The Taste of Seduction

Passing horizontally to her a plain posh card that holds only his name and number, Marcus departs of the elevator has it stops at the floor, walking towards his apartment leaving his statement in a gloomy voice,

"If you ever need someone to talk to or if there's anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to reach out."

Diana's gaze firmed up as she watched his back move on with a melancholic aura, surprised at what story he might have that caused such an outburst. With a hint of vulnerability in her eyes, she quickly shook her head out of her curiosity, trying to dismiss the intrusive thoughts that had momentarily consumed her.

"Thank you, Marcus. I appreciate your kindness," she murmured in a quiet whisper, her cheeks flushing a deeper shade of red as she shared in his mood.

Marcus's heart went out to Diana, his primal lusting fueling his desire to protect her from harm.

He reassured her, offering words to help relieve her anxiety about lateness and the trauma she had from experiences of lateness.

He reached into his pocket and retrieved a small piece of paper, on which he jotted down his phone number.

"Here," Marcus said gently, extending the paper to Diana. "If you ever find yourself in a difficult situation, or if you simply need someone to talk to, don't hesitate to call. I'll be there for you." he continued with a face full of manly conviction.

Diana's gaze lingered on the paper for a moment before she kept it in a secret apartment in her bag to prevent her boyfriend from finding it for unnecessary questions.

*******

Assailed by a strong musty smell as she opened the door into her shared apartment. Breaking into a broody sigh with hints of happiness and tiredness as she discovered that Cole was not home but the extreme disarray left her dispirited.

Reaching into her apartment, dressing down after shutting down caused her to feel a bit littered but the burden of what Marcus said continued to re-echo in her mind as picked up her boyfriend's mess, cleaning up the apartment.

As the hours passed while doing cleaning and washing up, Diana finally made the house look like a home before she decided to take some rest. After having a long shower that felt like a day, she got into her evening wear and laid on the living room couch.

Her mind drifted to Marcus' melancholic back and the conversation within the elevator. After a while of thinking and realizing how he must have felt having a monologue with an unresponsive person and what could do to the mind, coupled with the fact that they were neighbors, she started to feel bad for being rude and unfeeling.

Her mind juggled down to the time he brought them cookies as a new neighbor trying to fit into the community, not only did he save her unintentionally from cole's morning unfeeling assault but she also slammed the door at his face while cole went for the cookies without as much as a thank you or pleasant words. She felt worse for being a poor neighbor and person.

But she couldn't find a reason to go up to his door to make friends or connections. Seeing the cookies box on the kitchen cabinet through the partially opened door, she felt that would be a good way to connect and a conversation starter to apologize for the cold attitude.

Holding the tray of some fresh batches of home-baked cookies in her hands, She made her way to Marcus's apartment door, just a few steps away.

With a gentle knock on the door, Diana patiently waited for him to answer. When the door opened, revealing Marcus standing there, a slight surprise flashed across his face. Diana smiled warmly and held out the tray of cookies.

"Hey, Marcus," she greeted him. "I wanted to thank you for helping out at the elevator from before. I had a lot on my mind and I was out of sort and didn't mean to come out as cold or unresponsive. Please accept home-made cookies as an apology." She said while looking down with an innocent look on her face.

"I remember also shutting the door at your face when you brought some cookies to our door as a new neighbor, I realized that we were rude and so I felt like something as amends should be done, please don't reject me," she pleaded in a tiny voice that sounded like that a child apologizing for wrong deeds or one seeking a treat.

Marcus's eyes lit up with a genuine smile as he accepted the tray. "That's really kind of you, Diana," he replied, touched by her gesture. "I felt you had somethings on your mind so I didn't take it to mind, don't feel so bad or look at me like that. I would feel like a child molester or offender," he responded jokingly as he collected the tray.

"Thank you, feeling accepted really makes me lighter and happy, thank you once again," Marcus responded in a serious voice.

Caught off guard by his sincerity and smile, she quickly retorted, "No, it's we that were wrong, I am happy I can help you fit into the community"

"Why don't you come in?" Marcus gently whirled the door to allow for her entry. "Sure, thank you. You have a nice taste and arrangement," she said with unabashed admiration in her eyes at the sight of the neatly arranged apartment, "a stark contrast to Cole," she continued in my mind.

Diana suddenly remembered seeing Marcus at her office earlier in the day after their first encounter in the office. As she settled down, she couldn't help but feel a nagging curiosity about Marcus's presence in her office. With a slight smile,

she turned to him and asked, "By the way, Marcus, what were you doing in my office earlier today? I don't remember seeing you there before."

Marcus paused for a moment, his eyes meeting hers. "I actually applied for a job at ABC Properties, the same company you work for," he replied, his voice filled with a touch of excitement. "And guess what? I had an interview today, and they offered me the position. I start on Monday after the weekend."

Diana's eyes widened in surprise and delight. "That's wonderful, Marcus! Congratulations!" she exclaimed, genuinely happy for his success. "I guess we'll be colleagues now. It'll be nice to have you around."