Merged And Married

Episode Two

Ethan's eyes darted from Jackie to the creepy old man across the table. He watches Fergman lick his lips as his eyes travel down Jackie's body now that she has her back turned against him. Ethan could feel a brand new form of rage building in him but decided to refrain from doing anything. He needs to focus on something; maybe the upset girl snapping her fingers right before him would be the perfect distraction.

"Hello!" Jackie snaps again, shaking him out of his reverie. "What the hell do you think you're doing, interrupting my dinner?"

"You really think this whole thing was going well?" Ethan asked, looking at her.

"I don't see how it's any of your business on how it's going."

"Look, I saw him from the window. He had his hand on your lap. I knew you were uncomfortable." Ethan replies.

"Are we going to continue our conversation or what?" Fergman asks from the table, obvious impatience laced in his voice.

There it is, again, the building rage, now rising slowly. Doing all he can to suppress the anger boiling in him, Ethan begins to wonder how long it would take him to lose it.

"Why are you even here anyway? I know this isn't your way home." Jackie calls, causing him to turn his attention back to her.

"Yeah, I was visiting a friend. Look, whatever it is you're doing here, you really don't have to go through with it." Ethan replies, softly grabbing her arm and giving it an understanding squeeze, a feat that could almost cause Jackie to burst into laughter.

"You have no idea what's going on here, do you?"

"No, but I know a creepy old p*****t when I see one." Ethan replies, his powder keg voice strictly monotonous.

"Somehow, I'm not the least surprised. Look, you need to leave." Jackie says, gesturing towards the door. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing and I don't need you to save me."

"I have to say this again, you know you don't have to do this, right?" Ethan asks, his eyes burrowing into hers, tinged with worry and slight frustration.

"Well, if only I didn't have to do them, we won't all be here, now, would we?" Jackie replies. "Look, just go, okay? You don't know what's going on and it's better that way. I know what I'm doing and that's all you have to know."

"Hey, are we doing this or what?" Fergman asks from the table one more time. That is all Ethan needed to blow up. Without looking at Jackie, who tries to stop him with her eyes, he moves closer to the table and drops his fists on it.

"How about you get up and get the hell out of this restaurant while you still have most of your fingers?" Ethan says, his voice dangerously low.

Fergman's eyes widen in both shock and fear.

"I'm not going to count." Ethan continues, staring straight into his eyes.

Fergman remains silent as he slowly rises from the table.

"Great. You have your pants on. Get the hell out."

"Mr. Fergman, I'm so sorry." Jackie calls, her voice apologetic as the frail old man makes his way out of his chair and towards the exit.

"Frederick is going to hear about this. I'm going to make sure he knows what his granddaughter's up to." Fergman says, not bothering to stop for a second as he spoke.

"Make sure to add in the tiny detail of how you tried to finger her under the table, will you?" Ethan replies, watching Fergman disappear down the tiled path towards the giant doors.

Jackie rubs her eyes furtively in anger and sheer resignation. "You have no idea what you just did, did you?"

"Well, I know I just sent out a creep." Ethan responded.

"No. Ethan. You did not just send out a creep. You just ruined a potential business deal."

"Wait, what?" Ethan asks

"Yeah. It's for my grandfather, you jackass." Jackie replies. "Hey, on the bright side, maybe once he hears about this collosal fuckup from you, we won't have to get married to each other anymore."

Ethan's face falls as he watches Jackie reach for her coat on one of the empty chairs across the table.

"Can I at least drive you home?" Ethan asks

Jackie scoffs. "You managed to see me through the window but you somehow missed my car in the parking lot? No thanks, I'll drive."

"Jackie…" Ethan calls, his voice now laced with remorse.

"I don't know how long it's going to take for you to get this, Ethan, but I'm going to keep hammering it in, anyway." Jackie replies, putting on her coat and turning to look at Ethan with one last frustrated expression. "I don't need you. Never have, never will."

With those words, she grabs her purse and heads out of the restaurant. She didn't need to look back to know Ethan was staring at her as she walked. She could almost feel lasers from his eyes searing into her skin. As she reaches for the doorknob, she wonders if she'd been a bit too harsh. He had the best intentions after all. She couldn't let him know that, though. Instead, she closed the door behind her and headed straight to the parking lot.

Her grandfather is going to be incredibly disappointed. She could already feel him boring into her with hot words.

"All you had to do was go through with the conversation, Jackie. How am I supposed to believe you can handle the company's business if you can't even do that?"

She unlocks her car and absentmindedly climbs in, breathing in the cold night air before closing the door. She had this in the bag. All she had to do was evade a few advances, and she would've probably been shaking hands with Fergman by now.

But somehow, he had to come in, like a knight in shining armor. And ruin everything.

One thing is certain, and it's the only thing that keeps ringing true in her ear as she makes a quick reverse out of the parking lot.

She hates him. Always have, always will.