" I didn't think you'd have the guts to show up here, you know after all the hurt that you caused her. What is that? A food flask? Is that what you were getting to that made you leave early?" He challenged Lacey.
" I didn't know that he was going to come here." She said.
Mark stood protectively before Lacey, he saw that she was clearly intimidated by this man and he hated it. Lacey was made to shine so bright as the sun and not dim her light for a weirdo and psychopath.
" I don't know what you are doing but I know that's not legal." He spoke, causing Alistair to raise his brows.
" You dare talk back to me?" Alistair said and Lacey sighed. This was a sheer show of testosterone and she knew how this was going to play out. It wasn't going to end up well by all standards.
" I don't think he meant to challenge you Mr. Alistair." She intervened and gave Mark a warning stare.
"Oh, let the man speak for yourself." Alistair said, " I demand an apology for your accusation or else my lawyer will write you a letter. I hope you know that this will destroy the little reputation that you have." He said.
" I didn't offend you, Mr. Alistair, so I don't see any reason to offend you." Mark said; resolute in his stance and Lacey groaned.
" On behalf of my husband I apologize. We will be on our way, Mr. Alistair, there's an emergency. Excuse us." She lied and dragged Mark's hand away from Alistair's presence.
Lacey brought out her phone and dialed her friend's number, " I don't know what Mark is trying to do to me. He's trying to sabotage my career again. I'll be away for a couple of minutes, please cover up for me. Send me any important message you can't handle. Thank you, I love you." She said and hung up.
Elsa could quiz her all she wanted later when they met, not now.
" Is that Elsa?" He asked.
" Yes."
" I'm sorry for making you angry. I shouldn't have shown up without calling first." This time he looked contrite and Lacey nodded.
They arrived at the restaurant and took a seat near the window. " Name whatever you'd like to have." Lacey said.
Mark felt awash with insults, " I brought food for you." He reminded her and she stared at him with wide eyes. " I know that you aren't aware." He said, she was probably still angry at him and he totally understood that but that didn't stop him from hurting.
"I don't know what to even say to you because I know that I'm a bit tired and stressed but can we have a decent conversation?" Lacey inquired, she was tired of facing the same disgrace all the time and now it was getting too obvious that he was not planning on stopping.
" Mark, you say you want this marriage to work right?" She asked him.
" Yes." Mark nodded.
Lacey took a deep breath, " I don't want you to take this the wrong way but you know that you have been the center of many blogs and gossip mills." She informed him and his eyes widened.
" I've never seen myself on the cover of the Times Magazine." He attempted a lighthearted joke but the grin slipped away from his face when he saw that she wasn't smiling. " I'm sorry about that." He raised his hands in surrender.
" Mark, all I'm asking is that you stay away from my work place, a lot of people humiliate you and I don't like it." Her throat was clogged with emotions.
" Really?"
" Yeah." She replied in a sassy tone and she didn't even blink an eye, " So, will you stay away from me? I mean my work place?" She asked.
" I will... Try." He said and her countenance fell. " I will, I was just kidding."
I hope for the life of you that you actually hearken to this.' she thought but didn't say anything, " I don't know if we are allowed to eat another food in this place, so how about we get out of here and find someplace else to eat this masterpiece I know you must have cooked." She said playfully, yet her visage remained impassive.
" Are you serious?" He asked her.
"I don't see a joker sign on my forehead." She said in the lightest tone he had heard in a long time and he stared at her like she had lost her mind.
" Why are you staring at me in that manner?" She queried him.
Mark shook his head, this was the snippet of the lovely girl he married not the fake one that her mother programmed her to be, was she changing for the better? His eyes kept raking over her as though he wanted to see the switch which had flipped on. " I can't remember the last time you willingly made a joke."
" Well, you did say that we should try this marriage thing again, methinks that you would be elated and not stare at me like I was some alien." She was a little offended at his expression.
" I'm sorry,I guess I was just stunned, nothing else. I promise to make sure that I don't stare at you like an alien, let's get out of this place."
The cashiers stared at them as though they had come to rob the restaurant because they didn't order so Lacey made a mental note to come back and give them a generous tip.
Giddiness filled his mind as he stared at her, " So, where next do we go?" Mark inquired.
"Oh, no I don't think there's anywhere we can go. It's quite past my lunch break, I need to return to the office." She said and watched his crestfallen expression. He picked up his demeanor and smiled at her.
" Here, have this." He pushed the bag into her hands as they got to the intersection that led into her house. " So, are we friends?"
" Friends?"
Mark shook his head,he didn't know what had possessed him to speak about being friends. " I mean are we civil?"
********