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FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE EVERYTHING / JACK, ALEXANDRA & MARK
Alexandra couldnât help but frown when he obviously zoned out of the conversation, and if he hadnât have been Markâs friend then she wouldnât have hesitated in saying something to him. Â She might not have wanted to be here either, but she was making effort to at least pay attention, and she knew that she had no right or reason to be irritated with the way he drifted off so easily. Was she boring him? âI donât think any seventeen year old has luck.â she commented with a more forced smile then she had before, and Mark squeezed her waist with a laugh. âNah, I did babe.â he interjected, as she merely rolled her eyes playfully and bumped her hip against his, her expression clearly not believing him for one second.
Mark was clearly unbothered by his friends lack of interest in the conversation, too wrapped up in the fact that his best friend was finally meeting the girl he wanted to marry, the girl whom had no idea that at this very moment an engagement ring was sitting in a secret spot in the apartment he was in, hidden from her eyes whenever she pried herself away from her dorm to come visit him, spend the night. He was just waiting for the perfect moment, a few months away when she graduated, to ask her to marry him. She was the one, as corny as that sounded, he knew it. When Jack said that he should go, that he couldnât stay, Markâs brows knitted together as his mouth opened in protest. âYou just got hereââ he began, eyes locking on Jacks as he leant towards Alexandra.
Alex was surprised at being addressed, leaning forward a little to hear what Jack had to say before a small smile curved her lips. âA marine with no navigation skills, thatâs a recipe for disaster isnât it?â she asked with a chuckle, wondering whether the sudden playfulness was real or not, compared to how distant he had been before. Was it her? From the way Mark spoke, it sounded like it was something she did, at least that was how she felt. She didnât protest when he said he had to leave though, and elbowed Mark to shut him up. âIt was nice to meet you Jack.â she replied gently, waiting for the man to take his leave as Mark reached to say goodbye to his friend.Â
He hadnât intended to leave the party so early, and in fact his announcement that he couldnât stay had surprised even himself. But as soon as the words had blurted from his mouth, they felt right, and he knew it was the right call to make. The look on their faces was to be expected, open-faced disappointment on Markâs and a furrowed brow on Alexandraâs. He could only wonder what she must think of him. Â
âIâm sorry,â he apologized, and the words were the sincerest that heâd uttered all night. He was sorry that he was a million miles away, sorry that he couldnât rally a smile and just let himself go for the night, sorry that this had to be the way he met his best friendâs future wife-- something that they had been talking about for years. The timing was just unfortunate, and he couldnât stay. He tried for a touch of joviality as he explained in half-truths. âI may not have a girlfriend but I do have a very important woman in my life, and I promised my mother Iâd come over tonight.âÂ
His excuses delivered, he reached out and clasped Mark in a hug, clapping him on the back as he did so. âIâll see you soon,â he promised, before pulling back to look his friend in the face. âDonât get lost on the way home,â he smiled softly. Letting him go, he turned once more to Alexandra. âIt was great to finally meet you, Iâm sure weâll see each other again soon. Enjoy the rest of the party,â he nodded, smiling as he reached out to shake her hand again. With his goodbyes said, he nodded at the couple once more, before turning on his heel to weave his way through the crowd to the door. He was certain Mark and Alex would quickly find other company; he himself felt lighter with every step out towards the door, though it wasnât enough to offset his heavy heart.










