Chapter 5
She reached the car, kicking herself for letting the guys at the table know her name and the reason for giving him the money.
She opened the door, slid in, and buckled her belt.
Kelly returned to the table and sat down. Capp handed him the envelope.
"What's this?" Kelly asked.
"An envelope, dumbass."
"Yeah, I know it's an envelope. Where did it come from?"
"A girl named Parker dropped it off. She said you helped her fix a boat."
Kelly opened the envelope and stared at the cash. He set it down on the table.
"Fixing a boat is a new one on me," Capp said. "And since when do you get paid for sex?"
Kelly stared at him. "I don't get paid for sex. We never had sex. I helped her fix a boat."
"She didn't look like a marine mechanic."
"She's a good mechanic," he defended. "I helped her fix up a fireboat. Coolest thing I've ever seen."
"Yeah, sure."
Kelly picked up the envelope and got up from the table. He walked to the locker room and stowed the cash in his locker. He felt bad about not calling Parker. He felt even worse that she felt she had to pay him for helping her out. Capp had pissed him off with his comments that she was paying him for sex. He did date a lot, but he never paid for or got paid for sex.
Parker spent the morning shelving books and requesting Interlibrary Loans for the summer students. When lunchtime hit, she made her way outside to soak up the sunshine. She didn't know why she felt so out of sorts about Kelly. They were getting along fine, then he didn't call. She never did understand men.
She wondered if it was because the fireboat repair was completed. She also wondered if giving him half of the money was a good idea and if he would take her giving him the envelope the wrong way. She felt it was only fair to give him half since he did help her out.
She sipped her iced tea and took a bite of her sandwich. She had another repair that she had planned on starting when she got home from work. She hoped that it would take her mind off of Kelly. She took another sip of tea and finished her sandwich. She flipped open the Tribune and checked the Cubs' standings. She had no doubt that Mary Alice would call her later to discuss the standings and her opinion about them not making the playoffs again. Never mind that the season was barely underway.
Fire out and freshly showered, Kelly tucked a towel around his waist and walked into the locker room. He opened his locker and took out a clean uniform. His eyes spotted the envelope. He sighed and slipped on his underwear. He thought back to the day he was fixing the boat with Parker and she had told him what her she did for a living.
"Yeah, I know, I don't fit the stereotype."
"What's the stereotype?" he challenged.
"You know, hair in a bun, glasses, old maid, all buttoned up, sensible shoes."
Kelly laughed. "Yeah, okay. You don't look like a librarian."
"In all fairness, you don't look like a firefighter either. "
"Oh? What do I look like?"
"An actor or a model."
Kelly laughed. "No way. No way is anyone gonna take a picture of me in my underwear."
He closed his locker door. As he pulled on his socks, he wondered if Parker would answer her phone if he called.