Two Kinds Of Lonely

The Quarter

(Marigold is the photo)

Marigolds POV
I sit on a park bench and pour the change I have out of my cup. I start to count it, I just need five dollars to be able to eat something, I haven't eaten in days. I hate doing this. I hate being homeless. I don't beg. I never will. I just wander the streets and pick up every piece of loose change I find. That's probably why it always takes me so long to get enough money to feed myself. I've been homeless for almost five years. I ran away two days after my sixteenth birthday. I've tried getting jobs and making but it's hard, you can't get a home without a job and you can't get a job without some form of an address or a home. I finish counting my money and I only have 3 dollars. I stand back up and start to look around for more money. I find a quarter! I bend down and pick it up when I stand back up a rich man is standing before me. He towers over me. He must be at least 6'4, he towers my mere 5'1.
"I um.. I'm sorry sure is this yours? You can take it back?" I offer holding the quarter out.
"No it's okay you clearly need it more" he says.
"No no if it's yours I honestly don't want it, it's just a quarter, I'm sure I'll find another at some point" I say looking up at him.
"And if I say it's not mine you have no proof that it is. So it's not mine keep it"
"But I.." I sigh looking down at the quarter," I'm not a begger, or someone to pity.. please just take it I don't want to take your money even if it's something as small or big as a quarter. "
"Wanna go to lunch with me?" He asks still not taking the quarter. I sigh softly.
"If you take he quarter, fine" I say looking up at him, I'll go just not eat anything. I won't let him pay for me. He grabs the quarter and smiles at me.
"So what kind of food do you like?" I shrug.
"I'm not sure, you pick please"
"Okay follow me" he says. He takes me to a really fancy restaurant, I am so not dressed for this. I've never even been to one of these places in my entire life.
"I um.. this is a really fancy place" I say looking at him then down at myself. I have on a big pair of jeans and a sweater with holes in it.
"You look beautiful, don't worry." He says to me.

Atticus's POV

I look at the girl again. She is gorgeous, even behind the dirt on her face and the messy clothing. Her messy hair black hair compliments her blue eyes gorgeously. She is kind of pale and very skinny like she hardly eats. I wanna give her a good meal and whatever she doesn't eat she can take with her. I'm just afraid she won't eat at all. She wouldn't even take a quarter in fear of begging and gaining pity.
"Come on, let's go inside" I say smiling at her reassuringly. She sighs before going inside after I open the door for her. I follow her inside. I go over to the host.
"Table for two please" I say. He looks at me and then her.
"We don't serve people like that" he says.
"You're going to serve me and my guest." I say strictly at him. The owner of this restaurant is my only friend. He'd be appalled at the actions of this host.
"And who are you to tell me what to do? We have a right to refuse service" As if we were in a movie my friend, Ed comes out.
"Oh hey Ed, I was hoping to get a table for two, but apparently y'all have the right to refuse service?" I ask. The girl looks obviously sad.
"I can just go" she whispers to me. I grab her wrist.
"Don't go please" I say.
"Why wouldn't we serve you and your friend?" Ed asks as if he is talking to me but is clearly talking to the host. "I'll handle you later right now I'm going to give them a seat. If you would still like to eat here I'll give y'all the best seat in the house. I'm very sorry for my host behavior" Ed says. I look at her.
"Come on let's get something to eat okay?" I ask her. She looks up at me. It's obvious she doesn't want to, but she knows she should.
"Okay.." she mumbles with a subtle nod. Ed escorts us to our seat and he wasn't lying when he said he would give us the best one. It's the one that has a window with a view of the pretty side of the city. There are candles and roses on the table.
"Thanks Ed, are we still on for drinks tonight?" I ask him. He nods before turning away, he's obviously pissed about the host. I have a feeling someone is losing their job today. I turn to the girl. I can't believe I still don't know her name.
"So i just realized I never asked you. What's your name?"
"Marigold.. yours?" She asks looking up at me.
"Atticus nice to meet you Marigold"
"Nice to meet you too Atticus, you really didn't have to do this" she says to me. Of course she's still trying to talk me out of this.
"Eh I don't mind" I say.
"But I'm sure everything here is extremely expensive."
"When you know the owner it's not"
"But I don't know the owner, you do" she continues to argue.
"I know silly but I do"
"Are you sure you want to do this?" She asks.
"Positive" I say once again reassuring her.
"Okay.." she says quietly. I hand her a menu and we start looking. I pick a steak as I always do then look at her.
"See anything you like?" She shakes her head.
"I.. I don't know what's good" she says looking at me.
"Do you want me to order for you?" I ask her.  She nods. I order the both of us the most expensive steak dinner. It's amazing. My personal favorite. I've been wanting to try and find someone to stay in my house with me. Not like a maid or anything, I have a bunch of those. I've kind of been wanting to find someone that would be like a friend.. I know it's pathetic. But I've always been extremely lonely. I was bullied in school and now that I am one of the richest men in the world, everyone who wants to talk to me wants my money. I just want a friend. I wonder if she would do it. I mean I'd give her a place to live, and food and I'd pay her a good amount.. I just don't know how to ask without making it extremely creepy and weird and like I'm some kind of like sexual predator or something.
"So uh Marigold....I was uh....wondering if you want a job type thing?"
"What kind of um, job type thing?" She asks me looking up at me rather confused.
"Well uh I want to uh pay you to be my friend....."
"I.. um.. are you just making up a job because you pity me?" She asks.
"No...I'm being serious and not making this up. I'm a lonely guy. I have never had many friends... I have been bullied all my life till I got my money"
"I mean.. if you really want me to.. I guess.. but this isn't going to end up being some weird kinky awkward thing right?" She asks.
"Of course not!" She giggles and nods.
"Okay good." She has a gorgeous giggle, and her smile is nice too..