Ersatz

February 15, 1993 - The Drive Home After the $100K Dance

"Any terms you want..."

John watched her as she exited the building. The lithe way her hips moved, and the grace with which she carried herself. He was half-hard just watching her. He'd been waiting for her, which he knew was extreme, but she refused to talk to him about what they'd done on Victor's jet the night before, and they couldn't ignore it. They couldn't pretend it hadn't happened, and he was tired of her shutting him out. Determined to get time with her, he stepped out of his vehicle, just as he heard her ask the valet to call a taxi.

She saw him approach, and sighed heavily, when John said, "I'll drive you."

"No, I'm taking a taxi," Marlena said calmly.

"I will drive you."

"I said, I'm taking a taxi. Stop doing this to me," she practically hissed at him. They were in public, and she briefly glanced around to see if anyone was watching them, before trying to step away.

John grabbed her arm, pulling her back roughly, saying smugly, "People are going to wonder what's going on, if we stand out here and argue." Marlena looks around slowly, as he continues, "Besides that, you're going to catch your death of cold out here in this weather...waiting for a taxi."

She shrugs off his hand, and whispers, "Alright. Fine. Thank you. You may take me home as long as you go straight home. No detours. No stops." She knew this was a bad idea, but she couldn't continue to stand out here on the street, and publicly argue with John. His response did nothing to reassure her, that he would comply with her request.

"Get in now," he said, and Marlena felt her core clench in response to his forcefulness. She started walking towards the car, desperate to get this over with, and he cut her off, stepping into her personal space to open the car door for her. His scent invaded her senses, and she thought she might fall at his feet right there.

Once she was inside the SUV, she couldn't escape him. The smell of his cologne, mixed with a scent that was naturally, John. In her attempt to avoid a public display, she had walked right into the lion's den. John started driving, pulling out of the parking lot slowly, and she knew she was trapped for the duration.

Looking over at her, John said, "I think we need to talk about what we're going to do."

"We're not going to do anything. Nothing at all," she said firmly, determined that what they had done last night was a mistake that would never happen again. She couldn't let it happen again.

"Alright, now let's get realistic—"

"—you know what? I feel like you're pursuing me!" she said, her anger rising. She was angry that he wouldn't forget it happened, and she was angry because she didn't want him to.

"Maybe, I can't help myself—"

"—help yourself! Just help yourself!" she said loudly.

"I wish I could, Doc! I can't."

"Well, look, I feel like I'm being taken advantage of here. You know that I was feeling...very weak, on the airplane, before—"

"—we made love?" he finished for her. He glanced over at her, "No, Doc, you were being honest. It was very refreshing. I didn't think you were being weak at all."

"Well, I was! You're wrong, I was weak! I just never should have allowed my self to...give into my emotions. Especially not to act on them," she said. Marlena had been fighting against her feelings for John since their return from Mexico, and Roman's constant dissatisfaction was pushing her further, and further away, but this...with John, it had to end. Desperate to put the blame somewhere she said, "But, I do feel that you're putting me in the same kind of position that I was in—"