CHAPTER 10

Few Weeks Later

Marissa flopped on the bed on her stomach and made herself comfortable. She opened her book and sighed as she started reading. To say the media was stressing her out lately was an understatement. She did however gain more clients over the past few weeks thanks to the attention.

She tore her attention from her book as she heard Alex enter their bedroom laughing. She smiled and turned onto her side, her book now forgotten. Alex grinned at her and sat down on the bed, her feet tucked under her as she sat on her knees, "hey baby!"

Marissa smiled, "hey you." The smile faded slightly as she saw a few more people enter their bedroom. "Oh, you brought company…to our bedroom."

Alex looked over to the door and nodded her head, "yeah, we were gonna see if you wanted to go out and hang in the pool with us then head to Ashley's club tonight."

Marissa's shoulders dropped, "I kinda just wanted to stay in tonight with you. I can only take so much of the camera's in my face."

"We can go in the back way so there are less cameras," one of the girls offered.

"Yeah come on, Riss. It'll be fun," Alex pleaded.

"We've been going out almost every night though lately, can't we just stay in, eat Cherry Garcia and watch a DVD?" Marissa's blue eyes seared through Alex.

The blonde wouldn't relent though, "why don't we go out for a little bit, then you and I can come home and do that. Please, Riss?"

"Yeah come on Marissa, just for a little bit, then when you wanna leave you guys can go. Please?" Another begged.

Alex looked at her friends hopefully then back to Marissa, finally Marissa gave in and nodded, "yeah, fine, whatever. I better go get in the shower."

Alex clapped and smiled as Marissa crawled off the large bed. She waited until Marissa was in the bathroom and the door was shut to turn to her friends, "think she'll be expecting it?"

"Not at all, she thinks we're just asking her to go out. I don't think she suspects a thing."

Alex smiled and pulled the box from her pocket, thank God for baggy pants otherwise Marissa would have made the shape out. She opened it up and smiled, "do you think she'll like it?"

Later that night

"Why are we going out tonight, Alex? I just want to stay in with you, I told you that. I know we're going to be there until like three in the morning then everyone will wanna go out to eat to sober up. By the time we get home, you'll either just wanna have sex or go to bed or drink more or like you did last time, go swimming."

Alex leaned against the countertop as Marissa spoke to her. "We won't be there until three, I promise. We can come home in a few hours and eat ice cream and watch movies."

Marissa sighed, "no we won't, Alex. We never do. We always do what you wanna do, we never just do things together anymore, it always has to be out in public. And ever since Jodie came back, we've been out to a club every single night this week. Don't you miss doing things with just me? Are you getting sick of me?"

Alex quickly stood up straight and took Marissa by the hips, "I will never get sick of you, Marissa, ever. I just like going out, I've always liked going out."

"More than you like spending alone time with me? We've spent every night with our friends the past three weeks, and they're more your friends than they are mine."

"Fine, we'll stay home. I'll just call them and tell them we'll see them later." Alex threw her hands in the air and retreated from the kitchen.

Marissa groaned and followed after her up the stairs to their room, "Alex would you stop? I'm just saying I wanna spend time with you. Why is that so awful?"

"It's not awful, Marissa. You know I love spending time with you, but I love spending time with my friends too. We live together, Riss. I don't live with them." Alex sat down on the bed and spoke with hand gestures.

"No, but you see them all the time. Alex I've hardly been at my office this week because you wanna go out."

"You own the company, you don't have to be there if you don't want to be." Alex snapped.

"Just because I own it doesn't mean I don't have work to do. And why are you getting so defensive?"

"I'm not," the blonde snapped again.

"Yes you are, is it because I actually said what I wanna do for once and its not what you wanna do?"

Alex looked at her lover incredulously, "are you fucking serious? Have you thought maybe I had something special planned for tonight and that we were actually going to be coming home very early?"

"Like what?"

"I'm not telling you. Look, would you please come out with me tonight? Please, Marissa? It's important to me." With no response from her girlfriend, Alex stood up and took Marissa's hands with hers, "please, baby?"

Marissa sighed and her shoulders dropped, "okay, but promise we'll come home so we can spend time together?"

Alex smiled brightly, "I promise."