This is a work in progress, but I've been slaving at it too long and am beginning to wonder if it's getting away on me. All my old "fans" and anyone else who reads it, please rate, review, and give me your honest opinion.
* * * * *
Part 1
The old Metro Theater was one of the few remaining buildings in Old Towne. A fire had claimed most of Morris in 1923, with the exception of this, since it was brick, not so flammable as the wooden storefronts that had surrounded it; and perhaps four square blocks of sprawling Victorian and plantation-style homes, already considered old at the time. The half dozen or so still standing were definitely seeing the ravages of time. They had all been converted into between four and seven apartments each, courtesy of the local slum-lord. Mostly they were populated by the seedier aspect of those who worked the various warehouses and trucking companies which made up the majority of the district.
Melissa had moved in from out of state, right after her world caved in on her. She had never left. Well, that was not exactly true. Her apartment was good for sleeping, cleaning up, avoiding life when she chose, and a few times, none recently, a night of sin and debauchery. No one who actually knew her knew where she lived. She didn't care to say, and spent her time in the downtown area where she worked a hipster coffee bar/cabaret. Or as hip as you get in a city of under a hundred thousand, anyway.
Not many crossed the river into Old Towne. Why would they? Really, the only attraction was the Metro. Even Melissa, who drove by it nearly every day, had never attended. Tonight she found herself there, haphazardly, after an hour of cruising with Mark. Usually they just drove around town or up into the hills, but tonight they were crammed into hard plastic chairs, watching Monte Python for the fortieth time. Dark and musty, ripe with scents of butter and salt, the spacious high ceilinged cavern-room echoed once and damped in its weird acoustics as the second show of the double feature ran opening credits. Obviously, the management had recently revamped the sound system. There had been talk around town of some kind of grant and a restoration. Stereo surround-sound harkened from all corners. Overpowering at times, at others, it only tickled auditory perceptions.
They sat in two narrow seats, mid-row. Two long-deprived people, splitting an armrest and cup holder, sharing air and space and skin, were experiencing a heightened awareness of each other. The others sprinkled around them, breathing, rustling, they paid no mind to.
It started accidentally, knee brushing knee, "Oops, sorry!"
"That's okay." However, a question had been posed in that simple gesture. As though she'd been shocked, such was the jolt. Melissa's nerves tingled up her thigh and straight to her gut, where giddiness diffused slowly to far quadrants. Touch was needed and necessary. She parted her lips, and licked them nervously, holding back her want.
In the same shape himself, Mark understood why she did nothing further. The easy answer was because he was the man, and it was expected that he'd take the lead in such matters. It went beyond that, though. She respected his distance, albeit somewhat grudgingly. For as long as she'd known him up until a month ago, he'd always been involved. Plus, his major in college had been theology and he planned to go to seminary as soon as he scraped up the money. Since he'd graduated he'd been working two part time jobs and various odd jobs, swallowing his pride and living with his parents to save up faster. This was only a slight inconvenience for him. Nothing much stood between Mark and his goals once he got something in his head. He'd made this one in junior high, long before Melissa met him.
She knew this about him. Frankly, she hated it. Not the fact that he had goals, or that he'd sacrifice to achieve them. Not that at all. She thought that his choice of a profession was nothing but a waste of a good man, forever tied to religion in the service of ingrates. And then there was chastity, of course. She'd been burned in such an environment. They called it "ministry" but she called it "misery." Once resigned to that life, one could be nothing short of perfect and ideal without bringing constant fire. Oh, how she knew that. Her moments of weakness had put an end to all of her young-woman's dreams of service to the greater good. Now she scorned, quietly. Rebelliousness didn't need to be loud to be 'heard.' On the other hand, she retained enough of her own strict upbringing to be wary of 'making' him sin. There was no way she was about to give up her self-control without an open and obvious invitation.
Fifteen minutes into the second movie, Melissa felt someone's hand on her leg. This surprised her. She continued to stare straight ahead for some time, thinking that if she reacted she'd scare him off. He'd never touched her before in anything but a friendly or brotherly way.
This went on maybe 20 minutes. Mark fought with himself in his head the whole time. It was clear as day she considered him fair game, now more than ever. Why was she not making her move? Probably because he would shoot her down again. There was just no way he could give in to the vibes she was unconsciously throwing. No way. He'd watched her life go places he never wanted his to go. If he thought he could save her, he would, he'd tried, but she just laughed him off. No, she wanted him. Pure and simple. Well, he couldn't exactly use the word 'pure' in that context. If not, then she'd settle for friendship but she was not going to be a P.W. (preacher's wife). She'd told him so.