As The World Turns

Chapter 7

Jodie's breath got caught in her throat the second she'd walked through the door. Marshall was the last person she had expected to see sat in one of the booths. She began to wonder whether he always ate was Denaun at the weekend, not that it was any of her business anyway. There was nothing she could do about the situation anyway because Denaun had already seen her and he knew full well she did work on weekends, so she had to be there for a reason. Unfortunately, Denaun was not the only person who had noticed her presence on the day she wouldn't usually be there.

''Hey Jodie,'' the voice came from right behind her, causing her to jump a little.

''Hi Robert, I...'' She was going to say that she didn't have time to talk to him at that moment, but he never let her finish.

''I know you're working tonight, but I was thinking cause I get off at eleven we could go for lunch or...'' Jodie lifted her hand to cut him off. Feeling sorry for the crestfallen look that fell across his face, Jodie placed her hand on his shoulder.

''Ok, look Robert you're a really nice guy and you are my friend, but that's as far as our relationship is going to go ok. Friends,'' Robert nodded, keeping his head down as if not to look at. Jodie sighed, removing her hand from his shoulder before saying, ''I'm sorry.''

She watched as Robert shuffled off to go and clear away the plates left behind on one of the tables in one of the booths. He appeared to walk even slower than he usually did. Jodie hadn't meant to upset him, but she found that it would be wrong if she kept keeping his hopes up by saying next time, every time he asked her to go out with him. it was for the best, she kept telling herself as she made her way to her initial destination.

Denaun greeted her with a smile, thinking or rather hoping for Marshall's sake that she walks straight past to the staff room. So it catches him off guard when she smiles back and slides into the booth next to him. silence engulfs the three of them as Marshal appears to stare out the window as if the couple arguing in the carpark is the most interesting thing in the world.

''Sorry, this is kinda unexpected,'' Jodie starts breathing in a deep breath. In truth the awkward feeling was not something she had been expecting; then again she hadn't expected Marshall to be sat opposite her in this scenario.

''Look I wanna...'' Marshall began finally truing his head away from the window. He'd been thinking about what to say to her and figured he had the perfect thing until he noticed Jodie pull a wallet from out of her bag and realised the explanation behind her sudden presence.

''This wallet I'm guessing belongs to one of your friends since you too get breakfast covered,'' it wasn't much of a joke and Jodie hadn't thought anyone would react, so the slight smile Marshall sent her was a surprise.

''I think it's Ryan's,'' Denaun suggested picking it up and flicking through it, ''yeah see pictures of his kids,'' Denaun flashed the small pictures at them.

''Aw their cute,'' Jodie cooed. Due to respecting other peoples privacy she hadn't even looked inside. So now as she looked at Denaun looking through it she realised it would have been obvious that it wouldn't have been either of theirs.

Marshall kept stuttering on his words due to the fact that Jodie and Denaun started to entire a flowing conversation, which left him there unable to get a word in edgeways. Every time he kept trying to bring up what he wanted to say, the other would cut him off. Meaning he was left to sit a appear as a third wheel in their conversation. It wasn't until Denaun announced he needed the toilet that he could finally speak to Jodie.

''Look about last night,'' he started.

''It's fine. Just wanna let you know Taylor can be a little crazy so...''

''That's not what I mean. I just... I was being nice asking about her. I really just wanted to continue talking to you, but she wasn't well and,'' he paused when he noticed her cross her arms across the table her head facing down as she groaned.

The action made Marshall chuckle and at the sound she picked her head up, pushing her glasses back up her nose and she did so. He wasn't sure how long they had until Denaun came back so he decided to make the moment along with her count. Slowly he moved his hand so that it was inches away from her arm. Jodie appeared to watch his hand intently, so he distracted her by speaking.

''I just want to say I'm sorry. I really am interested in you and not your friend,'' a fleeting smile crossed his features as he was able to lightly rest his hand on her arm.

There were two reasons that her not pulling away made him happy. One was rather obvious and that was he now knew that she was completely repulsed by him and accepted his apology. The second allowed whoever he'd heard ask her out know that he was the reason she turned him down. Although Marshall had no idea who or what the other guys' angle was, not that it really mattered to him.

''whoa what I miss,'' the moment was over the second Denuan came back as Jodie immediately moved her arms off the table; Marshall retracting his hand just as quickly.

''Nothing much. Um I better get going,'' Jodie shifted along with the seat before finally standing up, ''I'll see you Monday,'' she said giving Denaun a quick hug, ''and you around,'' she finished pointing at Marshall. Then she was gone.

''What are you smirking it?'' Marshall snapped as Denaun slid back into the booth a wide grin stretched across his face.

''Royce left his wallet on purpose. Although he had hoped she'd come down to the studio, but just in case I brought you here,'' he explained and Marshall went bug-eyed.

''How the hell would you have known she was the one to return it?''

''Easy her dad run Ryan, who then said just give it to Jodie she can give it to me,'' Denaun pointed at himself before then saying, ''so that's that. Apart from the whole texting disaster that was on you.''

''Fuck you man I was being nice, plus she knows that now.''

''Does she?'' Denaun questioned.

''I fucking hope so,'' Marshall replied, turning to look out the window once again catching a small glimpse of Jodie as she climbed into her car.