"Take Me Out...Period."

Chapter 4


Bethanie Halloway stood as tall as her five foot, four inch frame would allow. Today was opening day and she was proud of her success, now if only the clock would tick the minutes by faster. Sighing, she glared at the time piece on the wall once more, it was only eight o'clock.
"Staring isn't going to make it go any quicker." commented Liv from behind her.
"No kidding, Sherlock." she smirked at her friend and looked around for a convenient place to sit. A chair caught her eye and she sat. "Better?"
"Much." added Stacie, an aid who's smile seemed to brighten the room.
"Can you stop smiling for one minute?" grouched Janine who was obviously not a morning person.
"I'd stop smiling if you'd start." Stacie sing-songed as she handed a mug full of freshly brewed coffee to Janine.
"Never mind that, look who's coming up the walk way, Mr. Drop-dead-gorgeous-and-taken!" pointed Liv, as she stared out the window with her mouth hanging open.
"Let me see this man for myself!" called Stacie, pushing Liv out of the way. Janine crowded in behind the two.
"Have you all no shame?" shouted Bethanie as she grasped the door handle, "Remember, we're adults. Act like adults."
"Yes Mother." they chorused.
"Shut up!" she groaned as she opened the door.
"But I didn't say anything, darlin'." drawled T.C. as he stood in the door way with a grin that melted her knee caps into mush.
"Not you, I was talking to my....well never mind that.." she rushed out, hoping she didn't sound again like a complete idiot. "Who do we have here?"
As she crouched down to their level, one of the girls pushed her sister forward and hid behind her both of her chubby little hands clenched her father's leg. The other girl stood with her arms folded staring wide-eyed at Bethanie. "Hiya." she smiled brightly.
"Hello, I'm Miss Bethanie, what's your name?" she asked the child.
"Shiloh Grace." the child beamed with accomplishment.
"It's very nice to meet you, Shiloh. Who do we have here?" asked Bethanie, peeking behind Shiloh to wave to her sister.
"Shadow, but she's a bit shy I'm afraid." muttered T.C. trying to extract himself from the child's hold on his leg.
Staring up into T.C's coffee brown eyes she could hardly help but smile and nod, because she knew darn right well nothing intelligent was coming out of her lips. She could focus on nothing else but the man in front of her from boot clad feet, to legs encased in denim, past his white t-shirt right up to his cowboy hat.
"How about you all come inside?" asked Liv from behind her.
"Oh yes..inside.." she groaned, standing to her feet.
"Don't drool so much, we'll need to hire a cleaning service." Janine hissed in her ear.
"I'm not drooling over that man!" she shouted.
All time seemed to stand still as she realized what she'd said aloud. Groaning again, she buried her head in her hands to hide the pink stains that now reached her cheeks. The room was suddenly to cramped, too warm, and nothing absolutely nothing to fix the blunder she'd just created. Without glancing right or left, she took off toward the back entrance hoping to find some kind of reprieve from the torture that was her life. Leave it to her to open her mouth and create a catastrophe.
Just as she sat on the bench outside the doors of the day care, a voice echoed in the hall behind her.
"Bethanie?" the voice was much too deep for any of the women at the daycare.
"Go away, please." she whispered as she heard the door close behind him. She trained her eyes on the tree line hoping this was all some bizarre nightmare. Or maybe there was a hole big enough to hide her from the embarrassment back there..who knew?
"Don't be embarrassed, Bethanie. It's perfectly normal for women to be falling all over time."
The breath seemed to be gone from her lungs, turning toward him she made a sound of disgust. "Well aren't you full of yourself! A married man taking pride in women falling all over him. Lovely. How proud your wife must be."
"That didn't come out right.." he sighed, taking his hat off and batting it against his leg.
"Well, I think I've heard about enough, Mr. James. We'll see you later when you come to pick up the girls."
--
Bethanie brushed past him, and T.C. turned on his heel. Oh well, no big loss. Another woman who'd decided not to listen to him, saw what was on the outside and took off. In his opinion, if they took off then sianara, it wasn't his fault. He'd go on with his life like he always did. Depending on himself, after all, he was the only one he could count on. The door slammed in his face as she practically ran to get away from him, blonde hair flying behind her. Shaking his head, he opened the door and walked inside.
Shiloh and Shadow clutched each other's hands as they cautiously took in their surroundings.
"Toys." whispered Shiloh, pointing with her free hand.
"Go on babies, play nice." he smiled at his daughters, pressing a kiss to the top of each of their heads.
A whimpering sound came from Shadow, as she looked up at him with big, round eyes full of tears.
"Daddy?" asked Shiloh, as if communicating for her sister.
"I'll be back after work, I'll tell Patches hi for you both." he smiled at them, though inside his heart was breaking. Both of his daughters looked at him as if he'd never come back for them and it dawned on him that this was the first time he'd ever left them with someone other than family. Tears burned at his eyes as Shadow clung tighter to her twin. Shiloh's eyes glistened as well, yet she bit her lip. "Buh-bye, babies." he whispered.
Quickly, he got to his feet and walked toward the door hoping he'd make it outside before the tears took over. "I'll be back by noon." he ground out to the woman at the desk, not particularly caring to know who was watching him right now. He needed to get to work before he lost it.
Climbing into the truck, he looked back at the daycare and sighed. He could hear Shadow's whimpering from his seat in the truck. Shaking his head he remembered that the people who worked in the daycare were in fact trained professionals. They could handle Shadow. He needed to work.
--
Jazzelle smiled as she walked into the daycare that afternoon, Bethanie was walking around with a tiny child in her arms and a few more at her feet. "How are things going?" she called over the sound of children playing.
"Great!" she answered with a satisfactory smile, yet deep in her blue eyes Jazzi caught a hint of something else.
"What's wrong?" she asked finally, although she knew Beth wouldn't answer with all of the kids around and her staff only a stones throw away.
"Can we talk later?"
"You know my door is always open."
Bethanie nodded her head, looking down at the girl who now slept in her arms. "Thanks for stopping by Jazzi."
"Anytime." winking at her friend, she turned tail and walked out the door hoping Bethanie would make good on her words and come talk it out. She was known to have some of the girls over into all hours of the night just talking. Mentally she noted that she needed more chocolate before a girls session. Whistling, she jumped into the car and took off toward the store.