At five thirty Ernelle threw Regina out of the kitchen after trying for half an hour to get her out. She wanted Regina to look her best for Eminem although Regina wasn’t worried about looking good for anyone but herself.

She threw on some nice jeans and a comfortable shirt, besides, the guys wore nothing but baggy jeans and t-shirts or jerseys, what was she going to dress up for? And anyway, she was inviting them over for dinner and to watch the game between the Forty-Niners and the Steelers, who the hell dressed up to watch a football game?

Thirty minutes later the doorbell rang and in filed nine guys dressed in slacks and button down shirts. Regina played off of it anyway.

“Aw sure guys, make me look bad. You’re all dressed up, and here I am looking like a slob!” she laughed.

“Don’t you worry about it girl, you look hot no matter what!” Proof exclaimed giving her a smile. Em gave Regina a smile and tried to hug her but she managed to just get away to Bizarre.

“Oh Bizarre! What a gentleman, I’ll just go put these in water!” Regina exclaimed as Bizarre handed her a large bouquet.

“Gift for the hostess.” He said grinning. “Well your momma taught you right, I’ll be right back, y’all just make yourselves comfortable in the living room!” Regina called going to the kitchen. Em looked at her confused but followed the rest of the guys into the living room sitting down on the couch with a sour look on his face.

“Ernelle, come on, come out and meet everyone.” Regina said after throwing the flowers in water.

“What? Oh all right, okay,” Ernelle said looking up from the chicken she was battering. She wiped her hands on a towel before following Regina out to the living room.

“Guys, I’d like you all to meet my best friend in the entire world, this is Ernelle. Ernelle this is Swifty, Kon, Proof, Kuniva, you know Eminem already, Ace, Fifty, Bizarre and Dre.” Regina pointed to each in turn and they each gave a sign of acknowledgement.

“What can I get you guys to drink?” Regina asked rubbing her hands together.

“We have soda, Corona, Smirnoff, JD, water, ice tea?” Ernelle added. They all wanted Corona’s and Regina went to the kitchen to get the beer.

“Ernelle, turn on the game!” she called from the kitchen as she pulled out the first case of Corona. She popped open the beers, twisted in the limes and piled them on a tray.

“Coming through!” she called holding the tray high over her head.

“Now what the hell you doing? You ain’t a waitress no more!” Proof said jumping up and taking the tray from Regina.

“Oh go on, here Ernelle, take one,” Regina said handing her a beer and taking one herself.

“I’m gonna go get the chicken started, guys, give Ernelle a good time,” Regina said pushing Ernelle slightly.

“Come on Ernelle, over here, we don’t bite, hard!” Kuniva called patting a spot on his chair.

“Hey I’ll help you,” Em said getting up off the couch, but no one noticed he was gone because Ernelle was good at holding their attention, making comments on the game.

“Hey,” he said as he walked in the kitchen.

“Oh hey, I can take care of it, you can go enjoy the game with the boys,” Regina replied smiling.

“There’s something I’d enjoy a lot more, and that’s an answer about what the fuck is going on between us,” he said slightly annoyed.

“I thought it was obvious,” she replied taking a few pieces of chicken over to the pan of oil on the stove.

“Why did you leave last night?” he asked.

“Because I did.” “That’s not an answer,” he replied, his voice raising slightly.

“Look, this all went farther than it was supposed to in the first place. I said, the first time, it was just sex all right, leave it at that.” She replied looking up at him.

“Oh I see how it is, you fuck your way into getting a contract, now you want nothing more to do with me? Huh is that it?” he asked, a little louder this time.

“I never fucking asked you to rap! I never asked Bizarre to take that shit to Dre either! Don’t you fucking dare say that!” Regina hissed.

“Well, it’s the fucking truth isn’t it?”

“No, it’s not and you fucking know it too!”

“Ernelle, can you come keep an eye on this for me!” Regina screamed out to the living room.

“What’s the matter?” she asked coming in quickly.

“Keep an eye on the chicken, we’ve got to talk in private for a minute,” Regina said before grabbing his wrist and yanking him out the door. She pulled him down the stairs and out the door. They were just down the stairs when out of nowhere a hand hit her across the face and she fell to the ground.

“Think you’re being smart huh bitch?” Regina looked up and blinked when she saw her ex-boyfriend Benny starring down at her.

“Fucking asshole!” Eminem screamed diving for him. Regina jumped up quickly and screamed,

“Don’t hit him!” She wedged herself between Em and Benny and pushed them apart.

“So this is who you’ve been fucking since I’ve been gone?” Benny asked as he backed off slightly, watching Em pace and Regina watching him warily.

“Just don’t go after him,” she said.

“Yeah, he must be the one. I heard you been fucking around,” Benny said shaking his head.

“You heard I been fucking around? Since when what I do is your business?” Regina asked keeping an eye on Em who kept his eyes narrowed.

“Since you’re my bitch, that’s why!” “Get the fuck out of here Benny!” Regina screamed.

“You heard her man, she don’t want nothing to do with you.” Em growled.

“Stay out of this prissy boy,” Benny said pointing at him.

“That’s it!” Em screamed lunging forward but Regina pushed him back again. “Remember your fucking probation, if your ass is in jail we can’t figure nothing out!” she hissed and he froze. She wanted to figure things out?

“Benny, just get out of here, we got nothing left to say to one another.” Regina said wincing as she touched her cheek.

“We ain’t over, not yet, I got a couple things to teach you about respect girl,” he said advancing on her. She staid her ground and starred him down.

“Try me, I’ve got nothing to lose.” She said with an icy tone. Em stood back watching carefully, ready jump in if he tried anything again.

Benny suddenly raised his hand to slap her again but Regina was quicker. She grabbed him by the wrist and twisted it around slamming him face first into the building.

“Too slow fucker!” she screamed holding him tight to the wall.

“Little fucking bitch!” Benny screamed.

“You should have learned to shut your mouth Benny when your father gave you a swirlie,” Regina said twisting his arm harder and earning another scream from him

“Oh, was that painful? Maybe we should move then?” Regina mocked grabbing a fist of his hair, dragging him back off the wall and slamming him into the ground. He groaned as she stuffed a knee into his back and yanked his head off the ground by his hair.

“How’s that? Any more comfortable?” she asked as he groaned.

“What was that? I didn’t hear you that time!” she yelled pressing harder on his back.

“I’m, sorry, sorry,” he coughed.

“What was that, I can’t hear you,” Regina replied yanking his hair harder.

“I said I was sorry!” he screamed.

“Oh, you’re sorry, okay. And who was the one screwing around?” she asked, pulling his hair farther back each time she said something.

“Me! It was me!” he struggled to get out, banging his free hand on the pavement. Em stood back watching with wide eyes. Regina was kicking his ass, and he’d been a lot larger than she was.

“So that makes you…”

“Wrong! I was wrong!”

“Good, now that we have that cleared up. When I let you up you’re gonna get your sorry ass out of here and you’re never gonna bother me again, cuz if you do, I’ll get that big butcher knife out of my kitchen, I’ll come right out here, with you, in the street and use it to cut your fucking pecker off and then I’ll shove it down you’re god damn throat! You got it?” she asked shaking him.

“Yes! I swear! I won’t bother you again!” he was sobbing by now. She gave him a final tug and then let him collapse on the sidewalk. She stood up, wiping her hands off on the back of her pants.

“Get up fuck head,” she said walking around to the front of his helpless figure. He slowly crawled up onto his hands and knees. She knocked him over on his back and walked over top of him. Standing over him and starring down at him.

“Oh, and this is for hitting my face,” she said and gave him a hard kick in the balls. He crumpled up and lay there sobbing.

“Get the fuck out of here ass hole,” she said before spitting on him and walking back to the stoop.

“All right, now what did you want to talk about?” she asked Em as he looked back and forth from Benny to her bruised face.