The One That Got Away.

House Skates

The next morning Kelly is awaked by the sound of voices. She overhears Jared telling Josh he wishes he could go but he has "work" to do. Josh sounds disappointed but if he wants to change Jared's mind he is out of time; Emma is already entering the loft bedroom.

"Ready, Josh?" she asks him. 

Jared acts like he is going to the bathroom to get ready for the day but as soon as the coast is clear he is right back in bed with Kelly. Still thinking she is asleep, he grabs his phone and sends a text.

"Is that the oh-so-important 'work' you have to do?" she asks from under the covers.

"Nope. Shayla is bringing you an iced latte as we speak. And the only thing I'm doing today is you."

Kelly emerges from under the covers and squints in the bright daylight. "Uh-huh. Is that so I don't keep spending so much time with your girlfriend?"

Jared's smile fades. "I thought she would have told you by now. I broke up with her." 

Kelly sits up in bed. "No, she didn't tell me," she says seriously. Before she can press Jared, Shayla walks in with the iced latte, and Kelly pipes down. 

When Shayla leaves Jared says, "Don't start feeling guilty or whatever, Kelly. She's agreed to be my girlfriend publicly and when we need her but we broke up. She is not my girlfriend anymore. I would prefer you not call her that."

Kelly looks down. "Sounds like you're using her."

"Oh, don't start with that shit," Jared groans. The last thing he needs is for them to start teaming up. "Are we going to argue over Valeriya all day or are we going to spend time together?"

"I've got plans with Valeriya today," she jokes. 

"That's too bad because I got you something."

"Jared," she groans. 

He sends a text and smiles at her. 

"What are you up to?"

Several minutes later, Shayla returns with a box. She dumps it on Kelly's lap.

"This is for you," she says flatly, as if she is tired of being Kelly's slave, and leaves the room.

It's a heavy, plain white cardboard box. She looks at Jared.

"Well, open it for fuck's sake!"

She lifts the top to reveal a pair of roller skates.

"You said you wanted to roller skate around the house. Now you have some house skates." 

Normally, Kelly would admonish Jared for using the word "house" to describe his place of residence but she is too elated to correct him. She starts laughing.

"I can't believe it! Skates!" She cries out. She doesn't care if it seems childish, she was going to roller skate up and down those wide concrete hallways, into the large, some of them very large, empty areas. She thanks him repeatedly as he takes the box away from her.

"Not right now, though," he climbs in bed next to her and wraps his arms around her. "Josh is going to be gone all day."

"Yeah, speaking of, where did you send my husband?"

"Shopping."

She gives him a weird look.

"What? He needs equipment and clothes."

Her weird look turns to a look of horror thinking of the Gucci Clown outfits of which Jared seemed so fond, especially on stage. 

"Emma will make him look good, I promise," Jared rolls his eyes.