The Love Contract | Alex Turner

Line of Questioning

Marianne's POV

The next morning is the day of the show, I don't usually go to any performances so I got prepared for a day off to myself. I quickly put on something comfortable, a far cry from my usual 'business formal' attire I was expected to wear on the job. I hurry out of the hotel room, not wanting to waste my day off, and excited to explore a new city. 

As I close the door to my room I hear Nick hollering something from the other end of the hallway, I stop briefly to try and figure out what is going on. 

"You cheeky bastard, you seriously asked her that?" I hear Nick question Alex. Crap, he must know about our little 'encounter' in the hallway. I make my way to the elevator, I don't want to hear the rest of this. 

Alex emerges from his room and spots me boarding the elevator. As the door starts to slide shut, Alex wedged his hand between them and pried them back open and hopping inside. 

"Shit, fuck." Alex shakes his hand in pain from the elevator. 

I move over to the far corner of the elevator to put some space between Alex and I. Alex rolls his eyes at my 'not so subtle' movement. He rests his body on the side of the elevator and just stares directly into my soul. 

I clear my throat, "where are you off to this morning?" I say trying to fill the awkward silence. This elevator is so god damn slow. 

Alex over at me, noticing my feeble attempt to fill the silence. He hums quietly before responding, "I don't know yet. What about you?"

"I'll probably go grab a coffee and explore the city a little on my day off." I say fidgeting with the hem of my sweater. 

A smirk appears on Alex's face. "By yourself? It won't be very fun all alone, now will it?" He questions. 

"I can have plenty of fun alone, Mr. Turner." I respond as I quickly exit the elevator and entering the lobby. 

Alex follows close behind me. "Well sure you can, but, wouldn't you have more fun with some company?" He questions cheekily. 

"Who might this 'company' be?" I respond as I push open the door leading outside. The brisk air instantly making me wrap my arms around my body. 

He scoffs and rolls his eyes at my inquiry. "Uh, me?" He says with a cocky smirk on his face. 

I sigh before answering and look around. I really didn't know this city, it might not be a bad idea to have some guidance. "Fine." I finally say. "Only because you know the area, and strictly business talk." I state putting up a firm boundary. 

"Really? No fun? Not even a little." He says as he playfully pokes me with his elbow and begins walking. 

"No fun, attorneys are allergic to fun." I say smugly, following to wherever Alex is leading me. 

"Oh come on now, doll. You have to have a little fun sometimes." Alex said, being flirtatious as always. 

"If you're going to act flirty all day, I'm rescinding my acceptance of you joining me." I say firmly. 

Alex puts his hands up in defeat and steps a little further from me. "Okay, okay, no flirty Alex, got it." After a minute of aimless walking Alex speaks up, "So there's a diner around the corner, not many people know about it and they serve pretty good food. How does that sound?" He asks. 

"Sounds good to me."

We walk for a few minutes and approach a small diner nestled on a street corner. Alex enters the diner first and holds the door open for me. We take a seat in the basically empty diner, sounds of plates and cutlery clattering eases the momentary silence between us. 

On cue a waitress comes and gives us menus. I order a black coffee. "I'll have the same, thank you, love." Alex mutters to the waitress. 

"Just coffee? You're not ordering anything else?" Alex questions me with a tilt of the head. 

"Uh no, I don't usually eat much for breakfast, coffee is fine with me." I say with a smile. 

"Seriously? That's all you're going to have?" He questions once again, beginning to sound suspicious. Thankful my phone rings as if on cue to excuse me from this line of questioning. I excuse myself to take the phone call outside. It was a work call--per usual. The firm back in the US was just calling me to update me on a motion I submitted a few weeks ago, the definitely could have just emailed me that. 

"Sorry." I say while taking my seat in front of Alex and taking a sip of my bitter coffee. 

Alex shakes his head and casually waves his hand. "You don't have anything to be sorry about, love. Was it something important? Or was it just work like always?" He says with a laugh. 

"Yeah the new paralegal was updating me on something I did a few weeks ago, she probably could have just emailed me that." I sigh. 

He rolls his eyes and scoffs, "bloody 'ell that's annoying."

"Well I am the lawyer, technically it's my job." I respond. 

Alex ended up ordering an English Breakfast while I was outside taking my call. When it arrived I had to admit it smelled delicious, but I am not much of a 'morning eater' so to say. Alex quickly started to dig in, but paused as he looked at me sitting there with only my bitter coffee to curb my appetite. 

Alex places his fork down, "are you seriously not going to eat anything?"

"No, I'm fine. I don't eat much in the morning, it upsets my stomach." I respond with a laugh, not entirely lying but not entirely telling the truth either. 

"Come onnnn, just get something small. You'll regret it when you're starving in about an hour." Alex presses. 

"Alright, fine." I say as I steal a bite off his plate. "Happy?" I say with a mouth full of food. 

He raises an eyebrow at my sudden larceny of his meal. "Excuse me, love. Are you stealing food off my plate?" He teases. 

"Yeah, you wouldn't stop pestering me." I retort. 

He rolls his eyes at my response. "Oh, so now I'm pestering you? I'm just trying to get you not to starve." He grumbles. I get quiet at this point, not wanting to continue discussing my eating habits. He immediately notices my sudden silence and observes my tense body language. "You alright doll?" He asks me casually. "mhm." I respond shortly, looking down at my lap. 

"...So, what's the plan for sightseeing today then, love?" Alex finally speaks up after clearing his plate and paying the check.

"Oh, I don't know much about Sheffield, how about you show me the local spots?" Alex perks up at my proposition, a smirk immediately appears on his face. "Oh, so you want me to be your tour guide now, huh?" He says cheekily. "I bet you show all the girls around." I say while laughing, instantly regretting what I just said. His smirk grows at my comment and nodding, "oh you know I do, doll." He says trying to make me jealous or something. "But you're the only one I'll be showing around the city today." He says as he stands up, motioning for me to do the same.