Chapter 27: My Darling
Riley hardly wanted to walk through the front door and face Marshall. But she knew she was going to have to sometime. As she slipped her key into the lock and ducked inside, she was hoping he would be out or wouldn’t notice her enter. But as soon as she shut the door, she caught Marshall’s attention from the couch.
He sprung up and cross the apartment towards her, smiling. “Hey! How’d it go?” Riley bit her bottom lip, feeling a compression of emotions weighing her down. She dumped her bag and keys, without answering him and sighed. “What happened?”
She drew in a breath, “It went okay.” She looked up at him and he had nothing but sympathy on his face. She collapsed onto the sofa, trying to elaborate so he’d understand. “Sometimes photographers want a specific type of model. Not every model is the same or can always offer a certain vibe for them. The shoot went well, but I could tell they weren’t that into me. I thought this was going to be my big break…”
She felt better telling him about it that she thought but she still couldn’t hide from her own failure. If they liked her, they might have actually given her a contract. And then she’d have a permanent job with them. The rejection stung significantly, despite Mark’s attempts on the way home to make her feel better. He’d assured her that he’d never met such unprofessional people in his life. She’d had such high hopes on this working out. And with another potential contract down the drain, it was beginning to feel like she was going nowhere. She was running out of money and was struggling for work.
Marshall studied her for a moment before holding his hand out. She gave him a look but slipped her hand into his. He helped her off the sofa and back onto her feet and led her out onto the balcony. The air was crisp but you could smell, see and hear the beach from there. The serenity instantly calmed her and she understood why he brought her out here. He knew her so well…
“I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you,” He insisted, sounding truly upset.
Riley shrugged. “It’s okay. I don’t know what I’m going to do, though.” She rested her palms on the steel balcony bar and looked out at the horizon, wondering how on earth she was going to fix all of this.
Marshall placed a hand on her back and rubbed in circles, as if he saw the stress in her eyes. As he dropped his hand he cleared his throat. “I actually have a few things I want to talk to you about.”
She gave him a frown, confused by where he was going. “What is it?”
He shoved his hands in his pockets, giving her a sheepish look, “I have an answer to your modelling problem.”
Surprise and curiosity filled her. How could he possibly have a solution? “What?”
“I got a call from Paul today,” Marshall skirted around the subject a little. “He finalized the dates for a tour I’m doing next month.”
Riley raised a brow, “That’s exciting…. But I don’t see how that-”
Marshall just cut her off with a sly smile, “We want to have you on tour with us, as part of the show.” She was so shocked she chocked on her own words, unable to form a sentence. He only chuckled at her facial expression. “We want to do the ‘Criminal’ skit on stage. And we need you.”
Riley looked back out at the ocean in disbelief. She’d be performing in front of thousands of people, it would be incredible publicity for her name and might help her land another job. “H-how many shows are you doing?”
“Forty nine over a three month period,” He returned, solemnly. Three months? He wanted her to come on tour with him for three months? “You don’t have to give me an answer now,” He insisted, softly, placing his hand on her shoulder as she looked back at him. “I know it’s a big decision and you might want to talk it over with Mark or something.”
She was still stunned but managed to pull back into station get-a-gripville, “Right… thanks, that’s a hell of an offer.”
He stepped closer, intently looking into her eyes. “I also have another offer… but it’s much more personal.”
Intrigued, she narrowed her eyes at him, “What is it?”
He looked down at the ground, as if he were nervous but gained his confidence quickly. “I’ve been thinking about… us and everything we’ve been through and I’ve realized that I don’t want us to just be a fling. I-” He paused and looked up at the ocean for a moment before returning his attention to her. He looked so raw, like he wasn’t hiding anything. It was one of a few time she’d looked at him with his guard down. “I care about you, Riley and I don’t want to share you with anybody else.” Her heart started racing as she realized where he was headed. “Will you be my girlfriend?”
Swallowing, it was hard to ignore the complete sincerity in his eyes. He’d laid his guard down for her and very clearly expressed how he felt. It would have taken him so much courage to do that. And with his popularity, she was surprised he did it so soon. She assumed he was more suspicious of her motives.
She looked up at the view, soaking in its beauty as she assessed her own feelings. Everything he’d said she agreed with. They got along well, they always had fun together. She cared greatly for him and he cared for her. He was something she’d never found in a relationship with someone else. Guys often used her because she was a model, a show pony for their friends. But she felt like what she had with Marshall was real… so unmistakably honest.
“You haven’t said anything.” Marshall’s voice shattered her thoughts.
She realized a whole minute had passed and she hadn’t answered him. Stumbling, she took her eyes off the ocean and stepped towards him. With so much on her mind, she hardly focused on her footing and slipped easily. Horrified, she felt herself tumble to the ground but the falling was cut short as Marshall reacted quickly and caught her in his arms.
Completely supported by him, it reminded her of the criminal photo-shoot back in LA, especially as she felt herself began to fall deeply into his eyes. Unsurprised by her clumsiness, they both started laughing. His smile lit up his whole face, accentuating all his wonderful features. As she beamed up at him she opened her mouth and said one very dangerous word. “Yes.”
Marshall stopped laughing and stared at her for a minute, as if he was shocked that she’d agreed. After a few seconds, he lifted her up completely and the smile returned to his face. “I know just how to celebrate,” His voice has slightly dark but alluring as he carried her back through the balcony door. Bending down he kissed her on the neck, working his way lower and lower as he carried her.
She giggled as he ran his teeth up and down her neck, tickling her. In a teasing voice she said, “Why do I have the feeling you’ve been dying to do this?”
They reached the bedroom quickly and Marshall set her down on the edge of the bed, staring at her with lustful eyes, “I wanted to wait for the right moment. For when you were mine.”
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Marshall could smell something delicious. As cracked open his eyelids, he was blinded by the morning sunlight, flooding in the room from the window across from him. Sitting up, he realized that the rest of the bed was empty. Inhaling the strong, sweet smell grew stronger. Flicking off the covers and pulling on some boxers, Marshall slipped out of Riley’s bedroom and saw her standing in the kitchen flipping pancakes, wearing nothing but her underwear.
Smiling, he figured he was the luckiest man alive as he surprised her from behind, pressing his body right up against hers. She gasped but the chuckled as he looked over her shoulder at the stove below. The pancakes were golden and perfectly round.
“Am I dreaming?” He whispered in her ear. “I wake up to my girlfriend cooking breakfast in the kitchen, practically naked? I have to be…”
She shook her head and poured the last of the batter into the sizzling pan. “You’re not. I’m just that amazing.” He smirked and dug around in the kitchen for some cutlery as she flipped the last pancake. He set out the small table as Riley placed the last pancake on the plates and carried them over. They sat down and started eating, quietly. As he stared at her, he knew something was on her mind.
“What’s up?” He asked, drowning his pancakes in maple syrup.
Riley put down her fork and bit her bottom lip, “How are we going to make this work from different states?”
He spoke before he even realized what he said, “Come to Michigan.”
She looked shocked. “What?”
He quickly backed up his argument with some evidence, trying to act like it wasn’t a big deal. “You said that Miami doesn’t feel like home. Why hang around if you don’t like it here?”
She looked down at her plate. “It’s been a long time since I’ve moved. I don’t even remember where I lived before here. I…” She stopped and looked upset. Reaching out, he grasped her hand across the table. “I’ve bene moving around my whole life.”
He sighed, understanding perfectly how that felt. “I get it,” He insisted, strongly. “It can be hard uprooting all the time. I did it a lot too. Besides, it will give you a chance to start fresh, get away from that asshole that lives across the hall.” Riley nodded, seeing his point of view. “I could help get you started, buy an-”
“No.” She said, very firmly. He shut his mouth in pure surprise. She gave him a sympathetic look but remained strong, “I don’t want you to do anything like that. You earnt your money fair and square. I’ll work something out.”
He raised a brow, “So that’s a yes then?”
She smirked, realizing she was talking about how she was going to move instead of whether or not she was going to. “I think it would be easier. And you’re right… there’s nothing for me here.”
He sat back in his chair, thinking about how crazy this next month was going to be. He had his tour starting up very soon and he’d have to start rehearsing for it. Riley was moving to Detroit so they could be closer and she might be working with him on the road… it was insane. But as he looked across the table at her, he knew they were making the right decisions. She was everything he ever wanted. She wasn’t in it for the money or the fame, she liked him for who he was. Which was something he never thought he’d be able to find again.
Riley’s phone started ringing from across the room. She pulled an annoyed look and excused herself, answering the phone in her room. She didn’t return for a full ten minutes, and by that time he’d finished eating and started cleaning up. Eventually she emerged, looking gleeful.
“That was Mark,” She said. Marshall had to hold back his disapproving grunt. “We talked about your tour.”
He raised a brow, “And?”
“He says that it’s a great opportunity and that I should get it in writing,” Riley giggled.
Marshall rolled his eyes, “Of course. He doesn’t trust me.”
Riley shrugged, “He doesn’t trust anybody. Don’t take it personally.” She paused and stepped closer to him, “Do you think we’re going too fast? These last 24 hours have been insane… so many life decisions.”
He leant back against the kitchen counter, unsure if she agreed or disagreed with her. “Who says what pace we should go at? Who sets that standard? I think as long as we’re working together, it doesn’t matter.”
Riley just smiled back at him, “I think that too.”