*** Mark ***As Solana vanished unto the street from the curb, Mark closed his eyes, head on the window frame, as he asked himself yet again, 'What am I to do?'He'd spent the entire weekend asking himself this, and his answer had been the same - 'Do Nothing.'How could he even consider taking things further with Solana when he had nothing to offer her? Not even a comfortable house to live in. Not until the lawyer confirmed he was in the clear.Life was tough, which was why he'd been careful not to want much. Not to get attached to anything. Or anyone. Nothing was permanent. His mother left without warning, now he was saddled with a task he never imagined she would entrust him with. This was his responsibility. His task. Solana was a paid employee. If she became a part of his life. If they became lovers, what could he offer her rather than added pressure to see the motel standing strong again? He was doing the right thing. His number one focus was Lovelane, and this past month had ta

*** Solana *** Only a few minutes after Phil left her office, Mark rang for Solana. She was startled because she saw him go out and was not expecting to hear from him until tomorrow at least. They had just wrapped up the campaign, so she suspected he wanted to review that one last time before she closed officially for the day. Moments later, she sat across from him in his large office as they went over the results of the campaign. He'd bought her an Ipahd for the job, which she placed on the desk in front of her. Though she knew she was not allowed to look down on it longer than three seconds. The results were great. From her estimations, the returns far exceeded his target. So why didn't he look happy? She wondered. The thought caused her to do a quick memory scan, trying to recall if she had ever seen him happy. He smiled occasionally, though never at her. She had seen him laugh more than once with Joe. But when it comes to looking happy, she wasn't sure she'd be able to tell if h

*** Mark ***After Solana went inside and shut her door, the only sound in the hall was of a distant bird, and someone's watch, maybe his own or Phil's, ticking. Tick, tick, tick.Mark was still, eyes locked on the other man, who wasn't attempting to move either. Even if he did attempt to move, Mark was aware he was blocking the man's path.He willed himself to move, but he stood rigid, waiting... He didn't know what he was waiting for. There was nothing wrong with Solana standing in the hall this late at night, looking like sin and smiling at another man. It was not his business. From the moment he walked in on that image minutes ago, he'd kept repeating these words in his head to quell the tumult rising in his gut. 'It's not my business. She's not mine.'The both of them hadn't even heard him come up. He'd walked in on Phil fucking her with his eyes, while she spoke softly and giggled up at him. 'What if I gouge out those eyes with this ball pen in his pocket?'Mark swallowed to

*** Solana ***Another week went by while things settled into normalcy between Solana and Mark. Or so it seemed on the surface. The motel was making progress. As far as Solana could tell, she and Mark were back to the time after she just got here. They worked together smoothly, pretending the past never happened. Playing the role of boss and employee without issues. Solana thought Mark played that role effortlessly. So she was determined to follow his lead, always wearing her cold, independent-woman, businesslike demeanor at all times.Every morning whenever she got to her desk, she sternly reminded herself that they were boss and employee, nothing more! Despite the undeniable sizzling tension that lingered between them, she must always keep their professional boundaries in mind at all times. The only challenge was the fact that the lingering tension was a spillover from their odd history of having seen each other naked. Her body knew what he felt like. How he tasted. Just like his

*** Solana ***Fifteen minutes after the meeting with Phil, Solana was sitting across from Mark at the top floor of an expensive restaurant near the neighborhood park. She was looking at a menu she didn't quite understand and recalling how easy it had been the last time they'd had lunch. All she'd had to do was choose her favorite pizza flavor and topping. He'd done the same, and the waiter had brought a large box containing two flavors, half and half. Now she was staring at a menu with a list of fancy food names, ravenous yet so confused about what to eat."Their steak tastes great, especially with the garden salad. You should try the combo." He suggested. "Or choose something else if you want." He shrugged.She nodded, giving the waiter her order of steak and salad as he suggested. He ordered the sameWhen the waiter left to bring their food, he said, "You know I didn't pay attention in that meeting with Gonza." "I noticed. I knew it would bore you." She said."Nah, I was too hung