Title: "Here Comes Trouble"
Author: Juana
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in my story they belong to the CW Network and 7th Heaven.
Life could not be on more of an upswing for Mac as far as he was concerned, yes he still missed Margaret, but thankfully he was finally getting on with his life and it felt good.
Meeting Romy had definitely been a highlight for him but sleeping with Lola had absolutely been the starting point of his good luck.
Who knew that a girl he'd met in a little deli could restore his confidence and restart his love life.
Lola had made good on her promise to call him when she got to San Diego and unlike the many girls of his past had been more than willing to progress things to a level not yet obtained by Mac, outside of Margaret that is.
Mac hadn't told Martin what had happened with Lola simply because he didn't want the third degree and lately Martin had been acting more like his father than his best friend, always telling him what to do.
"I noticed that your laundry is piling up." Martin said as he sipped his orange juice while sitting at the breakfast table.
Mac could not believe how incredibly anal Martin was about having things picked up and put away and kept up and dusted…etc.
"Yeah…I still have stuff to wear." Mac said nonchalantly.
"Okay…but don't you think maybe you'd have more to choose from if you…say washed some stuff?" Martin questioned hopefully.
"I'm sorry but is there a point anywhere in this conversation?" Mac said annoyance lacing his voice now.
"Actually yes – you're a slob Mac." Martin said point blank now.
"And you're a pathetically anal neat freak but you don't hear me complaining about it – well except now of course." Mac added.
"And what would you have to complain about ,the fact that I am forced to pick up after you like a maid or the fact that I keep the bathrooms clean and sanitary, because these do not strike me as things to whine about." Martin retorted.
"How about the fact that I like to feel like the place I live in is not Clorox-ed to death like a hospital?" Mac replied in answer.
Martin knew he was picking on Mac and that while he did like his place to be clean it wasn't nearly as important to him as he was making it seem at the moment.
He knew the issue he really wanted to address with Mac ran much deeper.
Martin wanted Mac to stop seeing Romy so that she wouldn't always be over there invading his space and his time with Ruthie.
"Maybe we can make a deal I'll cut back on the reminders to clean if you say…stop seeing Romy." Martin said hopefully.
"What?" Mac said more than a little shocked at Martin's request.
Martin didn't know how to get out of the hole he had just dug for himself, which was why he was hugely relieved when his cell phone rang.
"I should get this." Martin said hurrying quickly into his room and shutting the door.
Mac stood stunned – unsure what had just happened.
Romy knew she should not be standing where she was, in front of Derek's dorm room door, that she should just cut her losses and move on, but she was beyond pissed at him and his little enabler Tad.
So she knocked, purposefully and confidently, she would have her say and she would move on – it was as simple as that.
But nothing is ever as simple as you try and make it and often times it ends up ten times worse than you could have imagined.
And as the door came open and she saw him again after such a long time, she wanted to run, to be anywhere but there, but it was already too late.
"Well to what do I owe this pleasure?" Derek said giving Romy the once over.
"I came to talk to you." Romy said swallowing quickly over the lump forming in her throat now.
"Come on in then, you have my undivided attention." Derek said leering at her now.
It would be like walking into the lions den and she knew if she wasn't careful he would chew her up and spit her out when he was done with her just like her had before.
Romy would never understand how Derek had the power to make her go weak at the knees with just a sly grin.
"Actually…I'm good here. I just have a few things I want to say and I'll be out of your way." Romy said keeping her feet rooted to their spot in front of his door.
"That's too bad, see I don't have talks in the hallway…too many ears – so I guess we're done here." Derek said starting to shut the door on her.
God she hated him.
"Wait!" Romy said putting out a hand to stop the door.
"Yes?" Derek said knowing he clearly had the upper hand now.
"Can I come in?" Romy practically spat at him her unhappiness evident now.
Without a word Derek stepped aside ushering her in.
His place was still the same, nothing had changed and it made her more than a little uncomfortable.
"So what can I do for you babe?" Derek said leaning against the closed door now clearly giving her the eye.
"Well for starters you can stop calling me babe." Romy said pointedly.
"What ever revs your engine gorgeous." Derek said moving towards her now.
He'd always had a way of doing that, drawing her in to him when she hadn't wanted to be and the pull was still there and so very strong.
It was the only reason she hadn't backed away as his hand settled on her waist and traveled upward.
"I've missed you Romy." Derek said trying to sound sincere but failing miserably his intentions more than clear to her now.
"No you haven't." Romy said a little weaker sounding than she would have liked.
"Sure I have." He said as he pulled her to him. "Let me show you how much."
His lips on hers felt familiar and still exciting much to her dismay as she felt her self bending to his will, giving in to the pressure of his lips on hers.
It could have all gone south from there and probably would have if not for the unexpected entrance into the apartment of what could only be described as a very shocked girl.
A girl who Romy would soon learn was Derek's girlfriend.
She'd only meant to go there to yell and vent but instead Romy had gotten much better as she'd left him with a very angry, inconsolable girl with a fiery temper.
He clearly wouldn't be getting any action today Romy thought a smile crossing her face.
And she could yell at him later or better yet…and safer she could just send him a strongly worded email.
After finishing his phone call Martin left his bedroom praying that Mac would already be gone to class.
No such luck.
"So do you want to tell me what the hell is going on?" Mac said getting up from the couch where he had been waiting patiently for Martin to exit the room.
"No – not really." Martin admitted.
"Then just tell me why you don't want me dating Romy." Mac offered.
"I just think maybe Romy is a little "wilder" than you need." Martin stated trying to think of one really good reason that Mac would buy.
"I like her Martin. Yeah…maybe she's a tad on the experienced side but I think that could only be a good thing. I'm not all for waiting for marriage like you are buddy." Mac said in reminder.
"Do you ever talk about how she might have gotten that "experience?" Martin questioned trying to say something without revealing too much.
"I'm going to stick my neck out here and say probably the same way every other person does – by being with other people." Mac said truthfully.
"And that doesn't bother you that she's been with so many guys." Martin said carelessly.
"Whoa…wait a minute who said anything about "so many guys?" Mac inquired.
Martin realized his mistake immediately.
"Nobody…I thought that's what you meant by experienced." Martin lied.
Mac knew Martin too well to not realize that he was holding something back.
"If you knew something about Romy…you would tell me, right?" Mac said questioning his friend's weird behavior.
"Sure. Yes." Martin said lying completely through his teeth now.
"Okay good, because I meant it when I said that "I like her." Mac admitted.
"So if you have something you need to tell me now would definitely be the time."
Martin's guilt was riding a huge wave of discontentment now, he couldn't rat Romy out with out putting his own head on the chopping block too.
Things were so much easier before he had sex Martin thought regretfully.
Delving into the physical world of women had brought him nothing but problems.
Ruthie glanced at her watch again before deciding to pack up her bag and head out. Romy was over thirty minutes late and she had a class to get to now.
Romy pulled into the parking lot of the Starbucks her breaks screeching as she came to a halt in her space.
People all around her gave her looks as she bolted out of her car and raced into the Starbucks just as Ruthie was a few feet from leaving.
"Oh thank god you're still here." Romy said relieved that she hadn't missed her friend.
"Actually, I have to get to class now." Ruthie said truthfully.
"I need to talk to you Ruthie." Romy told her friend.
"If you aren't doing anything with Mac, we can talk tonight." Ruthie promised.
"What about Martin, won't he be upset if you don't spend time with him?" Romy questioned.
"Martin will understand if I just want to spend time with you tonight." Ruthie said really believing it.
Romy however knew that Martin would probably freak if he knew that she and Ruthie were having a "girl's night", because even though she had profusely promised him she had no intention of telling Ruthie anything, she knew he still had his doubts.
Romy didn't know quite what to make of Martin, he certainly loved Ruthie but he wasn't so naïve as to believe that love conquers everything – he didn't trust that Ruthie would stick by him if she knew about their night together and Romy knew that would eventually be his downfall.
Sitting in Martin's car with him Ruthie couldn't believe they were having an argument over such a trivial thing as her spending time with Romy and it floored her.
"I wanted to do something with you tonight." Martin said desperately his head swimming with the knowledge of Ruthie and Romy's plans for that night.
Ruthie couldn't believe how possessive Martin was being of her time – it seemed so out of character for him.
"We can do something tomorrow." Ruthie offered.
"So you're picking Romy over me?" Martin said throwing all his guilt cards in now.
"No, of course not." Ruthie said exasperated now. "I'm choosing to spend time with a friend who needs me and you need to understand that."
Martin felt like a jerk, probably because he was acting somewhat like one.
"I need you too you know." Martin threw in weakly.
"You're acting weird – that's what I know." Ruthie told him.
Martin didn't know what else to say, she was right…he was, and if he wasn't careful he was going to make problems where there were none.
"You're right, I'm just being an idiot – go and have fun tonight with my blessing." Martin said finally.
"Thank you." Ruthie said leaning over to kiss him before getting out of the car to head to her next class.
"I'll call you tomorrow." She said waving good bye to him.
Martin knew the odds of Romy saying something to Ruthie were slim but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what was so pressing that she "needed" to have Ruthie with her that night to talk.
He was bound to go crazy before the night was done.
Romy stood pacing in front of the locker room waiting for him…he'd had no right to say what he had and she was going to make sure he knew exactly where they stood because she was very unhappy with him.
As Martin rounded the corner he saw Romy walking back and forth in front of the locker room and he hesitantly approached her.
"What are you doing here?" Martin asked point blank.
He was already late for practice and he needed her to make it quick.
"You had no right to tell Mac not to go out with me!" Romy spat angrily at Martin the time she had spent waiting for him doing nothing to diminish her temper.
"Mac has had a rough time with relationships I just want him to be careful." Martin said trying to sugar coat what he had done.
"Why? So he doesn't end up with a whore like me?!" Romy said her temper riled now.
"I don't think that of you." Martin assured her.
"I don't really give a damn what you think about me Martin! Just stay out of my life and my business and stop giving Mac friendly advice!" Romy warned him.
"Are you through?" Martin said angry now too.
"Yes. I guess." Romy said wary now of what was coming.
"I may have over stepped my bounds telling Mac not to go out with you..." Martin started.
"Damn right you did!" Romy said cutting him off.
"But…it's an uncomfortable situation at best Romy and you know it. I guess I just thought that if Mac found out about us it would have a lot less punch to it if he was no longer seeing you." Martin admitted honestly.
"Well thank you Mr. Selfish for thinking of no one but yourself!" Romy said sarcastically.
"Do you really think I care about myself or what this would do to me if Ruthie or Mac knew? The only people I'm worried about are Mac and Ruthie." Martin confessed.
"Cut the noble crap Martin, you're only concerned about how losing Ruthie would affect your life." Romy surmised.
"You're wrong and you don't know me at all to make a judgment like that." Martin said annoyed.
"And you don't know me well enough to make the judgments that you have either, so I guess we're even now. So let's just call a truce and let each other live their lives as they see fit." Romy said bargaining with him now.
"Fine." Martin said reluctantly. "But if you screw me in this deal…"
"If I'd screwed you in this deal you'd be in a lot more trouble if our secret ever got out." Romy said abruptly turning to leave as Martin stood there shocked by what she'd just said.
Romy was going to be nothing but trouble he could feel it.