Chapter 21

            One week later . . .

            Scott was missing Regina like crazy. He thought about her every day and night. He had to figure out a way to get to her – to explain. In the meantime, he had to deal with several things. First, he had to address the employees at his sub-company, Jenkins Construction. They had seen the news like everyone else. They thought they were going to lose their jobs since Scott had been exposed. Scott had offered them positions at Kelscot. The receptionist, the foreman, and his crew accepted with the exception of one.

            Then he went to his father’s house. They had spoken on the phone two days ago, but Scott wanted to see him with his own eyes.

            “Have you had any more trouble with the media?” Scott asked.

            “Just one or two here and there. Nothing like it was when the news first broke,” his father answered. He took a sip of his beer.

            They were sitting in the backyard. The pool pump was humming. Scott had driven his Porsche over. He didn’t see any reason to hide now. Everyone knew. May as well enjoy his toys again.

            “So, have you been able to reach Regina?”

            “No, she still won’t pick up the phone when I call her,” Scott said solemnly.

            “Have you tried going over to her house?”

            “Yes. Twice. She wasn’t home either time, or she was pretending she wasn’t home.”

            “Are you sure she’s still in town?”

            Scott thought for a moment. “I don’t know. I mean . . . I don’t know where she would go.”

            “Perhaps back to New Jersey. She is going through a divorce. Maybe she had to go back there to sign some papers or something.”

            Scott got an idea. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before.” He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket.

            “Who are you calling?”

            “Mika. She’s Regina’s best friend. If anyone knows where she is, it’s her.” Scott selected Mika’s phone number in his contacts.

The phone rang three times before she answered. “Hello, Mr. Jenkins. Oh, sorry. I mean Mr. Kelly,” she said with attitude.

Scott figured she would be upset too. Mika had been trying to get business from Kelscot for four years. “Hey, Mika. I know I have some explaining to do.”

“I would say so. Did you enjoy making a fool out of me? For the past few years, I’ve been trying to get a contract with Kelscot, and all this time, I’ve been working with and referring jobs to the owner himself without knowing it. I’m a realtor, and I didn’t know I was working with the biggest independent contractor in the state.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. I didn’t make it easy to be traceable after I dropped out of sight. I had a computer guy I know wipe as many pictures of me off the internet as he could. I pulled a lot of strings to become an unknown. And if you think about it, you were working with Kelscot. Jenkins is a sub-company to a dummy corporation I set up years ago.” He had hoped to get a chuckle out of her, but it didn’t work.

“Hardy-har-har,” she sneered.

“Mika, I’ll make it up to you. Matter of fact, I’ve already started working on it. Kelscot just acquired land to build a new gated community here in Orlando. How would you like to be the realtor to sell those homes?”

She was quiet for a second. “That’s a pretty generous peace offering to make up for a few lies. What’s the catch?”

“The catch is that I need you to get Regina to talk to me.”

Mika was quiet.

“Mika, I know you’re her friend, and I promise I’m not going to do or say anything to hurt her. I just want a chance to explain.”

“I . . . I don’t know,” she stuttered. “She’s pretty upset with you. Regina thinks that you just used her as distraction from your real life.”

“Oh god,” he groaned. “Mika, I care for her I . . . I’m falling in love with her. I can’t move on until I talk to her . . . personally. I’ve called her a hundred times, and she won’t pick up. I’ve been to her house—”

“She’s not there,” Mika said. “Look, I’ll do you this favor, but you better keep your word. What I’m about to do might cost me a friendship I’ve had since high school.”

“Thank you, and don’t worry. I’ll make sure Regina won’t be mad at you.”

“Because of all the media attention being thrown her way, she decided to go to her house in Livingston, New Jersey. That’s the house she lived in with her soon-to-be ex.”

Scott’s heart ached. He never meant for Regina to be exposed or pestered by the press. “When did she leave?”

“Almost a week ago. She talked about checking on some of her salons up there while she’s there. She’s planning to come back in three weeks or so.”

Three weeks? There was no way Scott was waiting that long. “What’s the address to her Livingston home?”

“I’ll text it to you,” Mika said.

“Is there anything else I need to know before I go into the lion’s den?”

“Yeah, since Sidney dropped the bomb on her, she has hated surprises.”

“Thanks for the warning,” Scott said wryly.

“You’re welcome, and I’ll be expecting a call from one of your associates about the new construction. Goodbye, Mr. Kelly.”

“Goodbye,” Scott said. As soon as he hung up, his father started shouting.

“Get the hell off my fence!”

            Scott looked up to see a skinny man with a ball cap hanging on for dear life on the edge of the fence. His other hand held a small camera. “Hey, Mr. Kelly. How about a quick pose with your dad?” the little turd yelled.

            Scott’s father stood. He pointed at the troll. “If you don’t get the hell outta here, I’m–” Clayton stopped. His arm slowly started to fall to his side. He rapidly blinked his eyes.

            “Dad?” Scott said with trembling in his tone.

            His father’s body went limp.

            “Dad!” Scott yelled as he shot out of his chair. He caught his father just before he could hit the cement. “Dad!” Scott sat down on the patio with his father in his arms.

            His father was out like a light, and he was sweating. He laid across Scott’s lap as he called an ambulance.

****

            Two hours later, Scott was sitting in an ER room with his father who was sitting on the edge of the bed.

            “I wish you would lie down,” Scott said with slight irritation.

            “I don’t need to lay down. I’m fine. All this fuss over nothin’. I just got overheated, that’s all. It was hot out there,” his father said.

            “Nevertheless, lie down.”

            “Who’s the parent and who’s the kid here?”

            Scott scoffed. “Right now, I’m the parent because you’re acting like a stubborn child.”

            His father rolled his brown eyes. “We’ve been here forever. How long does it take to run a few tests?”

            His father had regained consciousness when the paramedics had wheeled him into the ER. After a lot of cussing and hollering, Clayton had finally agreed to let the doctor run some tests.

            “They probably just want to make sure they are being thorough,” Scott stated. He had to call the mansion to tell Lucas that he had to pick up Clay without him today. Scott didn’t want to leave the hospital until the doctor came to see his father.

            A man in a white coat walked in. “Mr. Clayton Kelly,” the man said. He was young with dark brown hair.

            “Yeah, that’s me,” his father answered wryly.

            “I’m Dr. Early. I have your lab results here. When was the last time you had a checkup?”

            “About two years ago. Why?”

            “You really should get a checkup every year, especially at your age,” Dr. Early said.

            “Age-schmage,” his father mocked as he stood. “Where the hell did that girl put my clothes?” He walked over to the white cabinet.

            “What did you find, Dr. Early?” Scott asked.

            “Not a damn thing,” Scott’s father said as he opened the cabinet door. He grabbed his clothes, which were folded on a shelf. “It was a small heat stroke. Nothing to get all upset about.”

            “Actually, you passed out because of your blood pressure. It was elevated,” Dr. Early said.

            “I’m sure it was. What is your blood pressure when some jackass is taking pictures of you and your son over the backyard fence?” he asked defensively and then pulled the hospital gown off. He stood naked and unashamed in front of Scott and Dr. Early.

            “Geez, Dad,” Scott said with his mouth turned up. “You couldn’t wait until Dr. Early was finished or when I step out to change?”

            “I’ve been here for two hours. That’s all the waitin’ I’m doing today.” He pulled his shirt over his head.

            “I apologize for the wait, Mr. Kelly, but we need to address your blood pressure issue,” Dr. Early said.

            “What do you recommend?” Scott asked.

            “Well, I don’t know if his blood pressure was spiked because of the stressful situation you two experienced, or if his current blood pressure condition has worsened. If it is the latter, he’ll have to go to his physician to get his current medication adjusted. I recommend that he make an appointment with his primary physician as soon as possible. Until then, he needs to take it easy – rest, stay out of the heat as much as possible, and try to avoid salty foods, and cut down on the alcohol.”

            “Uh, shit,” his father groaned as he looked up at the ceiling.

            “Here’s the paperwork to give to your physician,” Dr. Early said and offered the paper to Scott’s father.

            “I’ll take that,” Scott said. He knew his dad. If it was left up to him, he would throw it away on the way out of the hospital.

            Dr. Early handed Scott the paper. “You’re free to go, but remember to take it easy until your doctor’s appointment.”

            “He will. I’ll make sure of it,” Scott said.

            Dr. Early nodded and left the room.

            “I guess you’re going to pester the hell of me until I go to the doctor?”

            “Yep,” Scott confirmed with conviction.

            “What about Regina? I thought you were going to see her. That’s what you’ll need to do to get her back.”

            “I know, Dad, but I can’t leave you now.”

            “Yes, you can. I’m not a baby, and I’m not dying.”

            “I’ll tell you what. If you make the appointment and stay with me and Clay at the mansion for a while, I’ll go.”

            “I’ll make the doctor’s appointment, but I already told you I’m not letting a couple of shit-stain reporters run me off my property.”

            Scott had asked his father to move in with him temporarily at the mansion until the media frenzy eased up. He had refused. “Dad, this isn’t just about you. I won’t worry about you as much at the mansion. You’re living in the city limits, and I’m at least thirty minutes out.”

            His father blew out. “All right, we’ll go back to the house and get some of my things, but it’s only temporary. I don’t want to live in that mausoleum you call a house for the rest of my days.”

            “Yes, sir.”