Tennessee Rose

Chapter Four - Marshall

Written by Lolalittlelegs

“Marshall and Rose sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G"
Porter and Nickle sing over and over in stupid kids voices as I tried to lace up my sneakers to go and pick Rose up for our lunch date. I was beginning to lose my patience with the pair of them, my security team chuckled away on the other set of couches in my suite “Fuckers the lot of you” I shouted at them shaking my head in frustration, muttering about them being childish dicks.

As I gathered up my wallet and phone security stood to accompany me
“Nope guys, one of you can come but I don't need y'all hanging around watching me" I tell them straight as Nickle and Porter continue sniggering and snorting behind me reluctantly they agree with me, one of them will come and sit on the other table I've booked.
Kicking my way past Royce's and Porters legs that are up on the table I go to exit the room “See you assholes later" and leave slamming the door behind me.

Once in the car I settle and think about my lunch date, it’s not a romantic date but I find myself liking Rose, she's pretty closed off and I've no idea what I'll talk to her about but I'm hoping that it'll be something like last night with me pushing her buttons and her biting back. Intuition tells me that something bad has happened to this woman whether she wants too tell me or not is down to her, I'm just happy having a new sparring partner that isn't one of the dicks I left behind at the hotel.

Pulling up outside her hotel I fire off a quick text to tell her I'm waiting for her outside and sit strumming my fingers on the seat beside me while I wait impatiently, I'm the good kind of nervous excited and also very hungry, I watch the lobby door as she sets foot outside she looks really good and my brain tells other parts of my body that I should want her. Watching as she walks quickly round to the other side of my car and the driver opens the door for her, she slides in beside me a delicious scent wafting around me as the door closes, I can't quite make it out though but I'm content to just breathe it in all the same.

“Hey" she greets me, wildly out of breath “Afternoon, you run a marathon before I got here?” I question the shortness of her breathing.

She ignores my sarcasm for the moment and uses her own “So who are you today Marshall or Ryan?........ which personality am I to be blessed with?” I laugh in reply “Whoever you want me to be babe"  She doesn't reply she just turns her lovely face away and glances out of the window as the car moves quickly through traffic. I feel tension in the confined space of the car, it's radiating off of her in waves she's so wound up and taut with it that she could potentially snap at any minute, her body language screams “Don't touch me!”

“Hey Rose do me a favour will you please?” I ask softly and she turns to look at me “What do you want?” She sounds wary “I’d love it if you could relax. I asked you out for lunch, not to marry me!” She lets out a breath it sounds like she's been holding onto for awhile and giggles beside me, some of the tension visibly leaving her petite body.

Surprisingly Rose turns her body towards me now, I give her the side eye and she laughs again “Cat got your tongue now Marshall/Ryan.... I do wish you'd relax!” she laughs to herself until I shift in my seat and move closer to her, her breath hitches in her throat as my thigh presses tightly against hers “You were saying Rose" we both laugh as the car pulls up outside the restaurant I tell her to wait for the door to be opened before she leaps out, a necessity at times, I don't want either of us mobbed trying to get to lunch. Once security gives me the nod and opens the door I'm out and walk quickly inside not waiting for Rose, I've been doing this for years and it's second nature now, security always advise to not look behind you as you were trying to get somewhere if I had anyone with me it was their job to see them inside quickly and safely.

Rose came through the door seconds later looking flustered. “We ok?” I ask Steve, the security guy with me today, he nods and we are led to a quiet area at the very back of the restaurant, I look around and note it's not too busy and we shouldn't be disturbed where we are,  Steve sits a few tables away keeping a beady eye out for paparazzi and fans.
Menus are given out and drinks ordered and delivered, I'm watching her carefully as she takes a big gulp of her coke, I suspect she could probably use a glass of alcohol but as she obviously knows about me she didn't.

“Why did you ask me to lunch Marshall?” she seems genuinely intrigued and I take a moment to think about my answer, she raises her glass to her mouth again and I catch a glint of gold. Rose is wearing a wedding ring, so much for her being different I guess, I answer her question quietly not sure of her motives of agreeing to a lunch date when she's clearly married “I liked talking to you, I really enjoyed pushing your buttons and winding you up though" the corners of her mouth lift but she resists smiling fully while I grin at my own antics “besides I've spent the past month hanging with those guys and I was in need of fresh company, I picked you!” I say it so smugly that I'd actually slap myself if I was listening to me but instead Rose laughs at my cockiness. “Wow, I'm so honoured Marshall" she smiles at me shyly and it pulls on something in my chest.

“Thank you for the message you sent last night, It was really sweet!” I feel subconscious suddenly and feel my cheeks start to burn “That's ok, you seemed like you were worried about seeing me, I just wanted to put your mind at rest” I mumble, not used to compliments on text messages I'd sent before.

“How come you’re in Nashville then?” She asks picking at the burger she'd ordered, I can't answer for a bit I've shovelled enough food in my mouth to keep me chewing for a solid month. She looks at me waiting for an answer I keep on chewing slowly staring at her and maintaining eye contact, I honestly don't know why I'm being so annoying, it's as if I'm getting off on irritating her.

“Are you shovelling that food in to get our date over as quick as possible?” she challenges me, I snort as I finish my mouthful of good “No. I'm just fucking hungry and this is a good burger...... I'm in Nashville for a charity gig, it's ok here” I shrug my shoulders as I stuff more burger in my mouth, Rose nods tucking into her burger and fries all the while her wedding ring distracting me.
Even if this wasn't meant to be a date, date she didn't seem to be the type of woman who'd go on dates while married, maybe she wasn't happily married or maybe she was just curious about me, I want to ask her but every time I try to get it out that feeling that I shouldn't ask comes back to me.

“Why are you here Rose? what are you running from?” I hit a nerve because her head jerks up and she looks like a deer caught in the headlights, she swallows her food nervously before answering “I'm not running from anything" she whispers so quietly that I know she's not telling the whole truth.
My hand moves quickly across the table feeling a sudden burst of anger at so obviously being lied to, I grab her wrist and hold her hand up, wedding ring mocking me even more.
“Where's your husband Rose?” she flinched and pulls her hand out of mine nervously spinning the ring around her finger. “Rose?” I urge her to start talking, I don't know why I'm so riled up about this and it wasn’t my intention to scare her, I just wanted to enjoy a couple of hours with someone who wasn’t Porter or Royce.