Marissa ended up staying.

On the couch.

After Bernard's initial shock at her "I am going home" statement—a great shock it had been, especially when he had thought they were on the same page and he was already anticipating the action of the evening—it took Bernard a moment to control himself before he could utter the word "why".

"Because I want to," Marissa had replied as she stepped back from him with a "cat full of canary" smile.

"Even though you want to stay with me? I know you now, Marissa. I know how your body reacts to me, and that was not your body saying no," he said, unable...