Mike and Valerie got to the day care center around ten minutes later after leaving Micky and the car that Valerie was driving on the parkway. Micky was going to try to drive the broken down rig to their beach house to see what he could do about repairing it. In the meanwhile Mike was gonna drive Valerie and her friends baby Tommy to the day care center. Valerie had been asked to drop off the baby after Valeries friend Chris had to go into work early.
"Here we are." Mike said as they found a parking space. "As promised." He said.
"Thanks." Valerie muttered. She moved to open the door but Mike was one step ahead of her. He opened it for her. She looked up at him. "I'll be right back."
"Okay." Mike said. Valerie ran into the day care center while Mike picked up his guitar out of the backseat, he always had it handy in case inspiration struck, and plucked a few strings.
"Hi, this is Tommy." Valerie said "Chris Johnson might have called?" She asked.
"Yes, she did, Ms Parker." The day care center woman said. "She said you would be here half an hour ago. We almost gave up hope on you."
"Things got in the way." Valerie said. "Car broke down."
"I see, and your boyfriend gave you a ride?" She asked.
"My what?" Valerie said.
"That young buck standing next to the car." She said pointing. "Is he your boyfriend?"
"Oh no." She said. "Just someone I met recently." Valerie said. "Yeah real recent." She thought.
"Too bad, hes awful cute." She said. "Though the hat might be a little much."
"I gotta go." Valerie said. "My car might be fixed any minute now and I got stuff to do."
"My if I was twenty years younger...hmm." The woman went on as if Valerie wasnt even there.
"Heres the kid." Valerie said. "Careful, hes loaded."
"I dont think he needs a diaper change yet." She commented looking at the babys diaper.
"Well, fair warning, plenty of it will come out the other end." Valerie said. "Bye kid, its been real." She said to Tommy who only gurgled in response.
"Are we all set?" Mike asked as Valerie came out the door.
"Chris will pick him up when she gets out of work." Valerie said. "I'm done for now."
"Where would you like to go next?" Mike asked as she climbed into her seat. He moved to close the door but she beat him to it. "Mike Nesmith, friendly neighborhood chauffer at your service." He cracked.
"Id say we go back to your place." She said. Mike raised an eyebrow. "The car, I suspect your friend has made some headway by now."
"Oh." He said. "What if its not."
"Then I'll do the laundy. I know you said there was one nearby." She remembered from earlier.
"The Tons'o suds." Mike said.
"Right." Valerie said.
The Beachhouse
"Oh my god!" Valerie shouted. "What have you done to my baby??"
They'd gotten back to the beachouse to find Micky, and Valeries car in pieces all over the car. Valeries eyes popped out her head with the sight.
"I thought you said your litle simian friend knew what he was doing?!?!?" Valerie demanded as Mike surveyed the scene.
"He does, really." Mike said. "At least he think he does." He offered with a half laugh. He stopped when he felt her eyes boring into him. He shifted and ran his fingers through his hair. "Mick whats going on here?"
"Whats going on here? He turned my car into a scrap metal heap!" Valerie moaned. Suddenly she wished she told Mike to take a flying leap and walked to a gas station with a tow truck.
"I couldnt find the problem, lady." Micky said getting up. "Don't yell at me." He pleaded. "But I thought I could get to the bottom of this another way."
"By getting to the bottom of my car?" Valerie said. "Thats it! Ive had it with this day! All I wanted to do is my errand, my laundry and go home and do NOTHING." She said getting louder. "Someone is SOOOO screwing with me today! And I hate them already." She waved her hands as she tried to think of something to say. She stopped and walked into the house. "Wheres my damn laundry bag? I'm leaving."
"What about that ride I was gonna give you?" Mike said.
"You can stuff it!" She roared.
"What?"
"STUFF IT." She said. "Do I need to tell you twice? Get the wax out of your ear." She said hefting it. She groaned twice. She should have never let it get this full.
"Let me help you." Mike said.
"No!" She growled. "I dont want anyones help today. I dont want any guy helping me. I dont want anything to do with any man."
"Man?" Mike said. "Whats this all about?"
"None of your business." She said. "Typical male, nosy as all hell."
"You brought it up." Mike said matching her tone now. She was getting really riled up but Mike had a feeling she wasnt through yet. "But if you dont want to talk about it."
"I don't." Valerie said. "I'm going."
"Well good!" Mike hollered.
"Good bye!"
"Dont let that door smack you on the ass on the way out!!" Mike thundered.
Valerie strolled quickly by Micky.
"Hey I can almost fix this!" Micky exulted.
"Keep it!" Valerie hollered over her shoulder.
"Hey thanks." Micky said. "Too bad we have no money for gas." Micky turned as he heard Michael approach hinm from behind. "What was that all about?"
"She...has...serious..." He said slowly, barely controlling his anger. "issues."
Tons'o suds
"Stupid man. Men. They're all stupid. Can't fix anything. Can't be there when you want to." Valerie muttered to herself. "Can men be useful! No!" She said to an elderly lady next to her. The woman slowly backed away. Valerie opened the cover to the washing machine and dumped her laundry in. She was so mad, she didnt bother to separate the colors from the whites. "Who needs them anyway?" She concluded as she opened he box of Tide. "Not me." She said as she poured the soap powder in.
"Hey ma'am are you putting..." A blonde man with the next machine over started to say. Valeried turned on him and set loose a killer glare. "...too much in?" She growled in response. "Hey, its your laundry."
Beach-house
"You should go talk to that crazy bird." Davy said.
"Why?" Mike asked as he handed Micky a tool.
"From what Mick here said you two really got along on the highway." Peter added. "He thinks you look cute together."
"Doutbful." Mike said. "A woman like that will never get a guy with the way she acts."
"Well, maybe someone hurt her." Peter said. "And maybe shes getting back before someone gets her again." Peter opined. "A defense kind of thing."
Micky, Mike and Davy looked at him. "What?"
"When did you get so smart?" Mike asked with a sly grin.
"I stumbled across a psychology book in the comics section at the book store" He explained. "They were out of Captain Roo and the Destroyers."
"Do you think I should go talk to her?" Mike asked.
"Give her a little time to cool down." Micky advised.
"But I cant wait all year." Mike said.
"Take a few minutes. Maybe she will open up. Maybe you can help." Davy suggested.
"How can I help her? She doesnt seem to want help." Mike said.
"Something will come up." Davy said.
Tons'o suds
Valerie was sitting with a magazine, but for the life of her she couldnt focus on what she was reading, a new article about love beads and secret powers. Part of it was she couldnt get Mike off her mind. The other part of it was she couldnt tell where that banging noise was. She looked around. The laundrymat had been full when she came in but she was all alone now except for an attendant who gave her strange looks. She looked up for a second. She slowly put her magazine down and got up. She looked around for a bit but couldnt see the ouse of the banging. She went over to her machine. It might be halfway done now.She hadnt been there that long. She finally approached the machine and she gasped. The machine was rocking back and forth. It seemed to slightly bulge from something. She stared at it for a minute.
"Maybe I should open it." She thought. "I could see what's going on." She moved toward the machine with one hand outstretched. She lowered her hand to lift the lid on the machine. She was about to pull it open when the attendant came out from the office.
"You dont want to do that!" The attendant called out.
"What?" Valerie called out. "I can't hear you!"
"Don't do that!"
"I can't hear you! The machine!" Valerie said. "Let me stop the washer!"
"Don't!" He called out again.
Valerie pulled the lid up and was sprayed with a washer full of laundry and water. Tons of bubbles sprayed at her. She fell back from the force of the water and was knocked out the open door. She ended up just outside the door, covered in water and suds. She sat up sputtering.
The attendant appeared at the door.
"I said don't open it." He said.
"Oh." She said. "Could I like have a towel?"
"Here." Someone held a towel out to her.
"Thanks." She said looking up. "You!"
"Yeah me." Mike said. "And guess what, little missy, we got some talking to do."
"What do you want?" Valerie asked.
"I'll tell you."
"Forget it, I'm already sorry I asked." She said getting up. "I'm busy."
"Well make time." Mike said. "You arent walking back the way you came with clean laundry, so I'm your only hope of getting anywhere, so you might as well talk to me."
Valerie sighed. "All right lets see what you have to say."
