Note: Sorry it took so long to update. I hit a bit of a writer's block with this fic. I want it to be believable, so I'm trying to avoid the cliches. I hope you like the latest installment!

The snow was hard and crunched loudly under Maureen's boots. She didn't have a destination. All she knew was she had to get as far away from Roger as possible. She met Roger through Mark shortly after she ran away to New York with only a suitcase of clothes and a heart full of dreams. She was 18 then.

The first thing she noticed about Roger was his eyes. She had almost drowned in those crystal blue orbs. He seemed nice enough, but there was a reservation about him that said otherwise. It scared the hell out of her.

She usually kept a friendly distance between Roger and herself, but lately Roger had been closing the gap. Quite frankly, he was making her nervous. Maureen Johnson did not get nervous.

If he really did have feelings for her, what was she going to do about Benny? Benny's feelings for her had been a surprise. He was harder to read emotionally. She had a sneaking suspicion she was falling for him. Hard. Or was it just supreme lust? Maureen sighed, her breath forming a flimsy cloud. How did she get herself into these things?

"Maureen?"

A soft voice wafted through her muddled thoughts. She turned toward the voice to find Mark walking beside her. Her feet had brought her to Tompkins Square Park, one of Mark's favorite filming spots.

"Mark! Hi!" she greeted with forced cheeriness.

"Are you ok?"

"Yea, I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind," she responded.

"Anything I can help with?" He was too sweet for hi own good.

"I wish you could, but I don't think it'd do much good," she said dejectedly.

"Try me."

Maureen decided to tell him Collins' theory. She didn't mention Benny. Mark gave a low whistle.

"Wow," was all he managed to say.

"'Wow' is right," agreed Maureen.

"I'll talk to Roger about it. I can at least let you know if Collins is right about him. Whatever you decide to do with the information is up to you," he suggested.

"Fair enough, I guess."

It didn't really solve her dilemma, but what had she expected? Mark wasn't going to wave his hands and magic her problems away.

"C'mon, it's getting colder. Let's go home," Mark said as he offered Maureen his arm.

She took it gratefully. Her fingers had started going numb.

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Roger and Collins were sitting outside upon Mark and Maureen's return. Collins wiggled his eyebrows at Maureen. Roger simply watched her without emotion. Only when Collins playfully smacked Maureen's ass did he react. Mark noticed a muscle in his jaw twitch.

When they got upstairs, Mark made some hot chocolate. He sat on the window ledge with Maureen and stared at her while she gazed out the window. He had pined after her since the day they met almost two years ago. She would never know because he was too shy to let it show.

He always got jittery when they were alone. Sometimes he wondered if she had a suspicion about his feelings for her every time he stumbled over a sentence or moved less than gracefully. He hoped not.

"What's so interesting outside?" he asked quietly even though he knew she wasn't looking at anything.

"Hmmm? Oh, sorry. I was thinking. Again."

"You should kick the habit. It's a dangerous pastime."

She laughed at that. He was right. "I'll try my best. It would be a hell of a lot easier if I didn't have anything to think about."

"Then life would be boring and we would complain about that," reasoned Mark.

She swatted his arm gently. "You're not helping."

Mark just shrugged and drank from his mug.

"Good morning," a deep voice rumbled.

Maureen's stomach fluttered. Why did the sound of his sexy voice make her want to throw him to the ground and crawl over him? "Hormones," she reminded herself silently.

"Hey Benny," replied Mark.

Maureen gave a little wave because her mouth was full of hot chocolate. Though, at the moment, she wished it was full of him.

"Ugh! What time is it?" he asked through a yawn.

"4:26 in the afternoon," answered Mark.

"Time flies when you're sleeping it away."

"Rough night?" asked Maureen teasingly.

Benny smiled knowingly at her. "You could say that," he almost growled.

Maureen shivered. Damn, he was good!

Mark's gaze swept from Benny to Maureen and back again. "Would you like some hot chocolate?" he asked Benny innocently.

Benny's focus slid from Maureen to the pensive cinematographer. "Sure."

Mark started to get up, but Benny stopped him. "I can get it. Enjoy the rest of yours."

Mark sat back down, unsure of what was going on. Usually, Benny thrived on others serving him. He was acting strange today.

"Mind if I join you?" Benny asked when he returned from the kitchen, steaming mug in hand.

Maureen drew her knees up to her chest and motioned to the space between Mark and her. "Help yourself."

Benny sat with one leg drawn up. He casually rested his arm on the raised knee. "I never want to work that late again!" he groaned.

"Why are you still working for that awful telemarketing agency?" asked Mark.

"For one thing, it helps pay the bills. Plus, my boss says the customers respond to me. He says I have a 'soothing phone voice'." Benny shook his head and sipped from his mug.

"You must sucker a lot of people into buying useless crap they don't need," Mark commented.

"I only sucker them because it's my job. That doesn't mean I enjoy doing it," Benny responded bitterly.

Maureen rubbed his arm soothingly. Benny held her hand with his free one and absentmindedly rubbed his thumb along her knuckles. The small, intimate gesture was not lost on Mark. Something strange was going on and he was going to find out what.