Lily led Kylie and Ethan to an impoverished part of town. Kylie knew that the people living here had mostly been deemed useless and had been thrown away. There were many old and severely handicapped people. Their faces gave the impression that they"d lived very long lives. When they begged for money, she felt compelled to give, and she felt guilty for the manner in which she lived. None of these people seemed particularly happy to be alive and still survive amidst the poverty life they had. Lily pointed to an old brick building, and as they parked, she explained that this was where Jane and her mother lived. The place looked so broken and dismantled that Kylie wondered how it stood up still, and how people managed to live in this kind of building. Her heart sank when she realized how hard it was for Jane every day, living this kind of life.
Lily led them into the building and up to the top floor. The elevator was out of service, so they had to take the stairs. Jane"s apartment was on the top floor, first door on the left. Kylie knocked, and when Jane opened the door, she was disgusted to see that they"d brought Lily. Kylie saw the look on her face, so she explained how they"d needed Lily to show them where she lived.
Jane sighed and invited them inside. She offered them seats in the living room, and once everyone was seated, she said," Why did you guys come here?"
Kylie quickly answered, "We"re here to help you. In order to do that, the first thing we need to know pertains to your mother"s health. I hope this way we could ease your burden,"
Jane nodded and went into the other room to gather up her mother"s medical records. When she returned, she said, "Things have always been hard for us. It has been a long time since my mother was able to work. That meant that it was up to me to not just take care of the two of us but also to take care of her medical expenses,"
"Slowly, though," Jane continued, "I was able to set aside some savings. Within a few months, I"d hoped to get us out of this dump finally, but then Khloe forced me to pay for the damages to her car – which had nothing to do with me – and I was suddenly forced back to square one. You couldn"t imagine how long it took to save that money, so it is so disheartening to have it taken from me. She doesn"t know how hard my life is, every day, I force myself to accept this kind of living, but I strive hard to make for a living,"
Jane began to cry, so Kylie sat beside her and hugged her while encouraging her to "let it all out." Once Jane regained her composure, Kylie dialed the number for Stephen. Once he picked up the phone, Kylie explained the situation and asked him if he could arrange for a surgeon that would be willing to take over as Jane"s mother"s doctor/surgeon, pro bono,"
"Give me a few moments to see what I can do," he said. "I will get back to you as soon as possible."
While they waited, Jane offered them tea and scones, which they graciously accepted. They all knew that Jane could not afford to give food away, but they also knew that Jane would be very embarra.s.sed if they declined. The tea was raspberry flavored, and it was divine.
Kylie was just taking her first sip when her phone rang. She picked it up as quickly as she could and was ecstatic when she heard what Stephen had to say: "I"ve contacted an expert on cardiac surgery. He is in Seattle, but don"t worry, and we will take care of all of the expenses. Furthermore, the surgeon has put Jane"s mother at the top of the list. As soon as she arrives in Seattle, he will begin treating her.
Kylie answered joyfully, "Oh, thank you so much!"
"Don"t mention it," He said and ended the call. When everything settled, they left quickly at Jane"s house.
***
When Kylie arrived back at Garbo Palace, Stephen and Ethan were in the middle of a chess match.
"Who"s winning?" she wondered as she looked at the board. She didn"t really know much about chess, so she couldn"t tell for herself who was winning.
Stephen looked at her and said, "You are the winner; now more than ever – because you are my boss now."
Kylie ruffled his hair and asked him if he was jealous.
"Not in the least bit," Stephen laughed.
Suddenly, Ethan grabbed her by the waist and pulled her onto his lap. He pointed to the board and asked her what his next move should be. Not knowing how the game worked, she took a piece at random – which happened to be the king – and pushed it ahead by four s.p.a.ces.
Stephen looked at her and growled: "You can"t do that?"
Kylie pouted, and as she turned to Ethan, he asked her if she"d made an illegal move.
"I"m afraid that you did," Ethan sighed.
"If it is illegal," Kylie giggled, "then you must put me under arrest; my room will be my prison cell. Would you be my guard and torture me?"
"This is f.u.c.king dumb," Stephen snapped at Ethan. "If you won"t take the game seriously, then I will walk away."
Laughing Ethan touched his king, tipped it over, and said. "I am so sorry. You are completely right. I surrender."
Stephen scowled and went off to sit on the balcony.
Once he was gone, Kylie leaned against Ethan"s chest and softly kissed him on the mouth. She kissed him again and then, between kisses, she said, "I have been a very naughty girl. I think I need to be punished."
"Are you sure?" Ethan replied. "Tomorrow is the Oscars. Maybe you want to get some rest so that you are at your very best when the spotlight hits you?"
Kylie ran her fingers down his chest and said, "Don"t worry. The night is young still."