“What were you talking about when you said we’d figure it out?” Marshall asked as they climbed in his car.

“Just that. We’ll figure it out, tonight. But first, I’m going out and enjoying myself.” Regina replied. Her cool attitude was not one he had expected, but one he recognized. She was surprised at herself. She did not want to admit that she could be the tiniest little bit jealous of him dancing with some other woman. Could, possibly, those were the words she was using until they talked it out and figured out what they were. She would not allow herself to be jealous of another woman while they were just screwing buddies.

“Where are you going?” he asked, trying to keep her talking to him, although he did want to know so he could go with her.

“To a local little joint. Ernelle called up our friends and we’re going to celebrate me getting a record deal.” She replied as she searched through her purse for nothing, avoiding his momentary glances.

“What little local joint?” he asked again.

“Jim’s Jukebox. It’s a little poolroom and bar. They have a little dance floor too though. Very low key. It’s where we go when we want to hang out, not dance or try to pick up guys.” Regina replied still searching her bag for nothing as to avoid looking at him.

“Oh so you don’t plan on picking up guys tonight?” he asked, a little too obvious for his own good. Regina picked up on this and snapped back,

“Not that it’s any of your business, but no, I plan to hang out with my friends from the college.”

“You have any guy friends that I should know about?” he asked, finally catching her taking a look at him. Her eyes narrowed.

“Of course I have guy friends. But like I said before, it’s none of your business!”

“Yeah, it is,” he growled.

“Nothing is figured out, so we are just going to let it go until I get home tonight.”

“Until you get home? What the hell makes you think I’m gonna let you go run around with some guys, while I’m not there?” he snapped.

“What are you my boyfriend or something? Get real. These are my friends. People I have known since middle school all right, so get off my fucking back!” Regina said, irritated past the point of searching through her purse for nothing so she wouldn’t have to look at him.

“No I won’t. We need to figure this out before you go anywhere!” She slowly turned to him with raised eyebrows and a look on her face that he knew meant wrath.

“You are not my fucking keeper!” she shouted angrily. He stayed silent a moment, watching the road and not looking at her because he knew she was watching him. He had to be careful. He had to watch himself. He didn’t need to get like this over her. She wasn’t the type to cheat. She’d been cheated on by everyone, including him. Who was he to even insinuate that she would?

When she finally turned her gaze away from him he relaxed a little in the seat. Neither of them spoke. No one knew what to say. Both of them wanted the same thing but Marshall was scared to admit it and there was no way in hell Regina would ever bring the subject up. She would never say out loud that she was not just jealous of Marshall dancing with that girl she was full blown four alarm pissed that he had even considered the idea. That did it.

“So why the fuck were you dancing with her anyway?” she snapped.

“Huh?” Marshall had been mulling over his own thoughts on how to break the silence when he heard Regina’s question.

“Because I fucking felt like it, that’s why. No promises, remember,” he barked. Automatically he felt like an ass for saying it like that.

“Yup, I remember, no fucking promises,” she replied with her jaw clenched. As she turned and looked out the window, the apartment building came into sight. She thought about how odd it would be not living there anymore. At the end of the month she would be finished with school, the video would have already been shot, and she’d be on her way to New York with Dre and Marshall to start some promo stuff. Ernelle would be moving out as well, her new job taking her into the heart of LA. She’d already signed a lease for a new place and was moving her things in bit by bit.

Thinking on this Regina’s thoughts towards Marshall softened. Things were changing, and for the better. Maybe being with Marshall, in some shape or form, with promises wouldn’t be a bad thing to try. They were all moving on to bigger and better things. Maybe now was the time to move on and away from the thoughts of Mario and Maria. Maybe she could finally find some happiness and hold on to it. Maybe Marshall was the key to that happiness.

They pulled up, both getting out of the car and heading upstairs to the apartment. Marshall had become a regular at the place so Ernelle wasn’t surprised when she saw him.

“Hey Em, Regina, how was recording?” Ernelle asked.

“Good, really good,” Marshall replied awkwardly.

“I’m gonna get changed Ernelle, I’ll be out in a minute,” Regina said as she disappeared into her bedroom.

“Are you coming with us?” Ernelle asked as she fastened an earring.

“Uh,” Marshall stuttered.

“If the dog that followed me home follows us to Jim’s it will be of his own accord, not ours Ernelle,” Regina snapped before closing the door with a thud. Marshall snorted. Ernelle shook her head at the closed door.

“Quite the doll I’d say,” Ernelle said with a laugh. Marshall chuckled slightly, grinning in spite of himself. Ernelle looked back at the door at making sure it was closed she went back to Marshall. She took him by the arm and sat him on the couch.

“All right look, I’m gonna tell you something that could possibly get me killed. You have to promise you’ll never tell her you got anything out of me,” Ernelle said urgently. Marshall sensed the seriousness of the moment and nodded his head.

“Now when your boy called here last night, telling her about that girl you were dancing with, which in the first place,” here Ernelle smacked him alongside the head.

“Ouch! What was that for?” he asked rubbing his head.

“What do you think it was for?” Ernelle asked with a raised eyebrow. “Oh, yeah, but anyways,” he replied sheepishly.

“Regina completely denies that she’s jealous and that she has any feelings for you at all," Ernelle continued.

“And the good part would be?” Marshall asked confused.

“That is the good part. Regina always says the opposite of what she really feels. She’s over the moon for you but will never admit it. So trust me, you want to go anywhere with her, you are gonna have to make the move. She won’t, not now, not ever. You will have to.” Ernelle said, the seriousness resonating in her eyes as she stared into his.

“You really think she wants to?” Marshall asked.

“Yes, but she will never ask you, she’ll never bring it up. That will be up to you.” Ernelle finished before standing up.

“Thanks Ernelle, really,” Marshall said as he stood also.

“Don’t worry about it. Regina deserves to be happy, and you make her happy. But let me remind you, if you hurt her, you’ll be in a worse place than Benny,” Ernelle said with a mad glint in her eyes. Marshall laughed, he was familiar with this tactic. “I’m not kidding, my uncle owns a butcher shop, I know what to do with the body,” Marshall’s eyes widened as Ernelle walked away.

“Marshall, come here a minute, I need your help with something!” Regina called out the bedroom door. He looked over to her face peeking out the door and lumbered over, Ernelle’s talk leaving him strangely confused. When he came over she opened the door and let him inside, closing the door behind him.

“What is it?” he asked. She turned her back to him.

“Zip me up will you?” she asked. He noticed the two sides of the shirt and the tiny zipper and moved forward to zip the shirt up. He took his time, fastening the clip first, then hooking the zipper and slowly pulling it to the top of the shirt that ended just below her shoulder blades. He wanted to touch her shoulders, put his hands on that skin and tell her he was sorry for dancing with that other girl. He wanted to caress that skin and bury his face in that hair so he could forget the ugliness between them.

She turned to look at him and said,

“So are you coming with us or not?” She stood with her hands on her hips as she stared at him. He was caught off guard, he’d been staring at her back and now her eyes rooted him to her gaze. Those green eyes, they were like a deadly creeping vine that wrapped around his limbs and paralyzed him.

“So?” she asked again. He was ripped out of his vision and still didn’t answer. She took a deep breath and looked toward the floor. He couldn’t move. He didn’t try to.

He felt her arms around his neck before he saw her move. She was stroking the back of his head and his neck, looking at him with a gaze he couldn’t place.

“I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. If you want to come to Jim’s with us, you can.” She said. He felt weird. That was the only word for it. He wasn’t used to the tenderness. She didn’t do that often. Never, really. Sure they had sex, but even though she spent the night he would never wake up with her beside him. They kissed enough but she wasn’t much on the side of caressing him in any way unless it led to sex. She spent most of her time making snide remarks, though that was usually how they communicated. This felt odd to him. Since the first time she had done it this was the only time she’d ever touched him this way. He wished she would do it all the time.

“That’s okay, you spend time with your friends, I don’t want to but in,” he replied, trying to figure out what he should do with his hands.

“No, you come with us, I want you too. That way I’ll have an excuse not to stay out all night, cause we got to, you know,” Regina said, not wanting to even say the word “talk.” Marshall thought this odd. It had been a while, no scratch that, he’d never seen a woman pass up the opportunity to “talk” about a relationship. He found it odd that he was the one who wanted the, the whatever it was, and she was scared to death of it. He wondered if he’d finally lost it.

“You sure?” he asked.

“Yeah, I am. Besides, my friends will want to meet you.” She replied.

“Fans?” he asked with a wrinkled nose.

“Of course they are, but they aren’t the crazy kind. They’re part of the association. They’ll just be excited to meet a real MC.” Regina replied, her one hand squeezing the base of his neck gently.

“Come on, what do you say?” she asked. He nodded slowly and watched her smile.

“Good,” she pulled his face towards hers and fit their lips together. After a gentle kiss she let him go and smiled at him.

“Come on, let’s go party.”