Freaks Of Nature

For the next two weeks Marie found herself struggling to fall asleep at night. The vivid memories of her behaviour at the end of her date with Carlos haunted her like a bad horror movie. It lingered in the back of her mind, haunting her in moments when all she really wanted was to feel at ease. For the most part Heidi and paige avoided bringing the topic up in casual conversation. After her little tantrum on the night of the date, when she marched all the way up to her apartment and cursed them both for forcing her into such a wretched situation, they had tip-toed around her as though she were a viper.

Work went by much easier for her. There were less customers during the day due to it being off season for tourism in the city and for the most part those that did check in had very little complaints about the state of their rooms. She found herself redoing mundane little tasks just to keep busy. The desk was dusted and re-dusted almost a hundred times every day. The papers in her desk were shuffled through so frequently that the lobby began to sound more like a library than the check-in area of a fancy hotel.

“So...What are your plans for tonight?” Heidi asked her after the fourth day of silence had passed and they were both starting to go crazy from the high tension.

“I don't know.” Marie shrugged her shoulders as she gazed at the glass doors of the hotels entrance. “I'm thinking of having dinner out tonight maybe. I could go for something that isn't processed or frozen....” [i]Like Chinese food.[/i] her mind screeched as a hint of colour rose in her cheeks. Ever since Carlos had taken her inside that restaurant she had been craving for another taste. She woke up gnawing on her pillow, and every time she walked past it on her way home her mouth would begin to water.

“I have this event I'm supposed to go to tonight if you're interested.” Heidi suggested in between searching through the depths of her purse. “It's some sort of gallery event. My parents keep giving me tickets to them in hopes it will “culture' me. I don't have the heart to tell them I don't like most modern art. I invited Paige along too but she say's she can't go. Something about her working late tonight I think.”

“Sounds more like she has a date planned for tonight but she doesn't have the heart to tell you the truth.”

Heidi chuckled as she lifted her head up. “Oh Mar-Mar you know her like a book. I think it's that boy she hooked up with in a bar about a month ago but I can't be sure. Either way I could sure use your company.”

Chewing at a loose piece of skin that had been hanging off her bottom lip Marie gave her shoulders a gentle shrug. “Sure. Why not.” She replied with a heavy sigh, having realized that she hadn't had any genuine “plans” since her Doctors appointment two months ago.

“I'll pick you up from your apartment around 7:00, okay?” Heidi beamed, overjoyed by the prospect of not having to endure her little artistic rendezvous all alone. She glanced over in Marie's direction, frowning very briefly when her friend's stomach made a loud gurgling noise. “You should really eat something when you get home Mar-Mar. I'm starting to worry about you. This is the fifth day you've skipped out on lunch.”

Marie stared down at her desk, unable to hold her head up and face the concerning look that was spread across her friends face. The first night that her insomnia had kicked in she had spent hours in her bathroom examining herself in the mirror. For some reason that evening she felt that her face appeared a tad thinner than it used to be. Though she measured herself at least a dozen times and the scale had glaringly told her not even a pound of weight had been lost she'd convinced herself that something was happening. She'd started to maintain her eating habits after that. No lunch, light dinners, and low fat breakfasts to help slim down the pudgy flesh that was threatening to consume her. Her knuckles turned white as she stared down at the silver cuff bracelet she thrown on her wrist today. It was one of the last gifts Jack had given her before their relationship started to fall apart. It was around the same time that she had started to pack on excessive weight.

“I'm fine Heidi.” She managed to say as she yanked open a drawer and pretended to be rummaging through it. The truth of the matter was that Marie wasn't interested in discussing her eating habits. Not with a slender nymph who had never dealt with the grief of excess weight. Hearing a lecture from Heidi about “inner beauty” was simply too much for her to handle.

“I still think you should eat something before we go out tonight Mar-Mar.” The other woman pouted softly as the elevator doors opened up and a grey haired man stepped across the lobby and out the door. “It's not healthy to skip meals like that. Maybe I could come to get you early...”

“No, it's fine Heidi. I can fix something up for myself at home just fine. Don't worry about me!” Marie smiled, waving her hands in the air in the most light-hearted way her awkward body could muster. “I'm a grown woman you know. I think I can take care of myself just fine.”

The moment she got home she made a point of devouring a bowl of whole grain rice mixed with steamed carrots. Every bite weighed on her tongue like a glob of cement and it was a struggle just to swallow. Every mouthful made her feel as though the weight that she was attempting to loose would return in full force, and she would be back into the depressive and bloated state she'd been in two weeks ago.

Getting ready was another struggle that caused her to rummage around her room for an hour. Through the piles of ratty or faded clothing the only thing that seemed even vaguely acceptable to be present inside an art gallery was the brilliant red dress that her mother had sent her last Christmas. She adored the striking colour and the flirty shape but the form fitted waistline had made her shy away from wearing it in public. It took throwing on a pair of slimming panties, thick nylons, and a waist chincher that made deep breathing difficult for her to enjoy the way that the vibrant garment it looked on her. After wearing it around her apartment for a half-hour of tidying up and watching the clock she began to adjust to the way that it skimmed the curves of her body. Now if she could last the night without having her carefully concealed “slimming” garments rip or burst she would escape offending anyones eyes.

On the balls of her feet she leaned against her bathroom counter and fussed over her make up. She tried using the grey and black eyeshadow Heidi had given her to make her eyes look “smoky” but after ten minutes of blending and smearing and reapplying she found that she looked more like a racoon. It took wads of toilet paper to remove the mess. And when she was done her skin was red. She opted for the bare minimum of a thin layer of foundation, and small whisk of mascara instead. Smokey really wasn't her niche anyways.

Heidi arrived shortly afterwards and burst through the front door with a grin on her face. From her purse she produced the two tickets they would be using that evening and handed them to Marie to look at while she attempted to show her the proper way to apply lipstick. The address of the gallery was not familiar to Marie. It was somewhere on the other side of the city, in a place that she seldom bothered to visit. It was in an area where only the most elite and fashionable members of the city dared to venture. Even an adorable girl like Heidi would have felt like an outsider in such a place.

As they made they way downstairs and into the cab that had been waiting outside for them Marie felt her stomach lurch just a little. “I've never been to a gallery before.” She admitted as she gazed at her own reflection in the window of the car. “What's it like?”

“Boring really.” Heidi replied as she twirled the ends of her hair around the tip of her finger. “It's just a bunch of paintings and photographs in a big room where people stand around gapping and pretending to be interested in what they're seeing. Think of it as a museum crossed with a cocktail party. Only without the joy of being able to hiding in a dark corner for the evening. Those are usually reserved for the artwork.”

There were already dozens of people inside by the time they strolled in. Rain drops trickled down from the sky, forcing everyone to rush for the nearest shelter. Though the night was still young the streets were not nearly as lively as they should have been. Through the window of the cab Marie could not help but admire the golden light that streamed out of the various clubs and restaurants that lined both sides of the street. After they paid the driver all that was left for them to do was make a wild dash for the gallery's front door. Though Marie felt as if she had sprinted the entire way her hair was still speckled with drops of rain.

The man guarding the front door smiled at them as Heidi produced their tickets, handing them over in such a fluid motion that Marie hardly noticed the exchange. One moment their path was being blocked by a black-clad figure and the next she was being whisked inside, with only Heidi's delicate hand grasped around her arm to keep her from slipping into a comatose state from her own confusion. Inside she was hit by a wall of pleasant warm and the same amber glowing light that had streamed from every other opened window on this street. Though there were many other people gathered inside that appeared as if this event was a casual occurrence none of them seemed to recognize Heidi or Marie as an outsider. In fact not a single gaze fell upon them as they made their way across the room. The small clusters of murmuring strangers were nothing more than background noise, beings whom had already mingled in amongst each other and had no interest in allowing two newcomers into their little circles.

Heidi seemed to cheer up as they lingered in front of a photograph near the very back wall. Though she had expressed distain for what she called “modern art” she commented that these were not nearly as intolerable as she believed they would be. Marie was more surprised by the fact that a single room carried such a remarkable diversity of both paintings and photographs while still somehow managing to look coordinated.

This got more pleasant when drinks started being passed around. She helped herself to a particularly fruity tasting one while Heidi found several individuals whom she recognized as friends of her parents. Though she said absolutely nothing for most of the evening Marie found herself enjoying the idea of being part of a social circle. One man, whom Heidi introduced as her fathers coworker, seemed very enthusiastic to have a silent audience member that willingly listened to him describing the symbolism behind the massive sculpture that had been perched in the very centre of the room.

Though Marie knew absolutely nothing about art she found herself engrossed by several of the paintings that had been placed on display. Though they depicted very simplistic things such as flower vases or portraits of young women, the vibrancy of the colours used to make them seemed to scream out to her, dragging her in like a fish on the end of a hook. Someone beside her murmured happily about them all being by the same artist but she did not bother paying attention long enough to find out exactly who they were. She'd already received enough explanations about art earlier and had not yet recovered from it.

Heidi for the most part seemed fully capable of drifting from one group of people to another and had quickly made her way into the circle of a handsome gentlemen whom she was more than just a little enamoured with. Marie smirked gently as she observed from the opposite side of the room. Heidi always had difficulty trying to mask exactly how she felt about a person. It made being aloof; a trait that she had once mentioned being vital in the art of dating and relationships, rather difficult.

Like a television sitcom Marie observed the scene without budging from her spot. Every now and then she would pretend to be examining the painting right next to her, but more often she just stood there gazing at her friend, slightly envious of how comfortable she was while surrounded by complete strangers.

For ten minutes she lingered in a state of bliss until turning away from the scene. As she was about to glance over at a different artwork for a change something distracted Marie from her trance. Lurking just a few paces in front of her stood a man whom she was far too familiar with. Surrounded by his only circle of friends, he did not appear to notice her gaze, it had always been like him to overlook distant admirers. A warm feeling settled in the pit of her stomach as she studied the details of his face. Everything about him was still the same. The light blonde hair that fell lazily over one eye was still there for him to run his fingers through it on occasion. His blue eyes still sparkled with the same mischievous delight they had in the past. Even his laugh was the same as it wafted through the air, reaching her ears like the faint strums of a violin.

Marie had not expected to run into Jack under such casual circumstances. Though she had fantasized about it frequently she had almost accepted that at this point she would of had to stalk the man to catch a glimpse of him. Even from such a safe distance she could tell he was doing just fine without her. He was laughing, and drinking, and entertaining the people around him with a few tasteful jokes. Clutching her own glass, which was almost empty at this point in the evening, Marie could not help but feel as if bombarded. The feeling got increasingly worse when she glanced up again and noticed [i]her[/i] lingering by his side. The room felt as if it was shrinking as she locked her eyes on the woman, whose brilliant smile was so delightful that it almost made her question if this was really the same person who had stolen Jack away from her. But as she kept looking, and watched her swish one dainty hand through a mane of golden locks she knew it could only be Tricia; and she was as beautiful as ever.

Horror struck through her heart as she watched them like a fly on a wall. Neither of them appeared to notice her. Or if they had then they paid little attention. From the looks of the way that they laughed loudly with each other and exchanged misty-eyed looks they might have already forgotten all about Marie. She was after all, “last years news”. They were probably too busy having long walks around the city and spending afternoons together on a couch to bother remember such unimportant details such as ex girlfriends. It would have been less painful if Tricia had pulled out a gun at that moment and fired a few shots into Marie's chest.

A sinking feeling settled in the pit of her stomach when suddenly the people that had been hanging onto Jack's every word decided it was time to go get refills on their drinks. They parted like the red sea, scattering so quickly that it seemed as if staged. He was the first to react, parting his lips into the shape of an “o”, no doubt just as surprised by Marie as she was by him. Cursing softly under her breath she forced one of her hands into the air, stiffly waving in his direction in a way that was so abrupt that one might of thought they were casual acquaintances rather than former lovers. Of course when Tricia was alerted to her presence her face lit up like a fourth of July celebration. “Marie! What a pleasant surprise!” She beamed, holding both of her arms out dramatically and sauntering over. Marie felt just a little numb when she felt those long limbs wrap around her, hugging her firmly before pulling her at arms length. Tricia was adorned in a slinky black dress similar to the one she'd been wearing the day she came to pick Jack up when he left. It emphasized the womanly curves of her body, while the strappy held adorning her feet gave her the height of a catwalk model. If she had taken out a gun and fired a few times into Marie's chest it would have been less painful. “It's absolutely wonderful to see you again. I never thought you would be the type to visit art galleries, and you look so chic!” She commented as her eyes strayed up and down Marie's body, noting the way she had dressed herself this evening.

“I was sort of invited here by a friend.” Marie sighed as she griped the drink glass she still had in one hand. Where the hell was Heidi anyways? Right now would have been the perfect time for her to whisk over and save Marie before things got too uncomfortable, but Heidi did not seem to be anywhere near them. “It's, uh, nice to see you again too.” She added, unable to decide whether Tricia's friendliness was genuine or sarcastic.

Jack appeared beside them a few moments after, still stricken with the same surprised expression he'd had when he first saw Marie. “It's...good to see you again.” He murmured, shoving his hands into the pockets of his blazer while Tricia grinned at him.

“We purchased tickets for this event three months ago. When I heard that one of my favourite modern artists would be showing some of his work here I just couldn't resist. I was acting like a little kid on Christmas morning earlier today.” While Tricia spoke she leaned against Jack, running her hand across his chest slowly. Marie felt her stomach churn just a little but somehow she managed to pretend as if she did not notice the affectionate behaviour between them.

“I can't really tell the difference between any of these artists.” She said, glancing around the room again in order to spare herself a few moments of having to look them both in the eye.

“That's a real shame.” Tricia responded with a little pout of her lips before smiling again. “But I suppose that the world of art is just not everyones cup of tea. You seem more like a cinema type of girl to me anyways.”

“I guess so.” Marie struggled to compose herself when she caught a glimpse of Jacks amused expression. Why did they seem so god damn casual? They were talking to the girl whose life had been turned upside down by them as if she was their friend. The fact that Tricia seemed to radiate a completely self-absorbed aura around her was just icing on top of the cake. The way she batted her eyelashes was the cherry.

“Tricia and I have been coming to galleries like this one almost every weekend. I love the social vibrancy of these types of settings and she cannot get enough of the culture.” Jack shrugged his shoulders as he looked at her, stone-faced and completely unmoved by her presence now. “You seem to be doing pretty well. Still working at the hotel I assume?”

“Yes. I'm still there. But they've given me a bit of a raise.” Yes, the small talk, just as she expected. It was the best way to smooth over those uncomfortable situations. “I'm here with Heidi by the way. But she seems to have wandered off somewhere and now I can't find her.”

“Probably clinging onto some boy. That's just like Heidi.” Tricia remarked as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Between her and Paige I don't know which one is more boy-crazy. It must be quite a handful going out with them.” She twisted her head, glancing at the painting that was almost directly beside them. “I cannot believe I didn't see this one earlier. It's an original C. Romero. I've been crazy about his work for months! He just moved here from overseas and this is the first tine he's allowed his work to be shown in a North American gallery.” As she spoke Marie notice that her eyes got brighter, the way that a child's does when they see something that truly excites them. “Ooooo I just adore his work. It's so expressive. I'd given anything to own something by him, but I hear he isn't much of a fan of selling to private collectors.”

“Romero eh.” Marie frowned as she glanced over at the painting. It was very pretty pf course. But she just couldn't get the same vibes from it that Tricia did. The name of the artist however was a different matter. It sounded familiar to her. “That's an interesting last name.”

“It's wonderful isn't it?” Tricia interrupted her gleaming as she scuttled back over to Jack again. “He's Spanish. His father and Grandfather were both artists as well. Their family has an amazing artistic history. Even though they each have their own unique style they all use pure, vibrant colours in their work. It's really beautiful.”

Jack was perfectly silent the whole time that Tricia spoke. It was a surprise to see him pay such close attention to her the way he did. Marie had memories of Jack at parties always wanting to be the centre of attention. He was never a very subtle man, or a polite listener. At least not when he had been with her. But tonight it seemed everything was different. He held his tongue, maintaining a silent composure as Tricia raved on and on about the artwork beside them.

In the midst of the torture the various people around them seemed to all drift in the same direction. Marie only noticed because several of them bumped into her. When she turned around to shoot one man, who had brushed by her so quickly he'd elbowed her in the stomach, a rather sour look she noticed that a gathering had started on the other side of the room. In fact, it appeared that almost half of the people in the gallery were rushing over to that spot. The sounds of their murmurs distracted even Tricia, who had turned to look in the direction of the mysterious gathering shortly after Marie had. “What do you suppose is going on over there?” She chirped curiously, nudging Marie playfully with her arm as if they were childhood friends.

In the midst of the chatter coming from the crowd a figure slowly rose up over top of the swarm of heads. Though he had his back turned away from Marie's stomach tightened instinctively. Her mind flooded with dread, overwhelmed by the despair of having to deal with not one, but two nuisances in her life. “Oh god.” She whispered, lowering her gaze when she saw him turn around. That was Carlos alright. If the height wasn't a dead give away that cheerful expression plastered across his face certainly was.

Almost as soon as she recognized him she found herself being mentally assaulted by the humiliating memories of her behaviour towards him, most importantly the image of herself running into her apartment like a spineless coward and slamming the door on his face after he'd taken her on a perfectly enjoyable date. If it wasn't for Tricia standing right beside her looking like a runway model in her casual stance, she might have curled up onto the floor and begged for death to come take her away.

“Oh my god!” Tricia exclaimed loudly as she reached over to place one manicured hand across Jacks shoulder. “It's HIM. I cannot believe it. That's actually him. He came here tonight. He NEVER goes to gallery openings.”

Marie blinked dumbly, glancing over at Carlos for a moment as she attempted to decipher what Tricia's joy was stemming from. Then after an awkward pause of fiddling uneasily with her empty cocktail glance she laughed softly to herself. “The 'C' in C.Romero wouldn't happen to stand for 'Carlos' would it?” She asked with a nervous laughter.

“Yes!” Tricia beamed. “His full name is Carlos Romero. How on earth did you know that? I thought you weren't a fan of the world of art.”

“Yea well, I sort of know him outside the artistic realm.” Marie bleated softly, narrowing her eyes when she noticed how misty eyed Tricia became when she cast gaze towards Jack again. The woman was a nightmare. Sugar-sweet in the way she showed kindness to Marie and so charming that even hating her for stealing her boyfriend out from under her nose made Marie feel as if she were some sort of criminal.

“That must be really exciting Marie. Did he stay at your hotel for a few nights? Is that how you know him? I hope we get to talk to him later on this evening. I'd love to ask him a few questions about his work. Ohhh, This is all so exciting! It's like meeting a rockstar!!”

“I guess so.” Marie cringed softly, unable to bring herself to confess the truth. She would have sooner had Tricia snub her nose up thinking she'd checked Carlos into a hotel room than admit to the real way she had met him. Even after all that time had passed since that night she still got warm in the face recalling it. She'd been carefully watching her alcohol intake ever since, just to make sure she never did anything that embarrassing again.

The crowd that had been swarming around Carlos was beginning to diminish now. Like a hungry cat waiting for it's bowl to be refilled Tricia watched with wide eyed anticipation, all the while murmuring almost every “fact” or “story” she knew about the artistic giant. Marie paid little attention to any of then, although Jack smiled and discussed them happily with her. For the longest time they almost entirely ignored her and became caught up in their own discussion. Marie was disturbingly happy about this having decided that conversation with Tricia was better to be avoided. Eventually a young man came by to take her empty glass from her. He asked if she wanted a refill but with the memory of her drunken encounter with Carlos fresh on her mind again she politely refused. No sense in making a terrible situation worse.

“Marie?” He saw her as she was leering her eyes across the room, hunting for a glimpse of Heidi or a place to cower. The fine hairs on the back of her neck tingled at the sound of his surprised laughter. He was padding over to her moments after that and there was no place for her to run. She froze like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming car, unable to mask her own horror as he made his way across the room. Tricia, who had been almost completely ignoring her by that point, paused in the middle of a sentence when she noticed Carlos approaching them. Her mouth swung open, creating a feeble squeaking noise as if it were composed of rusted metal. He paused directly in front of Marie standing close enough to cast a shadow over though he seemed unaware of the woman who hovered beside her. “What a surprise. I didn't think I would be seeing you again. In an art gallery nonetheless.”

“Yea, well I never really thought I'd be running into you either. I only came here tonight because Heidi had an extra ticket and didn't want to show up by herself.” With her arms pinned by her sides she felt rigid and stiff. It was impossible for her to decide whether to curse or adore his presence. Though she burned with guilt over the way she'd acted during their “date” a few weeks prior and small part of her took delight in that horror stricken look she'd seen on Tricia's face. It must have been a nightmare to have you idol walk up and exchange casual conversation with a person that you personally deemed uncultured. And that was probably how she felt about Marie. Or at least her subtle insults throughout the evening had led Marie to believe this.

“Well then I suppose I owe Heidi a 'thank you' then.” He stated, smiling at her in a rather playful manner as he lifted one hand to brush the hair out of his eyes. “Honestly I regret not trying to call you. I wanted to do it almost a week ago but I thought that you might think I was stalking you or something.”

“Sounds like you two know each other fairly well...” Internally Marie burned with annoyance at the sound of Tricia's voice. The surprise of Carlos waltzing over to them out of the blue, which had rendered her dumbstruck moments before, had now faded away. She had resumed her regular, bubbly state. When she glanced over at the woman she could see there was a bright smile forming across her lips and she had begun to twirl the ends of her hair. “You're quite the trickster Marie. You told me that you knew very little about the world of art, but hear you are chatting it up with C. Romero himself.”

“I didn't really know he was a big hot shot artist before tonight...” She churned, narrowing her eyes for just a millisecond at Tricia who was filling the room with her melodic laughter. If there had been any justice in the world she should have been sobbing in a corner wondering why her precious Romero was paying more attention to dowdy little Marie than herself. But Tricia was not like that. She took the blows with a grain of salt, seemingly allowing them to roll off her shoulders. Her fast recovery from the shock was admirable all on it's own.

“Ahhh this must be a real surprise to you then.” Tricia giggled, holding her hand out towards Carlos and blind siding him with a mischievous little smirk. “I'm Tricia, a friend of Marie's. I absolutely LOVE your work.”

“Uhhh, thank you...I suppose.” Carlos paused just before he reached out, shaking Tricia's hand which such hesitation that to Marie it seemed as if he expected the woman to do something terrible to him. “It's always nice to meet a fan.”

She giggled softly, tossing her hair over one shoulder as she retracted from their little handshake. “Can I just say that your recent work is a wonderful contrast to the method of your grandfather. I actually wanted to ask you a few questions about the pieces you choose to put on display tonight. Do you mind?”

“Not at all. That's why I'm here tonight.” He agreed with a polite nod of his head, waving at Marie before he was taken by the arm and dragged off to a more deserted part of the gallery by Tricia. You could hear her chattering the whole way of course. Like a giddy teenager she could not seem to keep her mouth closed for longer than two minutes. The moment they were out of ear shot Jack made a low clicking noise with his tongue, glancing towards Marie with a bland expression.

“So...you're out and about again I see.” He remarked, narrowing his eyes at her in a way that made Marie feel like she was being summed up. “And making friends with artists too. Your life must be really exciting right now.”

“Like I said, I didn't know he was an artist before tonight....Er, well I sort of did but I didn't think he was an important one.” She shrugged her shoulders, afraid that if she looked up the butterflies in her stomach would get worse. “It must be fun going to art galleries every weekend. Tricia must be having a really good influence on you.”

She smiled only because it felt like the best thing to do. Really Marie wanted nothing more than to scream and shake Jack violently by his shoulders, especially when he got the same misty-eyed expression that Tricia seemed to get everything she talked about her precious artwork. “Mmhmm. She is a wonderful woman. I'm surprised to hear you speak so kindly about her though. I heard from a few friends of ours that you were still hung up on me.”

“Pfft, you know how many gossips there are in our social circle Jack.” She denied, giggling softly to ease a bit of the tension. “The truth is, I'm just fine with you and Tricia being together now. I came to terms with us breaking up ages ago.”

“Odd, that doesn't sound like you.” He responded, staring at her with a questionable expression. Her hearted fluttered anxiously. He was suspicious of her. She could see it in his eyes. “Somebody told me that you keep on walking past my apartment all the time. They said you kept looking around like you were waiting for me to come outside or something and quite frankly I thought it sounded kind of...pathetic.”

“Jack my job is in the same direction as your apartment. Of course I'm going to go walking by it all the time. It's the fastest way to and from the hotel.” Marie surprised herself by recovering very quickly from his offensive words. Normally it would have been agonizing to hear Jack call her pathetic, but tonight she was on fire and filled with snappy comebacks to all of his accusations.

“I suppose you're right. It would be rather presumptuous of me to expect you to find a different way to work just because we've broken up.” He shrugged, rather nervously it seemed, and turned to look over at Tricia and Carlos again. “I've never seen her this excited before. She must be a big fan of this Carlos. How do you know him if you don't mind me asking?”

“Oh...” Marie pursed her lips, staring down at the floor, which had been scuffed by the black marks and dirt smudges. “I just sort of bumped into him one night when I was out with Paige and Heidi. He walked me home and then came back the next day to give me back an earring of mine that he'd found on the street. We dated a few weeks ago. He's a really friendly person.” She shrugged, unable to mask the cheeky little grin that formed over her lips.

“Ah, so you're finally starting to date again. That's good. I'm glad to hear it.”

“Not really. It was only one date that we went on. Nothing special.” Marie admitted feeling rather ashamed of herself for opting for the truth rather than playing along with the assumption Jack had made of her. She would of given anything to prove how happy she was to him, even if it was a bald-faced lie.

“Oh well...maybe all you need is a little more time.” Jack said, smiling just a little too brightly for someone who had just heard an ex confess the horrible circumstances of their love life to him.

Heidi showed up a couple of minutes after that and she was not very pleased by the sight of Jack, or Tricia for that matter. “Well, well, well. What a surprise we've found tonight.”Somehow underneath her mask of makeup and hairspray she forced herself to smile at the man, and even went as far as shaking his hand and remarking how good it was too see him again. “You look...nice tonight Jack.” Heidi loathed Jack. She loathed him like a schoolyard nemesis. “Marie!” She said abruptly, turning her head towards her friend as she folded her arms over her chest. “It's getting late. I think you and I should head home.”

“Actually I was about to going looking or you for that reason. Carlos is here by the way. You remember him right? He's chatting with Tricia right over there right now. Apparently he's an artist. Weird coincidence huh?” She explained feeling much calmer with Heidi there to keep her company. Being alone with Jack was apparently a traumatizing event for her now. When she looked down she could see her hands trembling.

Heidi squinted her eyes when she looked over in the direction that Marie had pointed out to her. “I see Tricia is still her usual “charming” little self. It was nice bumping into you again Jack. Have a good night.” She remarked, dripping with sarcasm and she seized Marie by the arm and began to coax her towards the door. Jack didn't answer to her farewell although he appeared to be a tad shocked by the way she had dragged Marie away from him so quickly.

“I am so, so, SO sorry Marie!” She said as they stepped outside. It had finally stopped raining, and a cold feeling now clung to the air. “If I had known that little skank was going to be here tonight I would of never asked you to come. I know how much it bothers you to be around her.”

“It's fine Heidi. Really. I didn't mind.” She stuttered, overwhelmed by the cold air the had engulfed her from the moment she had slipped outside. “We should have called a cab while we were still inside though. It's freezing out here.”

“Sorry, I wasn't thinking about that. I just wanted to get out of there as fast as possible before I did something terrible.” As she spoke Heidi rummaged through her pull, pulling out her cellphone and casually dialling the name of a local taxi company. They stood together near the edge of the sidewalk, hugging themselves for warmth as she lifted the device to her ear and waited for a response on the other end of the line.

Somewhere in the midst of listening to Heidi struggling to speak into her phone over the sound of a passing truck and the whistling of the wind that was blowing past them she somehow managed to hear the sound of a voice calling out her name behind her.

“Marie!”

Even without looking over her shoulder she knew it was him. He had come chasing after them, gasping loudly for air as it he'd been sprinting for miles. Marie was horrified by the heavy sound of his footsteps contacting against the pavement. She wondered if the ground would shake if he were to trip and fall over. Carlos was, after all, a very tall human being. What crossed her mind more prominently however was why he was out there. And when he stopped, directly in front of her, panting loudly from exhaustion, she could do nothing but stare at him. “I wanted to talk to you before but that woman really got chatty with me. I had to make up a horrible lie to sneak away just now.” He exclaimed, glancing at her with an expression of genuine horror.

“Well, Tricia did say she was your fan.” She muttered, unable to shake the memory of their so called 'date' from the depths of her mind. “Listen, I'm really sorry about what happened between us a few weeks ago. And if you came out here to scorn me I understand. I'd be really pissed off too if someone did that to me. I wasn't thinking at the time and I just panicked-”

“Marie, I'm not angry at you.” Carlos exclaimed, lifting his hand to silence her in the middle of her rant. “I felt really bad about making you panic like that. I should have asked before I tried to kiss you.”

She was staring at her shoes again, only instead of trying mask her shame this time she found herself trying to mask the anxiety that had started to swell up inside of her. “It's not like we're teenagers you know. It was really stupid of me to freak out over something so harmless. I'm really sorry.”

Carlos appeared to accept the apology. He was certainly smiling when she looked back up at him again. With his arms dangling by his sides he appeared surprisingly harmless. “I was going to ask you in private but it appears you're about to leave.” He exclaimed, nodding over at Heidi, whom had stepped a few paces away to give them some privacy and was grinning from ear to ear like a jack-in-the-box. “Would you like to try going on a date again?”

“I don't know.” Marie's skin tingled as she lifted her hands and ran them through her hair, destroying the up-style which had taken her almost an hour to complete. “Listen Carlos, you're a nice guy and all, but I just got over a break up recently and I'm still messed up over it.”

“How long ago did you break up if you don't mind me asking?”

“Five months I think.” She sighed, feeling just a tad melodramatic.

Carlos shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't smiling anymore but the kindness had not vanished completely from his expression. “That seems like a long time to get over a break up. Are you sure you're not just trying to turn me down without coming across as rude?”

“No, no! You're a really nice guy. I'm not trying to come up with some lame excuse to dodge looking like a bitch. I don't have THAT great of a social circle!” Marie loudly exclaimed as she waved her arms frantically in the air.

“Then give me another chance. You're a really fascinating woman Marie. I feel like there is so much more about you that I'd like to learn. Please Marie.”

“Ugh, what do I do?” She turned to Heidi in hopes her friend might rescue her, but the woman gave her a cat-like grin that made it very clear exactly where she stood in this situation. Turning back to Carlos, she peered vainly into his eyes, wishing that he would just break out in a hysterical laughter and reveal this whole event as some cruel joke. “If I go out with you again will you forgive me for what I did last time?” She exclaimed, promptly searching for a way to make the best of a wretched situation.

“Yes.” He responded, and it sounded sincere. Several moments later the cab pulled up and Heidi beckoned for her to climb inside before the driver got impatient. Carlos shot her one final smile, calling something out that Marie didn't quite hear as she clambered into the back seat of the taxi. As she could hear was the muffled sound of his voice, calling something out to her as the car speed away into the darkness.