Melissa looked at herself in the mirror again. A date. She had replayed the words over in her head a thousand times, so much that she lost count. Was she really going on a date again? After her last fail? She couldn't believe she was doing this.
Sighing, Melissa looked at the clothes she had on. It was nothing as extravagant as the dress she had worn for her first blind date. She wore a simple pastel blue shirt with a scoop neck and wore a cargo pants. Her hair was tight up in a tight, neat bun, with a few stands hanging out.
Melissa hadn't put to much effort into this date, because it was just Mark, her co-worker. It was strange to her that he'd come all the way to her work place and ask her out on a date. Melissa was about to refuse his request, but quickly remembered that she had promised to treat him to a meal.
She grimaced, cursing herself for making promises she has no plans of fulfilling. 'its just a casual outing with a coworker. It can't be that bad. It's going to be fine.' Melissa reassured herself.
Mark didn't strike her as the type to go out on dates. He was a reserved person, who barely interacted with anyone, even his co-workers. They only began to talk to each other when both their shifts overlapped and the sexual harrassments started. Melissa didn't even consider herself a friend, or even a close friend to Mark. It only made her wonder why.
Melissa brushed the thought of, not wanting to overthink the situation. She took one last look in the mirror and grabbed her shoulder bag, walking out of her room briskly. Melissa stood for a while in the quiet living room and looked around. It was 3pm, and Brandon wasn't home yet. She let out a tired and frustrated sigh as she left the living room and walked into the kitchen.
Taking a sticky note from the counter, Melissa wrote a short message for Brandon and placed the note close to the pot filled with meatloaf stew. Hopefully, he would read her message and eat some when he gets back. Melissa adjusted her clothes one more time and breezed out of her apartment.
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Melissa took a bite out of her crepe and stared blankly at the sky. The blue sky was now stained with yellowish orange colour as the sun began to set. Never in Melissa's life would she have imagined that she'd go to an amusement park of all places for a date.
The date was as casual as Melissa had expected it to be. They went on rides and viewed the different attractions in the park. It was fun and a new experience for since she had never once been to an amusement park before.
Now, they were sitting on a bench, watching the sun set and munching away on the fruit flavoured crepes in their hands. It was quiet between them, a comfortable silence that Melissa enjoyed. Compared to her first date, there was a huge contrast. She actually had fun and Mark had been really nice to her through out their date.
Mark had finished his blueberry flavoured crepe and threw the colourful wrap into the bin next to the bench they sat on.
"Did you have fun?"
Melissa took a bite out of her strawberry flavoured crepe and nodded. The tangy, yet slightly sweet taste of the raw strawberry graced her taste buds.
"Yeah, this is the most fun I've had in weeks, no years." Melissa replied, feeling a bit of pensive sadness at the realisation.
"I'm glad you had fun, really." Mark said as he looked at her warmly.
Melissa turned to him, her eyebrow cocked. "I was supposed to treat you, but you ended up paying for everything."
Mark waved his hand in front of him, dismissing her statement. "It's fine. I wanted to treat you instead."
Melissa smiled at him. Who would've thought a huge guy like mark had such a soft heart? It made her feel comfortable being around him.
"It's nice to be around someone really nice." Melissa thought out loud.
Mark let out a soft chuckle and Melissa noticed how they arms brushed against each other. Did he just move closer to her?
"I'm flattered, but I also have ulterior motives for asking you out on a date."
Mark got up from the bench and stood in front of Melissa. Her heart suddenly began to speed up. What exactly did he mean by ulterior motives? Had she been so dense and carefree to go out on a date with him? Mark was close to a being a complete stranger to her. She barely knew anything about him and thy never talked. Had she just fallen into a trap?
"I've never been able to say this to you, because I don't know how to bring the words out." Mark exhaled sharply, his breath shaky and continued. "I like you Mel, and I want you to be my girlfriend."
Melissa stared at him, mouth agape. Why hadn't she noticed sooner? The signs were there, but she was completely dense to see it. Mark always helped her and he was nice to her. He even asked her out on a date. How could she not have seen it? Melissa looked to the ground awkwardly, not sure on how to reply to the sudden confession.
"Mark I..." Melissa trailed off.
"I don't think I can-"
"You don't have to give me an answer now Mel, I'll give you some time to decide." Mark cut in.
He reached out his hand to her and smiled.
"It's getting late, let's go home."
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Tired, mentally. That was how Melissa felt as she trudged her way down the street. The image of Mark's hurt expression was all that lingered in her mind. She couldn't get it out of her head, no matter how much she tried.
Melissa sighed as she reached her front door. She put in her key and began to unlock the door when she head footsteps behind her. Melissa spun around and her eyes went wide. A familiar face she knew stood in front of her. There was no way she could forget his black long hair.
"Well, What do we have here?"