Detroit, Michigan, April 22nd 2017

"You look like you are stuck in the fifties, Debbie." Christian scoffs as he stabs his pancakes, grabbing a huge chunk to stuff his pouty mouth.

"I'm sorry?! I'm just a fifties fan. I hope you warmed up before that stretch." Debbie sips her foamy chocolate milkshake biting the straw with a teasing smile.

"Alright, Debbie. So what's up with you? What takes you to go to that club every night?" Christian holds a piece of his pancake that is stabbed by his fork and gives a sensual smirk to Debbie, waiting for her to fulfill his curiosity towards her. She seems like a mythology divinity to him and he wants to learn more about her.

"I don't know, I just like going there. It's an escape from my painful job." Debbie swirls the straw of her milkshake as she speaks, biting her lower poppy-colored lip as she has shared too much for her liking.

"What do you do?" Christian seems interested on getting to know Debbie. His eyes lock on Debbie's as he chews his fluffy buttered pancake. Christian looks like a hamster with his mouth full.

"I work in a nursing home for retired actors, so now do the math, Christian." Debbie reclines on her burgundy leather seat, answering him with coldness. Her arms folded by her chest, blocking any answer or opinion from Christian, looking through the window thinking about Jack.

"That's cool. I like elderly people as well." Christian rubs his chin as he answers Debbie, trying to impress her. He has found interesting how she is so different from any girl he has met, as much of a cliche that sounds. She isn't sweet, nor cute. She's a hurricane that doesn't care to what surrounds her.

"Yeah. I bet you do." Debbie grabs her almost finished pink-ish smoothie and chugs it, making an unpleasant sound as she tries to finish the drink as fast as possible. A devilish smile starts to form on the corners of her mouth as she knows he wouldn't be waiting something like that from a girl.

Though Debbie isn't a girl, she is a woman and one that doesn't conform with society's views on what a woman should behave as. She defied everything as much as her heart defied loving people.

"I believe this was a stupid idea, we have nothing in common. And to be honest I thought you were badder." Debbie guns this mop walnut colored hair guy who was blinking unbothered at her tries to make him uninterested. Debbie was feeling something, and that something bothered her. As all friendly and loving feelings do to her.

"Well, I believe you should try to get to know me a little bit more. What do you about that? I could tell you what I think of you, by my pre-made impression. I mean, I will. You are vain and cold, but mostly you're a coward." Christian places his feet on the seat, his knees touching his chin. He places his moppy hair behind his ears in one quick motion.

Debbie leans over him insulted, her mouth is opened but no sounds comes out. She's at a loss for words as she might have found someone at her level and that bugs her mind. Debbie is too used to win and now she has to fight. Though she doesn't fear as she is a warrior, life has made her this way.

"Oh, I'm a coward. Then why am I sitting here with you? You might be a serial killer or a man with perverted feels!" Debbie gazes at Christians chocolate colored eyes, nodding hear head with a wicked smirk, battling this guy that can back up to her snarky comments.

"You chose to. I didn't force you to!" Christian smiles, raising his eyebrows dancing, answering her with the most calm tone ever. He believes this is the way to get over the cold cover of heart. No one is mean without a reason. And he wants to find what is Debbie's reason and how they can work that out.

"Fair point. Still, I like fifties music and old Hollywood movies and historical movies. And you are a gibberish singer. Do you even sing?" Debbie reclines back, folding her arms covering herself from his statements. She is feeling the passion taking over her and that doesn't make her too happy, which explains why she resorts to her bitchy attitude.

Before Christian answers her, she collects her pillbox hat and her fur stole and lifts her curvy body out of the burgundy leather seat.

"It won't work out, bud. Don't even try it." Debbie winks at Christian, pats his shoulder heavily and makes her way to the counter where she pays for her order and Christian's.

As she pays, Christians stares at her in awe, he never met a woman so cold and distant like her. He can't believe what loss he's got by playing with her in this board called love. Once the payment is done Debbie stares at Christian as she exits the diner, leaving him by himself on the diner.

Detroit, Michigan, April 26th 2017

"You're an hour late, Debbie." Kirstie side eyes Debbie, looking at her as if she suffers from a superiority complex. Kirstie always finds joy in bringing Debbie down as she wants to be seen as the best worker in Goldvalley Center.

"What did I miss?" Debbie tightens the scarf around her head that is holding her updo. She has conformed to the scrubs of Goldvalley Center, though she keeps a bit of herself through her red cherry lipstick and her fifties styled hair.

"Not much, we were just giving the elders a bath and God forbid, dainty Debbie to ruin her manicure." Kirstie side eyes Debbie, tired of the privilege that she somehow gets from looking like she does. That's what Kirstie believes as she doesn't see anyone giving privilege to Debbie towards her icy attitude.

"I don't need lessons from a sycophant like you, Kirstie." Debbie walks towards the common room, as she walks she hits Kirstie on her shoulder on purpose. She hates Kirstie just as much as she loves her puppy and Jack Wayne.

Once already on the common room, Debbie greets Cassie, one of her co-workers that she at least tolerates. Cassie tells Debbie that the elders are demanded to go to the garden for an outdoors activity. Debbie, Cassie and some male co-workers help the elderly walk outside. Some have to be taken in a wheel chair and others are taken holding hands. Debbie's spirit goes down as she remembers Jack, and how he's now. His illness taking him with it. And she can't do a thing about it.

As they get outside, Debbie spots a stool standing on the juniper colored grass. A guitar is placed right next to it inside its cover. She has seen it as the cover is opened and the wooden beige colored guitar is up to be grabbed. Debbie doesn't even care much about it, because she knows Cole, one of her male co-workers, plays guitar to soothe the elderly but he plays some sort of pop that is deafening to her ears.

All the elders, the ones who can still walk or be taken outside, are sitting on comfortable wicker chairs, the workers standing up waiting for a mini-concert. Debbie keeps on looking at Cole, confused at why doesn't he starts the bloody deafening concert.

A familiar face appears and shocks Debbie. The walnut moppy hair also familiar to her. What is Christian doing here? Debbie wonders looking at him with disdain. But to her surprise, once his slender fair fingers stroke the guitar cords, the melody sounds right to her. He plays and sings a cover of Can't Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley. He has got her heart if it wasn't confirmed to her by now. His Indie voice gives the song a different take, and one Debbie approves.

Her feet tapping the ground and her waving in the air are the prove of it. She tries to tame her own body as Christian smirks to her, knowing this would be a way to her heart. Debbie exchanges a small smirk but she has put walls so high up that even if she wants nothing jumps over it or break it for good.

Author's note:

I want to dedicate this chapter to @PurpleReborn and @AWFrasier for helping me get this chapter figured out. Thanks Purple for the song inspiration!! It really matches the story and this chapter in particular.

My fellow readers and friends, I'm sorry I haven't being as active as I was and haven't updating this story but as you may know if you follow my messages on my profile, I'm editing and revising To Marry an Heir to turn into a novel and publish it in paperback.

Thank you for the support and for being always here for me!

Xoxo,

PaleAire.