CHAPTER 6

~ Set Some House Rules ~

It's the end of the month in June and Deena is doing some late spring-cleaning, getting things ready as summer approaches. In the meantime, she is on the phone.

Sammi, "When did Pauly leave?"

Deena, "He left Sunday for LA. His set is tonight though. He just wanted to leave after the weekend crowd."

Sam, "Did he say when he'd be back?"

Deena, "He usually calls me after every Event to confirm that with me, so I'll hear from him tonight for sure. He told me Monday the last we talked."

Sam, "Oh well that's only four days from now. (Smiling over the phone) What are you guys doin for his Birthday? It's next week."

Deena laughs a little, "I did want to do something special, it being me, him, and 'Leena together for the first time as a family but…"

Sam, "…but what? That sounds great."

Deena, "Sounds wonderful but I don't think it'll happen. He's got to work the day before and on his B-day."

Sam, "Well that bites. You guys can't celebrate anytime next week?"

Deena, "I don't want to put any pressure on him about it."

Sammi sighs over the phone and responds.

"You've been sayin that a lot Dee'. What's wrong? I don't think it will be a big deal if you want to do something as a Family for his Birthday. You don't think he wants to or something?"

Deena responds, "I just don't want him to think that he's obligated to me. 'Leena's too young to really speak for herself so I have to do it. This is about her and us bonding at this point."

Sammi really didn't understand that statement.

"You're a terrific Mom Dee'. I know it, everyone knows it."

Deena rolls her eyes, "My own Mother doesn't seem to know it."

Sam, "Yeah well, that's why you're there with Pauly. You're makin this work on your own now, which you should if your Mom is not going to work with you any longer. You cannot deal with that right now."

Sammi continues.

"We all know the struggle that you dealt with in the house and the help you got for it thereafter but it only set you back a little. You've placed 'Leena first since day one. Now that Pauly is in the picture once again, it's time to think about you. I'm worried about you."

Deena, "Why are you worried about me? I'm fine."

Sam, "I'm not too sure. It's the way you've been actin and the things you've been sayin. I understand you and Pauly are living together on the terms that Pauleena needs a stable Family but how does that work when you are two adults that need to function as well."

Deena shifts her phone and replies, "Meaning…?"

Sam, "Meaning…when was the last time you went out with someone?"

Deena, "I visited and went out with Nicole and Jenni quite a bit when I was still in Jersey."

Sam, "You know what I mean Dee'. I'm talking about male company, a date…"

Deena gets quiet thinking about the last conversation she and Pauly had. As if reading her mind, Sammi responds.

"Did Pauly put it in your head somewhere that you couldn't date anyone?"

Deena is dumbfounded that Sammi could make that accurate of a statement, without knowing what happened. Before she can put some sort of thought together to answer, Sammi continues.

"Well he has some nerve if he has. How can he expect you to live away from your own social life and stay cooped up in the house while he parties all the time?"

Deena now responds.

"Okay hold up. We don't know for sure if Pauly is doing all the things he used to do at the Shore. He knows we're on watch and that we can't be gettin all crazy."

Sam, "Okay but don't be so naïve as to think that he is a complete angel. We go out, we party, and we drink; That's just us. The only difference is, only some of us are coupled off now so we're not gonna go sleeping with some random chick or guy. Pauly is technically single, you're single…unless you all have decided some things over the course of living together?"

Deena struggles to confront that but she has to talk to someone about it.

Deena, "You know, I really haven't had much of a response because that has come up in my head."

Sam, "What?"

Deena, "As far as what we are and what the rules are between us. It is confusing to someone else looking in and even a little bit to me."

Sam, "Have you talked to him about this?"

Deena, "No. It came up by randomness before he left though. He said that he doesn't really care, in a sense, what I do…because we were talkin about Nicole and Jionni, how Jionni still tries to control Nicole even though he knows how she is."

She continues.

"He basically said he'd never try to stop me from doing what makes me happy. I don't know what that relates to but then he went on to say, as long as you don't disrespect me by bringing some Guy around my Kid or in my House."

Sam, "He was talkin to you?"

Deena, "That's what I got from it but he said he was speaking in general."

Deena can hear the wheels turning in Sammi's head before Sammi responds.

"Well, I don't know how general that statement is. You're living there with him and who else is going to be around 'Leena except you at this point?"

Deena, "I'm just so confused Sam but I don't want to bring it up to him and have him think that I'm tryin to get with him again. It's really not about that now."

Sam, "I'm just going to be blunt, and I feel like a broken record that we've talked about this before or something but anyway, if he is not going to fulfill your needs as a boyfriend, then you need to set some things straight with him as a friend then. You want to go out, you want to socialize with someone other than your girlfriends, hell…you need to get laid!"

Deena laughs even though she knows Sammi is serious.

Deena, "I don't know how all that will go down but I have a feeling if things call for it, I probably will blurt out those exact words."

Sam, "…and you can completely blame it on me. I would almost get angry, if I didn't feel like this is just you not wanting to complicate things. You gotta speak up for yourself Dee'. I don't want to see you unhappy and that is exactly where this is headed if you all don't stop playin these mind games."

Deena thinks about that for second and asks Sammi.

"So are you like Nicole then? Do you think Pauly and I should be together, as a couple?"

Sam, "Nicole likes to play matchmaker. I couldn't even keep my own relationship in tact until now and Ron still has a lot to work on before I would consider marryin him for real-for real. At this point you're on your own sweetie."

Sammi continues and Deena listens intently.

"We're not in the Shore House, if that's hard to believe, so there is no one but you to sit you two down and talk this out. It's all about you and want you want."

A/N: First off, my sincerest apologies Guys and Gals...It seems like the new month came with a vengeance. I have been here and there and everywhere NON-STOP. Before anymore time can pass, I am giving you another Chap. The Chapters will get longer and even out but we are just getting started :-) Please continue to support and I will see you on the other side.