"Fuck it,' I hear him mutter, and the next thing I know he's taking hold of my hand."
― Samantha Towle, Trouble

"I expected you to get the apple from the basket," I whispered.

"Oh."

I had a tasty free fruit basket on one side of me and his toolbox on the other. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be lip-locked with my Landlord's son, Rick, who was inside of my apartment to repair what I deemed faulty plumbing.

There was a momentary pause between us. A slight hesitation once Rick chewed then swallowed my piece of ambrosia apple that was technically for my consumption. We never once broke eye contact with each other as he inched closer, and as if magnetic, I eagerly met him halfway. We were kissing. Soon my legs opened like an elevator door because his lips were pushing the right buttons to easily have me naked and on the floor. Our crazy energy made it very blatant and abundantly clear we were going to take it there, if not then, at some point. The slight brush of his hard-on against my lower knee awakened a need to connect with someone. There I was still propped up on my kitchen counter, hungrily kissing away any semblance of rational thinking in any shape or form.

Five minutes into our makeout session his walkie talkie brought us back to our senses.

Our three-month arrangement turned into an entanglement that neither of us could extricate. Our entanglement began the moment he couldn't just accept what was in the contract without full disclosure to all parties. I was trying many times to block and delete, but he knew exactly where I lived, right above him.

Knock, knock, knock!

I swung open my door and my words quickly fell from my lips. One thing I couldn't hide was my annoyance with our little arrangement after his good dick aura wore off.

"Go away! I am not in the moo..." I lost my train of thought at the sight of him. I realized Rick had to have used his foot or his head to bang on my door. His hands were full. He was holding a bouquet of flowers and a pizza box.

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself."

He was more than likely expecting me to oooh and aah over flowers and pizza. I did not. I did not step aside. I wasn't going to allow him to cross my threshold and ease me back into bed with him. It was going to take a lot more than what he was offering right then and there.

"I thought we could chill. Netflix. I have time tonight." His voice lowered on each word he spoke until it was almost a whisper. I didn't strain to hear him because nothing he was offering was enticing, not even the seductive look he was trying to throw my way. He noticed what I had on. I wasn't wearing, let's chill in my apartment clothing. I was going out.

"You thought wrong."

"Did I do something?"

"No. I am doing something."

"What's that?"

"Going on a date."

"With who?"

"Someone who wants to be seen with me in the light of day. No hiding necessary."

"Who?"

"Someone who knows my worth."

"Meaning?"

"I want someone to spend time with me outside of my apartment. Do you plan to stand in the way of that, Rick?"

"Who is he?"

"Does it matter if it is not you?"

"Are you trying to make me jealous?"

"I'm trying to get you to understand it stops."

"It?"

"Right here, and right now."

"3600 dollars, Michonne!"

"And?"

"What in the fuck do you mean it stops?" He shifted his weight.

I was livid. I was pissed to the high heavens. My purse was near the door and I had turned to grab it and Rick boldly took 10 steps inside to put the pizza and the flowers on the counter. He was going to plant himself in my apartment. It had worked a few other times. Not this time. He could stay. I was leaving.

"I don't have time to explain. I have a date. Over at the Alexandria Plaza. A five-minute walk. The movie starts in forty minutes. My date knows I am open to a nice restaurant, too."

"What do you expect me to do, Michonne? You are ripping my heart out right now."

I refused to be swayed. "Not my problem."

I proceeded to walk out of my own apartment with him eventually trailing behind before he eventually began to walk side by side in silence. What should have been a brisk five-minute walk took us 10 minutes because of our constant stop, talk, walk, talk, walk off without the other but still in the same direction.

"I have to break things off with Lori." Rick caught up with me again, slowing me down by grabbing my arm.

"Is that what you want to do, Rick?"

"I want to be with you. I just have to find some way to break it to Lori."

"I could call her and speed things along. Luckily for you, I am not that type of person. I am not messy even though I am heart deep."

"Yeah?" He was surprised.

"I want what we have out in the open. I deserve that." I revealed my desire to modify our agreement.

"I want that too. I just have to figure out a way to tell, Lori."

"In the meantime, get away from me. I want to watch a movie, not ponder your inability to break up with your fiancee."

"If I get away from you then you won't have a date tonight."

"How so?"

"Whoever you plan to meet up with at the movies is a Deadman, Michonne."

"Really?" I was flabbergasted.

"Fuck yeah, really. Problem?"

He was utterly confusing me with his possessiveness and he still had a whole ass fiancee that was determined to get him down the aisle. His self-assuredness was sexy. If we were inside of my apartment, his dominating behavior would have me out of my panties yet, again.

"No problem, Rick."

I was surprised that he took my hand and we continued walking in the direction of Alexandria's commercial area with shops, restaurants, and a large movie theatre.

We were close to our location. Our first date out in the open, when Rick turned to me and asked, "After I kick his ass, what are we here to see?"

"The movie is called, Let's Get Married."

A/N: I am still tinkering away. I want to put this baby to bed with a few more chapters. Maybe two more after this one. I know this is utterly silly but I am amused by how each chapter connects and reveals just a bit more than the chapter/scene portrayed.