If It's Real / Darling Let Me Know - TNN Marjoreece Drabbles & One Shots

Message in a Bottle

"Are you not going over?" Autumn asked, tilting her head as she looked at the other woman.

Marjorie pondered for only a moment.

"Would you... be okay with that?"

"I would," Autumn replied quickly.

"Okay, well... I'm gonna go over and see Reece," Marjorie beamed, her eyes lighting up at the idea that maybe, finally, they could be together.

After several weeks of pushing him away, telling him to back off over and over, she wondered if Reece would even still be interested in her. Her only hope was that, in her unfortunate experience, men didn't usually stop after being shown indifference or even straight up being told "no". That, and Autumn reminding her that Reece had been "absolutely besotted" with her from the moment he started working at the sister nursery.

Armed with that information and the idea that maybe, just maybe, she would come out on the other side of this situation on the arm of the man she'd been hopelessly pining after for weeks, Marjorie made her way on the 15 minute journey down the road to see Reece.

I know that you like me
And it's kinda frightening
Standing here waiting

She walked into his office in silence, fidgeting with her hands as she padded across the floor. After trying to carefully plan her words, she muttered a soft, "Hi."

"Hey," Reece responded, looking up from the paperwork he'd been looking over.

Something was different about the way he stood, the way he responded to her. It wasn't his usual "hey, you" or bright smile. Just a simple "hey" as he looked up from his work.

And I became hypnotized
By freckles and bright eyes
Tongue tied

"I owe you a huge apology," Marjorie continued as she explained everything she had just recently learned only a couple of hours before.

Of course she was sorry. She'd completely torn him up because of a misunderstanding. But he seemed to be... indifferent. Every explanation and apology from her was met with a justification from him about why she was right to go off on him like she did. He'd really thought through it all.

"Anyway, I'm glad I found out now rather than further down the road."

"Reece..."

The defeat in both of their voices could be heard from miles down the road. This wasn't what this moment was supposed to be. Little did Marjorie know what was about to hit her.

But now
You're so far away and I'm down
Feeling like a face in the crowd
I'm reaching for you, terrified

"You're back with Mia?" Marjorie cried. Suddenly his indifference made sense.

"At this point, I think we just deserve each other. Plus, there's nobody else banging down my door to be with me, so um..." Reece explained, looking anywhere but at Marjorie as he spoke. "Anyway. She's waiting. I'll see you later."

He walked out of the office in pursuit of Mia, leaving Marjorie there, alone with her thoughts. She stood there quietly, staring out the window as she waited just long enough to watch the two leave the car park in Reece's car... together. It took so much concentration, nails pressed into the palm of her hand, to keep herself from crying right there and then.

You could be the one that I love
I could be the one that you dream of
Message in a bottle is all I can do
Standing here, hoping it gets to you

She nearly stomped her way out of the building, holding everything in for just a few more moments before reaching her car. She sat in the driver's seat and leaned forward to start it. Of course, in its perfect timing, it didn't start when she turned the key in the ignition. Marjorie slapped the dashboard in frustration before slamming herself against the back of her seat, head in her hands as she finally let loose the pent up emotion.

All of that flirting, all of the snarky comments, misunderstanding, banter, charm... for what? What was it for? This wasn't the way they were supposed to end.

You could be the one that I keep, and I
Could be the reason you can't sleep at night
Message in a bottle is all I can do
Standing here, hoping it gets to you

Thirty minutes later, she trudged into her own office, sighing aggressively as she slammed her keys and purse onto her desk.

"Well, that was fast," Autumn muttered as she watched the other woman attempt to collect herself.

Marjorie exhaled before turning to her and explaining, "He's back with Mia. Apparently, your brother is the first man in history who, when a woman says 'leave me alone', he actually bloody listens and leaves her alone."

She didn't want to break down in front of Autumn again. She had tried to release everything in the car on the way over. But the tension of everything was still weighing heavy on her, and despite trying to push it away and remain somewhat professional, her voice was breaking. Even worse, she looked down at the calendar on her desk and remembered that she had a manager's seminar to attend the next day. With Reece.

These days I'm restless
Work days are endless
Look how you've made me

Marjorie spent the rest of the day so unfocused on everything. Time just kept dragging on. She tried to work on anything she could get her hands on to keep her mind off of things. Schedules, accident forms, emails, even stepping into the preschool room for a bit to get her mind off of things. Nothing was working. All of her thoughts always ended up on him.

But time moves faster
Replaying your laughter
Disaster

That night, Marjorie couldn't sleep. All she could think about was Reece. There was so much to him that was so mysterious and alluring. She thought she'd finally had it all figured out, and then when she walked into his office that day it was like everything had changed. Would she ever truly know him? Would she ever get the chance to see what it was that Autumn had been so excited to get back to after years apart?

Where are you while I'm wondering
If I'll ever see you again?

At the same time, a few miles away, Reece was laid in bed. Mia asleep next to him. He stared up at the ceiling blankly. This was not what he wanted, but he felt like he had no choice. And Marjorie would never know.

You could be the one that I love
And now I'm standing here, hoping it gets to you

The next day in the conference room, the tension was palpable, both stealing glances at the other any moment they could. And then came the digs at each other, throwing hurt back and forth as they were unable to fully reach one another. Neither of them paid any attention to what was being said by the speaker as she walked around the room.

'Cause you could be the one that I love
I could be the one that you dream of
Message in a bottle is all I can do
Standing here, hoping it gets to you

None of it made sense to Marjorie. Everything she, Autumn, and Carly had figured out about him just the day before did not match what she was seeing from him in just the last 24 hours. Arms held tightly across her chest, she pondered to him aloud.

"D'you know, I really don't get you, okay? You spent 20 years going to hell and back to protect your sister. You literally go out of your way to protect Carly. You've been a wonder to Jodie. How is it that suddenly you are so cruel?"

Reece only rolled his eyes, his expression of indifference unmoving.

"Marjorie, stop trying to see qualities in me that aren't there. I was bored, you just happened to be there."

You could be the one that I keep, and I
Could be the reason you can't sleep at night
Message in a bottle is all I can do
Standing here hoping it gets to you

The two were poised to continue snapping back at each other when the conference speaker came by their end of the table to announce a quick break time.

Reece quickly jumped at the opportunity to get away, his emotions bubbling over more than he could hide with his facade he'd been building up again.

Marjorie was left, once again, alone with her feelings. Only this time, she wasn't going to let him get away.

And now I'm standing here, hoping this gets to you

"Oi."