Episode 37

The next couple days, Kelsey was understandably a little tense.  However, things after 3 days had passed, she was feeling fine about everything again – they were back to normal.  Actually, better than normal!  She had never felt so happy before in her life.  Tonight, she and Tom just planned on having a movie night in his apartment while painting a banner advertising a charity comedy show that Tom was participating in next month.  He had arranged all the funds to go to children in Africa, but he needed to get the word out and Kelsey was determined to help in at least some small way.  She tried not to think about how ridiculous her little banner was next to Tom’s advertising and media power.  Regardless, she took the lids off of a couple little cans of paint and carried them into the living room which she had already covered (including the furniture) with newspaper to protect the couch, carpets, and table.  However, this very preparation proved to be her undoing.  As she carefully walked, one foot got caught under a flap of newspaper and sent the girl sprawling onto the floor.  Unfortunately, the paint also went flying – Tom, the lucky man, happened to be right in the path of the paint.  His startled face sported splotches of orange and green.  The disaster was not confined to his face, however.  It extended head to toe, completely ruining his clothes and dying his hair similar to a clown’s.  Kelsey felt horrified for about a quarter of a second before a tiny smile escaped her pursed lips.  Then she burst into laughter, still lying on the floor.  He looked ridiculous and she tried to tell him that, but she couldn’t regain her breath.  Tom watched his girlfriend rolling around, laughing and snorting, on the floor and finally couldn’t resist.  He let out a laugh too. 

Once both had regained composure, Tom headed off to the bathroom to shower off the paint while Kelsey attacked the mess in the living room.  The lyrics to “You Look Great in Corduroy Pants” caught her attention – Tom’s phone was ringing.  She could clearly hear the sound of water running, so she picked it up and was going to answer it until she saw the name on the caller ID –Bridget Tamoulsen.  Her heart sank.  She pushed reject and then went to the call log – it displayed a number of answered calls from the vixen.  She scrolled down and the number multiplied.  Most calls were reasonably long and there was one almost every day for the past couple weeks.  She realized that her knuckles had turned white from clutching the phone too hard and she threw it angrily on the couch.  She knew what she had to do, and she had to do it fast.  She grabbed a piece of paper and wrote a quick note to Tom:

                Tom,

I know you lied to me about Bridget. It’s not okay – I’m leaving. Don’t follow me. I hate your stinking guts.

            Goodbye,

            Kelsey

She left the note on the paint-splattered table and ran off in tears to pack and catch the first plane back to Utah.