Behind Closed Doors

Chapter 7

So here's chapter 7!!! I'm so excited about this chapter!!!

It's still in Braxton's POV.  Probably the last one for a bit.  I'm having so much fun getting in touch with his character.

Anyway....read...vote....comment......ENJOY!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I pull up to the local bar that I sometimes go to after work.  Before getting out of the car, I take off my tie, unbuttoning the top button of my shirt.  I step inside, heading over to one of the barstools towards the end of the bar.  As I’m sitting down, the bartender, wearing a plain black t-shirt and jeans, comes over by me.  “What can I get ya?” he asks. 

Laying my phone on the bar, I say, “I will have Maker’s Mark on the rocks, please.”  He nods his head, “Sure thing.”  He walks away to get my drink.  I’m sitting there thinking about what all happened today.  Somehow the events of today just kept escalating.  I do not think Kansas understands her role as a housewife.  She is to take care of the house…meaning groceries, cooking, and cleaning.  I pay the mortgage and the utilities.   She talks about having things 50/50, but she doesn’t contribute as much as I do.  I work more than she does; she’s just a nurse.  I should not have to worry about whether there is food in the house or not.

Working these late hours has not been easy on me.  I am growing more tired each day.  Her schedule does not change.  She goes in at the same time every day and gets to leave at the same time.  I am interrupted from my thoughts as the bartender returns with my whiskey.  “Here you go.  Anything else I can get ya?”  I look up at him, “No.  This should be fine.  Thanks.”  With that he smiles, walking back to the other end of the bar. I take a sip of my whiskey, savoring the slow burn it makes going down my throat, warming my stomach.  It has been far too long since I have had a glass of whiskey. 

I go back to thinking about what happened today.  Sarah?  I don’t know what I am going to do with her.  She really dropped the ball today with forgetting to call the captain about the parking ticket.  If I cannot count on her to do that, then what can I count on her for?  And what was up with her disappearing act this morning?  Telling me that she was in the restroom…For what?  Twenty minutes?  I don’t think so.  I think I am going to talk to my boss tomorrow about getting a replacement for her.  I need someone that I can depend on and do what I ask of them.

I start thinking about the fight I had with Kansas again.  I have never been so angry before.  Well…other than the night that I hit her.  She just pushes my buttons sometimes and does not stop.  All I ask of her is a simple request of having food in the house at all times.  She knows what I like to eat for breakfast every morning.  She always makes sure that she has her Kashi cereal.  Why not what I like?  Then how she ended that phone call!  Telling me that I need to change my attitude or don’t bother coming home… Who does she think she is?  I pay for that house!  If anyone would not be coming home, it would be her!  She better learn her place…and quick!

Then to top it off… She hangs up on me!  Not answering when I call back either!  I literally could feel my blood boiling.  I was so furious, making me smash my phone on my desk!  Then having to interrupt my day to go down to the Apple store to purchase a new phone.  I should make her pay for it.  It was her fault after all.  If she had not made me so angry, then I would not have smashed it.  I will mention that to her when I get home tonight.  It’s bad enough that I have to pay for a parking ticket and then had to buy a new phone on top of that…

I take another sip of the whiskey, letting it burn my throat as it goes down.  A few more people have come into the bar since I have been here.  I look at my phone to check the time.  It’s almost 5:00 p.m.  People are starting to get done with work, stopping in for a drink or two before heading home.  I needed to stop for a drink.  Before I went home and did something that I would regret…again.  While I continue drinking my whiskey, I see a gentleman wearing a brown suit, white shirt with a brown and yellow striped tie, walk in.  I realize that it is one of my colleagues that work in the office.  I signal for him to come and sit by me.  He sees me, walking over and sitting down in the stool next to me.