Until You're Mine

[Marissa Jacobs]

For the ten months Marissa worked at the Common Ground, she had never missed a day. She never called in sick nor did she play hooky. You’d think, with her personality, she’d be the first person to use all of personal days quick. It’s not that she liked working. Oh, no! She hated working more than anything. She hated the assholes that came in and winked at her. She hated the bimbos that came in. On top of that, she hated her boss. But, there was still something that made her want to go. And what as that? Chris Harrison.

God, that boy knew how to make Marissa feel like she was in a Meg Ryan movie. He’d make her get butterflies and even the slightest touch like his arm brushing against hers made her legs feel like jell-o. When she couldn’t open a beer bottle, he was the first to help her out. When a guy looked at her weird and before she could lash out, he’d calm her down. You would’ve swore they were together. The whole funny part about this relationship? She couldn’t even grow a big enough pair of balls to tell him. Didn’t sound like Marissa, did it? She knew that and it pissed her off.

So, it wasn’t a shock that when Marissa woke up at three in the afternoon, she immediately got ready for work. And as she did it, she took some of Jessica’s advice. Cleavage isn’t your enemy. Never can go wrong with cat eyes. Straight hair shows that you’re classy. Marissa put on a long sleeved black man-shirt. She had a white tank top underneath and kept only two buttons in tact to show of a little bit of her assets. She had skinny jeans on with her usual black high tops. It was the farthest she’d go when she took Jess’s advice.

The only reason why she was actually trying to look good was because tomorrow was Tommy’s party. And Chris was going to be there along with mind altering substances. And Marissa wanted him. So, she was going to use her body to lure him in and then just leave him wanting it. Then the next day at the party, when he sees Marissa in the costume Jess picked out, they will hook up. She was going to make sure it happened.

Marissa took the subway on 42nd street to her job, The Common Ground, making it there right on time. When she walked in, there were a few people, mostly the same faces she saw everyday. Her eyes moved over to the bar and there was Chris. She smiled, making her way over there. She placed her purse on the bar top before hopping on top and swiveling around, landing behind the bar. “Hey stranger,” she said as she walked behind him and put her purse underneath the bar. Chris was never much of a happy person. Why? Marissa didn‘t know. But she wasn‘t either. So, when he wasn’t smiling or showing at kind of good emotion, Marissa put her hand on his shoulder, comforting him. “Why the long face?” she asked before opening a Corona for herself. Can’t expect someone who lives off of alcohol who works at a bar not to have a little for themselves.

[Chris Harrison]

From a very early age, Chris had always been labeled as a ‘loner’. He’d never paid any mind to it because well, he kind of was. He was never one to have friends, go to social gatherings, worry about any sort of image he was giving off—he was totally and completely a loner. But even that was an understatement. It wasn’t very often he was seen out and about at all, unless he was at work or out to pay a little visit to Tommy, if you catch my drift. He was even lucky he had such a good friend in Danny and Marissa for that matter, because if he had the option, he’d avoid himself at all costs.

Marissa seemed to tolerate him though. She’d come into work, all smiles, and would actually talk to him. And not just simple chit-chat; they’d actually talk. Like, deep conversations about—well, whatever, but the point was Marissa seemed to actually want to spend time with him. He couldn’t for the life of him though figure out why that was, though. There was absolutely nothing special about him. And Marissa was so vibrant. There they were, living in the most alive and easy city in the world and Marissa was leaning Chris’ way. It just didn’t add up.

Chris had no difficulties arriving to work on time that day. Normally, he wouldn’t rush out the door and around the big city just to serve drunken jackasses all night, but he knew Marissa started not too long after he did, and that was motivation enough. With her there, it was like he wasn’t even working. They’d follow each other around all night and joke around, flirt, and he’d be there to hold her back if she tried to jump over the counter to kick someone’s ass. God, what a turn on that was. Marissa was something special, that was for damn sure, and he wanted nothing more than to tell her that. But there was something holding him back. What it was exactly, he didn’t know, but every time he’d work up the nerve to tell her how he felt, he’d chicken out and end up making up some lame-ass story. He was surprised she wasn’t ignoring him by now.

The same things seemed to rush through his brain every time Marissa walked into the bar, but tonight...damn, she was looking exceptionally fine. A small smirked tugged on his lips but he took a breath and made it disappear, then continued to look down as he wiped down the counter top. “Hey,” escaped past his lips as she greeted him with her smooth transition to the other side of the counter. He threw his cloth over his shoulder and turned to her as she opened a Corona., watching as the bottle tipped against her desirable lips. “Long face? Uhh...” he trailed off then shrugged as he leaned back against the bar. “Look where we are. Who wouldn’t have a long face having to spend their night here,” he decided on saying, settling with a nod and a cross of his arms. “I’m sure you’re capable of making the night more enjoyable though, am I right?” That smirked tugged at his lips again and he let it. Marissa had that effect on him.

[Marissa Jacobs]

When the ice cold beer ran down her throat, Marissa closed her eyes in pleasure. The taste was beyond incredible and the way it felt when she shook her head after she swallowed it completely was just beautiful. Call her an alcoholic, if you want. She knows. But to her, as long as she doesn't start depending on the intoxicating drink then she doesn't have a problem. Her eyes met Chris's once she brought down her bottle and she smiled. It was a genuine smile. She showed all of her teeth and her two dimples on her left cheek were dipping in. God, she hated when she did this around Chris. She was supposed to be a bad ass, a bitch! Not some smiley, happy girl. She wanted to impress him by how tough she was. Not show him what he does to her.

At Chris's question, Marissa's smile slowly turned into a smirk. If only he knew what she was thinking. Boy, there were many things that she would do to make the night more enjoyable but all of them would get her and Chris fired and arrested for public indecency. "More than capable," she told him as she turned on her heal to walk towards a customer that just sat down. "You should know this by now, Chris!" Marissa walked right in front of the customer. She was a bleach blonde bimbo who had mascara running down her face and a bruise forming on her right cheek. Not to sound like a bitch, but MAN, did Marissa hate criers. She hated how they walked in and always asked for the alcohol with the higher proof number, when Marissa could already tell they couldn't handle it. Then they'd cry even harder. Fucking emotional drinkers. Can't they go to a liquor store and cry at home? The bimbo ended up ordering a sweet martini with vodka instead of gin and Marissa didn't listen to her. She only put a teaspoon of Vodka, nothing more. She didn't want the dumb bitch to cry any louder than she already was.

Marissa slowly moved away from the customer, walking over to Chris and hiding behind his shoulder. "If she needs another one, you take it. I don't feel like beating up some bitch who clearly just got beaten up," she whispered to him with a slight laugh. She picked up her Corona again, letting her eyes close. She always drank bottles with long necks around Chris. Like Jessica told her once, always do stuff around guys that reminds them of sex. A long neck beer bottle always reminded her of a penis for some reason and when it was against someone’s mouth... hello, blow job! So, she always hoped Chris would get the picture. But, no such luck. Not even a single kiss on the cheek from him happened yet.

Once the bottle was away from her mouth, Marissa held it up in front of Chris's face. "Want some?" she questioned, tilting her head to the side with a smile. "You know you doooo. It's not like Mr. Boss-man is going to come out an see you drinking." Leave it up for Marissa to break the rules at her job. Drinking was prohibited unless you were a customer. Marissa, on the other hand, obviously had different ideas.

[Chris Harrison]

Chris’ eyes followed the amber liquid as it trailed down to Marissa’s lips. It nearly mesmerized him completely, a slight glow radiating from the clear bottle. It didn’t take much though for him to snap out of it. The tantalizing sound of Marissa’s voice was enough to do it and he moved slightly against the counter to assure himself he was still there. There’d been too many times in his life where he couldn’t figure out where he was or what he was doing or even who he was. Hell, that even happened last night, but that was beside the point.

“Well, then I don’t expect to be kept waiting. Bring on the good times,” he advised, biting down on his bottom lip. Damn this girl. That smile of his kept growing because of her and he wanted nothing more than to just melt away in the shadows of the corner. That way, no one would witness the severity of his excitement when he was around Marissa. But no. He had to work. Front and center at the bar. He liked to just assume that no one noticed him, though. Even when hot and bothered girls would approach the counter, flirting their asses off. Marissa would usually step in though, taking all the attention off him, which is what he preferred. But then she’d start some sort of fight and he’d have to get in the middle of it anyway.

Speaking of attention, the blonde bimbo that took residence a few feet down the bar, was asking for it all. The tears, the sobbing, the horrific outfit; the usual, pretty much. In his days there, Chris had seen many woman, and even men, in such a state, so this was not new to him. Nonetheless, he reacted with an eye roll and before he could even take a step in the woman’s direction, Marissa had already catered to her annoying ass and was making her way back over to him. He could only grin and look down as her warm breath tickled his ear with her words. As adorable as she sounded, he knew she meant business. She really would kick this woman’s ass if need be. So he made it his mission to keep an eye on the customer’s drink, in case it needed replenishing.

Marissa’s offer was awfully tempting as she waved the half empty bottle in front of Chris’ face, and he could see himself taking the bait in 3, 2, 1...and with that, he grabbed the bottle from her hand and brought it to his lips with a quick swig, then handed it back to the red head. He flashed her a cheesy smile and walked past her to finish his job of cleaning the counter. “You obviously don’t know who you’re dealing with, Jacobs,” he called over his shoulder. “I’m not afraid of the boss. He doesn’t scare me. I mean, you? Yeah, okay, you scare me a little. But the bald man who resides behind the door over there? Nah,” he explained with a small shrug of the shoulders, then turned around, fiddling with the cloth in his hands. “Besides. He’s not even here tonight.”

[Marissa Jacobs]

Marissa was almost mesmerized by Chris's cheesy smile. She almost started staring but she caught herself. She used her beer as a decoy, drinking down the rest of whatever was left. Once the liquid was completely down her stomach, Chris's sweet voice echoed in her ears. She wiped the corner of her mouth, smiling. "I scare everyone," she countered as her smile turned to a grin. It was true. She scared everyone who had a heart besides Jessica, but that's only because they're best friends. You can't scare your best friend unless you hit her with a waffle iron and tell her to call you mommy.

Tilting her head, Marissa had a little smirk on her face. "He's not here?" Her brow raised as she looked over at the door Chris mentioned earlier. Her eyes moved back to the front door and they slowly looked over the rest of the bar. A total of four customers sitting at the tables and just the one bimbo sitting at the bar. She saw the two waitresses and hostess that were working at the same time and had an idea. "If he's not here," she began and turned to Chris with a smile on her face that only meant trouble. "Then why are we?" She walked over to the mini fridge where they kept their ice cold long necks and took out another Corona. "I mean, Tina, Steph and Lauren are all working. They can handle everything! Why do we need to be here? It's only three. We're not going to have customers come here until seven!"

Truth was, Marissa just didn't want to be in work. Some more truth? She wanted to be alone with Chris. They worked together for a long time, yes. But she didn't know much about him. She knew his favorite color and his middle name but that was about it. She wanted to know more. She wanted to know way more. And, maybe, if he had a pair of balls, he'd want to leave with Marissa and go get lunch or an early dinner. Hopefully he would. "We'll come back for the bar rush and it's like we never left!" Their was a twinkle in her eye that no one could ignore. Like her smile, it meant trouble. But how could you resist trouble when Marissa was offering it? “So, c’mon. Let’s ditch this place. Prove to me that you’re not afraid of Mr. Bossman!”

[Chris Harrison]

Marissa’s suggestion didn’t shock Chris whatsoever. The Boss was there most nights anyways, so she’d never concocted such a plan before, but it was totally something she’d do. Chris wasn’t a goody-goody at all, but he wasn’t one to do crazy shit. Openly, in public, anyway, but with Marissa he’d be willing to do anything. And the idea of ditching work was quite liberating. He hated his job. Dealing with people in any form was so not his thing. He wasn’t much of a talker, wasn’t much of a listener, wasn’t much of anything, really. Bartending with so not the job for him. But he came still for the money, to pay for that world of bliss he’d get to slip into later. But more importantly, he came for Marissa.

Chris raised an eyebrow at her proposal and threw the cloth down on the counter. “I’m down if you are. There’s no fucking way I’m staying here now that you’ve planted the seed in my head,” he told her and took a quick glimpse around the room at the few customers and the three incredibly hot employees. But don’t worry, he only has eyes for Marissa. Anyways, he smiled and turned back to the red head, then nodded toward the door. “Come on, we’re outta here.” He smoothly grabbed her purse from under the bar and handed it to her, then encircled her wrist with his hand as he rushed to the other side of the bar, lifting the spot where it opened and let Marissa out. He followed and glanced over at the girls who were gathered together near an empty table, gushing to one another about whatever. He figured they should know they were leaving, but hell, they were ditching work. If you’re going to do such a thing, you have to be as badass about it as possible. So fuck it, he figured, and opened the door for his co-worker.

[Marissa Jacobs]

Marissa wasn't sure about what was happen outside of the bar since the only time they only saw each other outside of work was when they both had the same idea to see Tommy. And what they were doing right now was completely different than a drug run. They were going to be alone. Together. She didn't know about Chris, but Marissa was almost positive that there was going to be an awkward funk hanging around them just because of the fact that she wanted him and now they were alone together. But she wouldn't act on that urge. Why? Because she didn't have any balls what so ever.

Smirking, Marissa retrieved her purse from Chris. Maybe he was more of a badass than she ever gave him credit for being. He was showing his mental balls pretty well right now. Almost a turn on. She walked out of the bar once Chris opened the door for her and the loudness from a cop car rung through her ears, a sound she was far to familiar with. She started walking backwards, her eyes staying on her coworker the whole time. "So, where to?" she asked and spun around with her arms flared out to the side. "We have a few hours to do whatever we want." I can think of one thing./i] And there goes her dirty mind acting up again. She had no control of that. She moved closer to Chris and grabbed his wrist like he did before to her and started walking down the sidewalk. She wasn't sure about him but every time they touched, her stomach did these weird flips. Hopefully that was just temporary because she didn't like the feeling.

"So pick something. I'm up for anything." Marissa let the last syllable draw off of her tongue, emphasizing the meaning of anything.