EXCEPTional

Ch. 31 (Chance)

*Chance*

Finally, I settled on giving Bridget the collage of both of us, the very first spread I had made. I framed it, put it in a box, and covered it in wrapping paper. I wasn't sure when I would give it to her, but I was hoping an appropriate situation would occur.

I stuck the present in the closet, behind some clothes, so she wouldn't accidentally find it. I just hoped I would remember I had put it in there when the time came.

With a sigh, I fell back onto the couch, glass of wine in my hand. I debated whether or not to watch TV as I sipped on my red wine. My thoughts turned into going back to work.

I had been seriously considering going back to work the past couple days. After all, Fiorello had appealed to me by offering me a bonus if I returned to work by the end of this month, which was in a week and a half. I told him I would be back on the very last day of this month, and he sounded relieved. I just wanted something exceptional to happen in this next week and a half.

I hadn't told Bridget of my decision yet. I knew she wouldn't care that I was leaving, but I wasn't ready to tell her. I wanted to pretend as though I would be here for a very long time, that nothing was going to change.

Soon, I stared at my empty glass, curious as to how it emptied so quickly. I set it on the table and leaned back into the cushions of the couch. I released a slow sigh, already missing the place I hadn't even left yet.

My phone started to ring, and I naturally assumed it was Bridget. But the name on my screen read, "Marcus" to my surprise.

"Hey," I answered.

"Chance!" Marc exclaimed in excitement. "Hey, man."

I chuckled. "Hey, Marc. How are you?"

"I am fantastic," he informed me, the smile evident in his voice. "Do you wanna know why?"

A smirk bloomed on my face as I teased, "You just got laid?"

He let out a loud, barking laugh. "Yeah, right. I wouldn't call you to tell you about that," he pointed out, "since that's pretty much a nightly occurrence."

I rolled my eyes. "So what is the reason for this call?"

His smugness was practically glowing through the phone. He announced, "A little birdie told us that you were gonna come back at the end of this month!"

My smile almost disappeared completely from my face. "Oh, so Fiorello told you," I assumed.

He scoffed. "Please, Fido told the whole crew! And we couldn't be happier, man. But me especially, because I get my best friend back."

To hide my slight sorrow, my voice started to drip in sarcasm. "Are you more excited for me, or for my wallet?"

He laughed. "Hey, I'll have you know I'm making my own money now, thank you very much."

An eyebrow quirked at the news. I sat straighter on the couch as I asked, almost incredulously, "You got a job?"

"A job?" He scoffed again. "What do you take me for? This is Marcus Straut we're talking about! I don't get your average job."

I shook my head at him, even though I knew he couldn't see me. "So how are you getting your money? You know prostitution is never the answer."

"Hey, if I were actually a prostitute, I would be offended by that."

Chuckling, I urged, "Just tell me how you're making money, Marc."