Mystic Garden

A Moment Alone

Max hung back behind the group, clearly uncomfortable. Marigold wondered if this was his first time back since the incident that left him with the scar. Despite the argument that had taken place moments ago, the rest of the group was chatting, relatively upbeat. Marigold scanned her surroundings. She had resolved to be cautious and was a woman of her word. The Gardens seemed darker tonight, but she thought it might just be all the talk of danger that made it feel that way.

When they reached their usual spot, Josh grabbed a bottle from the crate at the base of the huge tree. He took a swig, standing above his seated friends, before offering it to the group. Marigold heard Max grumble to himself, "You've got to be kidding me," but the rest of the group didn't notice.

Marigold hesitated and then suggested, "Why don't we just enjoy The Gardens without drinking tonight?" She glanced around at her friends, hoping they would consider her suggestion.

Leah shook her head, smiling. "Come on, Marigold. It's part of the experience. Don't let Max's paranoia get to you."

Andi nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Marigold, it's fine. We've done this plenty of times. One drink won't hurt."

"But what if he's right?" Marigold insisted, looking at them seriously. "What if there's something we're missing? It doesn't hurt to be cautious."

Andi sighed, rolling her eyes. "You're overthinking it. We're here to have fun, remember? Just relax."

Leah added, "Marigold, trust us. Max is just being dramatic. We've been doing this for months without any problems."

Marigold glanced at Max, who sat a few feet away, his expression a mix of frustration and concern. She noticed how worried he looked, fidgeting absentmindedly as he watched them. The sight of him like that made her stomach twist with unease. Still, she didn't want to ruin the mood. Reluctantly, she accepted the bottle, feeling a pang of worry as she took a cautious sip.

Max looked at her, his blue eyes looked almost hurt as he watched her take the bottle from her lips. After a second, he turned away, and a few moments later, Marigold thought she saw his face relax slightly. She turned her attention to the group, talking about work, the cafe, and other random topics, when she heard Max whisper in her ear. "Hey, meet me behind the big tree in a few minutes." She glanced over at him, but he looked preoccupied with something on his phone.

After about a minute, she got up and excused herself from the group, walking the path over to the huge tree and going around to the back. After a few moments, Max joined her. He looked very relaxed and had a sly smile. Marigold thought this was strange because he'd had such a worried expression the whole night up to that point.

Max walked up and started, "I've been waiting to get you alone a long time, you know that?"

Marigold was shocked. They'd never so much as flirted before, and here he was, walking up like the Cheshire Cat. "I... I... what?" she stammered, her breath quickening as he approached.

"I have thought about a hundred different ways to remove your clothes," Max lowered his voice to a whisper as he leaned closer, breathing the last word into her ear.

Marigold's mind reeled. This was not the Max she knew. But as shocking as his words were, she felt a strange thrill. "Max, what are you talking about?" she asked, her voice a mix of fear and excitement, trying to step back but finding herself backed against the tree.

Marigold put her hand out to push Max away, but as her fingers met his strong chest under his soft shirt, she paused. She looked into his eyes, they almost looked... black?

Feeling her hand on him, Max began to run his fingers under the edges of Marigold's shirt, his fingers brushing lightly against her bare skin.

Marigold shivered at his touch, her body pushing closer to his touch on its own.

Max grabbed her willing waist and pulled it against him, his hands running up her sides, his thumbs playing with the bottom of her bra.

Marigold's breath was labored. She looked deeply into his eyes and closed her own as he leaned down for a kiss. Her body caught fire then, his lips as soft and delicious as she'd imagined many times before.

Max pressed her into the tree, his hands and lips exploring. Marigold was biting her bottom lip and as she let out a moan, she heard a voice worriedly calling from the path, "Mari..?"

Marigold turned her head toward the voice. As she turned back, she was alone, her own hands in compromised positions under her shirt. Marigold was shaken. She removed her hands and straightened her shirt as the voice called again, sounding more worried, "Mari, where are you?"

It was Max's voice. Marigold was beyond confused. She peered around the tree to see Max walking the path from where the rest of the group was. As she walked around the tree and into sight, Max picked up the pace, his voice annoyed as he asked, "There you are. Jesus. What are you doing out here by yourself? How many different ways do I need to say it's not safe here?" The last part was more of a complaint to himself.

"How did you... get so far?" Marigold stammered, not understanding what was going on. She tried to piece together the last few minutes, but everything felt jumbled and unreal. Had she imagined it all? The sensations had felt so vivid, yet here Max was, acting as though nothing had happened.

"What are you talking about?" Max asked, annoyance mixed with worry as he approached Marigold.

Marigold shook her head, deciding not to reveal what just happened. "I just... needed some air," she said, her voice shaky.

Max frowned. "Well, it's not safe to be wandering off alone. Come on, let's get back to the group."

They exchanged a few more words, Max expressing his concern and Marigold assuring him she was fine, though she felt anything but. As they walked back, Marigold asked, "Did you drive here?"

Max looked at her curiously. "Yeah, I did. Why?"

"Can you take me home? I'm not feeling well," Marigold said, hoping he wouldn't press her for details.

Max studied her for a moment, then nodded. "Sure. Let's go."

When they reached the group, Leah and Josh immediately questioned her. "Where are you going, Mari?" Leah asked, frowning.

"I'm not feeling well," Marigold explained. "Max is going to take me home."

Josh looked skeptical. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired. I'll be fine," Marigold insisted. She exchanged a few more words with them, making her excuses, and then she and Max headed to his car. As they walked away, Marigold couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong, but she didn't know how to explain it.