Derick was silent for a second. "Someone that wants to give me feedback on my manuscript."

Maria put down the knife she was chopping vegetables with and took the receiver into her hand. "Oh no, Derick. Not that creep from last night?"

"Yeah. He's an agent, Maria." Derick began to get defensive.

"Will you stop this already? This is ridiculous!"

"What is? The fact that someone might be interested in my work when you thought no one would be?"

Maria heard the line go dead.

Derick opened the door to find Maria standing there, holding a pie. The aroma tickled Derick's nose as it wafted from her to him. "I'm sorry."

Derick stood silent for a moment, taking in the way she looked; her dark brown hair swept up, off her shoulders, into a messy bun, her sheepish smile, and her eyes that seemed to be telling him that she regretted everything that had transpired between them on the phone. The aroma of the pie was making his mouth water. Lemon Meringue, his favorite. She knew him well.

He stood aside and let her pass into the apartment. "Let's talk about this." She broke the silence.

"Well, I don't know if there is anything to talk about. You obviously don't think my ventures are worthwhile, so why discuss it?" He set the pie on the kitchen counter. "Thanks for the pie."

"You're welcome. I just don't understand why you don't let me help you?"

A smile crept onto Derick's face. "Could that be jealousy I sense?" His tone was exaggerated in only a way that Derick could pull off. It made Maria smile every time.

"Maybe."

"How about we dig into this pie and start our game?" Derick asked.

"Fine with me. What game?"

"Gin."

"Fabulous."

* * *

After a few hours of card playing, Maria looked at Derick with an expression of need. The pie was half eaten between the two of them. "What?" Derick asked, his stomach beginning to ache from all the sugar.

"Why don't we go out sometime? You know, like a date."

Derick eyed her from across the table and put his cards down, leaning back in the wooden chair. "You're serious?"

Maria nodded. Derick snickered, slightly taken aback. "Well, I don't know. We have such a great friendship, I don't…"

"Want to ruin it? I thought so." Maria finished his sentence, looking hurt. "Maybe I should…"




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