Son for Hire Interlude: Thunderbird (Patreon)

Here is another interlude where we follow Kitty.  This one splits off from the events in chapter 94.  Unlike the Papi interlude this one is going to take a few chapters.

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Kitty and Alan stand in stunned silence as Donny storms down the driveway to disappear around the neighbor’s hedge.  

Feeling awkward and embarrassed by her brother’s behavior Kitty turns to Alan.  “He…he’s just upset.  He didn’t mean those things Alan.”

“Yeah he did.”  Alan says.  “And that’s just fine.  I’d rather know where I stand with a man than to be left guessing.”

Kit wondered if she ought to go after her fake husband.  Is that what a proper wife ought to do?  She wasn’t sure.  As a sister she was pretty fucking pissed off.  Donny had popped off on her, again, and though she knew he was going through a lot of upheaval in his life right now she certainly did not appreciate being spoken to like that.  Not from him of all people.  Worse yet, he lashed out at Alan after one of the sweetest damned things she’d ever seen a man do for somebody.  A free car to help the young couple out?  What could have been nicer than that?  They’d already accepted so much of Evelyn’s grandpa’s stuff, why was this one so different?  Donny was just being petulant because it wasn’t his precious Evelyn.

Blunting her anger was the fact that she felt responsible for what had just happened.  She hadn’t told her brother about her conversation with Alan earlier that afternoon.  She hadn’t been hiding the encounter from Donny on purpose, in fact she was planning to tell him before they went to bed that night, but this gesture from Alan had come completely out of the blue.  She wrongly assumed Alan would never bring this subject up or, if he did, it would be some time from now.  Instead of a hundred jagged little lies to keep stringing Alan along thinking that she was pregnant Kitty had opted for one big terrible lie that would tie this loose end off nice and tidy.  The way the big guy was concerned about her well-being when he thought she was pregnant really touched her and she couldn’t bear seeing him worry about her like that over a falsehood.  He might be a blind fool concerning his wife but he was still a good man and didn’t deserve what was happening to him.  Her sympathies weren’t enough to make her end this ride on the gravy train but there was no point making it any worse than it had to be for him.

“He’ll cool off.”  Alan says sagely.  “It’s a guy thing.  Leave him be and he’ll come back with his head on right.”

“Okay.  If you say so.”  She says in a small voice.

Alan tilts his head, his eyes narrowing.  “Does he fly off the handle like this often Kitty?”

Out of the corner of her eye she peers up at Alan.  “You’re worried about me.  You’re such a Dad.”

He scoffs.

“No, Donny’s a gentle soul.”  She says.  “He’s just going through a lot right now.  The move, looking for a job, the other stuff, you know.”

“Yeah.  I didn’t realize he was raised without a father.”  He says as he rubs his big meaty hands together.  “I can see why it’s a sore point.  So you’re both from fatherless homes?”

“Uhhh, yeah.”  Kit had almost forgotten she’d told Alan that about herself.  “I had no Daddy either.”

“Seems to be the way things are going.”

“Yeah.”  Kitty sighs and turns back toward Alan.  “He says it doesn’t matter to him but…he could probably use a bit of male guidance sometimes.”

“Might be a bit late for that.”  Alan says, a hint of sadness in his voice.  “Anyway, you want the clunker or what?”

Kitty looks at the old t-bird.  Reaching out she runs her hand over the front fender.  Momentarily dropping the sweet young ditz persona she usually kept up around Alan she says more seriously.  “You don’t have to give this to us Alan.  Especially after that.  Why don’t we just forget about this whole thing.”

“Nonsense.”   He says.  “You need it.  You want it.  And I want it out of here.  This thing is taking up space where a Benz could be parked.”

“You really don’t mind?”

“No.”  He states directly.  “Listen, if it makes you feel better we can tell Evelyn and anybody else that asks that you bought it from me.  Give me a few bucks and it won’t even be a lie.”

Kitty has to hide her smirk.  But it was a lie.  What was one more lie to add to all of the others?  Why should Alan be the only one living honestly?  What a fucking glorious mess this whole thing was.

“I’ll give you twenty bucks for it.”  She says firmly.

“Deal.”  He holds out his hand.  

Kitty looks at his big mitt…then slips her hand into it.  Hers nearly disappears inside of his as the pair seal the deal with a shake.  His hand was big, powerful, and yet his warm palm was surprisingly supple against her soft dainty fingers.  His were not the hard and calloused hands of a laborer though they’d seen some good honest work in their day.

“Keys are in the ignition.”  He says.  “When Donny’s up for it he can come up anytime to work on it.”

Kit looks back out into the rosy light of evening.  “I’m not really sure he’s going to be interested.  Maybe the paint but I don’t think he’s much of a fixer kind of guy.”  She smiles brightly and pops up tall.  “But luckily there’s always me.”

“You?”

“Yeah!  Why don’t you teach me?”  She says, her eyes gleaming.  “I’ll be a good student.  Pleeeease!”

Alan shifts uncomfortably.  “I…don’t think that’s a good idea Kitty.”

“Why not?  What are ya, sexist or something?  Come on, a girl can fix a car as good as a guy.”

“I’m not doubting your ability Kit, it’s just not a good idea.”  His eyes flit, just for an instant, to the empty bay where his wife’s car usually sat.  “If Donny won’t do it you can hire a guy.  I might be able to swing you a good deal with my mechanic.  Not too good mind you.  He’s a crook, but he does good work.”

“Respectfully…that’s some bullshit Alan.”

He cocks an eyebrow.  “Good Christian girl’s got quite a mouth on her.”

She stamps her foot and crosses her arms.  “It’s not fair.  I’m willing to do the work.  I just need to be shown what to do.  You were willing to do it for him.  I’m sorry I’m not a dude but…”

“Kit.”  He holds up a hand.  “It’s not about that.  I just can’t.”

“Fine.”  She pouts melodramatically.  “I’m a capable, intelligent woman.  I’ll do it without you then.  I don’t need a man to fix a car.”  Her bare feet slapping on the smooth concrete Kitty comes around to look under the hood.  “How hard can it be?”  Leaning in she studies the engine for a moment.  Acting way, WAY dumber than she actually was she points to the radiator cap.  “Oil goes in there, yeah?”

His stern face nearly cracks into a grin, but not quite.  “No.  That would be bad.”

“Oh.”  Her face flinches with frustration and she pouts harder at the engine.  Pointing to the big round air cleaner she says.  “Is that a hub cap?”

“A hub…!?”  This time he does let out a guffaw.  “No my dear, that is not a hub cap.”

“Oh.”  She peeps dejectedly then tries again.  “The muffler?”

“The muffler!?  Oh my God.”  He face palms.

She licks her lips and scrunches up her face as she ‘thinks’ hard in the most empty-headed way.  “Which one’s the transmission?  Does this have one of those?”

“Lord save us.”  He mutters.  “I thought you liked old cars.”

“To look at!”  She whinges.  “Is there, like,  a manual or something?  Something with pictures preferably.”

“I think you’re going to need more than a manual.”  He chuckles.  “Just talk to Donny.  I’m sure we can figure something out.”

“You don’t think I can do it!”  She frowns.  “You think I’m stupid.”

“I never said that Kitty.”

“You do!  Well…well…”  She clenches her fists in defiance and scowls, adorably.  “…I’ll show you that I can do it.  I’ll show you and Donny!  I’ll show you that I can…”  Her eyes drift back to the belts and caps and tubes dotting the old V-8.  All at once her gumption leaves her.  Her arms slump to her sides in defeat.  “Ohhh, you’re right.  I can’t do it.  It’s hopeless!”

“Now hold on.  It’s not hopeless.”

“Even if I had a manual…I wouldn’t be able to make any sense of it.”  She looks wayyyy up at the towering Alan, brown eyes batting and looking as tiny and fragile as she could manage.  “I’m just a dumb girl.  I’d just make a great big mess of it.  Like I do everything.”

“Hey.”  Alan says.  “What is this talk?”

“I made my husband angry.  I made you angry.”

“I’m not angry Kit.”

“I can’t fix a car like you can.  I can’t bake and cook good like Evelyn can.  I can’t make nice pictures like Donny can.  What can I do?  Nothin.”  With a great flouncing sigh Kitty drops her head and says pitifully.  “I’m no good to anybody.”

Kitty stands there looking as woeful as a scolded puppy for a few long seconds as she lets her performance sink in.  Alan, meanwhile, is looking down at her pathetic pouting trying his absolute best not to laugh in her face.  “So…does this usually work?”

“Yes.”  She looks up and bats her big brown eyes to beg one last time.  “Pleeeease?”

He rolls his eyes and chuckles.  “Fine.  I can show you a few things.”

“Yeah!”  She cheers joyously, her previous glumness erased in an instant.  “Ha ha!  You’re easy!  Hey, while I’ve got you on the ropes, can I swim in the pool?”

“No.”

“Can I drive your Porsche?”

“No!”

“Aw, come on.”

“Go get your twenty bucks.”  He waves her off.  “And change into something you don’t mind getting dirty.”

“Ooooo!  We’re gettin dirty!  I like it dirty.”

“GET!”  He swats her butt and sends her giggling out of the garage.

As Kitty, bouncing and bobbing, disappears around the the building Alan looks down at his open left hand, the one that had just swatted the pretty young neighbor’s cute little ass, like the betrayer that it was.  He closes his fist and his eyes and whispers to the empty garage.  “This is a mistake.”  He then lets out a long sigh and turns to start laying out tools for Kitty’s first lesson in car mechanics.