Open Door Policy - Part 3: Uninvited Guest

The tension grew thicker than the steam rising from the half-eaten pizza. Tom, initially hesitant, dove into the conversation, regaling them with tales of his disastrous apartment search. John listened patiently, offering suggestions between bites. Mary, however, remained unusually quiet, her gaze flickering between John and Tom.

As the night wore on, John felt an unfamiliar pang of irritation. Tom's presence, initially welcome, now seemed to be an intrusion on their newfound closeness. The lighthearted banter they'd shared earlier seemed to have vanished, replaced by a strained politeness.

Finally, John glanced at the clock. "It's getting late," he said gently. "Maybe you should find a hotel for tonight."

Tom, sensing the shift in the mood, nodded quickly. "Yeah, wouldn't want to impose. Thanks for the pizza and the company, guys. I really appreciate it."

John walked Tom to the door, a wave of relief washing over him as it closed behind his friend. He turned back to find Mary standing in the living room, her arms crossed and a frown etched on her face.

"Everything okay?" John asked cautiously.

"I don't know," Mary replied, her voice laced with frustration. "It just felt like... like he was intruding on us."

John understood her concern. "Yeah, maybe a little. But he needed a place to stay, and we couldn't just leave him out there."

"I get that," Mary sighed, "but it disrupted our evening. We were finally having a good time, and then..."

John reached out and took her hand. "We can still have a good time," he said softly. "We just need to... communicate."

Mary squeezed his hand back, a hint of a smile gracing her lips. "Yeah, we do. Maybe put a temporary hold on the open-door policy for a bit?"

John chuckled. "Deal. Let's finish this pizza and forget about him for tonight. We can figure things out with Tom tomorrow."

They settled back on the couch, the tension slowly dissipating. John reached for the television remote, but Mary stopped him.

"Movie night, again?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with a familiar playfulness.

John grinned. "Only if you promise to pick something less cliché this time."

They spent the rest of the night curled up together, the glow of the television casting dancing shadows on the wall. The future was still uncertain, with Tom's situation looming in the background, but for now, they had each other, and that was enough.