Chapter Ten

"So what's up with you and Kyle?" Nikki asked as she and Marie lazily strolled down the pier. The guys were up ahead buying ice cream, leaving the girls to their own conversation.

"There's nothing up with us." Marie shook her head, "Why does everybody think that?"

"Because you two seem really close and because of the way he looks at you."

"First of all, we seem close 'cause we are." Marie replied, "He is the first guy, aside from Bradin, that I've ever really trusted. And second, Kyle does not look at me any special way."

"Yes he does." Nikki nodded her head.

"Okay, so how does he look at me?" Marie pursed her lips and looked at her friend questioningly.

"You know, like he wants to grab you and kiss you senseless." Nikki said, dramatically wrapping her arms around herself.

"Nikki!" Marie cried, looking at the younger girl in shock, "Kyle definitely does not look at me that way."

"You are so blind, Marie. Kyle likes you, but you're too hung up on my brother to see what's right in front of you."

"I am not hung up on Bradin." Marie replied fiercely. Nikki simply looked at her with a yea-right expression on her face.

"I'm not." Marie denied.

"Hey, what are you two talking about?" Cameron asked as the guys rejoined them, ice cream cones in hand.

"We were just discussing some chemistry theories." Nikki replied innocently.

"It's summer Nik, can't you forget school for a few months?" Cameron shook his head. The two guys seemed oblivious to the real meaning behind Nikki's comment. Marie glared at her, but Nikki simply smirked and threw a glance at the arm that Kyle had draped around Marie's shoulders.

The moon was just rising above the horizon when Marie's shift at the Sandbar ended. She untied her apron and headed into the back to put it in the bin where the aprons were kept. She grabbed her jacket and purse and headed back out into the main area of the restaurant.

It had been a busy afternoon with two business lunches, one anniversary party, and a 30th birthday party. Needless to say, Marie was beat.

"You headin' home?" Kacy, a fellow waitress, asked as she loaded a tray with beers at the bar.

"Yep." Marie replied as she shrugged on her jean jacket. "When are you getting off?"

"Not for another hour. Mikey called in sick so Johnny asked me to pull a double."

"Ick, that sucks." Marie felt bad for the other girl.

"You're telling me." Kacy replied. "God you're lucky you're the new girl. Johnny never asks new people to pull doubles."

"Yep, lucky me." Marie chuckled as she slung her purse over her shoulder.

"What time are you coming in tomorrow?" Kacy asked as she headed over to a crowded table, tray blanced above her head.

"Morning I think." Marie said, following behind her.

"Damn it," Kacy unloaded the beers and headed back to the bar, "I'm working night. I'm totally gonna miss seeing that hottie that came in with you this morning."

"What hottie?" Marie was confused. She couldn't possibly be talking about Kyle, could she?

"You know, that Adonis that you introduced to Johnny."

"Kyle? You think Kyle's a hottie." For some reason this didn't sit well with Marie. She was used to girls throwing themselves at Kyle, and she'd never had a problem with it before. But ever since Nikki had talked to her that morning, Marie's thoughts and feelings had taken a turn. And it was one that Marie did not like.

"Yeah, I think he's hot." Kacy replied, leaning against the bar eagerly. "So tell me, is he a good kisser?"

Marie was, to put it mildly , dumbfounded. What was it with people thinking she and Kyle were a couple?

"Kyle and I aren't together," she said a bit more harshly than she'd intended, "we're just friends."

"Really?" Kacy was clearly surprised. "It sure didn't look that way to me."

"Well it's the truth." She couldn't explain it, but Marie was suddenly very angry. At who, she didn't know. All she knew was that she was angry.

"I gotta go, I'll see ya later." Turning on her heel, Marie marched out of the restaurant.

The apartment was dark when Marie opened the door, the only light coming from the TV. She could vaguely make out Kyle's form on the couch. Was it true what people said? Was it true that there was something beneath their cover of friendship? Marie didn't know and, to be honest, she didn't want to know.

Slamming the door behind her, Marie walked into the living room. Kyle glanced up as she threw her purse on the coffee table beside his feet. With a huff, Marie fell onto the sofa beside him.

"Bad day?" He asked, turning his head to look at her. Marie folded her arms in front of her chest and let out a very unladylike snort.

"I'll take that as a yes." He said. "Come here." His hand wrapped around hers, startling Marie. She looked at Kyle in the light of the television. Nikki was right, there was something in his eyes as he looked at her. It startled Marie to no end to see that and to know that she was wrong.

"What are you doing?" She asked as Kyle pulled her off the couch and sat her on the floor.

"I'm gonna help you relax." He said slowly, as if speaking to a two year old. He sat back down on the couch, his legs folded under him Indian style. Marie watched him as his hands settled on her shoulders.

"You're probably going to have to take your jacket off." He said.

"What?" She looked at him, shocked.

"If I'm gonna give you a massage you might want to take your coat off." He said.

"Oh." Marie felt like a complete idiot. She was so jumpy around him when all they were was friends. If only Nikki hadn't said anything.

Marie shrugged her jacket off and Kyle's hands came to rest on her shoulders once again. Slowly, he kneaded her shoulders, loosening the kinks that resided there. Marie's eyes drifted shut as she slowly began to relax.

Her thoughts drifted to what Nikki had said. If Kyle really did feel something for her, then Marie wanted to know.

"You wanna know something weird." She said quietly as Kyle's hands traveled down her arms. Damn he was good at this.

"What?"

"Nikki seems to think that there's something going on between us." She leaned further back into his touch, her back resting against the couch.

Kyle didn't say anything, so Marie kept talking.

"I told her that we were just friends, but then Kacy, this girl at work, she said that she thought that we were together. Aren't they crazy? I mean the two of us, together? It's just totally weird, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Kyle said quietly, "really weird." With her back to him, Marie missed the hurt in Kyle's eyes.

Alright, so I know these chapters are really short, but I promise that they will get longer soon. Things are beginning to come to a head here and it's time to start stirring up the pot. Look for a meeting between Bradin and Kyle next chapter and some other very interesting happenings.

Soxbabe: Actually, if youfacture in Kyle it's more like a love square. Lol.

the different person, jessesfan0409, kandykand33, SayntJimmy, Caitlin, kristi, and AllyCat16: Thank you all so much for reviewing. You guys rock!