Graham walks out of Marian's office. Marian looks down at her phone excitedly. She has been waiting for this text all day. On Marian's phone screen:
Himđ: My mom came into town. I am going to have to cancel our plans to get together tonight.
Marian looks super annoyed. This is not at all what she wanted to happen. She takes a deep breath. He gets so busy, it's frustrating. Even when they have plans to go out, he cancels half the time. Marian reminds herself that this is typical behavior for him. He seems to be even harder to get to do things over the last few months.
Marian has been looking for any excuse to end things with him. She notices that his mother is visiting. He has never even introduced Marian to his mother. Or anyone in his family. He is an only child, but still, it is so strange to her that it has been so long and he has never mentioned her to his family. When her family had all met him multiple times. Marian looks around her office. She wants to punch something. She got ready to go out with him tonight. She hadn't seen him in so long that she wanted to look nice. It seems her makeup and nice shoes were pointless. She's not going anywhere with anyone.
Marian angrily starts closing up her computer. She isn't in a hurry for time, but her feelings are intense. She uses more force than necessary to log off and shut things down. Her computer makes a loud sound. She freezes before she remembers that Robin is already gone. She doesn't need to worry about him making any comment.
Marian sighs. She checks her phone and decides to write a response. She knows that whatever she writes doesn't actually matter. Once he has made up his mind about something, there is no convincing him. This is why she has been doing this dance with him for so many years. Marian types up a response:
Marian: Bummer. What will you do with your mom while she is in town?
Himđ: I am taking her out to dinner tonight. We are going to Crepes du Jour.
Marian: I love that place.
Marian waits for a response. She hopes he will get the hint and invite her to join him with his mom. But after five years, that has never happened. Marian watches her phone intensely. She sees the dots appear, so she knows he is writing something.Â
Himđ: I know, it's awesome. We will go sometime.
Marian: That sounds good. When?
Himđ: I don't know, work is busy right now. I will take you as soon as I have another open night.
Marian puts the phone back down angrily. She has tears welling up in her eyes. This is typical behavior for him. She mutters to herself, "freaking Liam." After this, she begins to slowly gather her belongings so she can go home by herself. Just as she is about to open the door, her phone starts ringing. For a second, she gets excited, thinking he is calling her to tell her that he changed his mind and wants to get together tonight. She answers the phone all excitedly.
Theo is on the phone, "Hey, babe!" Marian is disappointed. She immediately drops down a little bit, "Hey, Theo."Â She sounds sad. Theo continues, "Surprise! I am here to pick you up!" Theo walks into the office and gestures grandly. He walks over to Marian and brings her into a hug. He can tell she is having a bad day by the tone in her voice. Marian asks him, "Why are you here?" Theo smiles again, still holding Marian close, "I know we didn't have plans today, but I wanted to see you. Do you want to watch shows with me at my place?" Marian looks down at the floor, "I don't know. I am not in the best mood." Theo instantly goes into comforting mode. "Tough day? Was Robin being a jerk again? We can grab some ice cream on the way home to help you feel better."
Marian looks at Theo. She can't believe someone like him likes someone like her. "Theo, you are too good to me." Theo gets this smirk on his face. He likes it when Marian talks about him like this. "I know, but I just can't seem to help myself. There is something about you..." And at this, he pulls Marian in for a kiss. After the kiss, Theo smiles brightly and offers, "Why don't we grab some Thai food on the way home. I know it's your favorite." Marian also gets a smile on her face. "I can't say no to curry." Theo chuckles a little. "I know, I am irresistible." The man has the confidence of a thousand suns. He grabs Marian's hand and starts to lead her out of the office. The two are almost out of the main building when Marian rests her head on his shoulder. "I love that you can make me feel so much better." Theo looks up and out because he feels like he just won the lottery. Marian is clearly falling for him.