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Post by Mel Benett on May 15, 2021 19:51:34 GMT -5
Mel wandered into the apartment building Frank lived in and she felt her stomach tighten. Kai and her had agreed to meet at her place before going to Frank’s to go out for dinner. She let Frank know she was going to give it an extra 30 minutes. But Kai never showed and didn’t even bother calling or texting - jackass. Not that Mel blamed him. She kinda hated herself but she was also still low key raging internally at Kai.
There was just something that made her sad whenever she came to visit her dad but this time she felt extra depressed because of Kai. She had no fucking clue how she was going to fix it. What if the damage was done for good? Her, Landyn, and Kai still haven’t sat down to talk about it.
Mostly, she felt sad that Frank had lived in an apartment for so long and never really seemed to date. It also brought up memories of how much she hated Martha for doing this to Frank. It didn’t seem to matter how long ago the divorce happened. She still had lots of feelings that she was working through. She thought back to when Kai asked her what she thought about Frank and dating. Would it really bother her? No, but it would be weird.
She sighed a bit as she waited for the elevator. This thing was slow and had been for as long as she could remember. She glanced towards the stairs. She turned and headed towards the steps thinking that maybe having more time to mentally prep herself would be better. She knocked gently on the door. One thing she’d always appreciated about her relationship with her dad was she could always go to him. He was always the one she went to when she needed to lean on one of her parents. He tended to be a bit more relaxed about things.
When he finally answered she’d offer a smile and a hug. “Hi Daddy. Change of plans. Kai won’t be here so I think we should just order something in.” She moved into the apartment and put her purse down on the counter before getting into his cabinets. She pulled two glasses down and set them out before she started to pour him a scotch.
“We are going to have a very uncomfortable conversation.” She slid the glass towards him before pouring hers. “Drink up.” She wondered how many other kids drank with their parents and started a conversation by saying drink up. She was sure Martha would be mortified and that made her grin. She easily downed her drink and poured another one immediately.
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Post by jsmith506 on May 15, 2021 20:11:21 GMT -5
"Well now you have me concerned dear. I don't think there has ever been a conversation that wasn't easy for us. But that's my girl, putting it back like a champ." He patted Mel on the back and downed his glass with similar ease.
"So, is this an eat until we hate ourselves or just snacking to absorb the booze kind of thing?"
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Post by Mel Benett on May 15, 2021 20:27:35 GMT -5
This was a perfect example of why she came to Frank. He wasn't giving her a hard time. She grinned and poured them each more. "Let's start with snacking to absorb the booze and see where it leads. You pick the place and I'll buy." She pulled out her phone and opened one of the food ordering apps and handed him the phone. "It's been a.....messy few weeks." She'd down her second glass, shake her head a bit, and pour another. it'd probably be a long night but here they were. She looked into her glass and swirled the liquid a bit before looking back up and taking a sip. She figured the topic of Landyn would be uncomfortable but not painful....so that's where she decided to start.
"What do you think of Landyn?"
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Post by jsmith506 on May 15, 2021 22:28:03 GMT -5
Frank took a look at Mel's phone and ordered a large pizza with the works and an order of cheese bread sticks. He slid it back to her and poured himself another glass of scotch. He had just picked up another two bottles yesterday. He had actually ran out, it was funny how the young women in his life all had the most expensive taste in booze and knew right where to go for his best shit...
He just smiled and put his arm around Mel. "Landyn eh? He's a good kid, always at work. Gets me whatever I need whenever I ask for it. He's got a sense of humor, but there's something else about him. Just can't put my finger on, he's troubled by something, caries a pain of some kind with him he can't escape. Probably part of the reason we identify with each other so well really... I call him Spooky. Why do you ask? You haven't shacked up with him have you? I'm not judging. Just make sure you wrap it up. You could do worse than Spooky Mel."
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Post by Mel Benett on May 15, 2021 23:01:21 GMT -5
Mel added on some boneless wings and placed the order. "Should be here in about 30." She took another sip of her drink before resting her head against Frank's shoulder when he put his arm around her. She'd feel her cheeks burn a little as she smiled. "I'm always careful, Dad," was all she'd comment on the shacking up and wrap it comments, neither confirming nor denying anything. "We have a date on Monday. We're going to the beach. But we spent some time together the other day." She'd lift her head and take another sip of her drink. "I took some of mom's chocolate chip cookies over for Kai and he wasn't home. So Landyn and I hung out and it was a really nice time." Her eyes would light up in a way they never have before when Mel talked about a guy. "I spent a lot of time building up a wall to keep people out....," her voice would trail off for a minute. "But, I really like Landyn and it scares me." She'd move around and sit down on one of the bar stools, letting her glass twirl between her hands. "And Kai's pissed at me." She frowned a bit.
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Post by jsmith506 on May 18, 2021 20:52:04 GMT -5
"Well, that's good dear. I don't think I've ever heard you say that about any of the other meat heads I'm glad you never brought around me. I'm sure I would have shot at least one of em, that dooche that kept calling everyone bro and didn't take the sticker off his ball cap or bend the beak...." He shook his head and took another sip of scotch. "Kai is pissed at you hey? What's jingle-nuts got his panties in a twist for now?"
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Post by Mel Benett on May 18, 2021 21:27:18 GMT -5
She smirked a bit and shook her head. "And that is why I didn't bring them around. At least with Landyn I can skip the awkward 'my dad's a cop and might kill you' conversation." She took a sip of her scotch and almost spit it out but managed to swallow before she laughed. "HA! Jingle-nuts...I'll keep that one in my back pocket." She shrugged. "Eh, I had a bad dream one night. I texted him and he came over to keep me company. We talked, some painful memories came up, I promised to make him mom's chocolate chip cookies. Finally got the recipe, in the meantime, he started avoiding me...Found out through the grapevine he and Elyssa broke up. Bastard couldn't tell me himself." She looked down at her drink for a second. "I mean, yeah, I've never liked her but I don't like that he's hurting. Anyway, I made him the damn cookies, took them over, and when he got home he flipped the fuck out." She conveniently left out the part where he caught her and Landyn on the couch. "I don't know...probably thinks I was there to ambush him but like fuck, dude, don't avoid me. I really may have screwed the pooch on this one." She took another sip of her drink and checked the delivery status on her phone.
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Post by jsmith506 on May 18, 2021 21:36:23 GMT -5
"I'm sure he'll come around hon, you two have been friends since you were kids. It's going to take more than a dumb cunt and a new Spooky cock to end all that, unless the cookies were bad, in which case, you really screwed the pooch hon." Frank patted Mel on the back gently and finished his second glass of scotch.
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Post by Mel Benett on May 18, 2021 21:50:29 GMT -5
"Yeah....he probably just needs time. There mom's recipe, which is the best so I don't think the food was the issue. Besides," when there was a knock at the door she went and grabbed it bringing the food back to the counter. "Landyn liked the cookies." And she finished what was in her glass before pouring them both another drink. She grabbed plates, napkins, and forks for the food.
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Post by jsmith506 on May 18, 2021 22:07:48 GMT -5
Frank grabbed a couple slices of pizza and a few cheese bread sticks, he took a bite and smiled. "That's a good pie right there. So Kai is Landyn's roommate huh? Small world, like how I ran into Jennifer and her boyfriend Michael at the diner the night of the accident. I totally didn't clue in to who she was until the next day, I think it was just the chaos, excitement and adrenaline throwing me off my game." He grabbed a cheese bread stick and dipped it in the sweet white dipping sauce it came with and devoured it.
"How's school going? It's been a while, I gotta go through all the bullshit Dad questions... You already spilled who you're bangin' so school's next one on the list."
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Post by Mel Benett on May 19, 2021 18:57:04 GMT -5
"Yeah, they're roommates." She shrugged as she put a few wings on the plate along with a slice of pizza and a breadstick."Mmmmm...yeah you guys had a lot going on that night at the diner. I'm just glad all of you were okay." She took a bite of her pizza being sure to chew and swallow before speaking. "OH! That reminds me...there was a death at Jen's apartment building. Did you hear anything about that?"
"You already spilled who you're bangin' so school's next one on the list."
Her cheeks would turn red. She'd mumble something about it's a first date on Monday and shove some more food into her mouth before continuing. "School's going fine. I'm passing all my classes. It's been nice having a friend in the same program. How are you holding up not being able to work yet?"
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Post by jsmith506 on May 19, 2021 22:23:33 GMT -5
Frank finished his two slices of pizza quickly. "One question leads into another my dear. It's what life is all about I say, the socratic method. You can always find any answer by asking the questions." He rubbed his chin idly with his right hand. "I haven't heard a damned thing Mel. Nobody has reached out or told me shit...there must have been a memo or something. Murr thinks our last case is fishy though and is working with the coroner just doing a bit of follow up. And, it's driving me nuts. I've never been without my badge and gun for thirty years Mel... Fuck." Frank was choking, Fifty years old and he had never cracked in front of her. A tear streamed down his cheek.
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Post by Mel Benett on May 19, 2021 23:26:08 GMT -5
Mel would pick at her food while Frank talked. "What makes the case fishy?" She'd perk a brow a bit intrigued. Then he started to crack. Mel couldn't remember a time in her life when Frank ever cracked. A slight frown would touch her lips. She didn't think anything rattled him, not even when Martha left him. Mel never saw him anything cry or anything, maybe he did but in private. Her brow furrowed and she moved over to him giving him a hug. "I'm sorry, Dad...." She wasn't quite sure what to say so she quoted Spiderman: Homecoming. "No man can win every battle, but no man should fall without a struggle." She paused a moment before continuing. "Thirty years is a long time to go without losing your badge and gun." She didn't think that statement would necessarily make him feel better but it was a fact and one worth pointing out. She leaned her head against him. "You did what you thought was right. If you hadn't...Murr would probably be dead and there's a high probability you would be too." That thought bothered her.
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Post by jsmith506 on May 20, 2021 20:36:57 GMT -5
He sniffed and wiped that one tear that snuck out away. "Bah, they are going to give it back, its just my pride, and the point of it. Just a straight up slap in the dick. At least it was a paid leave... A vacation with strings attached... to a bloody shrink. He keeps making me re-hash all the bullshit I went through with your mother...." He sighed and took another mouth full of pizza. "The toxicology report states the dude should have been unconscious or dead at the time of the shooting because of the amount of narcotics in his system. This guy came from money too, went to church. Makes no sense... the coroner has Murr and I looking into it in spite of the case being closed and me being suspended... I really like this one Mel, she speaks her mind and calls bullshit when she sees it, turns out she's actually my upstairs neighbor too. Dr. Mora Kaiyroan is her name."
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Post by Mel Benett on May 20, 2021 21:07:16 GMT -5
Mel nodded. She looked down into her glass as he mentioned the shrink and having to rehash the shit with Martha. "Do you know I willingly see a therapist?" She shrugged a little before taking another shot of liquid courage. "That shit you and mom went through...that's why I'm scared about how much I like Landyn." She bit the inside of her cheek a minute. "I don't ever want to be hurt or hurt someone the way you and mom hurt each other. There's no risk if I don't let someone get close. Why do you think I stuck to jackasses." She'd smirk a bit at that last statement but there was definitely some bite behind it.
Her brow perked a bit when he talked about the dead guy and the toxicology report. She took a bite of her pizza as she thought it over. "Yeah, something definitely doesn't add up. Going rogue, huh?" She coughed a little when he talked about Mora. "Interesting... Kai was just asking me how I would feel about you dating someone. Are you going to ask her out on a date?"
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