Moving In

Ky hung up his phone then gave John an update. Then he headed for WA-3 S. As he approached the on ramp. He thought he saw a white ford fusion a few cars ahead of him. Was it Taya? As much as he wanted to speed up to find out, he also didn't want her to know she was being followed. He tried to focus on getting back to Tacoma to visit with Mirva. Then he could do more follow up with Taya—provided she wasn't too suspicious about him trying to call her so soon after being dropped off. He remained behind the ford fusion most of the way back. The car remained on Union Ave when Ky turned onto 24th. Then around the corner onto North Puget Sound Ave.

He parked across the street. Then he approached the small fence that separated the house from the street. Ky approached the door and knocked. He didn't have to wait long for Mirva to answer. She was a middle aged woman with blonde-gray hair. She showed him the house and the room in the basement. It was a nice set up.

"I like it," Ky said. "What all would you need before I moved in?"

"Just your rent each month, if you want to stay," Mirva said.

"I'd like that."

"Then come upstairs and I will give you a key."

"Thank you, Mirva."

Ky followed Mirva back to the dining room. He gave her four hundred dollars.

She gave him the key. "What do you plan on majoring in?"

"Psychology."

"Then good luck to you."

"Thank you."

The front door banged open and Taya walked in with several sacks on her arms.

"Taya, you're back early," Mirva said, moving so Taya could enter the kitchen.

"I am. I have to speak in church tomorrow."

"That's right. You told me about that."

Taya nodded and started to empty her sacks. "What brings you here, Kyle?"

"Thought it best to have housing before I started taking classes at UPS."

"Alright." She finished putting her food away. "Welcome." Then Taya went downstairs.

There was a change in her tone. A slight inflection that let him know she didn't believe him. Had he already blown it? He hoped not.

"Do you need help bringing your things in?" Mirva asked. "I assume you brought them with you."

"I did," Ky replied. "I should be fine. Thank you, though."

"No problem." She left the dining room and entered her bedroom.

Kyle left the house for his suitcases. Ian had made sure to give him several bugs, just in case. He brought them inside. Taya was sitting on the couch as he passed through the front room. Her head was bowed. Her eyes closed, he noted, as he carefully shuffled his way through the kitchen to take his things down to his room. There was only one other bedroom in the basement. Must be Taya's room. He set his suitcases on the bed then set up his room. He made his bed and checked in with John so he knew he had established his base.

Once everything was put away, Ky grabbed his laptop and his file on Taya. He took them up to the dining room. He sat at the table and got on the University's website and browsed what classes they had available for Psychology. Then he browsed through the communication classes. He looked specifically at the classes Taya was taking. Ky nodded to himself as he read through the descriptions. He could pass off his presence as curiosity in relation to his degree of choice. But what was he going to do for her teaching classes? She was already a little suspicious of his sudden arrival. He couldn't do anything else to put her on edge.

He pulled up the online application while he thought. Taya gathered her things and left the couch. She passed through the dining room on her way back downstairs. She had a silver chain with charms around her left wrist. That might work. But how to get it on her bracelet…. Ky typed nonsense into the application. He was still typing when Taya returned to the kitchen. She grabbed an apple and a knife. He listened to her cut it up before daring to break the silence.

"Hey, Taya?" he asked.

"Yes, Kyle?" she replied, not turning from her apple.

"What church do you go to?"

"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

"What time does the ward start?"

She took a slight step back as she turned to him. "9am."

"Where at?"

"We meet in the chapel behind Tacoma General."

"Okay. Would it be alright if I came with you?"

"I guess," she said, turning back to her apple. "I leave at quarter after eight."

"It's a five minute drive. Why so early?"

"Allows me to feel The Spirit better."

"I understand."

He watched Taya nod before she brought her apple to the table.

She sat in the chair at the head of the table. "Finding everything okay?" she asked, motioning to his computer.

"I am."

"Good."

"They've done a good job at making their website easy to navigate."

"They have. What degree would you be working on?"

"Masters or doctorate. Depends on what credits UPS will accept."

"Yes. They are picky."

"I take it you've experienced their pickiness?" he asked.

"A friend of mine did. I got to hear a lot about it." Taya smiled briefly before eating a slice of her apple.

"Did you have to transfer any credits?"

She covered he mouth while she finished chewing. "Just my concurrent enrollment and AP credits from high school."

"Bet that was nice."

"It was. Covered just enough credits so I could work on getting my practice established."

"Practice?"

"In Meditative Emotional Release."

"How many patients do you see?"

"None."

Ky looked at her confused.

"I don't see patients. I see clients."

"Isn't that the same thing?"

"No." Taya ate another slice of her apple and didn't clarify further.

She was making him work for answers. "Is that why you have a cleaning job in Silverdale? No clients?"

"I didn't say I didn't have clients. I only said I didn't have patients."

"Are you playing hard to get on purpose?"

Taya shrugged and continued to eat her apple.

Ky sighed and leaned back as he folded his arms. "You didn't answer my question about your cleaning job."

"I took the cleaning job to cover living expenses."

"How long have you been cleaning?"

"Just under four years."

He nodded. His stomach growled. He hadn't had lunch yet. "Guess that's my cue to go shopping."

She nodded.

Ky closed his laptop and took it downstairs. He grabbed his keys and left the house. He drove up the street to the Metropolitan Market. He bought several days worth of groceries. Then he returned to the house. He inhaled a sleeve of Poptarts before he went back inside. Taya still sat at the table, but she had her laptop out. Mirva was in the kitchen making dinner for herself.

"Taya said you had gone shopping," Mirva said, turning to Ky as he entered the kitchen.

"Yes," he replied.

"Well, anything that doesn't need to be refrigerated or frozen, you can put into the two empty cages on the floor."

"Alright."

Ky emptied his sacks into the cages. Mirva took some of his empty grocery sacks and tucked them into the corner beside the fridge. Ky put only a couple things in the fridge before putting the rest of his grocery sacks in the corner with the others. He filled a glass with water then sat at the table once more. He was still trying to figure out a way to get a bug on Taya without letting her know she was being investigated. Mirva joined him and Taya at the table with her quinoa salad.

"I realized I didn't need to introduce you two," Mirva said. "Did you meet on campus?"

"We met on WA-3 N in my car," Taya said.

Mirva gave her a strange look.

"My car had stalled," Ky clarified. "I was on the shoulder trying to flag someone down so I could get to my friend's house. But no one could see me in the rain. I hit Taya's car with my hands as she was passing. She stopped and gave me a lift."

"You're lucky."

"I was. Which reminds me…."

Ky left the kitchen and hurried down to his room for one of the bugs. One small enough to attach to Taya's bracelet. He hooked the flower shaped microphone up to an earwig. He left the earwig downstairs for now, but took the bug back upstairs. He returned to the dining room. Ky handed the little flower to Taya.

"I wanted to get you something to thank you for getting me out of the rain yesterday," he said, sitting once more.

"Thank you," she replied, looking at the flower.

"You're welcome."

"Can I see?" Mirva asked.

Taya let her hold the flower for a minute. Then Mirva helped her put the flower on her bracelet. Success! Now just to hope that the other charms didn't interfere with the microphone.