to gather up the will to continue, and at last he spoke again although I hadn't really expected the question he'd come to me with. "Could you watch the kids for me until my sister shows up?"

At first, I just stared at him since that was about the last thing I would've expected to come out of the man's mouth, but given the redness that'd crept into his face, it was a safe bet he was being serious. Also made me realize that he must've been pretty desperate to find his wife if he was willing to come to see me for that kind of thing. "Are you sure you want me keeping an eye on them?" I asked, raising a brow doubtfully.

"Who the hell can I ask? he demanded with a huff. "If you're not gonna help, then-"

"I never said I wasn't," I reminded him, cutting the argument short. "Now... you just go find the Misses, and I'll stick around to watch the kids." He muttered his thanks under his breath which surprisingly didn't kill him right then and there, and without another word, he was soon making his way down the stairwell. I, on the other hand, stood there in the hallway for a bit longer just wondering whether I should put my shirt back on or not. After all, wasn't like those kids hadn't seen me shirtless before... Not that I was proud of that fact by any means.

Finally I just opted to throw one on for some sake of decency although I still didn't bother to button it up. However, when I stepped into the family's apartment, I wondered if maybe I was overdressed for the occasion. Either Rick had to leave in one hell of a hurry, or those little terrors of his were making preparations for all out war in the living room for when their mom got back.

Sofa cushions were propped up on their sides on both ends of the couch, and because of the small size of the cramped space, they could reach either wall without trouble. By the looks of it, they'd also used every blanket in the place since the things stretched their way across the whole room without much trouble. Of course that meant all the chairs from the kitchen were missing as well, including the baby's high chair, just to hold them up, but it only made me smile to see all the effort they'd gone through for this. The two children had even put stuffed animals out at various posts to keep any would-be intruders out of their fortress, myself included no doubt.

The brother had sister were oddly quiet when I came in, though. I only figured they were choosing to hide out like they usually did on the off chance I happened to come over to see their mother for a little while, but I knew they'd come out sooner or later. Natalie would probably be the first one to do so, and I could only imagine what she'd have to say to me once she showed herself. Whatever it was, it promised to be entertaining at the very least.

In the mean time, I figured I'd entertain myself by checking up on little Julia. While I shouldn't have been so familiar with the room in the first place, I didn't even have to look to find the light switch, and soon enough the room was bathed in a fluorescent yellow glow. As I'd predicted, the two beds were completely stripped of their covers, but I only chuckled to see the result of the kids' playful antics. However, that hint of sound was all it took to wake the baby which didn't really surprise me all that much. She was apparently a very light sleeper even if she didn't exactly cry out like most babies probably would've.

Luckily for me, I'd been smart enough to end my relationship with Karen long before the baby girl was even born, so she didn't seem to be threatened by me peering down at her. Her blue eyes were simply filled with wonder as I reached into the crib to pick her up. She even gave me something of a smile just to see a new face hovering over her little body. However, the moment was rather short lived since her sister came storming into the room with her brother reluctantly in tow.

"Whada doin' to my sisser, you fucker?" she demanded, her voice sharp like the one her father often used with me. Although most people would've been shocked to hear a girl her age talking to an adult, or anyone for that matter, with that kind of mouth, I only laughed when she said it. Rick was really going to have his hands full with this one, it seemed.

"Just getting her something to eat," I reassured her with a smile. "Speaking of which... are you two hungry?" I asked in the hopes of appeasing her a bit further. "I can make pizza if you guys want." While Elliot immediately smiled to hear my offer, his sister only scowled and crossed her arms out in front of her.

"I want macaroni and cheese," she grumbled, glaring up at me with those fierce green eyes of hers.

"Natalie..." I sighed as I struggled to keep the smile on my face. "You know your brother can't eat that." Even while I knew full well that I could've easily given the boy a pill for his lactose intolerance, I was still trying to keep things simple, but this girl was already hell bent on making things difficult for me apparently. At least with pizza I could scrape off the cheese for him, and he could enjoy the toppings to make up for his loss. "I'll be right back," I told them, shifting the infant over to my other arm. "So you two clean up your toys, okay?"

Leaving the kids probably wasn't the best thing for me to do since, given her current attitude, Natalie would most likely think to lock me out of the apartment, but all I could really do was shove a stuffed bunny in the doorway in the hopes it would stay put. Still, with me keeping their baby sister hostage, maybe her two siblings wouldn't be so keen on keeping me shut out. One could only hope, I guess.

Julia simply stared up at me while I ducked back into my apartment for ingredients, and it wasn't hard for me to keep smiling back at her. She was unbelievably quiet although I still had no idea where she got that from. Probably not her parents since both of them were just about as loud and obnoxious as I was over half the time.

She really must've been one hell of a blessing in that house.

When I came back to the door, that thought was only emphasized by the fact that a certain little bitch had decided to listen to me for once. After all, Natalie did in fact put her toys away which, oddly enough, also included the bunny I'd shoved in the doorway. Of course she'd also thought it was a good idea to turn not only the standard lock, that I easily carded, but the deadlock as well, and that left me standing there with baby in one arm and groceries in the other out in the middle of the hall biting my tongue just to try and keep myself from cussing myself a blue streak. If nothing else, that brat wasn't going to be easily fooled by any man by the time she got old enough to know what to do with them... That was for sure.

After letting a few choice curses slip, I was just about ready to try my luck with bribing Elliot in getting the door open for me. Instead, though, I ended up all but jumping out of my skin because right then I felt a hand fall on my shoulder. However, I was even more shocked to see a starling, though oddly familiar, pair of bright red eyes gazing back at me. Those pink curls of hers weren't exactly hard to miss, either. Not surprisingly, the gentle face that greeted me was that of a woman, but what shocked me was the fact that I'd seen this same woman not too long ago with no intention of ever seeing it again. If she could get me into the apartment, though, I didn't really care who she was.

"Fancy meeting you here, Popuri," I chuckled, offering her the most charming smile I could manage. She hesitated for a moment as a befuddled expression passed over her features, but that only lasted until she saw the baby cradled in my arm.

"Oh, so you're the neighbor my brother said would be watching them," she mused with a smile just as warm as my own. When I nodded in agreement, she giggled and held out her arms. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get here, Mr. Makani, but you know how it is during the summer with road construction." I assured her that it was perfectly alright as I clumsily handed the child off to her, and with that, I figured our conversation was over. However, when she toyed with the handle for a moment, she soon gave me a rather curious look and asked,

"Didn't Rick give you the keys?"

--

Author's Note: Even though I feel like that was an awkward way to end this chapter, I couldn't really think of how else to close it. Maybe something will come to me later... but all I know is that I'm just happy to have updated with something I think is at least half-way decent.

Concerning more extra information, Kai just brushes the 6' mark, but as I've tried to hint at, he's slightly intimidated by men who are taller than him. This is probably because he's more of a lover than a fighter, and he tends to get in trouble with these individuals for a myriad of reasons, usually concerning his unfortunate reputation as a playboy. Although he's usually not too worried about it, he's actually supposed to be around 30 in this story. However, he lies about it at the office saying he's 27. After all, he's not about to admit he's older than Gray. X3

My biggest worry is that people assume he's just dating all these women without genuinely caring about them. It's actually the complete opposite, and I hope I can find a way to convey that by the end of this.