The next morning Regina went back to the studio with Dre to work on her album. There were a couple songs that she didn’t want to do while Marshall was there, so he offered to stay out of the studio that day so she could work on them. It wasn’t just him that she didn’t want around, it was everyone. There were just a couple things she didn’t want to do with the world watching and listening to her every word.

Marshall didn’t mind. In fact he was glad to have a minute to run out and get something he’d been meaning to buy, but had been too proud to buy while out with anyone. He collected his bodyguards and headed out to the Barnes and Nobles around the corner.

His bodyguards knew well enough to stay well out of his way, just staying within visible reach in case anything happened. They knew when to step in and when not. But they had never been more surprised when they saw Marshall walk right into a book store.

Marshall looked like the nervous teenager buying condoms for the first time in a drugstore. Though it had been a while since he had bought condoms, he and Regina had stopped using them almost four months back. Both had gotten tested and she got birth control, both preferred it without. But he’d never been nervous about buying condoms, he made the drugstore clerks nervous when he bought condoms, but he himself, had never worried about it.

He walked up to the information desk and handed the clerk behind the counter a wrinkled piece of paper.

“Ah yes, ‘Jane Eyre’, a classic,” the woman said with a smile.

“For my girlfriend, for her birthday,” Marshall mumbled.

“I’ll show you where it is, we have several different copies,” the woman replied leading him towards the back of the store. She stopped in the corner and pointed to a row of books.

“These are the complete copies, totally unabridged, and these, are abridged, and this one just starts at where Jane takes up as the governess at Thornfield, it’s our most popular because it gets to the point, the romance of it all, cuts out all the boring stuff.”

“Thanks,” Marshall nodded.

“Is there anything else you need help finding?”

“No, this is it, thanks.” The woman nodded and walked away. Marshall glanced down the aisle and saw his bodyguard looking through a stack of magazines. He looked back at the shelf. He didn’t have much time to read, so, he grabbed the short copy, the most popular one and headed to the front of the store.

“Ready man?” the guard asked as he passed.

“Yeah, just checking out, I’ll meet you outside,” Marshall replied. He paid quickly and stuffed his purchase in his pocket before going outside again.

“Where to?” the nearest guard asked.

“Back to the hotel, you guys got the rest of the day off, I’ll be there the rest of the day, just keep your phones on,” Marshall replied and all three nodded.

When he returned, Marshall found a comfortable chair and settled in. He stepped into the first page of the book and didn’t emerge until he’d hit page one hundred, and heard the door open. He jumped up when he realized what it was and quickly stuffed the book under the couch cushions.

“Hey, how’d recording go today?” Marshall asked as Regina dropped down on the couch beside the chair and propped her feet up on the table. “Good, really good, two whole songs done today. Up to a grand total of five, six if you count ‘Bangin’,” Regina replied.

“You done writing stuff then?” Marshall asked.

“I’m never done writing,” Regina laughed.

“You’re back pretty late, it’s almost nine, didn’t think you’d be recording that long,” Marshall replied.

“Yeah, Dre officially called me a studio rabbit, thank you very much, because I would have stayed another four or five hours before I left.” Marshall laughed at the name, he was known as the studio rat.

“You even get lunch?” Marshall laughed at Regina’s enthusiasm.

“Yeah, Dre made me. Actually AJ showed up, and the both of them took me out to lunch. AJ and I swapped rehab stories,” Regina replied. Marshall stiffened at the mention of AJ. This guy had already danced with his girl, now he was taking her out to lunch? He didn’t like it.

“Don’t Marshall,” Regina said quickly.

“What?”

“I was at lunch, with Dre and AJ. AJ is nice, but I’m not fucking him in the room down the hall, and don’t act like I don’t know what you’re thinking. You wouldn’t dance with me, so he did, that’s all Marshall. The jealous thing is not gonna work,” Regina replied.

“You make sure it doesn’t,” Marshall replied.

“Yeah yeah, damn I wish I could have stayed at the studio, I really couldn’t have gotten that last track down, I was just in the groove too,” Regina said shaking her head slightly.

“Gee thanks, missed you too,” Marshall snorted.

“I did too miss you, though the memories of last night were enough to keep me going,” Regina replied with a raised eyebrow.

“Though how the fuck we can miss each other is beyond me. Why the fuck haven’t we started tearing each other’s hair out yet?” Marshall asked.

“Is that a que for me to tell you to go spend the night with your boys? Cause you don’t have to ask me permission, not that you would, but this sounds suspicious,” Regina replied giving him a sideways glance.

“No, it’s just that eventually I get tired of the guys being around everyday, everyone can’t stand to see the same people everyday, but, us, we’ve been together, everyday, for like six months, except for that one week there, and we still ain’t snapping at each other,” Marshall replied, surprised by the fact all the more now that he said it out loud.

“Uh oh, we’re not getting ready to have one of these, ‘relationship’ talks are we? Cause I am really not in the mood for one of those,” Regina replied going over to the table and looking at the room service menu.

“No, I wasn’t, just saying it was weird is all. It’s nice having somebody that I don’t want to strangle every five minutes,” Marshall replied.

“We have our share of fights,” Regina reminded.

“And half of those are just for the makeup sex,” Marshall reminded, she had to grin at that.

“True,” she laughed.

“I ain’t had a girlfriend before that’s lasted this long, usually they leave me around month four, sick of me I guess,” Marshall replied.

“Marshall, shut up, don’t fuck it up,” Regina replied grabbing the phone off the table.

“Don’t fuck it up?” he asked.

“No fucking next step relationship talks Marshall, we ain’t that kind of people, we’ll roll until we’re sick a one another, and that’s it,” Regina replied as she dialed.

He had his answer. She was going towards something deeper too, but she didn’t want to show it. He’d get her to admit it if it was the last thing he did. Damned he would be if he was going to be the first one to say ‘I love you,’ and that was how he felt, he loved her. Scared him the fuck to death.

“Dre get the schedule figured out?” Marshall asked as she took a seat on the couch again.

“Yeah, he talked to Jive, and they are all for the single, said it was a great idea. Interscope, well, they had a little trouble with the idea, but they agreed to it eventually. A buck’s a buck,” Regina replied as she removed her boots.

“Any ideas on what you’re gonna make me sing with the bitches?” Marshall asked.

“Ha ha, but you’re gonna help with the writing baby boy. AJ’s attempting to lean the guys towards more of a hip hop sound, to appease you, of course, and Dre’s trying to convince me to let you rap, at least one verse,” Regina replied with warning waggling finger.

“You’re gonna make me write a pansy ass boy band song?” Marshall asked.

“No, I’m gonna make you write the rap in the pansy ass boy band song that you will also be singing in. I’m throwing you a bone since you have actually agreed to do it, and don’t even think about going back on your word, we’re signing the contract tomorrow,” Regina replied.

“Thank you baby,” Marshall replied with a stupid grin, when he realized she was doing something nice for him.

“Oh knock it off, you ain’t getting out of dancing, no matter how cute you are,” Regina replied. “I ain’t cute,” Marshall snorted.

“Oh please, you could have been the bad boy of Backstreet in another time and place. Those baby blues, and your friggen eye lashes, you got those god damn angel eyes, you want an answer why I stick around, I’ll give you three, the fucking sex, your pretty pink lips, and your damn angel eyes. Face it Marshall, you’re beautiful and nothing you can say will change that,” Regina replied. There was a knock at the door.

Regina got up and got her food, handing the bell boy a tip and returned to the couch with her bowl of cream of mushroom soup and curling up.

“I wasn’t aiming for any compliments,” Marshall replied.

“Well you got them anyway baby boy,” Marshall grinned self-satisfied. She was avoiding the whole area but he knew she was just giving him what he wanted in way that wouldn’t look too over the top. He’d use this to the advantage later. But he decided to let it go for now.