"Roxanne," called Tommy, running up to her behind the shed.
"You scared me!" I answered, turning around and dropping my makeup and portable salon.
"Oh, shit, sorry, kid," he said, bending down to help me get my stuff together. He reeked of too much beer.
"No problem," I said, looking up to him, when all of a sudden his lips were on mine.
"Tommy!" I said, backing away from him, "What on Earth are you doing?"
"What do you mean?" he asked, confused, "I caught the garter, you caught the bouquet."
"Listen, Tommy, I live with Luke, you understand that right?" I said, "We're pretty exclusive."
"Yeah, sure, you're living with him, but you're not married; you're not even engaged," he said, gesturing towards my unadorned finger.
"Well, we might as well be," I said, "We're going to be together forever."
"Says who?" he asked.
"Says me. Says him," I said, matter-of-factly.
"Well, I think, maybe, he would propose, if you gave him a little hint," he responded, raising his eyebrow suggestively.
"And how do you propose I do that, DeFelice?" I asked, standing up and putting my hands on my hips.
"Maybe you oughta make it clear to him you aren't so, you know, readily available," he said.
"Who says I'm readily available?" I asked.
"Roxanne, everyone has always said you're readily available," he said.
"That's insulting. Like, very insulting," I responded.
"Roxanne, you know I mean that in the best way possible," he joked, "I like that you're readily available."
"That doesn't make me feel much better," I said, backing away from him.
"Roxanne, I'm just kidding around, I'm not going to kiss you, I know you're with that guy," he said.
"Oh. Well then what the heck are you doing, anyway?" I asked.
"I'm trying to look out for you. Listen, I know JJs the resident good guy," he started, "But he really has no right to comment on this particular situation, so I'm going to jump in, okay? What does this guy think he's doing? You can't live with a guy, share a bed with him and everything."
"What do you mean?" I asked, "You have no right to comment."
"Listen, if ever there was a guy that would be okay with living with a girl without having to marry her, it would be me. Do you want to be with a guy that's like me?" he asked, and I shook my head, "No, of course you don't, nobody does. I just think you should rethink the situation, you know?"
"I get what you're saying," I said, "And I appreciate it and all, but you don't understand the circumstances. I can't go live with my mom; she's married to this horrible guy with these horrible daughters. I can't stay with the Pryor's, there were too many of us in that house, Luke's the only one I've got."
He looked at me hard for a minute, considering my explanation, before concluding, "You're a good girl, Roxanne. You'll be alright."