Unexpected Happenings, Chapter 10
 
 
 

Kay was in the Book Café, reading a magazine when Jessica comes to her table. It was obvious that Jessica had been crying.

" Jess, what's wrong?"

" Mom and Dad."

" Jess, I talked to Dad. He's determined to make things work."

" Was that before or after he told you that he had slept with Ivy Crane?"

Kay looked at her sister as if she had grown horns.

" Sleep with Ivy Crane? Jessica, where did you get such a ridiculous notion?"

" From Mom."

" No, you must have misunderstood. Daddy wouldn't sleep with Ivy Crane. He's married to Mom."

" Well, Daddy DID sleep with Ivy Crane, and THAT is why Mom isn't fighting anymore. "

Kay felt like the bottom had just fallen out of her world. Her father was her hero. She loved her mother, but, she had always been Daddy's Little Girl. How could he? How could he hurt their family like that? How could he betray all of them like that? For Ivy Crane?

Just then, Charity and Miguel walked in, but, Kay didn't notice them. She had a new enemy, worse than Charity, and now, she had to figure out a way to get rid of her.
 

TC Russell was in his Office. He was supposed to be finishing a report, but, his mind was elsewhere. In his past.

[FLASHBACK]
 
 

" So, TC Russell, you really are a rascal.", Melody said, as she turned over on her side.

" That’s cause you bring out the rascal in me." , TC said, kissing her forehead. They were underneath a blanket, looking up at the stars, after just making love. " You’ve changed my life."

" You changed your own life. You took it  back."

" I..I love you, Melody."

She sat up, and stared at TC. When she didn’t say anything else, TC sat up with her too.

" I said the wrong thing. Stupid me. I’m forcing the issue. Look, I don’t mean to.."
 

TC was stopped by a kiss that she gave him, that was long and passionate. When they broke from the kiss, TC could see that she had tears in her eyes.

" I’ve made you cry.", he said, wiping away the tears.

" Yes, stupid, only because I didn’t know how much I wanted to hear those words until I heard them. I love you too, TC."

" You do?"

" Yes. Do you think I sleep with all my patients?"

" Well, maybe the incredibly handsome ones.", TC jokes.

She punches him in the arm, and he pretends to be hurt.

" When I met you, I was at the bottom. I didn’t think I had anything to live for. Without tennis, I thought my life was nothing. I thought ‘I’ was nothing. But, you’ve made me realize that I can have a full life, without tennis. That I have other gifts, and things that I can appreciate. I’m still upset, but, now, I have a future –without pills. "

She kissed him again. " Who would have known that taking another assignment would mean so much for my  life. You’ve opened my heart in ways I couldn’t imagine. I’ve spent a lot of my life being scared. There was a lot of fear in my house growing up. But, I’m anything but fearful when I’m with you."

" I feel the same. I get the sense that I can do anything when I’m with you."

They snuggle with one another for awhile.

"I got accepted into the Masters Program at Castleton.", TC said, after a few moments.

" Really? That’s terrific."

" I’m glad. It’s a specialized program, and I didn’t think that I would get in. But, I did. It’s a year long program, and after that, I’m sure to get placement wherever I want."

" I’m sure you will."

" Melody, I know this probably isn’t the time or place, but, miraculously, I have the nerve right now. I want to know, if you will have me. I want your hand in marriage. "

She sat up again. " Marriage?"

" I’m not talking about right now. I’m not established. I have to get through school, and find a job, and get settled. I wouldn’t ask anyone woman to enter into this situation. Plus, I have to prove to you that I can handle things in the ‘real world’. But, I’m willing to wait for you. I was thinking more along the lines of maybe 18 months from now. I won’t be able to offer you a mansion, but, I can promise you a solid life that we can build together. A house that we can make into a home, and fill it with children. I will give you some time to think…", and once again, TC is silenced by a kiss.

" In case you don’t know, the answer is yes.", she says with a smile.

TC pulls her into another kiss, and they proceed to make love.
 
 

[[[END OF FLASHBACK]]]

TC is pulled out of his flashback, due to the knock on his door.

" Come in.", he says, and finds the coach of the girls softball team there to discuss their upcoming season.
 
 
 

Eve Russell sat in her office, fingering a picture of her family. But, Julian Crane wasn’t far from her thoughts:
 
 

" You have given the performance of a lifetime. You picked out a role for yourself, and done it magnificently, Dr. Russell. But, don’t you get tired, playing the role? What happens if you slip up? Forget your lines?"

" I’m not going to listen to this from you."

" No, you  run, Dr. Russell. Run, because it would be hard to face that you’re no different than me. You’re just the coward that I am. I hide in booze and women. You hide…well, I don’t know what your release is. I guess the façade that you wrap yourself in. I wonder….if either one of us will ever get the courage to face ourselves as we really are?"
 

Eve put the picture down.

" Julian doesn’t understand.", Eve said outloud. No, he doesn’t understand. She IS worthy of their love. She has done everything to be the ‘perfect’ wife and mother, so that her family would love her. And, it is her. It has to be. Why would she listen to someone like Julian anyway. It’s not like he has any experience with love. She’d be a fool to let Julian affect her. She has the ‘perfect’ family, and that’s the way it’s going to be.

" Nothing can break up my family.", Eve said confidently, and she brushed her fingers across the picture, before she left on her rounds.
 
 

Sam had been encouraged by Kay’s visit to him. His little girl believed in him, and had faith that he would make their family whole again. Sam fully intended to live up to Kay’s expectations. Which is why he was here. He  was going to end things with Ivy, once and for all. He had a family. One that he loved. And, he was going to be with them.

She opened up the door to her Penthouse. Of course, she was in red. Why did she have to be in red? Why did she have to look so hot?

" Come in, Sam.", she purred. As he came in, he could smell the Jasmine on her. Just a whiff, that took him back. He followed her to the living room.

" What is it that you wanted to tell me, Sam?", she asked, sitting next to him on the couch.

" I wanted to tell you that it was over, Ivy.", Sam said, but, he couldn't look at Ivy. He looked beyond her to the wall.

" Over, Sam? Whatever do you mean?", Ivy said, sliding across the couch and towards Sam. Her hand found its way to Sam's leg.

" I mean that we can't be together."

" Sam, you don't mean that.", Ivy said, by this time right upon him, and whispering in his ear. " You would miss me, Sam. You would miss us, and all the fun that we have."

By this time, Ivy's hand had worked its way to his inner thigh, and she was beginning to get the response she wanted. Ivy was now upon Sam, her other hand, mussing through his hair.

" Now Sam", she said with a purr, " You don't want to end this. We've just begun to have fun. You know that we have fun." Ivy grabs the end of his ear and nibbles it with her mouth. Sam doesn’t want to react to Ivy, but, it’s like chemistry. The more Ivy touches him, the more electricity he finds going through his body. He feels his erection coming, and Ivy sees the reaction that she’s having on Sam. She moves his face to face hers, and puts her lips on his. Soon, her tongue is in his mouth, and he’s responding to her.

Sam hates it, but, can’t help himself. He’s like a junkie, and Ivy is his drug. One taste of her, and he has to have her. Ivy is teasing him with her mouth and hands, and she slowly unbuttons his shirt, teasing him with a kiss and a bite here and there, driving Sam wild with desire. He sits up, and Ivy is straddling him. He kisses her neck and makes his way down to her shoulder, where he pulls down her straps, freeing her from her gown. She offers herself to him, and he takes it, with every suckle, growing further from his ‘right’ mind, and sinking deeper into the darkest parts of himself where his passion and renewed obsession for Ivy dwells.