Have You Ever Listened To The Rain At Night?

Chapter 5

Jen worked in her office at home while her daughter Katie sat at the kitchen table eating cereal. Kendall knocked on the open door. "Hey, Mom. Could you do me a favor?"

"What is it, honey?"

Kendall hesitated. "Before I tell you, you need to know that I'm not asking for the reason you might think I'm asking."

Jennifer Knight looked a little confused. "What do you want to ask me, Kendall?"

"Okay . . . um . . . I met one of your new interns yesterday. I actually saw them both, but only spoke to one of them."

"Who were you talking to?" Jen asked curiously.

"Jo."

His mother smiled. "Oh yes, she is very nice. They are both very nice girls."

Kendall nodded, readying himself for his question, knowing Katie was listening to every word.

"Can you give me her number?"

A sudden clang made mother and son jump and turn around. Katie's bowl was on the floor, milk and cereal spilling out.

"Sorry," Katie said, bending down to clean up the mess.

"Don't touch the shards, sweetie," Jen said warningly. Katie just nodded, didn't like the fact that her mom still treated her like a little child. Jen turned back to her son. "I'm glad to hear you seem to like Jo, but I can't give you her number. I'd be breaking a work rule."

"But Mom, believe me, it's not about liking her or disliking her, but I still need her number."

"Kendall, honey, you're a person who doesn't mind connecting with other people, why don't you ask Jo yourself?"

Before Kendall could reply, Katie said from behind, "She's right, Kendall. Since when do you have trouble getting a girl's number? Or did she turn you down?"

Kendall rolled his eyes. "I can't ask her because she'd think I was interested in her, but-"

"Are you interested in her?" Katie interrupted him. Kendall ignored her question. ". . . but that's not the reason why I need her number."

Jen shook her head regretfully and stood up. "I'm sorry, sweetie, but that's my last word. Now be a good son and help your sister, okay?"

Bad-tempered by the setback, Kendall bent down to collect the shards from the floor. If his mom wouldn't help him, he'd have to get the number some other way.

The opportunity was favourable. Jennifer Knight was on her way to the grocery store and Kendall took his chance. He knew sneaking into his mother's study was wrong, but he also reminded himself that it was for a good cause. After searching for several minutes, he finally found a piece of paper on which his mom had written the numbers of the two new interns. He took out his cell phone and saved the number when suddenly . . .

"Well, well, well."

He should have known. He quickly turned around to his sister who was standing in the doorway with her arms crossed.

"Seriously, Kendall, if you like this girl so much just ask her. What's the problem?"

"Katie, I really, really love you, but this is about things you don't understand. Plus it's for a good cause, alright?"

"Mom will freak out when she finds out what you did."

Kendall sighed. "Fine. What do you want?"

She thought for a moment. "Forty bucks."