Author’s note: I decided to take this story and revamp it alittle. I recently read it back to myself and decided that it wasn’t that great of a story. So I added some parts and took out some. Personally it probably still sucks but you won’t tell me that will you? Ok on with the show. (P.S. I made this one a little darker when it comes to Merick. I kind of changed the reason why he’s in the states. You’ll see later on in the story.)

People look at me and see a poor little rich girl. That’s not who I am. I married a man when I was 18 years old. He is now a rich and successful lawyer and is always away on some kind of business. Everyone thought that I married him for his money. Even my closet friends who knew that wasn’t the case. But in the beginning I really did love him. He was a wonderful man. His heart was in the right place even if his mind wasn’t.

He showered me with diamonds and roses but that’s not what I wanted. I’m 27 years old now and Adam has gone away on another business trip.

“What do you mean not for two weeks? What am I supposed to do?” Jesse whined into the phone. She found that she had been doing this a lot lately and it was starting to annoy her. “Honey, I’m sorry but it’s a big case and a lot of money can be made. It’s good for me.” Jesse sighed. She had gone through this whole routine before.

“What about me? I miss you and I want you home.” Adam answered back, “I don’t know honey. Go shopping. I’ll be home soon.” Jesse held back her anger. “That’s not what I want. Why do you always assume money will solve all of our marriage problems.” She heard Adam sigh once again. “Honey we don’t have marriage problems. I’m sorry. I love you. I gotta go.” Jesse heard the familiar click of the phone. “Great.” she mumbled.

Jesse dragged herself up off the sunken in couch and sauntered off into the kitchen. She rummaged through the kitchen cabinets to find something worth eating. “Figures.” she huffed under her breath. She walked back into the living room and sat down on her chair. She then decided she might as well get some fresh air and take a walk in the park.

Jesse soon arrived at the park and sighed as she breathed in the air. She found her usual bench and sat down. She always loved this park. There were so many different people to look at. This always took her mind off of things at hand to look at someone and imagine who they were. It was kind of a game.

As Jesse scanned her eyes across the park she noticed someone she had never seen before. He was sitting across the way from her. He was sitting in front of an easel. He had short brown hair that seemed to want to go in every direction. She found herself longing to see what color his eyes were. He was wearing a paint stained shirt and pants. She had not seen many painter in Central Park or at least none like him.

Jesse began to study him, imagine who he was. After a few minutes she realized that he was returning her stare. She blushed a bright red and looked away. She glanced back a few moments later and noticed he had returned to painting. Jesse sat there for another hour and then decided to go buy some food for her empty cabinets.

Jesse walked through the outside market and bought was she thought she needed. After she got what she needed she proceeded home through the park. “Oomph!” she uttered as she ran into someone knocking them over. “Oh! I’m such a klutz!” she bent down to help the man, the painter.

Jesse glanced at one of the painter’s paintings as she helped him up. “Is this me?” she asked shyly. She noticed that he turned a bright shade of red. “I saw you sitting in the park. You looked so lonely. I had to paint you. I’m sorry.” Jesse smiled. She picked up on an accent. Austrialian maybe? “No. It’s ok. It’s beautiful.” The man picked up his pictures and stood straight to look at her.

“I’ve never seen you around here before.” The man smiled slightly. “I just moved here from overseas. I have some family here.” he replied. “Oh so you’re an austrialian and a painter.” she blushed. It sounded so stupid. “Yeah. Painting is really an escape from everything else around me.” Jesse looked down at her watch and said, “Oh, well I’d better get home to make dinner for my imaginary husband.” He looked at her in strange way and smirked.

She turned to go when she remembered her name. “Oh, by the way, my name is Jesse.” He smiled back at her. “Merick.” he answered back. She smiled and turned to go. She walked back mumbling to herself. “Imaginary husband? That was so embrassing.”

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Jesse once again came home to an empty and cold house. She cooked herself the usual boring dinner and sat on the couch. After a few minutes she turned off the blaring TV. It wasn’t worth her time. She then decided that she would call Adam. This was most likely not worth it. He always had the same things to say. “I’m sorry but the subscriber you dialed is unavailable.”

Jesse slammed down the phone. “Figures! I can’t even talk to my own husband.” she shouted to her empty house.

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The next morning she went to get her mail. She noticed an unsually large package just carelessly shoved in the mailbox. “Oh, that’s nice.” she mumbled to herself. The package was from Adam. It was a diamond necklace with a cheesy note attached to it. “Oh god.” she mumbled as she threw the package on the kitchen table.

“Just what I need.” Jesse paced back and forth in her living room figuring out what to do. She decided to go to the park. She really didn’t have any other option. She grabbed her coat and headed out the door.

Jesse arrived at the park and was utterly surprised to see the painter sitting in the same place as the day before. She took in a deep breath and walked over behind him.

Jesse stood behind him for a moment and gazed at what he was painting. She was mesmerized by the fantastic combinations of colors. She noticed that they all came together to form the trees and the fountain in the park. “It’s beautiful.” she whispered. He quickly turned his head and smiled. “Well, it’s not exactly accurate but it’s what I see in my head.” the words flowed from his mouth almost like poetry.

She noticed for the first time how beautiful his eyes were. They were like the sea after a storm. “Are you ok?” he asked her innocently. Jesse suddenly realized that she had been staring. “Yeah. I’m fine.” he smiled back at her. “It’s Jesse right?” She smiled back at him. “Yeah.” she moved over to the other side of the bench and sat down next to him.

“So how do you like New York?” she asked. “It’s not the same as home but it’s okay.” He answered her while still looking at his painting. Jesse wished that he would look at her. She felt stupid just sitting there. “So do you come here often?” This time he turned his head to look at her. “Yeah. There’s nothing outside my windows except my neighbor’s house.”

Jesse smirked at him and things began to get quiet for a few moments. Jesse began to get quite uncomfortable. “Um, this might seem odd but, I’m going to get some lunch. Would you like to join me?” she asked quite meekly. He was silent as he kept on painting. Jesse felt stupid and stood up to leave.

“Just a minute.” he said. Jesse turned back to him. “I just have to pack up my paints.” Jesse smiled slightly. He started to pack up his paints. After he finished packing up he turned to Jesse shyly. “Listen. I have to drop these off at my house. Do you want to walk with me? It’s only a couple of blocks.” Jesse smiled at him. “Sure. I have all day.”

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“So your really from Austrailia?” Jesse looked at Merick who was sitting on the opposite side of the table. “Yeah. It’s really beautiful there. I miss it.” Jesse got a little more intrigued. “Why did you leave?” Jesse asked. He took his eyes away from her and was silent for a moment. “Too many bad things happened there. I have family here that I feel closer too. I just wanted to get away.”

Jesse smirked slightly. His blue eyes glimmered as he laughed nervously. “So you have family here?” He smiled. “Yeah I have a sister who lives here. So what’s your story.” He was quick to change the subject and Jesse was surprised by the question. “Um, as silly as it sounds I wanted to be a writer. I wrote all the time when I was younger. I still do sometimes. That really all ended when I got married at eighteen. He’s a lawyer and he’s always away.”

Jesse finished and sat silent. She felt stupid. She just blurted out her whole life story. “I should really read one of your stories sometime.” he said. “Yeah maybe sometime.” she said.

After a few hours of talking, the waitress looked as if she was going to throw them out. Merick looked down at his watch. “Oh, I have to go.” Jesse looked slightly disappointed. “Um, I could walk with you.” He looked at her and smiled. “No, that’s okay. I can go by myself.” He smiled again and left.

Jesse banged her head down on the table. “I’m so stupid! What a great impression! He was looking at me like I had two heads!” Jesse picked her head up and realized that a few people were looking at her. “It’s okay hun. He didn’t seem that disgusted.” Jesse jerked her head to see the waitress smiling at her. Jesse got up and left the resturant blushing.

She walked out on the street still hoping to catch a glimpse of him. He wasn’t anywhere that she could see. “Damn!” she mumbled to herself. She lowered her head and dragged herself home.