Hey guys! heres another chapter...thanks kursk and doves for the reviews you guys rock!
She glances down at her watch again…only a little while longer…at least she didn't have to work at the restaurant tonight. There was one detail Marissa hadn't thought about when she had gotten the job at Antonio's…that she would have to serve and be polite to EVERYONE, including customers from the Newport Group. At any given time when she was working, she would turn around after giving someone a refill of their wine and bam….
"Hey woah sorry", she steps back her bottle of red wine now resembling an erupted volcano, the red streams continuing down the neck of the bottle to the base where she feels them begin to run onto her hand and down her arm. The guy whose received most of the wine lost from the bottle looks up, incensed by the stains that now cover his blue shirt. She recognises him immediately as the guy whose office was opposite hers at the Newport Group. He doesn't seem to recognise her though…which is hardly surprising.
"I'm so sorry, let me help you", she smiles uncomfortably patting at her front, where last week there would have been a napkin enclosed in the pocket of her apron. However now she had been moved out of the kitchen and to being a waitress. Clumsily she reaches over to an empty table grabbing a napkin off of it and knocking the fork off at the same time. It lands with a clatter on the wooden floor, luckily the restaurant is already pretty full, so the noise goes unnoticed amongst the hum of voices.
"Ya know just forget about it lady", he pulls at the shirt trying to get as much distance between the red wine stains and his skin. He glances up at her again and snatches the napkin she offers.
"Umm I hear the best thing to remove it is Wine Away Red Wine Stain Remover", she suggests awkwardly…well hey it wasn't like it was the first time it had happened…apparently it was what the wineries used when giving tours…or so she had read on the employees information sheet on the wall in the kitchen.
"Whatever its not gonna do me much good now is it", he waves the now stained napkin in the direction of his table. She looks over at the table noticing a woman preening herself in the dark reflection of the window. She smothers a giggle expertly and clears her throat, shifting the wine bottle to her other hand.
"Hey how bout half a bottle of red wine on the house", she raises the bottle hopefully revealing the red lines of wine that have travelled down her arm. She quickly lowers the bottle pulling her long-sleeved top down further to cover the stains.
The guys grunts in reply giving her a look of utter loathing. His face changes in an instant,
"Wait a second…do I know you", he stops his fiddling with his shirt.
"Ummm.."
"Yeah…that's right, your that chick who's office was across from mine…what the hell happened to you?", his stance changes to one of interest.
"Well I…"
"Hang on you're Julie Cooper-Nichols daughter right?…so that means…you're the one that we have been talking about for the past couple of weeks…huh who would have known", he grins eager at now being able to provide the break room with some good gossip to feed from.
"Glad I'm of some entertainment still", she replies sarcastically.
He looks her up and down, making Marissa feels like the piece of meat she just served to her last table.
He rubs at his chin "So what really happened…we've only been able to piece together bits of the puzzle"
"Seriously?", a muscle at the corner of her mouth twitches threatening to break the calm exterior she displays. He only nods in reply his red wine stains seemingly completely forgotten for now.
She moves in close to him, close enough so she knows he will misinterpret her actions. Near his ear she speaks softly barely heard above the noise in the restaurant.
"I slept with the opposition…he stole some stuff at the company…didn't go down to well…Caleb and mum were pissed off…and they fired me", she trails off still close to him
"Well", his voice breaks and he starts again "Well sounds like you worked them over pretty well", he laughs haughtily and before he knows it Marissa has downed the rest of the bottle of wine over his head her goal complete.
"What the h.ell", he screeches horrified. People in the restaurant turn, the hum unable to mask this little outburst. Marissa turns on her heel and stalks off in the direction of the kitchen, not glancing back. She redirects herself to the employees toilets, banging down the empty bottle of wine on the sink. In the mirror she glances up to look at her reflection, she runs her hands over cheeks, gazing past the dark circles under her eyes…lately she had been getting less sleep, thoughts of her future haunting her mind not allowing her to drift off to sleep. She reaches over and pushes the button to the soap dispenser several times, then turns on the tap, lathering her hands up and removing all traces of the red wine stains. The red mingling with the water to produce a diluted pink. She sighs glancing once more at her reflection before exiting the toilet, she dumps the incriminating wine bottle in the trash on her way out….
She shakes herself out of her thoughts, turning to glance outside again…only to find nothing about the weather has changed since the last time she checked. Rita and Mannie emerge talking noisily from the back room, new bouquets clutched loosely in their hands.
"I bet hes blonde Rita"
"Nah hes gonna be a brunette and have lovely brown eyes that make you melt…", Rita trails off a reminiscent gaze cast across her face.
"Ahh but havent you heard, we choose partners that reflect our own features…so therefore clearly he will have blonde hair and…", Mannie squints pushing her glasses further up her nose
"Are your eyes blue or green Rissa?", Mannie approaches slowly her eyes still squinted.
Rita gives a sideways glance at Mannie and moves further into the shop, roughly plonking her flowers in empty holders, splashing water over the floor. Marissa frowns searching round for where she last put the mop.
"Oh Marissa!", Rita exclaims loudly and moves over to Marissa, grabbing her arm and pulling her along behind her.
"Mannie mind the shop for a second", Rita pulls Marissa into the back room which is shrouded in darkness, until the lights flicker on suddenly. The work benches now visible and the almost overpowering scent of flowers. The problem was there was so many different flowers worked with out here, that all the scents came together into a rather unattractive pong.
"We had some left over off-cuts of orchids today…and I know there your favourite, so I thought I'd give them to you…that's if you want them"
Marissa breaks into a smile "Really I'd love them thanks"
"No problem, they were only gonna get thrown out anyway", Rita moves over to the corner of the room and grabs a paper bag that has several white orchid heads peaking over the top.
" Ohhhhh Maaaarissa!", the playful tone of Mannie sounds
Marissa flips the lights off and follows Rita back out into the shop.
"Ryan!", she exclaims surprised. She smirks at his obvious discomfort at being analysed by Mannie.
"I told ya Rita", Mannie cackles "You choose some one with the same features as yourself", Rita and Mannie stand together observing Ryan and Marissa
"Umm we're just gonna go…outside", she moves quickly grabbing Ryans hand and pulls him outside ignoring their plees of 'don't mind us'
"So…their…umm…charming?", he smiles turning round to face the street.
"Yeah, your lucky they didn't have you in there for longer", she slips an arm through his. "So what brings you here on this fine afternoon"
He pulls her closer and she rests her head on his shoulder, ignoring the dampness of his suit from his journey from the car to the shop. They both stare out at the rain, its never ending flow some what hypnotising.
"Just wasn't doing much at the office…and I wanted to tell you I'm gonna be late home tonight", he nudges her gently
"Aww ya know modern technology has advanced so far that theres actuall this thing called a telephone now", she smirks nudging him back.
"Funny Cooper real funny", he turns his head murmuring into her neck, chills race down her back and she sighs quietly just taking in all that they had become
" I have another message as well…its gotta be hand delivered though" he continues murmuring against her neck as he moves slowly up to her ear.
"Ohh really…I wonder what that is", she says huskily and she giggles his breath tickling her neck
"Mmmm it's a really important one to…", he grazes his nose across her face and captures her lips.
The feeling between this one kiss makes Marissas stomach flop and she pulls him in closer, wrapping her hands round his neck.He reciprocates by slinging his arm around her hips. Their tongues meet and Marissa lets herself get lost in him for a while.
"Mmm wait", she whispers in his ear and notices him shiver knowing its not from the cold.
"What", he groans and puts his other arm round her.
"Whats the bet we have a little audience in the window there, huh", she giggles the soft fabric of her v-neck top grating against his rough suit.
"Ohh really…on the count of 2 ok"
"one…two…"
They both swivel round waving frantically at the window. And sure enough Rita and Mannie stand huddled together near the door, fogging up the glass. Rita and Mannie step back, glancing at each other. They wave back hesitantly at Ryan and Marissa and then turn around bumping into each other before taking off for the backroom.
"Hmm so that was fun", she turns back to face Ryan laughing. He glances at his watch looking pained
"I gotta go…but I'll see you tonight?", he grins at her cheekily
She nods and tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear" Yeah since your working late I'll just meet you at the Cohens"
"Right Kirsten and Sandys…because…"
She smacks him across the chest "You forgot!"
" No…I just…yeah okay I forgot", he raises his arms in defeat.
" Hmm well I WILL see you there", she pecks him on the lips and with a final wave she turns round heading back into the shop, her head full of thoughts of Ryan….
so there we go not much happened in that chapter just a bit of fluff lol