Ch 31
"You know what's going to happen if he stays there."
"That will not happen."
"You have never been able to resist him, why should now be any different?"
"Because I'm different okay? It's not just about him and me anymore."
"Kimmy, it's you and it's Jimmy. You have never been able to keep your clothes on around him."
"Melanie, I am hanging up now. Call me back later okay?" Kim pressed the off button on her phone and put it on the counter. "Grr!" When the doorbell rang a few seconds she shouted at it. "What?"
Bobby poked his head in. "Kim? You okay?"
"Sorry. Come on in. Why are you ringing the doorbell?"
"Didn't want to interrupt anything." Bobby came over to the counter and sampled the dinner Kim had taken out of the over while she was talking to Melanie.
"Oh not you too."
"Not me too, what?"
"Melanie and my mother think it's an incredibly bad idea for Jimmy to stay here."
"Why?"
"'Cause they think I'm going to sleep with him. Apparently you are under the same impression."
"Kim-"
"I can control myself around him. Why doesn't anybody get that?"
"Kim-"
"I mean, yeah okay, I have never been all that good at resisting him and sure there have been times when I've shown up on his doorstep but that is all behind me. That's over."
"Kim-" Bobby tried once more.
"I know how to say no to him. I mean we're not even sleeping on the same floor of the house. His room is upstairs with the kids and mine is down here."
"Kim?"
"What?"
"All I meant was that I didn't want to interrupt dinner."
"Oh." Kim said. "I just finished."
"Why don't I set the table and you go get Joey, Charlie, and Jimmy for dinner?"
"Yeah. Okay. Good idea." Kim walked over and went up the stairs.
Bobby shook his head. This was gonna be interesting.
~^~^~^~^~^~
Dinner was, to say the least, tense. Every time one of the kids asked Bobby for something Jimmy's grip on his knife and fork got tighter and every time Kim tried to get something Jimmy hopped up and got it for her which ticked off Bobby a little more each time.
Kim was grateful to make it to dessert without bloodshed.
"So how'd you managed to get today off?" Bobby asked as they cleared the table. Jimmy was entertaining Charlie.
"I promised to take a night shift next Saturday."
"You want me to relieve Mrs. Morris? Or is Christine sitting for Joey and Charlie?" Bobby asked without thinking.
"She doesn't need a sitter." Jimmy said. "I'll be here."
Kim didn't turn around but she could imagine Bobby and Jimmy were glaring at one another.
"Yeah, you'll be here. Right. Sorry." Bobby said. "Hey Kim? I think I'm gonna go."
Kim turned around. "So soon? You never go this early."
"Kinda tired."
Kim nodded. "I'll walk you to the El. Hey Joey? Start getting ready for bed okay? You don't need a bath but I want you in your P.J.'s."
"Okay Mom."
"Thanks Sweetie." Kim took her jacket and followed Bobby out the door. They made it to the sidewalk before she spoke. "It won't work you know."
"What?"
"You're trying to back off. I won't let you." Kim said simply. "You're not disappearing from my life Bobby." She looked at him seriously. "I need you to much for that."
"I'm not their father."
"No, you're not. But you are Charlie's godfather and Joey loves you just as much and in the same way he does Jimmy. You're our family. It's as simple as that."
Bobby just smiled and shook his head. "Mel's right. You are stubborn."
Kim smiled. "This coming from you."
"We're both stubborn."
"Yes we are." A train passed overhead. "Sounds like your ride's here."
"Call me tomorrow." Bobby kissed her forehead. "Bye."
"Bye." Kim said before she walked back home.
"You know what's going to happen if he stays there."
"That will not happen."
"You have never been able to resist him, why should now be any different?"
"Because I'm different okay? It's not just about him and me anymore."
"Kimmy, it's you and it's Jimmy. You have never been able to keep your clothes on around him."
"Melanie, I am hanging up now. Call me back later okay?" Kim pressed the off button on her phone and put it on the counter. "Grr!" When the doorbell rang a few seconds she shouted at it. "What?"
Bobby poked his head in. "Kim? You okay?"
"Sorry. Come on in. Why are you ringing the doorbell?"
"Didn't want to interrupt anything." Bobby came over to the counter and sampled the dinner Kim had taken out of the over while she was talking to Melanie.
"Oh not you too."
"Not me too, what?"
"Melanie and my mother think it's an incredibly bad idea for Jimmy to stay here."
"Why?"
"'Cause they think I'm going to sleep with him. Apparently you are under the same impression."
"Kim-"
"I can control myself around him. Why doesn't anybody get that?"
"Kim-"
"I mean, yeah okay, I have never been all that good at resisting him and sure there have been times when I've shown up on his doorstep but that is all behind me. That's over."
"Kim-" Bobby tried once more.
"I know how to say no to him. I mean we're not even sleeping on the same floor of the house. His room is upstairs with the kids and mine is down here."
"Kim?"
"What?"
"All I meant was that I didn't want to interrupt dinner."
"Oh." Kim said. "I just finished."
"Why don't I set the table and you go get Joey, Charlie, and Jimmy for dinner?"
"Yeah. Okay. Good idea." Kim walked over and went up the stairs.
Bobby shook his head. This was gonna be interesting.
~^~^~^~^~^~
Dinner was, to say the least, tense. Every time one of the kids asked Bobby for something Jimmy's grip on his knife and fork got tighter and every time Kim tried to get something Jimmy hopped up and got it for her which ticked off Bobby a little more each time.
Kim was grateful to make it to dessert without bloodshed.
"So how'd you managed to get today off?" Bobby asked as they cleared the table. Jimmy was entertaining Charlie.
"I promised to take a night shift next Saturday."
"You want me to relieve Mrs. Morris? Or is Christine sitting for Joey and Charlie?" Bobby asked without thinking.
"She doesn't need a sitter." Jimmy said. "I'll be here."
Kim didn't turn around but she could imagine Bobby and Jimmy were glaring at one another.
"Yeah, you'll be here. Right. Sorry." Bobby said. "Hey Kim? I think I'm gonna go."
Kim turned around. "So soon? You never go this early."
"Kinda tired."
Kim nodded. "I'll walk you to the El. Hey Joey? Start getting ready for bed okay? You don't need a bath but I want you in your P.J.'s."
"Okay Mom."
"Thanks Sweetie." Kim took her jacket and followed Bobby out the door. They made it to the sidewalk before she spoke. "It won't work you know."
"What?"
"You're trying to back off. I won't let you." Kim said simply. "You're not disappearing from my life Bobby." She looked at him seriously. "I need you to much for that."
"I'm not their father."
"No, you're not. But you are Charlie's godfather and Joey loves you just as much and in the same way he does Jimmy. You're our family. It's as simple as that."
Bobby just smiled and shook his head. "Mel's right. You are stubborn."
Kim smiled. "This coming from you."
"We're both stubborn."
"Yes we are." A train passed overhead. "Sounds like your ride's here."
"Call me tomorrow." Bobby kissed her forehead. "Bye."
"Bye." Kim said before she walked back home.