Chapter 1:
Mark dug through the piles of movies in the loft looking for something to pass another lonely night. A knock on the door caused the filmmaker to get up. The rain pounded against the windows. When Mark answered the door, he found Maureen standing there, soaking wet with a suitcase.
"Mo?" he asked. Maureen smiled weakly and tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear.
"Hey Mark, may I come in?" Mark stood to the side.
"Sure. Does Joanne know that you're here?" Maureen's eyes narrowed as she put down her bag.
"Joanne and I are through." Mark sighed. "She got mad at me for flirting with someone, and then turned around and talked to some girl who was practically throwing herself at her feet. We're over."
"And you wanted to crash here for a while?"
"If you don't mind."
"Sure. First, you should get into some dry clothes." Mark retreated to his room. Several minutes later he returned with a sweatshirt and pair of pajama pants. "Here, change into these."
"Thanks." Maureen took the clothes and went to go change in the bathroom.
When Maureen came out of the bathroom, Mark was sticking a movie in the VCR. Maureen sat on the couch.
"Did I interrupt your plans for tonight?" she asked. Mark shook his head and sat down next to the diva.
"It's okay, I was just going to watch a movie; nothing exciting." Maureen rested her head on Mark's shoulder. Mark was slightly surprised by this.
"So, what are we watching?"
"Raiders of the Lost Ark." Maureen nodded. After living in the loft with a whole bunch of guys, she had grown to love the Indiana Jones movies (especially Harrison Ford).
Maureen rested her hand on Mark's thigh. She could sense the filmmaker's uneasiness, but didn't move her hand. The two continued to watch the movie in silence. They laughed at the right times and rolled their eyes at the sarcastic remarks (like Roger's) at the right times.
Towards the end, Maureen said, "Hey Mark, can I talk to you about something?" Mark shifted so he could face the diva a little easier.
"Sure, what do you want tot talk about?" without warning, Maureen closed the gap between her and Mark and kissed the filmmaker softly on the lips. Mark was surprised at first, but briefly kissed Maureen back. After a few seconds, he pushed her away. "No Maureen, it's not right. You're upset about Joanne."
"Mark-"
"No, I'm sorry Mo. You know where the spare blankets are; the couch is all yours. Goodnight." Opened mouthed, Maureen watched Mark retreat to his room. This wasn't the reaction she had expected.
Mark quickly changed and crawled in bed. His head was reeling. He still had feelings for Maureen, but didn't want to get his heart broken again. Mark put his glasses on his nightstand next to the bed and closed his eyes. Soon, he fell into a light slumber. All the filmmaker saw in his dreams was Maureen.
