FicWad

Close For Comfort

At work, things were as per usual. But tonight she had a number of things to make it better. Reaching 'The Hose Down' and entering the place, Marly saw that Jaiden and Blake were already inside. Nadine and Marshall greeted them and sat down, whilst Marly did her work thing. She was waiting tables, so they asked her for drinks. When she served them, they told her to 'take a load off' and sit with them.

They spoke about their day, whilst Nadine kept interrupting to tell them all that her and Marly were going to go shopping tomorrow,
"I haven't actually said yes yet." Marly replied to her constant plaguing.
"Yet? You know you wanna come shopping with me."
"I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't. I know I wouldn't." Marshall added.
"Shut up!"
Nadine's persistent bothering of shopping and clothes eventually broke Marly down and she ended up saying, "I'll go."
"Nad, what sort of clothes are you going to buy? -" Jaiden started,
"-Designer labels or marks and sparks?" Blake finished.
Nadine took a quick look at Marly, "I'm thinking more in between, like topshop...maybe some designer ware," she then turned to Marly, "something like that?"
"Something."
"How are you going to buy these clothes, Nad?" Marshall enquired.
She turned to her brother, put on an over exaggerated smile and blinked rapidly. "Can I use your credit card? Please?"
He glanced from Marly to Nadine, "sure."
"I've got my audition for Macbeth tomorrow." Blake began.
"You're going on about it again! You've been going on about this for days! Zip it!" Jaiden said.
"Figures, you know nothing about the art of Shakespeare's work!"
They were all laughing.
"Did you come here to work or to chat?" Norah shouted at the other end of the table, "since you've got here, all you've been doing is sitting here and chatting! You've only served ten people tonight and the place is packed!"
"Don't talk to her like that!" Marshall snapped back.
"Keep out of this boyfriend! Sit there and keep your mouth shut!"
"Just because she's your employee doesn't give you the right to talk to her like this!"
"I could ban your friends from coming in here, then you'll have no distractions-" Norah shouted at Marly.
"Please don't! I'll get back to work."
"Good!" Norah said just before she turned round and disappeared into the crowd of moving bodies.

The four decided that since they couldn't talk to her that they'd try and have some fun, but made sure that if they needed a drink that they'd ask Marly only just so they could have quick conversations as she gave them their orders. Around about one in the morning Alec walked in. He spotted her and made his way over to her,
"Hey." he said into her ear.
She turned round and was embraced by Alec. Then, he bent down to kiss her firmly, which she accepted with happiness.
"Staying wid a mate tonight. I won't be back till tomorrow, so I won't see ya till then." he said.
She nodded, "okay."
He planted on her another kiss. As he pulled away he said, "I love ya."
"I love you too!" she shouted loud enough for him to hear.
Still sat at the table, Marshall was watching the affectionate interactions of Marly and the man who had recently entered into the bar. Jealousy ran through his heart.

When the bar closed, Marshall and Nadine stood by the exit waiting.
"You wanna lift?" Nadine asked.
"It's up to you."
Marshall was leaning against the doorframe of the exit staring into space.
"That's a yes then - where do you live?"
"Alec isn't going to be there." she murmured to herself.
"Alec? Who's Alec?" Nadine queried, picking up on the name that was said.
"My roommate."
"You're going back to an empty apartment? Why don't you just stay the night with us - you can sleep on our couch, and tomorrow we can get up early and shop - maybe not early, but you know what I mean. How about it?" Nadine said extremely fast that it took Marly a second to comprehend what was said.
"Err..."
"That's a yes - lets get going."
They walked towards the car talking,
"What happened to Jaiden and Blake?" Marly asked.
"They went home because Blake has an audition for Macbeth in the morning."
Marly chuckled remembering the playful argument between the two. Nadine glanced over at her and saw, "You gotta love them!"

Back in Nadine and Marshall's apartment, Nadine towed Marly to the bedroom where they chatted the early morning away. It started with meaningless chat about men Nadine noticed in the club...to good-looking celebrities and to;
"I absolutely love Jay!" Nadine was saying.
Marly raised her eyebrows at her.
"I don't mean in that way! I mean - he's a great friend!"
Marly kept her eyebrows raised.
"Okay, I give up!" Nadine said holding her hands up, "I do think he's cute and if her dared to kiss me, I would totally - without a thought - kiss him back! He's just so damn sexy!"
Marly giggled like a schoolgirl. She hadn't felt like this in ages.
"But nothing's going to happen - I've got a boyfriend."
"I didn't know."
"I hadn't said. He moved to Canada. I'm seeing him in about a week, really excited! - What about you?" Nadine asked after taking a sip from a bottle of water.
"What about me?"
"You know..."
"I don't." Marly said shaking her head. She didn't understand the hinting, there was only one person that came to mind...Alec.
"My brother..."
"And me?"
"My god yeah! You didn't know?"
"No!"
"My brother likes you! - Like, likes you. I saw his face when that guy Alec - Alec right?"
"Alec." Marly nodded.
"When that guy Alec came over to you at the bar and made out with you Mars was so pissed. I could almost see his heart ripping by the way he was looking at you two. I've seen Mars go after a girls in the past, but since he broke up with Emily he's been so fragile when it comes to matters of the heart."
"What happened?"
"Emily cheated on him. She was seeing Brandon, Mars' editor. He found out when he went to pick up the edited version of his book 'Unintentional Routines' - Emily was in Brandon's office and that's when they decided to spring it on him. It must've been the worst day of his life. After that, he got a new editor, published his book - which was a bestseller, and jumped on a plane to New Zealand - he said he wanted to get away from everything, to a place where no one knew him. Came back with a new book and smile, but whenever there's a girl involved he tries to be careful. I guess he doesn't want to take any chances."
Marly was wide eyed. She couldn't believe that Marshall felt anything towards her besides a possible friendship. The thought had never even crossed her mind.
Nadine tried to lighten the mood, "you didn't know that Mars bar likes you? I thought it was pretty obvious."
"I never thought about it."

Nadine eventually fell asleep, causing Marly to decide to go to sleep herself. She turned off the light and shut the bedroom door quietly, not to disturb Nadine's slumber. Reaching the couch in the living room, she found it occupied.
"Hey."
Marly was shocked to see Marshall still awake.
He began to get up, "sorry, I was just watching. I'll go to bed."
"-You don't have to. This is your apartment." She quickly butted in.
"But you probably want to get some sleep for your big shopping trip with Nad and my credit card tomorrow."
"I'm normally never asleep nowadays anyway."
"Why's that?"
"I'm normally out."
"Out?" He looked at the clock, "At this time in the morning? For someone who barely speaks, I'm surprised you have such a swimming social life." He ended with a smile.
Marly smiled back, "Not parties or anything. There's this place I go to."
"It's not another job, is it?"
"No. Bluend."
"The Forest?"
She nodded, "I go there to think."
"Have you seen its lake? It's supposed to be beautiful - the best around here."
They watched television with very little words for a few minutes...until, a thought passed through her head,
"Do you like me?"
"I'm letting you stay in my apartment, and tomorrow, I'm giving my sister access to use my credit card on you. Does that answer your question?"
"Nad said that you like me, like me."
"Nad said that?"
Marly nodded.
Marshall shrugged his shoulders and took a breath, "It's true. She's right."
"She also said that you're jealous about my roommate."
"I am - Was. But it's okay - I understand that you're seeing someone and I promise that I won't try anything."
"I know you wouldn't."