Chapter 9: Nannette and Mark on the Street
"What was that?" Mark shouted, pulling Nanette into the alley.
"I don't know," she answered.
Mark watched her wipe a tear from her blotchy face. He pulled her close and hugged her tight. "What did Maureen tell you?" he asked.
"She said that you two were together," she told him, "and that I was a little something on the side."
"No," Mark whispered, "no, that's not true."
She pulled back and looked at him. "Then what is true?" she asked.
"What's true?" he repeated, "I'll tell you what's true: when Maureen broke up with me I was devastated. Every time that I saw her with Joanne, it felt like part of me died. I though that I loved her. I did, honestly, try to get back with her on many occasions, but she never complied," he laughed at the thought of hid feeble attempts, "but then one day, I was sitting alone at a café, and I saw the most beautiful girl that I'd ever seen," He kissed her on the head, "From that moment on, everything changed. I knew that I'd never feel the same about Maureen as I did about this girl."
"So you're not with her?" Nannette asked with hopeful eyes.
"Nope," Mark grinned.
"And I'm not just a little something on the side?" she continued.
"Tell me this," he said, "would I ever confess my love to just a little something on the side?" Nannette grinned, and hugged Mark.
"I love you, too," she whispered into his coat. He lifted her chin and kissed her full on the mouth. His hand ran through her slightly messy hair and her tongue lined his lips.
"I'm glad to hear it," he whispered when they parted. The started down the street towards the loft, hand in hand.