A Beautiful Rock by Lilliana Anderson

Marcus’s.
    “That’s fine. I have his keys. Thank you for your time,” she says with a smile as she turns to leave.
    “Wait,” I call out suddenly, causing her to stop and turn to me.
    “Yes?” she asks, her face the picture of serene patience.
    “Um… is he ok?”
    “Of course he is,” she smiles.
    “So… he’s not angry or anything?”
    “ Should he be angry?”
    “Oh… I just gave him a bit of a serve. That’s why he took off with my car. He had the shits with me.”
    I see a grin tease the corner of her mouth. “He’s fine. Marcus is the kind of man who needs a good ‘serve’ occasionally.” She gives me a wink. “It’s how I’ve kept my job, I’m sure.”
    As I thank her and close the door, I turn around to see Sandra looking at me with her mouth open and her expression… hurt.
    “Marcus Bailey? That was Marcus Bailey’s car out there? I thought you said nothing was going on between you two. I thought you said ‘no’ and that was the end of it?”
    “I’m sorry. It’s not what you think. I’m not dating him,” I flounder, trying to rescue the situation, somehow. I had hoped to break it to her easy and assure her that we were only friends.
    “Then why would you hide it?”
    “I wasn’t hiding it. I never lied. I just didn’t understand what was going on. He showed up at my house three weekends in a row and we’ve hung out a couple of times. I’ve made it very clear that nothing more is going to happen between us,” I assure her.
    “So he’s definitely interested in you? You’re just saying no?”
    “No. I don’t know. It’s just really complicated right now. I don’t think this is anything that’s going to last. He’ll go on tour and forget all about me…” I’m rambling. I knew she was hung up on him, and I hate that I’m upsetting her right now.
    “So you’re ok with that? You’re ok with being just another girl he throws away? Didn’t you learn anything from my encounter with him?”
    “No… I don’t know… it’s just… we’re just friends,” I argue.
    “I don’t think a man like Marcus Bailey can do ‘just friends’ Lisa. I spent a whole weekend with him. He made me feel special and then he just disappeared and moved on to the next girl. It’s what he does. How can you allow that in your life?”
    “I’m not allowing that in my life. He just pushed his way in! I ’m totally out of control in this entire… I don’t know what it is – thing! ”
    “And what happens if this ‘thing’” she says, using her fingers to quote the word, “turns into something more? What are we going to do? Sit together and trade stories about how hot it is when he does certain things in bed?”
    “No. It’s not like that. I haven’t even touched the man.” Suddenly, my face burns with discomfort. It’s just hit home with me how many women there are out there with that kind of information. The thought actually sours my stomach and I sit down to stop myself from becoming dizzy. “We had a fight today anyway. I doubt he’ll want anything to do with me after I yelled at him anyway. So you don’t have to worry,” I tell her quietly, resting my head in my hands.
    Perry comes over to me and places his head on my thigh, lifting his eyes up to look at me with as much concern as a dog can muster. I sit back and let him jump up on the couch next to me.
    Sandra kneels down in front of me and places her hands on my knees. “I’m sorry, Leis. I know I must sound crazy right now. I have no right to tell you whom you can and can’t see. I just… I want you to be careful ok? Just remember who he is. I know you don’t pay any attention to the who’s who of this world, but being a guy like Marcus – it means something… you know? I’m obviously not the only one he used and left. Just don’t become one yourself.”
    I place my hand on top of hers and swallow down the lump in my throat. She doesn’t know much about my past either. She doesn’t know who my ex