Prescription for Validation

Keith:

“WHAT are you staring at?!”

Marcus — slight disgust on his face:

“What do you mean, what am I staring at?”

Keith:

“Exactly what I said. WHAT are you staring at?

Compared to Alexis, it’s a what.”

Marcus stands there, frozen by what Keith said.

He shakes his head in this not‑so‑disbelief that his friend really said that out loud.

And honestly… I don’t know why Marcus keeps letting him decide for him.

Why he didn’t speak up?

Why he didn’t say what he actually thought or felt?

It’s like this man needs another doctor to write him a new prescription —

so he can cancel the one he’s clearly been taking:

the daily dose of validation.

Keith:

“Man, come on. Alexis’ lunch is getting cold. Let’s go.”

Marcus grips the food container in his hand, shakes his head, and takes one final glance at her before walking away.

He gets in the car and asks…

Marcus:

“Dude, what is your problem? I happen to find her attractive — but not only that, there’s just something about her that’s intriguing to me.”

Keith — with that boy please look:

“I often wonder what it is that Alexis sees in you.

Do you know how many men are drooling over who you got?

You got a DIME, and you’re giving attention to a penny.

Come on, man. Do better. Start appreciating what you got, with who you got.”

Marcus gives a soft chuckle.

Marcus:

“From the outside looking in — or better yet, from afar — things look pristine.

But when you get inside, when you’re actually inside, you realize something:

outside is the fantasy, inside is the reality.

And trust me, dude… from the inside looking out, to the guys looking in,

there’s no security on duty.

There’s no locks on the doors either.”

Keith looks over at him, face covered in full‑blown confusion.

Keith:

“Man, what the F are you saying?

Your girl got a body — naturally — that is out here being sold to others!”

Marcus grips the steering wheel tightly as he makes the turn.

Marcus:

“Her body?

So if she didn’t have the body she has, you wouldn’t even look at her, correct?

She’d be a what too, right?”

They drove in silence until they got to Alexis, as the music playing in the background, fills the silence. They get to Alexis, calls her to say they're outside.

She comes outside pushes her head and hands inside, to kiss him on the cheek, and grabs her lunch. Greets Keith, thanks Marcus, then returns inside. Keith looks at her as she goes inside, then turns to look at Marcus, who was looking at his phone to check for messages.

Marcus, puts the car in reverse and proceeds to back out, and catches a glimpse of Keith, shaking his head in disappointment.

Alexis shows off her lunch that Marcus brought her to her coworker.....

Chelsea, filing her client's nails scoffs then says...

"You're showing off that your man had to buy you lunch, while my husband is currently enjoying a home cooked meal that I prepared for him this early morning before work. I mean, when was the last time Marcus had a taste of your hand?"

Alexis, checks the time before taking her seat, then opens her lunch, then responds,

"Cook?? Getting up early??? I mean have you met me?? I got about 15 minutes before my next client arrives, so I gotta hurry swallow this down."

Chelsea and her client looks at each other, shake their heads and proceeded with their conversation before being interrupted.

Marcus returns to pick her up from work, Keith gets in the backseat, as Alexis approaches the car. Marcus caught a glimpse of Kendra again the rareview mirror, and turn his body to get a better look, and he was so lost in a trance that he didn’t even realized that Alexis been in the car for close to two minutes and Keith watched from the backseat in silence.

Alexis, taps him on the elbow, breaking his stare...

"Are you done staring? We gotta go before this place closes."

Keith chuckles softly, and whispers under his breath...

"I can't believe this, this dude goneee."

********Parallel Lane**********

Appreciate your patience, apologies for the delay, stay tuned for episode 3.