A/N: I know how much everyone loved the original but my writing style has changed so much and I didn't want to discontinue so here we have it... Tie The Knot take 2!
Mark muttered under his breath there was a huge cold snap that had hit the city and to make matters worse when he was leaving Life Support today the wind blew his scarf away before he could put it on. He was about two blocks from the loft and was rubbing his neck while thinking about the fact that he must look like Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. He rubbed his nose fully aware that he was making it worse but at this point he really didn't care. The fact that he had lost his scarf in this awful cold upset him enough at this point.
Mark walked as fast as he could through the light powder snow that was coating the sidewalk making it very treacherous. Without slipping he managed to safely make it to the ice covered steps of the building which he carefully climbed an unlocked the door. Making his way up the steps to the loft he pulled the door opened the heavy metal door and entered the apartment. He found Roger and Mimi cuddling together on the couch and for good reason, it was almost colder in the apartment then it was outside. "Benny turned off the heat again?" Mark asked. Mimi didn't move but Roger turned to look at Mark and couldn't hold back his laughter "Why yes Rudy and he also turned off the power so can you with your nose so bright guide is around tonight?" He joked. Mark just glared at him hoping he would get the message.
"So Mark, where's your scarf?" Roger asked changing the subject. Hearing the fact that Mark's scarf was missing made Mimi sit up "Are you serious your scarf is gone?" She asked then her eyes traveled to his very pink and raw neck "Ouch.." she muttered. "Well at least I get some sympathy around here" Mark smiled at Mimi who just smiled in return "Thanks Marky!" She answered playfully. Mark rolled his eyes she knew that he hated being called "Marky" yet she did it anyway.
"Well I saw this street vendor a couple of blocks away... Maybe she has something?" Roger called to Mark. "I guess" Mark grumbled. "Well don't we need to meet everyone at the Life Cafe? Lets stop there on the way." Mimi suggested. "Fine" Mark said glancing at his watch it was almost seven "I guess we better go now aren't we meeting every one at 8:15?" Mark looked from Mimi to Roger.
They both hopped up to there feet "Damn I knew it was going to something early tonight!" Roger swore under his breath Mimi shook her head "You never were the best with time where you?" She smiled. Roger just glared and the dancer just shrugged innocently as she went to go put on her coat.
"I love you babe" Mimi said kissing his cheek. "Soo... I hate to break up the love fest but are we going I have no idea who this street vendor is" Mark said irritably. "Okay grumpy pants lets go!" Mimi laughed tugging on Mark's jacket and leading him out on the apartment and down the street to the vendor.
The wind still blowing making it feel colder outside then it actually was. Mark shivered and flipped up the collar on his coat to make up for the lack of scarf protecting his neck. Mimi had said the vendor was about a block from the Life Cafe so Mark walking as briskly as he could made his way there. Except when he did get there he looked around at all corners of the street and there was no vendor in sight. "Umm... Mimi are you sure the vendor is supposed to be here?" He questioned turning around and looking at Roger and Mimi. "Turn around Mark" Mimi said pointing to girl hastily shoving colthing into a tattered messenger bag.
"Excuse me?" Mark called. The girl stopped and looked at him, she had bright green eyes and her cartlidge in her right ear was pierced with a small loop. "What do you want?" She asked folding her arms across her chest and the scarfs she was holding dangled over almost a like a waterfall. "S-sorry" Mark sputtered. The girl smiled "No, you came here for a reason, what do you want?"
"Well earlier today I lost my scarf and it's a little cold outside..." Mark started but was shushed by the vendor. "Say no more" She said picking up the last of her scarves and stuffing them in her bag. She then pulled out three different scarves "Will any of these do?" She asked. Mark made a face and by looking at the girl he knew she was thinking the same were the ugliest scarves in the world so why not try pawning them off?
Looking at him she shoved the scarves into her bag and pulled out a single scarf "I found this on the street earlier... It hit me in the head..." She pulled out the scarf and Mark's eyes widened. The girl noticed "Let me guess this is the scarf you lost isn't it?" She said looking at him with a straight face. Mark nodded , but the girl narrowed her eyes. "I would like to believe you but I have rent to pay and need to eat, normally I would charge say... five dollars, but your cute so I'll only charge a buck fifty." She smiled.
Mark knew he had to pay and searched his pocket for loose change, he found seventy five cents. He looked at Mimi and Roger who were standing behind him. Roger fished out a quarter and Mimi gave him two dimes a nickle and a quarter. "Thanks" He mouthed to them. They both nodded but Mimi pushed him a step forward to the girl who was looking at him. He placed the change into the palm of her hand. She counted it out quickly and then pocketed the change into the pocket of her very worn jeans. She tossed the scarf to him a continued to put the rest of her merchandise away. "Thank you" Mark called walking away with Roger he was pretty sure she didn't hear him.
Mimi stayed behind "Hi I'm Mimi she introduced herself to the girl. The girl lifted her messenger bag onto her shoulder and turned to face Mimi. "I'm Riley, Riley Silver" She answered smiling. Mimi looked to see the boys stopped waiting for her at the opening of the alley on the side walk.
"I was wondering I kind of noticed that maybe you were flirting with my friend Mark over there." Mimi said pointing to Mark who had wrapped the scarf around his neck in the typical "Mark" fashion. "So..." Riley said blushing.
"You like him don't you?" Mimi asked smiling. Riley flushed a deep scarlet "One question... Is he single?" She asked hopefully to Mimi. Mimi nodded "Yeah the last person he dated was our friend Maureen who left him for a lawyer named Joanne." Mimi explained quickly "Ouch" Riley replied with a small grin. Mimi shrugged it like it wasn't really that big of a deal.
"Anyway..." Mimi continued. "I was wondering if you would like to come to the Life Cafe with us?" She asked. "Sure... I don't really have anywhere else to go." Riley replied rubbing her hands together that were clad with fingerless gloves.
"So what do you say?" Mimi asked, Riley shrugged, "what's the worst that could happen?"
Mimi laughed, "trust me chica, you would rather not know."
Mimi pulled Riley up to Roger and Mark. "Mark, Roger this is Riley" Mimi said pointing to the vendor. "Hi.." She waved to them. "Hey" The boys replied simultaneously. "She's joining as at the Life tonight I hope you don't mind" Mimi grinned holding on to Riley's hand. Mark looked at the ground and back at Riley but they continued there walk to the Life. They got to the door and inside Collins and Maureen were standing there. Joanne was fighting with the host.
"I really don't want to bring the bill of rights into this very trivial manner but we have a right to assemble or did you not take American history?" Joanne growled at the host. "Don't get all lawyer-like with me" the Host replied coldly. "Well then let us sit!" Joanne stared him down. Anybody who was watching probably thought that the man had shrunk a few inches into the floor.
The host led the eclectic group to their seats, and all sitting down everyone else noticed that there was a new face amongst them. "Who are you?" Maureen asked confused, Riley looked puzzled for a moment and realized they were talking about her. "Me? I'm Riley."
Mimi helped introduce Riley, "Mark lost his scarf earlier and Riley found it," she explained.
"Mark lost his scarf?" Collins laughed, "Well it's a good thing here that Riley found it! Mark without his scarf is like..."
"A shopping cart without a broken wheel?" Maureen suggested, the rest of the bohemians stared at her. "What? Haven't you noticed that every single one of them has something wrong with it?"
As Riley laughed as she seated herself near Mimi, "Mo sometimes you amaze me..." Mimi giggled.
Maureen sat across the table from Riley besides Joanne, "So Riley what brings you to alphabet city? And selling scarves?"
"I came to be on Broadway," Riley explained, "sadly it doesn't seem like that's going well... So in order to pay rent and other such things I've taken selling bits and pieces of my wardrobe on the street, stuff I don't need anymore."
Maureen smiled, "Broadway? I want to be an actress too! I've done some stuff but I love the thrill of performing!"
The evening continued and by the end of it all Riley was as much of the group as any of the others.
"Riley?" Mark asked. "Can you get home alright?"
"Don't worry I can take care of myself." She smiled, they were very close to the loft and Riley was still walking with them. Mark, Roger, and Mimi walked up to the door of the building, Riley swallowed that was her building too. She quietly followed them inside, only Roger noticed "You live here?" He asked and Mimi and Mark turned around, they had looks of confusion.
"Yeah" She said looking around. They all started walking up the stairs and when they were at the floor below the loft Riley walked up to the door across from Mimi's old apartment. As she approached she felt like her stomach had fallen to her feet and but of boxes were outside the door. She shook her head angrily. She tried using her key to open the door but it wouldn't unlock. "You have got to be kidding me..." She spoke angrily.
"Riley what's wrong?" Mimi asked looking at her then to the door and the boxes. "Next time I see him I'm going to wring his neck!" Mimi hissed, Riley knew exactly who she was talking about the landlord... Benny. An enemy to any one one who lived or ever lived in that building. She sat down on top of one of the boxes, at least there weren't all that many.
Mimi knelt next to her "Riley? We have extra room in the loft you can stay with us," Riley looked up at Mimi.
"Thanks." She murmured standing up she stacked two boxes on top of the other and Mimi grabbed another one and looked up the stairs. Mark and Roger were standing there.
"You know you two could help!" She called, they hurried down the stairs and grabbed the last of the boxes, "thanks so much," Riley smiled. "No problem" Roger answered as he started walking back up the stairs with the boxes and the rest followed behind him.
When they got back to the loft Roger tried to break the silence that hung over the room. "Well at least he was nice enough to put your things in boxes." He said looking at Riley with a crooked smile.
"I guess," she replied reaching into her pocket and pulling out a slightly rusted pocket knife and slashed at the tape that sealed the boxes. Peeling back the flaps she gingerly removed the contents it contained, it was really quiet a mess.
She sighed, "I know that I'm not the neatest person in the world but he could have been more careful." She picked up the broken figure of a ballerina. "Oh well..." She tossed the figurine into a nearby garbage can.
The rest of that evening was spent unpacking boxes and helping Riley settle into the loft, when they finally finished and collapsed upon the couch. "I can't believe he was able to fit all that into four boxes!" Mark chuckled.
Riley smiled, "thanks for all your help, and to think if I hadn't met you tonight... What would I have done?" She looked around the loft, "why did you take me in anyway? I really don't know you that well."
"Mark has this thing for strays," Roger replied, "Roger!" Mimi jokingly scolded her boyfriend, "don't listen to him chica." Mimi noticed that Riley's face was tinged slightly pink. "He always says things like that," Mimi added.
The blush that had crept across Riley's face faded away, " I can't thank you all enough." She then glanced at her battered watch, "damn I have an audition tomorrow... I better get some sleep..."
"Audition?" Roger asked the newest flat mate, "the ensemble of a Broadway show," Riley explained, she then took herself to what was now her room.
While she was readying herself for bed Riley took in her new surroundings, "so you like it so far?"
Riley jumped a little, she hadn't even noticed that Mimi had entered the room, "Yeah... It's great... Like I said I really..."
"Girl I know," Mimi cut off Riley, "but I'm sure I can only see good things coming out of this in the end," she smiled. Riley knew exactly what Mimi was talking about, "oh come on nothing's going to happen between Mark and me!"
"Well with an attitude like that then sure!" Mimi laughed as she sat next to Riley, "Mark's a great guy, a little awkward... But great nonetheless."
Riley smiled, "well maybe..." Mimi squealed with delight, "wonderful! Mark's been needing a girlfriend for a long time now!"
"Whoa! Calm down there!" Riley laughed, "nothing has happened just yet!"
Mimi grabbed Riley's pillow and clutched it to her chest, "I know! But it's still so exciting!" She then threw the pillow back on to the bed and hugged Riley.
When she let go there was a smile still plastered to her face, "oh I almost forgot, break a leg tomorrow," with that Mimi left the room. Riley lay back on her bed to think, it seemed that after all her troubles things might actually begin to look up after all.