Mia changed. She wasn't herself when they returned home. She was quiet. Lost in thought mostly. She sat staring out the window most days. Nothing seemed to interest her. The music she usually blasted through the house was absent and the museum quality clean she usually maintain had slipped. She left things draped over the back of the couch. Her shoes remained where she had kicked them off instead in the basket by her door and she left dishes in the sink.
Randy visited like he always did. Joining her and Roman on weeknights, just to watch a show or eat dinner. He worried about her. She seemed to have lost her spirit and Randy blamed himself. The secret they shared was eating her alive and he knew her conscience was keeping her awake at night. He wondered if she would snap out of it. Wondered how long it would take before her sin finally gave her peace. He hoped it wouldn't take her blurting out her mistake. Lord, that would be the worst thing she could do. Roman would never understand. Even Randy didn't understand how it had happened. He had always done a great job of hiding his feelings, even drunk. But seeing her tears, her sadness – he couldn't contain it. He wanted her happy. Whatever it took.
"I couldn't take care of it in Vegas." He whispered to her when Roman was out of the room. "But I'll get my lawyer to take care of it."
"I can't divorce you, Randy." A flicker of hope. "I don't believe in it. You know that."
"It's an annulment, Mia. It's not the same thing."
"We got married." She repeated. "It counts."
"So, what do you want me to do?" "I don't know." the bland, unemotional tone of his voice saddened him. "It doesn't matter. Nothing matters anymore."
Randy had the papers drawn up anyway, ready for them both to sign when she was ready. And she would be ready eventually. She just needed time to realize that no one could be perfect. She had to forgive herself and realize that she had been driven to do what she did. She had been vulnerable and she had needed that moment. He just never thought it would affect her so negatively in the end.
Thankfully, she didn't remember all the details. He had been too honest. Yet, he had managed to hold back slightly. Making it all seem like he was joking around. She would believe he loved her as a friend. Nothing more. The same type of love she had for him.
A month … two months … six. She still remained in a shell.
"Hey doll." they hadn't brought up their marriage since the day they returned. The papers still sat unsigned in his desk drawer. She worked in a diner. Close to one of his sites. His construction company had blossomed and he stopped in every day while making his rounds to the buildings his men were erecting.
Mia turned around, placed a cup in front of him, filled it with coffee. His afternoon caffene fix she knew he would need to get through the day. But no smile. He really missed that smile.
"I'm worried about you." He sighed. Mixed in his cream and sugar.
"I'm fine Randy." She promised and moved to check on her other customers. "You're usual lunch?" She asked when she returned.
"Yeah." He touched her hand. "What time do you get off?" She'd only worked at the place a couple of months and she usually took the bus home, but he didn't like it. The area was not the safest and he had been skeptical about taking on the project only two doors away because of the crime rate of the area. He had to order twice the security he would normaly employ and had to pass the cost of down to his customer when security wasn't something he usually charged for since he was mostly protecting his own equipment.
"Late." she told him. "I have to close now."
"Hmmm." he sipped his coffee. "Don't leave on your own. Wait for your co-workers."
"That's going to be difficult, because I'll be here alone." She shrugged. "Everyone else will be out of here an hour or two before me."
"I don't like that."
"It's part of the job. We all have to take turns and its my turn this month." she shrugged.
"I really wish you would quit this whole in the wall."
"I'm looking, but for now, I'll have to put up with it. I can't afford to miss a paycheck while I look."
"I know." If Roman had moved her in, she could afford it, but it would make it hard on him to keep seeing Destiny if he did that. It left a foul ball in Randy's stomach. Destiny was nice too, falling for the same lines as Mia. Her pregnancy hadn't lasted. Miscarrying in her second month. Roman took him out for drink to celebrate his good luck. It was sickening and not the man he knew he really was. Roman had been acting differently for a long time and he wondered what he was hiding from.
Mia said good bye to her last co-worker. The silence of the usually busy diner was eeirie, but she had work to do and the sooner it was done, the sooner she could head home. She started turning off the equipment, checking it twice to be sure she hadn't missed anything. She took out a bottle of cleaner and began spraying the counters. The door chimed. Damn, she had forgotten to lock it.
"We're closed." She said politely.
"I'm not here for the food." A familiar deep growl. She glanced up. Randy entered and sat down at the bar, clasping his hands in front of him. The suit he wore earlier replaced by a pair of form fitting jeans and a tight tee shirt that she could see the outline of his muscular chest.
"I told you I'd be alright."
"I don't like this neighborhood. Especially at night. Do you have a problem with me sititng here with you."
"Do I ever have a problem with you hanging around?"
"No." he laughed. "So, it's been a long time since we've been completely alone."
"We seem to get into trouble when we're alone lately." She smiled.
"It's good to see you smile." She smiled even wider. It had been awhile. She hadn't felt like herself in a long time. "You've seemed depressed. Is because of Vegas?"
"No. it's not that."
"Then what?" he implored. "You know you can tell me anything."
"It's … Roman. I found some things."
"Like?"
"It's no big deal."
She finished her work and Randy walked her out. Waited for her to lock the doors and then gave her a ride home. Actually, he insisted. And repeated his actions every night that month.
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