Lapdog
by Trekkie S. Monster
A/N: In the play, Mimi claims that she and Benny were together "three months ago," while in the movie she claims "two years ago." I'm going with the movie because it works easier with the plot. Mimi was dating/being a junkie/dancing really young, eh?
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Date: February 12, 1989
"Four Bud Lights," Benny told the bartender, as the lights came up on the stage behind them.
"Lemme guess," Roger joked, "One for me, one for him, and two for you."
Benny simply smiled in reply as the bartender returned with the beer. "Thanks," Roger told the barman, who nodded, while Benny slapped the money on the counter rudely. They grabbed a table as the show started.
Plenty of scantily clad girls danced onstage, as usual, in handcuffs, but tonight, Benny had his eye on one particular chick he was pretty sure he hadn't seen before. She was Latina, and one of the more confident on the stage. Roger and Mark noticed (while staring themselves) that he barely took his eyes off the stage, which inevitably resulted in him spilling his Bud Light all over his pants. "Shit," he gasped, wiping frantically at his new pants. Roger and Mark snickered at their friend's fashion sense.
He saw her hit the bar after the show, and found Mark there. "Where's Roger?" he asked. Mark only had to say one word for Benny to get it: "April." He pointed toward the bathrooms, and Benny nodded.
Before Benny could approach the woman who had been on stage, she did the honors. "Mimi Marquez," she greeted him, sitting in Roger's seat. He was a tad surprised at her aggressiveness, but answered politely.
"Benjamin Coffin III," he said, grinning. "You can call me Benny. And this is Mark Cohen." He pointed toward his blonde friend. Mark waved shyly. He could see where this was going. Maybe he'd better jet before it got–whatever. Find Roger–maybe go home.He got up and headed for the bathrooms.
"D'ya like the show?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"Was amusing," he said, playing it cool. She smiled coyly, chewing her gum.
"Are you always like this?"
"No," she shrugged. "Sometimes I'm aggressive." She got closer to him and kissed him lightly. He broke it apart. "No morals?" She asked.
"None whatsoever." He grabbed her onto his lap and they began kissing passionately. Watching from afar, Mark nodded. It was definitely "whatever."
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Date: April 25, 1989.
Benny and Mimi had been going out for three months now, and Mark and Roger were pissed. Not because of Mimi; oh no. They rarely saw them together, in fact, they rarely saw Benny. This was one of the reasons, but the main one was because Benny was changing. In October, he had been this fun-loving, carefree guy. But ever since he got the job as their landlord in February, he was changing. He was treating them, not to mention Collins and Maureen, as burdens instead of friends, which he once had. The four of them had taken to ignoring Benny whenever they could, and as their landlord, he didn't like it. That usually isn't an effective plan on a landlord anyway.
By June, he had broken up with Mimi and the quintet had forgotten about her. For the moment. Roger and Mark were on better terms, but not by much.
"I need the rent," was the first words he greeted them with when he reached their loft.
"Benny," Collins stood up from the table, "boy, you know we don't have the rent. We're not going to have the rent. None of us have jobs. Just go back to your single apartment and watch cable alone."
He had struck a nerve and Benny immediately retorted, "The fact that they don't have jobs doesn't mean anything. You and you–" he pointed to Maureen, who was sitting in the corner eating chips, "have jobs."
"What job do I have!" Maureen interrupted. Benny was about to answer, but Roger cut him off.
"Benny, please. Just go." There was silence, and four sets of eyes stared at him.
"Slackers," was all he could muster before, in defeat, left. Collins exhaled loudly.
"What happened to him?" Mark asked nobody in particular.
"Money, Mark," Maureen told him. "Money."
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"Then, a little lapdog entered.
His name, we have learned, was Benny.
And though he once had principles, he abandoned them to live as a lapdog to a wealthy Daughter of the Revolution."
-Maureen
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A/N: Chips reference was nice, eh?
"Sometimes I'm aggressive" was from Chorus Line.
-Grace