“Oh my god, I can’t believe I made two hundred in tips!” Regina shrieked. At one o’clock Frank had let Regina and Ernelle go home. Regina had agreed to sign on and Frank sent her home with all the tax papers necessary. She’d be paid fifteen dollars an hour, all her tips and would be working the nine to two shift on rotating nights. Regina also let him know that if he left her a message in the morning she could always come in.

“Well you deserved it girl, you were up there shaking that ass, I swear you’re gonna have a following soon,” Ernelle smiled.

“Not exactly the following I wanted, but, it pays good.” Regina sighed.

“Sweetie, don’t worry about it. If it’s meant to happen it will.” Ernelle replied pulling out the leftover chicken and potato salad. Regina leaned back against the kitchen counter and picked at her lip.

“You know, it’s not even that really, I liked him, at least I thought I did,” Regina replied. Ernelle looked at her friend and nodded.

“And if you did like him?” she asked.

“I don’t know, it was stupid. I mean, I even told him about Maria. I don’t know what possessed me to even tell him about her.” Regina said, looking down at the floor. She kicked the tile for a minute and then heard Ernelle.

“He must have been something. You don’t even talk to me about her.”

“I didn’t talk to him about her, I just told him I had a kid and she died, that’s all. I didn’t confide anything in him really, about anything. I just can’t believe I could just jump into bed with him. I mean, dammit, I was so stupid!” Regina snapped, kicking the cabinet with her heel.

“Regina, you are not stupid. So you slept with the guy, women need it too you know, it’s not only men. You have needs,” Ernelle replied grabbing the plates out of the cabinet and placing a piece of chicken on each.

“I’ve had plenty of needs before, I’ve just never acted on them. I never could just jump into bed with somebody. I mean I’ve only slept with three guys in my entire life.” Regina replied, taking a piece of the cold chicken and picking at it.

“Get out of here!” Ernelle exclaimed.

“What, it’s true,” Regina replied.

“You’ve only slept with three guys?”

“Yes, what is so monumental about that?” Regina asked annoyed.

“So lets see, Mario, Benny, and Eminem, that’s it?” Ernelle asked.

“Yes!” Regina said with contempt.

“Girl you need to get out more, I think that’s what happened. You haven’t had enough sex, it’s addled your brains,” Ernelle replied laughing.

“Just because I haven’t let a million guys stick it too me doesn’t mean I’m predictable!”

“Yes it does. Come on Regina, why don’t you just admit that you liked him?” she asked sympathetically. She watched Regina pick at the chicken for a few more minutes.

“Okay, I liked him, a lot.” Regina replied grudgingly.

“And how was the sex tiger?” Ernelle asked with a wink. Regina gave her a sideways glance and smirked.

“Absolutely fucking delicious!” Regina exclaimed throwing her head back and laughing.

“Yeah and is what he says in his songs true, about the size I mean?” Ernelle asked. Regina laughed.

“Come on, tell me!” Ernelle said poking her.

“Well…” Regina teased.

“Oh come on!” Ernelle said with a grin.

“I’d have to agree with him on that one,” Regina laughed.

“Oh my god. So tell me, everything, I want to know all the details.” Ernelle said dragging Regina out to the couch. They sat down camp style across from each other with their plates in their laps.

“So, what’s it like!” Ernelle asked again.

“Well, he has great hands, oh my god, they are huge and just oh,” Regina gave a little shiver at this and continued.

“He can seduce you, with just his voice and the first time, he took forever in just taking those damn boots off. By the way, the man has a fetish for boots,” Regina added, pointing at Ernelle with a piece of chicken.

“You’re kidding me!” Ernelle shrieked hitting the arm of the couch.

“Nope. You know those boots he’d bought for me, that night, after I signed, well I kind of surprised him. I came out in just my bra and panties, a little black sexy set that he had picked out, and the boots.”

“Regina, you slut!” Ernelle laughed.

“Ha ha, I know, but anyway. The man nearly came right there when he saw me. Anyway, once I’d gotten him to the bedroom, I threw him down, and the man, I swear to god he acted like no one had ever touched his nipples. I literally had him begging Ernelle, he was begging me!”

“You got him, to beg for it?” Ernelle asked in shock.

“Mm hum, and then, get this, he told me to keep the boots on,” Regina added touching Ernelle’s leg.

“You fucked him, in the boots?” Ernelle’s eyes were nearly busting out of their sockets.

“Yup. And he was like a fucking animal Ernelle, oh my god, and he wanted me to look him in the eyes, it was so intense.” Regina replied falling back on the couch and thinking about it again. She reveled in the thoughts of his body against hers and then the painful part came back out of it. He thought she’d fucked him just for the deal. All good things flew away at that thought.

“Regina? Are you okay?” Ernelle asked after Regina had laid there for a minute and not said anything. She twirled a piece of hair around her finger and said,

“Do you think he would have been interested in something beside sex Ernelle?” This caught her off guard for a minute.

“Look Gina, I’m just gonna tell you, what I saw the other night, with you and him at the door. I think he saw something in you too. Remember when you touched him, he closed his eyes. He trusts you, in some sense. He likes you Regina, and not just for your body, deep down you know that too. But both of you are so fucking stubborn!” Ernelle said patting Regina’s knee. She laughed slightly.

“Yeah, too perfect right?”

“Yes, too damn perfect for each other.” Ernelle laughed.

“It’s too bad then,” Regina said shaking her head and pulling at the piece of hair again.

“Reggie, just go tomorrow, record the damn thing and go for it. You can sort him out later, but only if you’re around him.”

“No, no, I can’t. It’s probably better this way. These things don’t work out. It’s not movie or one of those fan fictions that have the happy perfect endings. I’m not gonna end up marrying him and giving him the son he’s always wanted. I’m not gonna become the next Missy Elliot and take over the rap industry. We’d get together, fight, scream, kick, fuck and then rip out each other’s guts. And why? Because that’s just the kind of people we are. And that’s the way things happen. I’m just gonna keep plugging away until I get what I want out of life. And if I don’t get there, at least I’ll know I tried.” Ernelle sat back and licked her fingers as she listened to Regina. She’d never go for what she really wanted. She never thought she deserved anything. She’d been through enough and had worked hard enough for three people. But when Regina resigned herself to something, there really was nothing she could do about it.