This story contains elements of reluctance. If that isn't your thing, please check out the other great stories on Literotica.
This story is a continuation from "Scenes from a Restaurant, Part 1. To meet the characters and get the backstory, please read this earlier part first.
IV.
At the movies the next day, Mel struggled to follow the plot of the quirky French film. Her memory kept cycling through images of the previous night, inserting them at random in her thoughts. When she woke up that morning, she saw in the mirror the remnants of Mr. Marsh's abuse β long red streaks across her ass and the tell-tale yellowish purple beginnings of bruises. She squirmed in the theater now, the rough seat offering no comfort. Trent glimpsed her out of the corner of his eye and whispered to her. She smiled faintly and said she was fine.
They went for ice cream afterwards, Trent's treat, of course. He talked in his quiet, timid way, and Mel wanted to pay attention. He was such a gentleman, holding doors, paying for everything, asking about her and her interests. But her mind refused to focus, and she had to fight the gruff voice of Mr. Marsh replacing the soft, boyish tones of Trent in her head.
The only move he had tried to make that night was to place his hand on her shoulder during the film. It was innocent enough, but Mel flinched at the memory of the last man to touch her, so he pulled back. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, so she softly took his hand, drew it around her, and smiled. She liked him, she knew. She just couldn't yet carve out a space in her head for Trent.
After they parted with a promise to go out again, Mel sat on a bench to sort her thoughts. What was going on with her and Mr. Marsh? It definitely hadn't felt like a random hook-up. And it certainly didn't bring the warm fuzzies of a commitment. But what was it? That Friday at work, she got her answer. It was punishment.
"I need you to sign this before you punch in, Mel." Mr. Marsh had stopped her by the bar as she came in for her shift. She hadn't known what to expect β a secret smile? a passionate kiss in the office? a seductive wink? β but she had definitely not expected paperwork and his perfunctory tone. It was like nothing had happened.
"This is for your file. Just a standard discipline form stating we talked about the issues you've been having," he explained. Oh, we had talked alright, she thought. How could he be so formal now? Her head was swimming, and she signed on auto-pilot, not even reading the form.
"Thank you. Please be sure that your prep work is done early and that you are ready to go by 5." He spun and headed to the office, leaving Mel stunned and hurt and a little angry by the bar.
The next few weeks passed like this, with no acknowledgement of their tryst. Mel spent her shifts trying to forget him and her nights alone in bed, hands in her shorts, trying to remember him. Meanwhile, she and Trent had seen each other almost every day, and Mel finally was finding space for him. She liked him a lot, even more as he opened up and the shyness disappeared. The second week, they'd kissed. She had been ready for more, but his tongue stayed firmly in his own mouth, and his lips barely moved. Still, it was nice.
The third Saturday of their burgeoning relationship, Mel was in Morelli's getting ready for her dinner shift to start. Tina nodded to the door, and Mel turned to see Trent there, shifting his feet awkwardly. She rushed over to him and greeted him with a quick kiss.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I, uh, just wanted to see you. I was on my way to the library and thought I'd stop by."
"That's so nice. But you really can't be here. We're not supposed to have friends come in, and if Mr. Marsh sees you, he'll..." She made a motion of a knife across her throat.
"It's okay. Totally. It's cool. I'll, um, I'll go," he said apologetically. "Have a good night. See you tomorrow?"
"Sure," she said quickly, giving him a last peck on the cheek and ushering him out. She turned back and walked away but nearly lost her footing when she saw Mr. Marsh leaning on the bar. He'd seen everything. Oh shit, she thought. She steeled herself and walked back to the table with Tina. She stopped mid-crouch, getting ready to sit, when she heard his voice.
"Mel. My office, please. Now."
Tina gave her a baleful look and mouthed "good luck." Mel strode past the bar, the other employees watching her walk of shame, and followed him into the kitchen. The office door had barely closed when he turned on her.
"Morelli's has a very strict policy on friends visiting, a policy I know you're familiar with, Melody," he said. He wasn't angry, but she still squirmed under his gaze. He repeated the policy, but the words swam in front of Mel. As he talked, she glimpsed his belt, the desk, and the slight bulge in the front of his tight slacks, and her mind flooded with memories. She felt warmth spread from between her legs.