Honey

by Tammy Lewis

  Ash’. What a great idea Marcus, a foursome, a double date. I

  am sure that Quinn would love it too. You know what, I’ll ask him right now.”

  Watching Marcus’s eyes widen in shock and horror before

  me, all while Ashlee fought hard, unable to hide her

  excitement. Feeling proud, retaining my grin, glaring over at

  Marcus from across my desk, I text Quinn: -

  “How do you fancy a double date tonight, with Marcus and

  Ashlee?”

  When instantly, I received a message back from Quinn, it

  read: -

  “Your roommate Marcus who hates me and Ashlee your PA?

  When did they become an item? Is there anything else that’s

  happened, that I need to catch up with, while I was away, on

  my little weekend of horrors.”

  Cringing, while thinking ‘yeah, wouldn’t you like to know,’ I

  replied: -

  “It’s pretty new!

  Nope, nothing that I can think of.

  See you at 8!”

  Standing up from my desk, leaning over and looking at both

  Marcus and Ashlee, feeling exceptionally pleased with myself.

  Knowing that Marcus was just waiting for his moment to

  escape, I announced “it’s a date. Ashlee, we will pick you up

  around 8!”

  Later that evening, at 7:28pm to be precise, I stood at my full-

  length mirror, getting myself ready for our double date.

  Noticing Marcus appear in my bedroom doorway behind me.

  Ignoring that he was even there, placing my earrings into my

  ears, he called out “I know exactly what you are doing.”

  Glaring at him, in his reflection, I replied “well that’s great Marcus, putting in earrings can be something of a tricky

  concept.”

  Noticing the change in his tone, he stated “funny Dom’! I just

  hope that you know what you’re doing.”

  Grinning back at him, straightening myself up, I replied “you

  know me all too well Marcus. You more than anyone else

  should know, exactly what I am doing.”

  Frowning hard, sure that he was trying his best to try and

  read me. Ignoring him once more, I continued making myself

  somewhat irresistible for our double date this evening.

  Moments later, heading down to our underground garage,

  doing all that I could to ignore just how incredible Marcus

  looked and how heavenly he smelt. Approaching his car, I

  suggested “I think it’s kind of weird, us all going together in

  one car. You go and get Ash’ and I’ll go and get Quinn.”

  Turning to face me, trying to hide his annoyance, laughing in

  pure frustration, he asked “you can’t be serious! Dom’, you

  can’t pull up to the pool bar in your damn Spyder.”

  Grinning over at him, I replied “I’m not Marcus, what, do you

  think that I’m that stupid. I’m taking the Mercedes

  convertible.”

  Rolling his eyes at me, knowing that no matter what he said, I

  was going to have my own way. Backing down, he exhaled

  and replied “ok, just park it as close to my car as you can get it

  and I’ll tell Charlie and the guys to keep an eye on it.”

  Lifting the key fob, up over my head, clicking the button to

  summon my car to life, I sarcastically called out “thank you

  Marcus, you truly are an incredible friend.”

  Speeding off and leaving Marcus standing, I headed over to

  Quinn’s, calling him, to tell him that I was on my way over.

  Noticing him appear from the entrance of his apartment building, I pulled up beside him. Lowering the window, lifting

  up my sunglasses, I called out in a playful tone- “hey sailor,

  do you need a ride?”

  Trying hard to contain his laughter, crouching in through the

  car window, admiring and assessing every inch of this fine

  piece of machinery and me. With his facial expression full of

  love and admiration, he stated “ooh… sweet ride!”

  Getting in, in a split second and embracing me strong, he

  asked “so where are you taking me?”

  Then doing exactly the same to him, as what he had done to

  me, on the night that we had visited the youth centre, I

  replied “it’s a surprise!”

  After an extremely swift drive over, pulling up outside the

  bar. Noticing Quinn, glaring up at the building through the

  windshield, he gasped and said “we may have to go back, I’ve

  forgotten my bullet proof vest and my baseball bat.”

  Sure, that he had to be joking, yet sensing his apprehensive

  tone, I stated, “don’t worry, Marcus and I come here all of the

  time, these guys are like family!”

  Then noticing Marcus’s car pull up in front of us, I smiled and

  pointed, “great! They’re here.”

  Watching Marcus leave his car and make his way over to my

  window, looking the most serious that I had ever seen him

  look. Squeezing the back of his neck, he lowered his tone and

  said “I think that we may have a problem.”

  Confused, I looked up at him and asked “please tell me that

  you’ve picked her up.”

  Nodding, Marcus replied “I did. It’s just, well… she’s refusing

  to get out of the car.”

  Looking over at Quinn, noticing him finding this extremely amusing, while Marcus almost whispered “and this is why I

  don’t bring people here. She’s not used to places like this,

  she’s already asked me four times since we’ve pulled up, if

  she’s going to die tonight!”

  Finding it a struggle to contain my laughter, noticing Marcus

  get a little more annoyed. Lowering his tone, he stated “Dom’,

  she’s nothing like us, she doesn’t belong here. Can we go, I

  can’t bear her knowing that this is my old neighbourhood.”

  Bypassing him and making my way over to his car, I called

  out “don’t worry, I’ll handle it.”

  Getting into the driver’s seat beside Ashlee, trying to ease this

  crippling fear that I could see consume her, watching Marcus

  and Quinn through the car windshield, blatantly ignoring

  each other. Taking Ashlee’s hand, I promised her “honey,

  Marcus knows this place well. We hang out here all of the

  time. He would never bring you here for anyone to hurt you,

  please let’s just go in, play some pool and have some fun.”

  Watching her examine the place with great contempt, she

  began to explain that Marcus wasn’t the guy that she had

  initially thought that he was. Taking a deep breath, she

  lowered her head and explained “I can’t date a guy who brings

  me to places like this. You’re all going to think that I’m a

  stuck-up bitch… I’m sorry, but Dom’ this is just not my scene.

  I like fancy restaurants, fine wine and pretty flowers, not dirty

  glasses of beer and bare knuckle, bar fights.”

  Doing all that I could to hide, just how overjoyed that I was,

  to hear that Marcus was no longer Ashlee’s type of guy, they

  were clearly in completely different lanes. Their backgrounds

  so far apart and Ashlee too high and mighty, within her elite

  social circles to ever allow him in. With her showing no

  compassion, too blind to even begin to see, what was already

  evident to me. T
hat Marcus was the most amazing guy, that I had ever come to know.

  While keeping my cool, loosing just the tiniest, little bit of

  respect for her, that I had, despite being such a close friend.

  Clearly judging Marcus on his choice of venue, for tonight’s

  date. Realising that Ashlee was just like all of the others and

  that her and Marcus were clearly worlds apart.

  Feeling a little guilty for setting up this entire date night, yet

  sure that Marcus deserved it, just a little. It was clear to see,

  that this evening was over, before it had even begun. So,

  trying to salvage all that I could, I promised her that nothing

  was going to happen to her, as long as she was here with us.

  Squeezing her hand tightly, I asked “please, one drink, one

  game and if you don’t like it here, I promise that I will drive

  you home myself.”

  When finally, giving in, she agreed.

  Knowing that I had got the job done, bypassing the guys, I

  headed straight into the bar, calling out to Charlie for a round

  of drinks, I set up the pool table, over in our favourite spot.

  Turning to them all, I announced “it’s guys against girls! The

  rule is, losers set up the table.”

  Instantly noticing that Ashlee was once again crippled with

  fear, almost whispering, she cried “Dom’, I can’t play pool,

  I’m no good at it.”

  Rolling his eyes at the current situation, looking fed up

  already, Marcus told her “don’t worry Ash’, Dom’s going to

  beat all of us anyway, she always does.”

  Almost an hour later, with the awkward tension between us

  all, continuing to linger, like some rancid smell. Stood at the

  pool table, watching Marcus take his shot, feeling Quinn take

  my hand and pull me down onto his lap. Trying my best, to

  hide my whole-body quake, at the presence of his lips, as they almost touched my ear. While he whispered, with slight

  amusement in his tone, “you know that he doesn’t like her,

  right? You set all of this up, didn’t you? Jesus Domini, he’s

  going to kill you when he gets you home alone.”

  Taking a sip from my drink and leaning back, relaxing into his

  chest, glaring over at Marcus with a huge smirk across my

  face, I replied “I know… she’s not that keen on him either…

  but hey, that’s what friends are for!”

  Chapter 35

  A few days later… with the weekend soon approaching.

  Passing by Marcus in the hallway, making my way back into

  my bedroom, to go and get myself ready for work. Noticing

  him glaring down at an envelope in his hand. Looking as

  though his mind was a million miles away, I asked “hey you,

  is everything ok?”

  Nodding, unable to snap out of his daze, he replied “yeah

  Dom’, what time are you leaving for the airport?”

  Saddened by him trying to change the subject and feeling this

  invisible barrier between us, that had only appeared since

  Quinn had returned. I replied, Quinn’s picking me up from

  here at 7, after work.”

  Nodding and charging through to the kitchen, I followed him,

  leaning against the doorway, I asked “Marcus, what’s with the

  envelope. You know that you can tell me anything; right.”

  Sighing heavily, pouring himself a coffee, placing the envelope on to the kitchen counter, Marcus replied “it’s a

  visiting order, to the state penitentiary, for this weekend. My

  dad wants to see me.”

  Gasping and placing my hand up to my mouth, knowing just

  how tough a subject this was for Marcus, I asked “what are

  you going to do?”

  Shrugging his shoulders, Marcus replied “I don’t know, I

  haven’t decided yet. I was thinking of maybe driving out and

  staying with my brother Dean. Try and figure it all out in my

  head and decide whether or not if I can face him. It’s been so

  long, I can’t forgive him Dom’, but I know, sometimes, no

  matter what, you just have to let go.”

  Even though it was a touchy subject, over the years that

  Marcus and I had been friends, he’d often confided in me,

  talking of his father quite freely. With him being the only

  member of Marcus’s family that I’d never met, due to him

  being locked up in prison, where he had been since Marcus

  was a small boy. Leaving Marcus’s mother, all those years

  ago, to be a single parent, and he and his five brothers to

  struggle and fend for themselves.

  What I had learnt, from the stories that Marcus had told me,

  his father had always been somewhat of a rogue and a loose

  cannon. And that his reign of terror, had all ended badly one

  night, with a botched armed robbery attempt. Where the

  cashier at the convenience store that he was robbing,

  somehow, accidently got shot, killing him instantly, resulting

  in his father’s incarceration.

  Feeling the need to comfort Marcus, proceeding towards him,

  I heard Quinn enter the kitchen behind me. Instantly

  realising that he had walked into a very serious conversation.

  Kissing my cheek, retreating quickly, he made his way back to my bedroom, with a coffee.

  Reaching up and throwing my arms around Marcus, I asked

  “does it have to be this weekend? I want to come with you, to

  be there for you and give you my support.”

  Pulling me into his chest tightly, and kissing my forehead,

  feeling the strength of his embrace, Marcus replied “Dom’, I

  don’t care how badass that you think that you are. I am not

  taking you to a men’s prison, to meet the man who broke my

  mother’s heart and single-handedly ruined my entire

  childhood.”

  Looking up at him, I whispered “but what if I want to?”

  Instantly realising that we were no longer alone, turning to

  see Quinn stood in the kitchen doorway, once again looking

  as though he had walked into something, that he’d wished

  that he hadn’t. Watching him lower his head, looking

  extremely uncomfortable, I backed away from Marcus and

  walked towards Quinn. Unable to even look up at him,

  wondering why he had returned, during such a critical

  moment, I stormed through to my bedroom.

  Tossing my clothes on to the bed, angry at what was

  happening all around me, with little control. Feeling Quinn

  take me into his arms, trying to lift my mood, he asked “hey

  come here, is Marcus going to be ok, do we need to reschedule

  our trip?”

  Pulling his arms away, sighing heavily, I replied “it doesn’t

  matter, whatever he’s got going on, he’s made it perfectly

  clear that he doesn’t need me.”

  Seating himself down on to my bed, looking up at me,

  grasping my thighs and lowering his tone, Quinn suggested

  “honey, he’s a proud man. And sometimes us guys, we have to

  do things by ourselves. It doesn’t change anything between you, he knows that you’ll be there for him when he needs you.

  But it’s not too late, we can reschedule, Domini it’s completely

  up to you.”

  Sure, that Marcus wouldn’t let me go with him, but compelled

  to stay, to be close if he needed me. I
thought long and hard,

  taking my clothes into the bathroom, leaving Quinn, seated in

  his robe on my bed, I went in to have my morning shower.

  Getting ready to leave with Quinn, on our way over to work, I

  greeted Marcus in the hallway. Looking as though his mood

  hadn’t lifted, sure that it would be for the best, I asked him

  “do you want us to stay here this weekend, just in case you

  need me?”

  Shaking his head, Marcus replied “stay here by all means, but

  don’t stay on my account, because Dom’, I won’t be here.”

  Feeling Marcus’s direct hit, disabling me instantly, backing

  down, I noticed Quinn’s glare in the corner of my eye. Taking

  hold of my hand, Quinn led me over to the front door,

  removing me from the dire tension that filled the air. Turning

  to look back at Marcus, feeling distraught, trying to hold it

  together, I almost whispered “bye.”

  Nodding, just managing to lift his right hand, to half-

  heartedly wave me goodbye, lowering his head, Marcus

  solemnly replied “bye honey.”

  Avoiding Marcus all day at the office, certain that he too was

  keeping his distance. I got stuck into my work, praying that

  the hours would just fly by. Because the longer that I had time

  to think, despite all that Marcus had said. I knew that it was

  only going to be a matter of time and the whole Rome trip

  would be thrown on to the backburner. In favour of chasing

  Marcus, who had made it pretty clear, that he didn’t even

  want or need me around.

  Hours later… entering our apartment after work, noticing Marcus sat in his living room armchair, glaring over at the

  blank tv. I felt my heart break at the sight of him in this sorry

  state. Wanting to approach him and comfort him so badly, yet

  unsure if he needed his space and scared that he’d only push

  me away. Unable to stand and watch him for a second longer,

  I headed into my bedroom, collecting and packing all of my

  things. Trying to clear my head, ready to leave for my flight to

  Rome with Quinn.

  Pulling my suitcase into the hallway, sure that Quinn was to

  arrive at any moment, to collect me. Standing in the living

  room doorway, noticing Marcus’s holdall packed, on the

  hallway floor. I looked over at him, in the same sorry state

  that I had left him in earlier. Taking a deep breath, wanting