Author's Notes:

I don't like this chapter all that much. But it's done, and I haven't done any updating in almost a week, so here it is. I know I'm not an established writer here, and I know this isn't slash, but if anyone's reading this, please review. I'd really like to know that people are actually reading this. And thanks to Lola and Kanoi for always reviewing. You guys rule.

Other than that, this chapter's a little weird. I have this odd Benny fascination, so I'm attempting to give him a human side in addition to the jerk that he always seems to be. But despite what this chapter may suggest, this isn't going to be a Mimi/Benny story. He's in her past, and I have to write it.

Rambling over. Story now.





Benny and I talked for half an hour. At the end, he agreed to give me another two weeks to get the rent money to him, and I agreed to let him take me out to dinner.

He took me to a Chinese place around the corner. Not terribly fancy, with paper napkins and plastic silverware, but the food was hot and tasted good and was better than anything I'd had in months. Benny watched with an amused smile as I scarfed down egg rolls, fried rice, and just about every entrée the place offered.

"You know, Mimi, the food's even better when you taste it," he grinned, motioning the waiter over and ordering another order of Mongolian beef. "I don't want you choking."

"Sohhee," I mumbled, my mouth full of won tons. I swallowed. "Sorry," I repeated.

Benny laughed. "You look like you haven't eaten a good meal in years."

I brought my eyes up from my plate to meet his. "Maybe I haven't."



He walked me home afterwards, and personally took the padlock off of my door. I thanked him and told him I'd get the money to him as soon as possible.

"Mimi," he began. "Don't put yourself out about that. Whatever you can get to me is fine."

"Benny, I can't ask for special treatment," I insisted. "I just need a little extra time, I'll get you the rent, and it'll be fine."

"Just take care of yourself, all right?" That concerned look was back in his eyes. I didn't know why. We were practically strangers, after all. We had known each other all of three hours. This wasn't like any relationship I'd ever known. Then again, Benny wasn't like any man I'd ever known.

Mimi, he's a married man, I told myself firmly. He's just doing you a favor, that's all. You've got the extension on your rent. Why ruin a good thing?

"Benny, can I ask you something?" I began. Damn it, Mimi, are you determined to fuck this up?

He looked at me, completely serious. "What is it, Mimi?"

"Why are you doing this?" I blurted out. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

He looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean everything!" I exclaimed. "Do you buy dinner for everyone who can't pay their rent? Do you let them have extra time and take the padlocks off their doors?"

"Mimi, listen to me." He put an arm on my shoulder. "I knew a girl just like you. Very sweet, very nice girl. Then she got AIDS, and she didn't think she could live with it, so she killed herself. It was the saddest thing I'd ever seen, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

"I'm sorry," I whispered, not knowing what else to say.

"You take care of yourself, okay?" Benny instructed me, tipping my chin up so our eyes met. "I'll see you around."

He leaned over and kissed me, nothing heavy, nothing serious, just a light, sweet kiss that could have been entirely friendly. Then he was gone, his figure retreating down the stairs and back to all the comforts of his world, leaving me alone to figure out what the hell had just happened.



The next three weeks passed without a sign of him, and then suddenly there he was, hanging around the club after I got off of work. "Thought I'd come by and see how you're doing," he greeted me, pecking my cheek. "How's it going?"

"Benny, it's two in the morning," I pointed out. "Shouldn't you be home with your wife instead of hanging around a nightclub?"

He shrugged. "Nice to see you too."

"Benny, I'm sorry," I apologized. "I just didn't expect to see you here, that's all."

"Well, since I'm here, feel like going out for a bite?" he asked. "My treat."

I shook my head. "I'm really tired. I should get home."

"Let me walk you, then," he offered. "This really isn't the best neighborhood to be walking alone in, especially not at this hour."

"All right," I gave in. "Thank you, Benny."

We walked in silence for a few blocks, and I attempted to figure out what on earth he was doing there. What did he want from me? Was I a little sister to him, someone he had to protect even though there wasn't a person on earth who could stop the demons that were stalking me? Or would this be like every other relationship I'd ever had, where the guy would be sweet and nice at first, and then demand payment for what he had freely given?

"You look thinner," Benny commented abruptly. "Have you been taking your AZT?"

I didn't see what business it was of his, but he had let me pay my rent two weeks late. "Off and on," I shrugged. "When I remember, I do."

"Mimi, that's not good enough," he lectured me. "You have to be vigilant about things like this. Someone in your condition can't take any chances with their health."

"I fail to see how it's any of your concern," I informed him frostily. "I can find my way home from here. Goodnight, Mr. Coffin the Third."

"Mimi, wait." He grabbed my arm, and stared with a mixture of horror and disgust at the tracks on it. "Damn it, don't tell me you're stupid enough to do that shit."

"Don't touch me," I snapped, yanking my arm out of his grasp. "I don't belong to you just because I live in the shithole you call an apartment complex."

His jaw dropped and he stared at me in shock. My words echoed in my ears, and I realized just what I had said. This man had the power to evict me and send me onto the streets. He could crush the fragile life I was just beginning to rebuild for myself, and now I had shot my mouth off and made him mad.

Benny was still staring at me. "I'm sorry," I whispered, and sprinted off into the darkness.



I had been home all of five minutes when I heard a pounding on the door. "Mimi, open the door," Benny's voice came through. "We need to talk."

"We're not talking about anything!" I shouted back, not caring if the neighbors heard. "Go fuck yourself. Is your wife still up? Go fuck her."

His voice was maddeningly calm. "Mimi, you have ten seconds to open this door."

"Or else what?" I shot back. "I'll get a spanking?"

"Mimi, let's not forget how I very generously let you stay on even though you hadn't paid your rent," Benny continued in that same, even voice. "Don't tell me my faith in you was misplaced."

The locks scraped loudly as I snapped them back, and opened the door. "I'll be out by tomorrow if that's what you want," I hissed. "Will you leave me alone now?"

Benny sighed. "Mimi, there's no reason to get upset. I'm just concerned, that's all."

"And you're showing your concern by threatening to throw me out?" I rolled my eyes. "That's really nice, Benny."

He threw out his hands in exasperation. "All I want is to talk to you, Mimi. Five minutes, that's all."

"All right," I gave in. "Five minutes."

I stepped aside to let him in. He stood around nervously while I relocked the door, as if he was afraid to sit down. "Oh, it's fine," I told him. "I haven't had any roach problems in a couple months."

He flinched. "What?"

"I'm kidding, Benny." I marched over to the nearest chair and plopped myself down in it. "See, it's okay. Nothing's eating me."

He sat down nervously on the sofa, as if he were still expecting something to come out of it and bite him. "Thank you for not making a scene, Mimi," he said. "I appreciate it."

"Cut it out, Benny," I told him. "I'm not five years old and you're not my father."

"Why are you so defensive?" he exclaimed. "All I want is to help you, for Christ's sake!"

"Help me how?" I demanded. "By controlling my life? By threatening to evict me if I don't quit drugs?"

He slammed his fist down onto the coffee table. "By making sure you don't fuck up your life!" he yelled. "There's so much you could do with your life, and I don't want to see you throw it all away!"

I gave what I hoped was a shrug of indifference. "Well, you should have been here six months ago. Then you might have been able to do some good."

"Mimi, look at me." I looked. He was wearing that same professional, no-nonsense look that he had when I first met him. "I'm a business man. I like to think I'm a responsible one, and in order to do that, there are certain things I can't allow. Drugs, for instance. I simply cannot have illegal substances on my properties. It doesn't look good for my tenants, and it doesn't look good for me."

"So what you're saying is, I have to quit smack or I'm out?"

He nodded slowly. "I'm afraid so."

I wanted to spit in his face and tell him that I didn't need to live in his shitty building, and I'd go find somewhere better to live where landlords minded their own business and didn't blackmail their tenants into letting them control their lives. I wanted to gather up my few meager possessions and march right out of there. Instead, I started to cry.

Benny was beside me in an instant, his arm wrapped about my shoulders. "Oh, God, Mimi, I'm sorry."

"I don't know why I'm crying," I sniffed. "I don't know why I'm being so stupid."

"Shhhh," he whispered, pulling a handkerchief out of his breast pocket and wiping my face with it. "I shouldn't have been so rough on you. It's going to be all right."

He hugged me, and I tried desperately to stop crying. When I finally pulled away, we stared into each others eyes for a very long moment, and before I knew it, he was kissing me. Not a brief, soft kiss like before, but harder, and much more insistent. It had been so long since I had been kissed like this. Eddie had never been much into kissing--he liked to jump straight to the sex. But this was different in another way. It had been years since I had been kissed by someone who cared about me. I knew that Benny did, in his own, strange way, and that was something to get used to.

When the kiss ended, Benny picked me up, and started back to the bedroom. "Benny, stop," I whispered, struggling to get down. "We can't. You know that."

He set me down. "Because you have HIV and I don't?"

I nodded. "I can't let you do this."

"Mimi, there are precautions," he insisted. "If we do it right, there's little to no risk."

I studied his face. "Are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure," he insisted.

"Do you have a condom?" I continued.

He slapped his back pocket. "Never without one."

He kissed me again, and when he picked me up a second time, I allowed him to carry me over to the bed.