Melissa sat on the couch, working on her laptop.
She glanced at Marcus who was engrossed in a cartoon on TV.
She gently reminded him, âItâs getting late.
You should head out.
â
Without hesitation, Marcus checked on Matthew once more before leaving.
He grabbed his coat, ready to go.
But Melissa stopped him, âI have something to discuss.
Meet me downstairs.
â
While Melissa changed her shoes, Marcus headed downstairs first.
As she joined him, Marcus leaned against the car, puffing on a cigarette.
He looked tall and fit, his coat tossed aside, rocking a dark gray shirt and casual pants, giving off some serious s@xy vibes.
In the dim light, he squinted at her.
âWhatâs on your mind?â he asked.
Melissa subconsciously tightened her coat.
After a momentâs pause, she said,
âCould you visit Matthew on weekends? Or you call in advance and Iâll send him to your place?â
With a smirk, Marcus replied, âYou donât want me here too often? Scared Iâll get in your way?â
Melissa didnât want to argue.
So she relented, âFine, come whenever.
Happy now?â
Marcus stubbed out his cigarette, opened the car door to get in.
Melissa couldnât help asking, âWhat the hell do you really want, Marcus?â
With a thoughtful look, Marcus held the door.
âYou really donât know?â he countered.
Then, with a pause, he added, âI really enjoyed last night, Melissa.
â
With that, he hopped in the car and drove off.
Melissa lingered outside for a moment.
Matthew was still asleep when she returned.
Sitting beside her, Julie spoke softly.
âI think Mr.
Fowlerâs still into you.
But if he wants to reconcile, make sure heâs not seeing someone else.
Did he break up with his girlfriend, that Finch girl?â
Melissa shook her head.
âHow could I possibly know?â
After a brief silence, she added, âI havenât had time to think about the future.
Marcus and Iâ¦â
Melissa wanted to explain that she and Marcus werenât meant to be together but Julie already knew what had gone down last night, so she paused.
Julie, of course, understood Melissaâs dilemma.
She gave Melissaâs hand a gentle pat and said with a smile, âItâs all up to you! Oh, by the way, Shawnâs been on a roll lately.
The person who helped him out before thinks highly of him.
Today, Shawn just locked down another project thatâs going to rake in big bucks.
Heâs saying it could bring in seven figures⦠It might be stretching the truth a bit, but itâs still a major deal.
â
After a few more questions to know the situation better, Melissa felt genuinely happy for Shawn.