The Ex Files

Housing Options

My angel, talk to me. Please.

Kelly stared at the text message. It was one of dozens she had received from Hal, some light and chatty, some pathetic, some alluringly erotic. Each time, she had deleted them, vowing to block his number and put an end to the charade. And each time, she had "forgotten" to do it.

This particular one felt different somehow. Was she imagining it, or was he really serious about a conversation?

Don't be an idiot, Kelly. You moved out of a perfectly good home to get away from him, and now you are tempted to let him back into your life.

Her finger hovered over the keyboard, itching to compose an answer. What do you have in mind? Or maybe What is there to talk about? Could she put an end it all by just saying no? It's over, Hal. Never again. I don't feel like talking. Please go away.

Before she could decide, her phone began to play the rich notes of a Rachmaninoff concerto. The distinctive ring she had assigned to Hal.

She lost control of her finger, and it tapped the phone icon.

"Hello?" she said hoarsely. This was going to be a short conversation. She was going to say good-bye forever, and that would be that. She had enough problems without adding Hal to the list.

She had spent her first night away from home in the on-call room at the hospital, in the arms of an intern. He was called away before they were able to consummate their newfound relationship. She relocated to a patient lounge before he returned. The nights that followed were spent couch surfing with friends. Then the head of housekeeping, Arlene Taylor, had offered her a house sitting gig for three weeks while she was visiting family overseas. Arlene had two high-maintenance Persian cats named Midnight and Sunshine, and a white miniature poodle named Marcie. She neglected to mention that Marcie was prone to nipping her caregivers if her wishes were not carried out promptly. Despite this inconvenience, Kelly was grateful to have comfortable living quarters. Housework was a pleasure, except for cleaning the cats' eyes and litter boxes, and scrubbing the stains left in the carpet by their furballs.

Arlene was due to return in two days. Kelly was contemplating ways to extend her stay. Would Arlene be touched by her nowhere-to-go sob story? Or would that disrupt their professional relationship? Was there some way she could manipulate Arlene into inviting her to stay?

Kelly had researched housing options, but had found nothing better than a run-down motel that would charge her $325 a week for a housekeeping room. She couldn't afford that for long, and there would be no room for her things. She couldn't leave her stuff at Eleanor's forever.

How would Eleanor react if she showed up at the door and asked to be reinstated? What if she had already thrown all her things out and rented the room to another tenant?

"Hello, my angel," Hal said cheerfully. Too cheerfully. Something was up.

"What do you want?"

"Just some conversation with an old friend. Where are you living these days?"

This was the moment to say None of your business, disconnect, and block the number. Instead, she told him. He said he would be there in less than twenty minutes.

Eighteen minutes later, Marcie ran to the door, barking hysterically. The doorbell rang.

Kelly grabbed Marcie's collar and opened the door. Hal was standing on the steps, lit up by the entryway light, smiling warmly, as if they had parted on the best of terms.