Mariana was completely unaware that Seth had slipped out late that night, leaving her nude form alone on the couch of her apartment. The next afternoon, when she stirred, Mariana shifted on the couch, yawning and stretching before she cracked open those dark eyes to see that...he was gone. Frowning, she pulled her aching body up to sit, realizing that having sex on the couch was probably not the best choice. This couch was really uncomfortable. Maybe Seth was in the bathroom. Glancing at the floor and sweeping her eyes across it, Mariana could see no trace of his clothing. He must have been dressed already. But it was the sight of something else that was missing that made her heart drop into her knees. The Congac...it was gone. He had left her there...without so much as a word or a note. No...maybe he DID leave a note. Leaping up from the couch, Mariana had to sit right back down, as her head spun and she felt her stomach cramp. Oh God, on top of this, was she getting the flu? When she finally took a moment to sit and breathe, she realized just how horrible she felt. Her body was aching, her stomach was churning, and her head was throbbing. After a few moments she stood once more, slowly this time, then began searching around the living room and kitchen for a note. Absolutely nothing. "Well I'll be damned..." She murmured, standing naked in the middle of her living room. Closing her eyes, Mariana let out a slow breath. What the hell had she been thinking? She had met the man at a club and had sex with him the next night.... Was she insane?!
Feeling tears sting at her eyelids, Mariana moved slowly down the hall to open her bedroom door, letting out a very hyper Radu. The dog tried to jump up on her and knock her down as usual, but the second before his paws hit her shoulders, he fell back and sat down, blinking up at her. Well, that was strange. Mariana reached down and petted his head, giving him a tiny smile. "What's the matter, boy? It's okay." Turning to step into the bathroom, Mariana turned on the shower full blast, then stepped in. She was trembling, but did not realize it. Shoving her head under the stream, she closed her eyes. Jesus...she had told him everything about her life... why in the hell did she think she could trust a stranger? Letting her back fall against the wall, Mariana slid down until she was sitting on the floor of the shower, her knees pulled to her chest. And for the next hour she did not move, only kept her face buried in her knees and let the water pound down her back. Eventually she would have to get out out though, just for the fact that she felt her stomach churn harder and had to move to the toilet to throw up. She retched violently, but was not sure WHAT she was puking up, because she had not eaten for the last two days. Finally she brushed her teeth, then moved to her bedroom to pull on baggy cargo pants and a green sweater, then brushed her hair up into a high ponytail. She looked pale and dark circles underlined her eyes. She felt miserable, both emotionally and physically, and wanted nothing more than to stay home and hide in bed, but she could not. So, clipping on Radu's leash, she would head off to work. Right before she left the apartment, she happened to notice that Seth's leather trench coat was lying on the couch. Had she been sleeping on it? Frowning, she grabbed it, growing hopeful. Maybe this meant he was not ditching her after all. Taking it with her, she headed out to work. Once arriving, she would snatch a small bag of dog food from the shelf, open it, and dump it in his worn dish behind the counter, watching him eat. Funny, she was not even hungry, and she should be. Dropping down on her stool behind the counter, she let her face fall into her hands as she fought another wave of despair. They were all the same....men wanted sex and nothing more. And the thought of chivalry and gentlemen was dead.
