Wendy Lowell hadn't come alone. She was with Zephyr Mercer.
At that moment, Paige Summers and Marcus Monroe had just finished their meal. The awkwardness between them had dissipated, and their rapport had grown more congenial.
Marcus Monroe knew Paige's personality. When it came to romance, she was clearly still clueless. If he were to confess his feelings rashly, he figured the only outcome would be a swift and total rejection.
Now was not the right time.
So, from the very beginning, his plan was to let her slowly and unconsciously grow accustomed to his presence. He explained away the hug from when he first arrived as simply a result of not having seen her for a long time and missing her. As for his reason for coming to Central City, he insisted it wasn't specifically to see her. He claimed that with things settled in The Dead City, he had come to Central City to see if he could recruit any useful talent and to look for new opportunities.
