Marshall found himself unable to look away from Katherine for quite a while.
He realized that Katherine looked kind of different – younger – after divorcing him. He tried hard to
remember the Katherine from before but couldn’t come up with a concrete image of her face. He just
recalled a dull woman that looked depressed and old, older than she appeared now.
“Let’s go!” Katherine demanded as looked at Marshall, “I’m all set.”
Humming in agreement, Marshall turned around and went out before her. They locked the door and
headed for the car.
As soon as she got in, Katherine took off her shoes and sat cross-legged on the car seat. Marshall took
a quick glance over, wondering when that habit began, because as he recalled, she didn’t use to do
this before.
They drove all the way to Kyle’s club, which was empty and quiet during the day.
Kyle had on a different outfit – still in pajamas, but they were a light shade of gray this time, draping
loosely around his body.
Standing by the door, Kyle ran out to greet them as soon as he saw Marshall’s car. “Finally, my squad!
I’ve been yearning for you.”
Giving him a quick once-over, Katherine made a vaguely disgusted face. “You should at least dress up
if you’re welcoming us in earnest.”
Kyle goggled at them. “I changed my outfit specifically for the purpose of greeting you. How’s that for
earnest?”
As if changing from one pajama set into another made all that much difference.
Hector hadn’t arrived yet, and the three of them went to the second floor. Without Hector, Kyle didn’t
want to start the poker game yet, so he took Marshall and Katherine to the room next door, which was
much bigger – big enough, in fact, for a huge racing game simulator. For realistic effects, the simulation
automobile was made full-size and to the exact model of vehicles currently on the market. The
racetracks were the only thing projected into the room.
“Wanna try?” Kyle asked, looking at Marshall.
“Sure,” Marshall laughed.
Kyle walked over to turn on the machine, the sound of which was so loud it could practically be heard
by neighboring stores across the street.
A real-looking racetrack appeared before them, as Marshall mounted the automobile easily with his
long legs.
Katherine didn’t actually understand all this, being someone who couldn’t even comprehend a driving
test guidebook, so she turned around and sat down on the side.
The game started, and Marshall adjusted his angles sitting on the motorcycle. Men would like this sort
of stuff, while Katherine just wanted to nod off. So she took out her phone to text Hector.
After quite some time, Hector finally sent his reply, saying that he couldn’t join them today, as
something had just come up.
Sighing, Katherine stood up to shout to Kyle not far away, “Hector can’t come. Some emergencies, he
said.”
Kyle was watching Marshall play the simulation game. Upon hearing Katherine, he said casually, “Tell
him that’s not acceptable. He’s the only one missing. I already got my card deck ready for him, so he
has to make it today.”
Eyes fixed on Marshall and the simulated racetrack the entire time, Kyle looked inexplicably excited.
Katherine called Hector after some consideration.
It took a long while for Hector to pick up, his voice deep, “Kathy, I’m kinda busy so I won’t be coming.
Enjoy yourselves and I’ll see you…”
Before he could finish, Katherine heard a loud thud of something being broken on his end. Then came
a woman’s voice. “Do we look like a bunch of suckers to you? Aren’t my son and my daughter
legitimate Bennett children? Why should they be pushed around and bullied? A bastard, terrorizing the
children of the legal wife – well, over my dead body…”
Hector went silent for a second and then hung up the phone.
Katherine didn’t put down her phone for quite a while, her expression souring.
Bastard? Ariel Kingsey was talking about Hector for sure.
Looking at Kyle, Katherine was smart enough to know that she shouldn’t confront them by herself, so
she yelled, “Kyle! Do you want an opportunity to look super cool?”
Kyle was still focused on Marshall’s game, saying, “Watch out for the curve. Hey now, come on! Oh
wow, you passed it. The last time I got here I hit the wall…”
Frowning, Katherine yelled, “Haverford!”
Kyle answered without looking away at her. “What’s wrong? Tell me.”
Katherine inhaled deeply. “Hector’s in trouble. So now I’m going to release you into the world so you
can help him. You ready?”
Kyle turned around slowly. “What happened to Hex?”
What happened exactly Katherine did not know. The only thing she knew was that something must
have happened, judging from what she heard on the phone. Ariel was screaming and smashing stuff,
so it could very well be a pretty big mess, too.
Pressing her lips together, Katherine said, “Seems like he’s getting screeched at by that stepmother of
his.”
“The hell?” shouted Kyle, immediately displeased, “I thought I gave that woman a good talking to last
time. Apparently she didn’t get it.”
Turning around, Kyle was already heading outside when he said, “wait till I change into my outfit for
combat.”
Marshall had stopped playing the game as well. Getting off the motorcycle, he looked at Katherine
without a single trace of worry on his face. “You look like you care about him a lot,” he commented.
“Naturally!” exclaimed Katherine, her eyes open wide, “we’re close.”
“I’ll say. He even got you that ring,” said Marshall, nodding slowly.
Katherine paused at the mention of the ring, as she raised her hand to check it out. Smacking her lips,
she said, “About this ring, I just feel like…”
Marshall was watching her closely, as if waiting for her to continue speaking.
But what she should continue to say, Katherine was not sure. Should she tell him that Hector basically
forced the ring on her? That she tried to turn it down but failed? That sounded too hypocritical and
phony an excuse even to her.
So she simply nodded. “Yup, he even got me this ring.”
Shooting her a quick glance, Marshall turned around and headed out without a further word.
Kyle came back with a different outfit, looking all decent and proper all of a sudden.
It was true what they say, mused Katherine, clothes really did make the man. Without the pajamas,
Kyle was finally looking the part of the privileged playboy that he was. But the tasteless gold chain on
his shoulder somewhat cheapened that image a bit.
Stone-faced, Kyle said, “Alright, let’s go see what the hell is wrong with those Bennetts.”
Katherine LOVED his whole looking-for-trouble vibe.
She was unaccountably thrilled. “Right! Let’s go let’s go let’s go, let’s get there before they are done
fighting.”
Which didn’t sound like she was going in Hector’s aid, and more like she was an onlooker with morbid
curiosity.
Taking a few steps towards the stairs, Katherine turned around to face Marshall. “You coming or nah?”
“What do you think?” sneered Marshall.
That would mean he was coming. Katherine grew more confident, as she felt safer with a bigger crowd.
“Hurry up then. We are truly gonna miss everything if we’re late.”
Marshall was puzzled by the curious onlooker feel Katherine was giving off. What could have happened
to the old Katherine that turned her into the woman she was now? It was utterly perplexing to him.
The three of them went downstairs and got into Marshall’s car. Knowing the Bennetts’ home address,
Marshall pulled away from the curb without hesitation.
So she simply nodded. “Yup, he even got me this ring.”
Shooting her a quick glance, Marshall turned around and headed out without a further word.
Kyle came back with a different outfit, looking all decent and proper all of a sudden.
It was true what they say, mused Katherine, clothes really did make the man. Without the pajamas,
Kyle was finally looking the part of the privileged playboy that he was. But the tasteless gold chain on
his shoulder somewhat cheapened that image a bit.
Stone-faced, Kyle said, “Alright, let’s go see what the hell is wrong with those Bennetts.”
Katherine LOVED his whole looking-for-trouble vibe.
She was unaccountably thrilled. “Right! Let’s go let’s go let’s go, let’s get there before they are done
fighting.”
Which didn't sound like she was going in Hector’s aid, and more like she was an onlooker with morbid
curiosity.
Taking a few steps towards the stairs, Katherine turned around to face Marshall. “You coming or nah?”
“What do you think?” sneered Marshall.
That would mean he was coming. Katherine grew more confident, as she felt safer with a bigger crowd.
“Hurry up then. We are truly gonna miss everything if we're late.”
Marshall was puzzled by the curious onlooker feel Katherine was giving off. What could have happened
to the old Katherine that turned her into the woman she was now? It was utterly perplexing to him.
The three of them went downstairs and got into Marshall’s car. Knowing the Bennetts’ home address,
Marshall pulled away from the curb without hesitation.
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