Let me know what you think of this chapter. Since it's been a little while since I last updated, I'm submitting two chapters, so if you don't like this part you can just go straight to what happens next. Lots of dialogue this time around.

When Flora returned upstairs to the main gallery, she saw the main lights had been turned on and the clock reached eight thirty. Another hour and people would start coming in. Marcus was at the piano playing a cheerful tune to a crowd of rather excited looking photographers outside. They must have got bored of waiting for a celebrity, so they were practising on piano players.

"You're rather pink in the face. What did he do?" Marcus asked, all the while keeping his head bent toward the keys.

"None of your business."

"Actually it is my business. Because about twenty minutes before you got here, the curator explained that William was coming here to find you. Don't you find that a bit odd? What if you're being used like a pawn and he's only temporarily obsessed with you?"

"He's not obsessed with me!" Flora said.

"Actually he is. I apologise beforehand, but I was listening at the door and apparently you are his muse. Now, I'm not a bad guy, so I'll not relay any of this to the press."

Marcus then turned back to the keys. As Flora approached the piano with the intent of screaming at him, he stopped playing and turned to face her on his stool. With him sitting and looking up at her, her frame towered over his.

"What exactly is your arrangement with this man?" he asked.

It was an honest question. She couldn't very well scream at him for that, although she could if she wanted to and she did want to. Perhaps Marcus would not pester her if she answered the question.

"I'm drawing him."

"And afterwards?"

"There's no "and afterwards". I'm just drawing him and leaving."

"Huh. Well…I suppose you could do that or…Option two."

"And that would be?"

The flashbulbs were blinding her at this point and she turned her back on Marcus to get away from them. Marcus quickly noticing this got up and grabbed Flora's hand, pulling her behind a wall of art away from the windows. There came some shouts of outrage but the two ignored this.

"So what is this Option two exactly?" Flora asked.

"Well I was considering your communication skills."

"What about them?"

"Tell me something, do you plan on falling in love with anyone in the future?"

"Maybe."

"Let's just say you take advantage of the fact that there is an eligible bachelor who's obsessed with you and take that to the next step."

"Marcus I'm drawing his picture. That's all it is. He told me he won't get close after that kiss he gave me and…"

Flora covered her mouth, shocked at what she just admitted. Marcus looked as though he had just won the lottery. He took both of her hands in his.

"Marcus!"

"Don't you get it? As an autistic person, how long is it going to take you to develop your speaking skills to the point where you can look people in the eye? And by people I mean men. How many times will you get a man like this to fall in love with you?"

"You're crazy. I have plenty of opportunity with men."

"Come on Flo! Even if five hundred people come banging at your door, how are you possibly going to know how to act around them? You won't. I don't want to insult you but you don't know how to love someone who is not of family."

Flora yanked her hands away from Marcus and turned around. He came up behind her, his mouth close to her ear.

"But I can teach you."

Flora was reminded of the time when she first met Wonka and how he was planning on teaching her how to look people in the eye.

"When are you beginning your work?" he asked.

"Five."

"Good. I will come with you as your assistant and in exchange for you agreeing with me, I will not relay to the press any of those previous interactions you told me about."

"Marcus, I…can't."

There was a moment where Marcus just stared at her. All the noise to be heard came from the sound of their own breathing, both of them almost in synch with each other.

"By the way that is called tension. Maybe you are experienced."

"Thank you Marcus for your…offer but no."

She turned to walk away but he grabbed Flora and pulled her close.

"I need to show you something. If you won't let me help you let me teach you one important thing."

"W...What's that?"

"Just one thing that may be valuable to you in the future."

"What?"

"I have to see how good of a kisser you are."

"Marcus!"

"Fine. But it could have been useful."

Flora pulled away from Marcus and began to walk away, when he once again pulled her back and kissed her.

I realize that there is a chance you will be angry with this ending but as I said, you can go to the next chapter where things will cool off a bit.