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Mike was reading a newspaper when Tina came and sat next to him. She was staring at him and he folded the newspaper as he looked at her; ready to listen to whatever she had to say.
"So, Sam and Mercedes?" Tina started. Mike raised his eyebrow at the question. He thought Tina would be over the moon if Sam and Mercedes worked out.
"Nothing happens yet. Sam does like her though. He was attracted to her ever since he first laid his eyes on her - well, that's what Stevie told me" Mike explained.
"Did he know?" Tina asked. She didn't need to explain further because Mike understood the underlying question. Did Sam know about Mercedes' view on love and relationship? He nodded again.
"Sam said she intrigued him. Mercedes is like a mystery that he would love to solve or something like that"
Mike stared at Tina who was frowning. His girlfriend was acting weird.
"Okay, T. What's the matter? I thought you'd be happy? I mean, when you first saw them talking, you and Kurt were ready to plan the whole wedding!"
Tina heaved a heavy sigh.
"I am happy! I mean, someone is interested in Mercedes and for once, she didn't run hundred miles away and they seem like having a great start!" she said. Tina looked at Mike. "I was thinking last night. Sam doesn't know anything about Mercedes, yet he seems to really like her. I asked Stevie and he told me that the only reason Sam agreed to bake the wedding cake was because it was Mercedes who asked him. Then, you said it yourself. He was intrigued by her! What if - what if he sees this as a challenge for him? And Mercedes ends up fallen for him? What happens next?"
Mike listened to Tina's rambling and sighed.
"Tina, Sam is not like that. He invested in woman that he likes, but somehow I got some vibes that his attraction toward Mercedes is different. Besides, Sam is not a playboy. One thing that I really like about Sam is that he respects woman. You need to stop overthinking about this. If Sam and Mercedes are meant to be, fate will lead them together. Have faith"
Tina nodded.
"I am serious. Do not interfere. Let it happens naturally. We don't want Mercedes to run hundred miles away, like you said"
Tina rolled her eyes. " Don't worry. Kurt and I had a talk and we agreed to just sit and watch"
It was the day for the event and Sam was busy entertaining customers at his stall. The feedback was amazing and he was really excited. People raved about his food and he was definitely proud of it. He told John to go and have a break once the crowd subsided. Sam sat on the stool that they brought and sipped a cold drink. He munched a sandwich as he people watching.
"Hello, Sam" Mercedes greeted, smiling at him. Sam quickly swallowed his sandwich and stood up.
"Hello, Mercedes. I thought you're not here today" he said. He wasn't lying though. When he arrived, he searched the crowd and there was no sign of her. Once people started coming and bought something at his stall, there was no sign of her too. Sam was already accepted the fact that she might not be there. Mercedes chuckled.
"I'm not good with crowd, so I waited till people are relax and got everything they want first before I start browsing the stalls" she explained. She started picking the pastries that she wanted.
"How much is it?" she asked.
"It's on the house. Don't worry about it" Sam said. Mercedes frowned at it.
"No, Sam. You're doing business. So, you should charge me"
"Mercedes, no need. I told you, right? This is like a free promotion for my shop. So, I won't take your money" Sam retorted. They kept on going back and forth about the money. The argument ended when Mercedes took out a ten dollar bill and put it on the stall before she walked away, leaving Sam dumbfounded. He looked at the money and chuckled. Well, new information. Mercedes Jones is one stubborn woman!
Mercedes giddily stepped out of her car and rang the bell. Due to the family day event, the company gave all its employees an off day on Monday and Mercedes decided that she would go and visit her father. She lived two hours away from her childhood home and would occasionally visit whenever she feels like it. The door opened and she was greeted with her father.
"Baby girl, what are you doing here?" David Jones asked his eldest. Mercedes frowned.
"That's not the greeting that I expect" she said, unhappy. David laughed as he took the duffel bag and brought it inside.
"Of course I am happy that you're here! But, aren't you working tomorrow?"
"No, we got an off day" Mercedes said as she sat on the big couch. She looked at the house.
"Where's everyone?" she asked.
"Malique had football practice. Your mom went to meet her friends"
Mercedes nodded. Somehow her mood turned sour.
"I'm gonna go and lie down for a bit. Tonight, we're going out for dinner! I don't care if it's only the two of us!" she shouted from the stairs. She went to her old room, locked the door and threw herself on the soft bed. Mercedes took a deep breath as she stared at her ceiling. Somehow, her mind brought her to her childhood day.
Flashback - 14 years ago
A 15 years old Mercedes Jones jumped down from the school bus and ran toward her house. Using her own key, she unlocked the door.
"Daddy, I'm home!" Mercedes yelled.
"In the kitchen!" her father yelled back at her. Mercedes chuckled as she skipped to the kitchen. Her two brothers, Malique and James were at the dining table, enjoying their snack.
"Hey, baby girl. Sit down and eat. I bought your favourite eclairs from Jojo's bakery"
"Where's momma?" Mercedes asked, looking at her three years old and eight years old brothers.
"She got some work to do at the office. So, she'll be late"
Mercedes nodded. She sat and enjoyed her eclairs and joked around with James. After having her snack, she took some wet tissue and cleaned up Malique. James helped her collected the plate and cups and put them into the sink.
"I'll bring Malique with me upstairs. We're gonna do our homework" she told her father as she called James to follow her. The three siblings went to the nursery. Mercedes put Malique into her playpen. Then, James helped her took out the small table.
"James, go and take your bag. We're going to do our homework and then we'll help daddy with dinner" she told her brother. James obeyed. He brought his schoolbag and they did their homework together.
Mercedes honestly thought that her mother was acting weird. She kept on being on her phone, texting and she seemed so busy lately. They were on their way back from shopping when the phone rang. She quickly answered it. As she was talking, Mercedes could definitely hear the word 'dear' and 'honey'. Daddy must be wondering about us, she thought. She frowned when her own phone ringing - her daddy's name was on the screen. She looked at her mother and she was obviously still talking on the phone. Mercedes quickly answered her phone.
"Baby girl?"
'Yes, daddy?"
"Are you guys coming back for dinner or you'll having one of your mommy daughter dinner?"
"We're on our way home"
"Okay, then"
Mercedes hung up the call and glanced at her mother. Millions of thoughts went through her head and she vowed to get to the truth. Once home, her mother just dropped her and told her that she had something to do before she left and it definitely heightened her suspicion. Ever since that fateful day, Mercedes kept a close eye on her mother. She noticed that her parents fought more lately and there was always something that her mother dissatisfied with her father.
Mercedes decided that she needed a prove. She secretly took her mother's phone when she was busy in the kitchen. She unlocked it and went through her messages and Mercedes' heart shattered to pieces. There were lots of nauseating messages exchanged with another guy. Mercedes quickly closed the phone and put it back into her mother's bag and ran to her room. She was confused, angry and sad.
Two days after that, she heard her parents fought again. Her father was confronting her mother about something. She suddenly was in a rage and destroyed her phone. Mercedes rolled her eyes in annoyance at her mother's action. Ever since she found out about the messages, she felt annoyed with her. Every time her parents fight, she felt like asking her father. 'Why aren't you divorcing her?' But, she knew that it wasn't her place to ask that question. No matter how twisted it is, she knew that her father loves her mother.
"Why do people fall in love if it only ends up hurting them?" she asked herself.
Present time
The knocks on the door startled Mercedes. She rolled her eyes as the knocks becoming louder and annoying. She got up and went to open the door. She was greeted with a grinning Malique.
"One knock is enough, Mal!" she scolded him. The tall boy just shrugged his shoulder.
"We both know that you're not going to open it unless you're annoyed with me" he said. Mercedes laughed. They sat on her bed, exchanging stories and news about each other's lives before David yelled for them to clean up and get ready to go out for dinner.
"Daddy must've booked your favourite steak joint!"
"Oh yeah!" Mercedes screamed while shaking her body to what she called her victory dance.
"Are we having dinner at Marco's place, daddy?" she asked. David Jones chuckled and nodded.
"I guess it's only us three, tonight" he said. Mercedes and Malique shrugged their shoulders as they exchanged glances. Honestly, they didn't really care.