82 - SERENE PLACE

“You” Marvis pointed surprisingly at me, like I was the last person he expected to be crouched down in a random parking lot and crying my eyes out. Immediately, I wiped my tears and stood up to his height, well half his height judging from how well he towered above me. He was still dressed in the same suit as he had on earlier, which was at all not surprising just the fact that he was standing before me now with a curious look on his face.

“You’re crying” he said as a matter of fact.

“Well no shit Sherlock”

“Why?”

I gave him a strange look, dragging my sleeves across my nose wiping the snot that threatened to drip “Do you just expect me to tell you why I’m crying?”

He returned my look with an equal strangeness in his gaze “I mean you got the job you wanted, I’m wondering what else could be making you cry especially in public like this”

“So you’re trying to say there could be absolutely nothing else going on in my life except my desperate need for a job?”

He shrugged nonchalantly, and at least the tension that had plagued us earlier had disappeared and vanished into thin air and this moment we were both riding on his unusual casualness, not like I knew him any better.

“Nothing should you warrant you crying out in public like this” he said, his jaw seemed fixed and he looked mad, and I wasn’t sure why but I wasn’t too keen on his words because they only seemed to adding fire to my mood and I wasn’t going to stand and just let him annoy me further even though he was my manager.

“What are you even doing here?” I asked

“I have an appointment with my therapist but she just called to cancel”

I raised a brow “You go to therapy?” I added with a slight scoff.

“Why?”

“I mean you look quite macho and secure, absolutely nothing should warrant a guy who looks like he belongs to the Italian mafia to go to therapy”

The silence stretched between us with his eyes darkening a bit, both of us staring at each other and waiting for the other to break first but he pulled his eyes away sooner than I expected, I thought he’d be up for a challenge but I guess not.

“Fine” he gave in “Do you want to go somewhere and maybe I’ll listen to why you’re crying”

“As opposed to - ?”

“Standing here by yourself in tears?” he had seemed genuinely offended that I had asked him that instead of just giving in and going with him wherever he wanted to take me to.

I stood in silence watching him and he regarded me the same way just until this time, I was the one to pull my eyes away first

“What if I don’t want to tell you why I’m crying” I asked him and he shrugged again.

“Then you don’t have to, but then you have to listen to me say all the things I would have been saying to my therapist, either way someone has to do the trauma dumping”

“Interesting”

“Right”

Before I knew, I was seated awkwardly in the passenger seat of his Mustang that smelled more of masculine cologne and a little of booze and cigarette smoke. The smell wasn’t so far fetched when I looked over and saw a pack of cigarette sitting idly in his glove compartment.

“Where are we going?” I asked and he looked at me for a brief second.

“Just somewere, just relax okay – I’m not a serial killer and you might be right on the Italian Mafia but not a serial killer at least”

“Oh lucky me” the sarcasm dripped from my tongue dryly “Rather a ruthless mafia lord than a serial killer who’s missing one therapist appointment, at least I could negotiate reasons why I need to be a alive, maybe even offer something as collateral and it would be my backstabbing friend – no ex friend Samantha”

“Well at least we’re getting somewhere”

Later on, Marvis led me through the winding forest trail, the air grew noticeably cooler and the sounds of civilization faded into the background. The path was dappled with patches of sunlight filtering through the dense canopy above, casting interesting patterns on the forest floor. His strides were confident and large and somehow I struggled to keep while he looked like he wasn’t ready to slow down anytme soon. Finally he stopped at a small clearing, nestled among towering trees.

“What is this place?” I asked looking around in awe of the place he had taken me to. Why did it seem like something out of a movie, a movie I was now allowed to be part of.

“My quiet place, found it on a forced hike and it’s been my peaceful place ever since. I followed his gaze, taking in the scene before me. Wildflowers dotted the edges of the clearing, their delicate petals swaying gracefully in the breeze. A small brook trickled nearby, its crystal-clear water flowing gently over smooth stones. Sunlight filtered through the leaves above, creating patches of warmth that danced across the ground.

Marvis gestured towards a weathered log that served as a makeshift bench near the brook. "Sit," he invited, settling down beside me. We sat in silence for a while, simply absorbing the serenity of the place. Birds chirped softly in the distance, their melodies blending harmoniously with the rustling of leaves and the gentle murmur of the brook.

“So are you going to tell my why you left the Italian mafia to work as a manager in a flimsy restaurant in LA”

Marvis seemed taken aback by my question like that was the last question he had expected me to ask him but I did anyways.

“If you tell me why you were crying out in the public like a two year old that lost her mom” he countered back.

“You go first” I said my tone drenched in finality and he paused for some moments, as if preparing his mind for what to say

“I lost the love of my life to my cousin and why I’m happy for them, I just couldn’t stand seeing them both together, you know what scratch that I hope they get a divorce”

I chuckled at his animosity, angry lines drew across his face that melted in an instant when he caught himself and then he looked at me now “Your turn”

I pulled my eyes away from him and stared straight ahead, how was I going to say this without sounding silly to a total stranger who was actually my manager, how did my day turn out so chaotic

“I just found out my best friend since college slept with my boyfriend in college like five minutes after he dumped me – and yes sane Kyle because I know that’s what you’re going to ask”

Marvis stared at me, he didn’t seem that much taken aback like I thought he was going to and then he said “Tell me everything, your life seems more interesting than mine”
I looked at him and sighed “How do I even start?”