The Facade

Chapter 33

Next thing I knew, Eartha hauled me a cab to Marlon's apartment. She insisted that a married couple shouldn't stay upset at each other.

Then she asked me again if I was sure if I didn't just want a divorce.

"No really, it's much easier that way!" She insisted in the car as I sat in the backseat between her and James. I didn't answer, I only pursed my lips together. "Alright, alright, then we are saving your marriage."

"That's not necessary—" I spoke up, but the taxi was already stopping in front of his building.

"A woman like you should not be putting up with a man like Marlon!" Eartha prepped my up as we stood in the hallway to his apartment. We were a few feet away from his door, James stood right in front of the door. "You're smart, gorgeous and you deserve respect! Let him know exactly what is on your mind then make love to him like he's never been made love to before!"

"Come on, maybe she doesn't want to see him. Eartha. I think we should buzz off." James' cigarette created smoke clouds around him.

"We'll do nothing of the sort." Eartha turned around toward James. Then, she turned back toward me. "Now Rose, James is going to knock on that door and then you'll reconcile with Marlon."

"What if I don't want to reconcile?" I said quietly. This was making me nervous. Eartha had no clue that my marriage was a facade. To her, there was something very wrong. To me, staying away from Marlon was self preservation. "What if I have nothing to reconcile about?"

"Well it must be something if you aren't with him! You're in the honeymoon stage! You should be having sex and giving each other scars, not sitting alone in a coffee shop." Eartha placed her hands on my shoulders.

"Scars?" I asked with a risen brow. James grinned at my curiosity and took a drag of his cigarette. A silence lingered over us in the room. I'd heard a thing or two about that.

"Now, as soon as I tell Jimmy to knock you'll—" Eartha began to instruct me, but instead James knocked on the door early. The apartment door swung open, and out stepped Brando.

He stepped out, standing there with his chin up high. He wasn't wearing a shirt, I was beginning to think Marlon hadn't owned enough of them. His pants were solid colored pajama pants. It was evident that he was not wearing anything to restrain the large mass that hung between his legs.

I covered my mouth as his hands rose to James' face, gripping James closer to him. Marlon tilted his head and kissed James deeply. The two men stood there kissing, Marlon having no clue that we were standing there. The kiss was filled with a passion that even I had yet to find within Marlon.

I stood there, shocked. Eartha leaned in and whispered in my ear in the most nonchalant matter. "Oh darling, don't get frazzled. That's how he's always greeted him."

Marlon heard Eartha's voice and looked down the hall at us. I wanted to leave immediately but she locked arms with me and began walking me over to him. His posture became overly masculine, legs apart and arms crossed over his chest. I prayed that I wouldn't dare look down at the bulge imprinted along his leg. Concentrate, Rose. His brown hair was a mess, his shoulders were tense. His lips were pursed tightly, and he didn't seem to care that neither Eartha or I was there.

"What are you doing here?" He asked in a calm and direct voice. "I thought we were spending time... alone."

"I was, but then Eartha and James insisted I come to see you." I told Marlon with a large smile. In my eyes, I tried to hint to him that something was off.

"Don't say James was involved." Mr. Dean lifted his hands, his cigarette resting between his fingers. He began to walk backwards and pointed a finger over to the feline queen herself. "This was all Eartha."

"And you came along so you must agree to some extent." Eartha put her hands on her hips.

"I'm just along for the ride." James shook his head as he began walking down the hall. Then, his black boots stopped striding and he turned toward me. "And sorry for smooching with your husband, Rose. That's how he's always greeted me."

"See." Eartha crossed her arms and squinted an eye. "You have to watch that one. They go way back."

"Hi, I'm sorry for interrupting this lovely conversation but how the hell did this all come about?" Marlon clapped his hands together, his biceps stiffening with the movement. "Rose, I didn't even know you knew James and Eartha well?"

"I don't." I answered, crossing my arms and trying to stand up straight. "We ran into each other. Isn't life funny?"

"It's Manhattan, Marlon, you must know that this island is small as ever..." Eartha's tongue rolled. Then, she placed a hand on my shoulder. "Now, James and I aren't leaving until you have a talk with Rose."

"Again, how did James get involved in this?" James spoke about himself in the third person and looked toward Eartha.

"Be quiet, Dean." She crossed her arms. The two of them began bickering. They stepped aside, too concerned with each other. Marlon and I stood looking at each other. He sized me up and I did the same to him. I was furious at myself for being so turned on by the way he looked that day. So effortlessly sexy.

Marlon held my hand and led me back into his apartment. Before we entered, Eartha clapped in hands in applause, her long painted fingernails swaying with each clap.

"See, they're making up already." Eartha smiled. Marlon quickly shut the door once I was inside of his apartment. He stood with his back towards the door and his arms crossed. I stood only a few inches away in front of him.

"What the hell, Rose?" He asked angrily.

"Oh come on, I didn't ask for this." I told him.

"Really? Then how did you suddenly appear at my apartment with my friends?" Marlon asked.

"Marlon, the world does not revolve around you. I didn't seek out your friends to come to your apartment, they just happened to run into me." I crossed my arms. "Besides, I don't have to explain myself to you. I'm my own person."

"You have to explain yourself when you show up to my apartment, uninvited, with my friends! My friends, Rose? Really?" Marlon asked angrily as he walked toward me. "Besides, What problem do we allegedly have? I thought we were fine."

"We are fine." I let my hands rest at my sides, tilting my head. Marlon paced back and forth, not knowing exactly how he'd handle the situation of Eartha and James.

"Eartha and James are both blabber mouths!" Marlon grumbled. "Something's very wrong."

"Nothing is wrong. We are doing exactly what we need to do. Only be together when it's necessary." I spoke up as Marlon continued to pace the room.

"Well maybe that's not what I want to do!" Marlon shouted. "There's a big problem, Rose. A big one."

"And what's that?" I crossed my arms. Marlon stopped in his tracks. His back was turned to me. His shoulder blades were tense as he stood across the room. His hands balled into fists, he looked down at his feet.

Then, he turned around and stood directly in front of me. "For the past few days you haven't been here all I've had were my thoughts. All I could feel was an emptiness that I couldn't quite explain. A lonesome feeling followed me even when I was in a room crowded with people. And then all of a sudden it dawned on me. I realized exactly what was absent in my life. It's you Rose. I missed you. I wanted you."