Apartment For Three

Chapter 23*

The club lights were dimmed to set the mood. Cigarette smoke flowed over the calm music playing. I sat on one side of the round table while Marlon sat right next to me. I'd finally convinced him to wear a tie.

Nat King Cole calmly sang Christmas carols for our pleasure. "Have yourself a merry little Christmas..."

Slowly Marlon slid his hand over to mine and gave it a squeeze. He'd been on his best behavior ever since Paul was no longer in the picture. It's as if he felt responsibility to actually step up to the plate. No longer was Paul there to be the emotional foundation for our little arrangement.

There wasn't an arrangement at all.

A waitress walked over to us and peered down toward us. "Would either of you like a drink?" She said in a soft voice. Jealousy began to slowly boil inside of me. She was just Marlon's type, dark features and a curvy figure.

In the corner of my eye I glimpsed at where he was looking. Making sure he wasn't looking toward the cleavage in her dress. Marlon was now on the pulse when it came to his career. His film On The Waterfront premiered and he was recognized more than ever.

I knew when I was not looking there were other women. He'd become too much of a star not to have them. In my heart I wanted us to just be together without the intrusion of others, but that simply wasn't the route Marlon was willing to take.

"I'll have a whiskey straight up." Marlon ordered. His eyes looked a little too longingly at her, then they started over to me. "Uh— would you like something?"

"No thank you." I told him in a coarse voice. He smiled over at her and nodded. As she walked off his eyes latched onto her backside. My eyes were latched onto him by the time he looked back toward me.

He cleared his throat. "Nat sure knows how to sing."

"He surely does." I crossed my legs as a white stage light darted from the back of the room, over our heads and toward the stage. Nat was illuminated in front of us, smiling as he proceeded to the next song. My feeling of jealousy subsided and action took its place. I wanted to make him squirm. Sitting up in my seat with perfect posture, I lifted my chin. "You know, he's handsome too."

Marlon was relaxed as he sat in the seat beside me. He was slightly slumped down, his legs widely spread apart and his loafers facing outward. But underneath his blazer I noticed his shoulders tensed at my comment. "Is he?" Marlon rolled his tongue in his mouth as he sat up. "I guess so. Smooth voice."

"He has a swagger to him too." I tried to hold back myself from grinning. "Something very sexy about—"

"I don't see it." Marlon quickly finished my sentence.

"You know, if you don't know how to hold a conversation, Marlon, then maybe you should take me home." I snapped at him. He squinted and leaned forward toward me, his face twisted with every grotesque emotion possible at once.

"You know what? Maybe I'll take you up on that. And maybe I'll just stay in a hotel somewhere." He snarled. His eyes softened after he made that suggestion. You could cut the tension with a knife.

"Here's your..." The returning waitress' smile turned into a frown as I ran off from the table. Quickly I shrugged on my jacket and went out into the cold New York air.

Marlon immediately ran after me.

"Hey!" Marlon's breath billowed out from his mouth as a fog. "What happened back there?"

"What happened is the tension that's been building for ages." I told him. "Marlon you've become someone else. Bigger than someone else— something else."

"I'm still me..." He began to speak but I started to walk away from him. He grabbed my arm to keep me close. "Come on..."

"You're not you." I spat. "I'm not even sure if I've ever known you. And I surely didn't know Paul. This whole thing was a mistake."

"You want a guy to buy you flowers and soda pop, don't you?" Marlon asked me. "Well that's not me."

"Then maybe we should take some time a part. You can surely afford to." I slowly began stepping away from him.

"That's not fair." Marlon sped up to walk next to me. "That's not fair!"

I continued on walking, totally ignoring Marlon who walked beside me. He stopped in his tracks, but I continued on walking.

"Alright!" He shouted out. "You got me."

I slowed down to a stop, then glimpsed over my shoulder at Marlon. He slyly caught up to me, then stood there with both hands holding my shoulders. "I know this whole relationship thing isn't my style. But maybe... maybe I'll give it a try."

"What's suddenly brought you to that revelation?" I dared to ask. Marlon's jaw clenched as he looked up for a moment, searching for words. Then he took my hand and pulled me toward the stone wall of a building. He leaned one of his shoulders onto it, his temple resting on the cold limestone.

His hand clasped the belt of my trench coat, pulling me closer. Then he wrapped an arm around my waist. "I've been feeling this way for a while but I didn't want to say anything. And you know what infuriated me?"

"What?" As I asked, his arm pulled me closer a little tighter.

"The thought of you thinking that other fella was in the slightest bit attractive." Marlon mumbled to me.

"He's more than attractive, he's downright sexy." I clarified. His hand that rested on the small of my back suddenly swatted my backside. I grabbed onto Marlon's collar hard. "Listen, I'll lust after anyone I wish. That's something I deserve after all you've done."

"I just hate to see you look at other guys." Marlon told me in a low voice. "I hate seeing that look of want in your eyes. It kills me." As Marlon spoke he slowly rotated our positions. Now my back was against the wall and he stood in front of me.

His leg slipped between mine, then slowly pushed one of my legs off to the side. The cold air wafted between us. His hand reached down and touched my thigh. I gasped at how cold his fingers were, but my noise concerned him. "Do you want me to touch you?"

I nodded.

Marlon's lips went to my ear as his fingers invoked a mess in my underwear. His breath felt hot in the cold air. The wetness between my legs felt extra cold. "Listen to me. If I hear you talking about another man again you're going to be in a conundrum."

"Oh yeah? Caused by what?" I egged him on.

"I think I need to teach you not to talk back." Marlon looked down into my eyes. His finger that played between my legs suddenly was brought up to my lips. I instinctively took it between my lips, sucking on it. He pushed it down further, I slightly gargled. "If you can't learn to not talk back then we'll need to occupy your mouth with something else."

Once he removed his fingers, I wrapped my arms around him. He pressed his body against mine even harder against that wall. "How did you taste, hm?"

"I want to taste you." I told him as I looked up at him longingly, no longer wanting to fight.

"It'll be too obvious to have you on your knees, kitten." He stroked his thumb over my lip. Then he pressed himself onto me once again. "How about I take you right here?"

I gladly spread my legs more open. His body shielded mine from the cars that glided by. Anyone driving past would hardly notice Marlon taking his hard member and sneaking it into me. He did tough and labored thrusts, his warmth inside of me feeling divine.

His cold cheek was against mine as he'd finally got close. I squeezed his coat as he pulled out and released. My underwear was filled with it. He didn't do it inside of me, but he'd left it there. Casually he put his member away, zipped up his pants and walked toward the curb.

Marlon had just purchased a convertible that he'd been very proud of. A cute little thing that was red and full of fire just like him. He opened the passenger for for me and allowed me to sit inside. Then he joined me in the car on the driver's end.

Together we drove off into the night to our home.