[AN: The part of this chapter involving tofu is based on one of my personal
experiences. ::giggle:: Enjoy, and please review!]
"Back for more?" Jeff grinned as Maureen entered his apartment the next week.
"I'm just here for the job. And why the hell did you send me roses?"
"Roses? Why would I send you roses?" Jeff asked as he pretended to have no idea what she was talking about.
"Cut the crap. I know you sent them. You were just buttering me up because you want stuff from me. Well I'm no prostitute if that's what you think! I'm a performance artist!"
"You perform very well. . ." Jeff smiled.
"Argh! God, Jeff, would you stop?! I never wanted to come back here! I just want a fucking job!" Maureen cried.
"Darling, please don't get yourself worked up over this."
"You call me 'darling' one more time and. . ." Maureen clenched her fists.
"Fine. You have a job. I talked to a guy who wants a singer for a wedding band."
"Whoa, this wasn't our original plan. I was going for an acting job! I mean, I sing but not nearly as well as I. . ."
"Take it or leave it."
"Fine. I'll take it. I worked hard enough to get the job in the first place." Maureen rolled her eyes.
Jeff handed her a slip of paper. "Here's the address for the next rehearsal. Oh, and if this job doesn't turn out the way you wanted it to, you know where to find me."
"Sure. In Assholeville. I'll remember that," Maureen smiled sarcastically.
"Oh, so having sex with you makes me an asshole? Well, you didn't exactly refuse."
Maureen felt too ashamed to reply. She knew he was right, but she could never admit it.
"So when will I see you again?" Jeff asked casually.
"Never."
"C'mon. . .just one more time." He stroked her cheek and Maureen swatted his hand away.
"Jeff, just stay out of my life!" Maureen quickly slammed the door and hurried from the building.
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"If I were you, I wouldn't take that job."
Maureen spun around. "Collins!" she gasped. "Wha-what are you doing here?"
"It doesn't matter. I was just in the right place at the right time. Now Maureen, tell me, why did you do what you did?"
"Oh God. . .how long were you standing there? What did you hear?" Maureen was clearly horrified.
"I was there long enough and I heard everything I needed to know."
"Can't you just give me simple answers?!"
"No. So answer my question."
"I did it so I could get a job."
"Why did you want a job?"
"We need money."
"Who is 'we'?"
"Joanne and I."
"Ahhh. . .yes, Joanne. Do you love her?"
"Of course I do!"
"Then why did you sleep with another man?"
"Because. . .because I love Joanne. And she wants me to get a job and I want us to stay together."
"That's sounds like an oxymoron to me."
"Collins, just stop for second. You're confusing me." Maureen sat down on the steps and Collins sat beside her.
"You see, Joanne thinks that I'm too. . .well, I don't know what she thinks I am. I'm just different than she is and sometimes that can be a problem. So I wanted to prove to her that I can be responsible and get a job."
"So you're telling me that was responsible?" Collins chuckled a bit.
"Well I figured it was the only way."
Collins shook his head. "Why didn't you just leave when he started coming on to you? If Joanne really loved you she would have understood. I thought you were better than this, Maureen. I guess I was wrong." Collins stood and began to leave.
"Wait! Collins, please just hear me out, ok?" Maureen pleaded.
"Oh boy. This will take a lot of explaining." He sat back down.
"I guess I've just been. . .curious, you know? Like what it would be like to be with another man again. And. . .ok, you win."
Collins smiled. "I was winning all along. Mo, that was really stupid."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"What are you apologizing to me for? You're only hurting yourself and Joanne."
"Ugh. . .don't make me feel worse," she groaned. "Are you gonna tell anyone about this?"
"No. It's not my story to tell."
"Thanks." She gave Collins a quick hug and began to leave.
"Maureen?"
"Yeah?"
"Stay away from that man. He's bad news, and I know for a fact that you weren't the first he's manipulated."
Maureen raised an eyebrow. "How did you. . .?"
Collins just shook his head. "Don't worry about it."
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"C'mon you two! Dinner is ready!" Mimi called. Roger walked into the kitchen with Mark following.
"You cooked?! I've gotta get this on film!" Mark turned on his camera.
"Hey, I can cook!" Mimi protested. Mark just rolled his eyes.
"Alright, so what are we having?" Roger asked eagerly. He was already seated at the table. Mimi proudly set a plate before him. "What IS it?" Roger asked as he pointed to the white blob occupying his plate.
"Tofu."
"Um. . .I'll pass," Mark said and began to leave, but Mimi grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him roughly back into his chair.
"You, my uneager friend, will try it first!" she giggled. Mark gulped.
"You have got to be kidding me!"
"Meems, are you sure this is food?" Roger poked at the blob. "Hey! It jiggles!" he laughed.
"Roger amuses himself with Mimi's mystery meal," Mark said as he filmed Roger.
"Oh come on! Just eat it and at least pretend to like it!" Mimi whined. Mark and Roger ignored her.
"Hey Rog, I wonder if it'll bounce?"
"Let's find out!" Roger picked up the tofu and headed for the fire escape.
"No way are you ruining my dinner! I worked hard to cook that for you and now you're wasting it!" Mimi cried in a serious tone but was forced to suppress a giggle.
Mark and Roger laughed like little boys. "Five, four, three, two, ONE!" They dropped a piece of tofu.
"Hey! It DOES bounce! Look at this! Get over here, Meems! You gotta watch this stuff bounce!" Roger yelled.
Mimi reluctantly leaned over the railing and watched them drop another piece. Sure enough, as soon as it hit the pavement it bounced about halfway up to the fire escape.
"Gimme some of that!" she laughed and dropped it down. "At least my cooking is good for something!"
"Hey Meems, think fast!" Roger tossed a piece of tofu at her. She shrieked and threw a chunk at his head.
"TOFU FIGHT!" Mark yelled. Soon they were all rolling around on the fire escape attacking each other with white blobs of tofu. Mimi squished some onto Mark's glasses while Roger tossed a few bits into Mimi's hair.
"Roger!!!" she squealed, and a mischievous grin spread across her face.
"I don't like the looks of that," Mark groaned. He looked at Roger to find that his eyes had suddenly become huge.
"Meems. . ."
Mimi began giggling hysterically.
"What? What did she do?" Mark was apparently confused.
"I can't believe you just put that stuff down my pants!" Roger screamed and soon the fight began all over again.
"Back for more?" Jeff grinned as Maureen entered his apartment the next week.
"I'm just here for the job. And why the hell did you send me roses?"
"Roses? Why would I send you roses?" Jeff asked as he pretended to have no idea what she was talking about.
"Cut the crap. I know you sent them. You were just buttering me up because you want stuff from me. Well I'm no prostitute if that's what you think! I'm a performance artist!"
"You perform very well. . ." Jeff smiled.
"Argh! God, Jeff, would you stop?! I never wanted to come back here! I just want a fucking job!" Maureen cried.
"Darling, please don't get yourself worked up over this."
"You call me 'darling' one more time and. . ." Maureen clenched her fists.
"Fine. You have a job. I talked to a guy who wants a singer for a wedding band."
"Whoa, this wasn't our original plan. I was going for an acting job! I mean, I sing but not nearly as well as I. . ."
"Take it or leave it."
"Fine. I'll take it. I worked hard enough to get the job in the first place." Maureen rolled her eyes.
Jeff handed her a slip of paper. "Here's the address for the next rehearsal. Oh, and if this job doesn't turn out the way you wanted it to, you know where to find me."
"Sure. In Assholeville. I'll remember that," Maureen smiled sarcastically.
"Oh, so having sex with you makes me an asshole? Well, you didn't exactly refuse."
Maureen felt too ashamed to reply. She knew he was right, but she could never admit it.
"So when will I see you again?" Jeff asked casually.
"Never."
"C'mon. . .just one more time." He stroked her cheek and Maureen swatted his hand away.
"Jeff, just stay out of my life!" Maureen quickly slammed the door and hurried from the building.
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"If I were you, I wouldn't take that job."
Maureen spun around. "Collins!" she gasped. "Wha-what are you doing here?"
"It doesn't matter. I was just in the right place at the right time. Now Maureen, tell me, why did you do what you did?"
"Oh God. . .how long were you standing there? What did you hear?" Maureen was clearly horrified.
"I was there long enough and I heard everything I needed to know."
"Can't you just give me simple answers?!"
"No. So answer my question."
"I did it so I could get a job."
"Why did you want a job?"
"We need money."
"Who is 'we'?"
"Joanne and I."
"Ahhh. . .yes, Joanne. Do you love her?"
"Of course I do!"
"Then why did you sleep with another man?"
"Because. . .because I love Joanne. And she wants me to get a job and I want us to stay together."
"That's sounds like an oxymoron to me."
"Collins, just stop for second. You're confusing me." Maureen sat down on the steps and Collins sat beside her.
"You see, Joanne thinks that I'm too. . .well, I don't know what she thinks I am. I'm just different than she is and sometimes that can be a problem. So I wanted to prove to her that I can be responsible and get a job."
"So you're telling me that was responsible?" Collins chuckled a bit.
"Well I figured it was the only way."
Collins shook his head. "Why didn't you just leave when he started coming on to you? If Joanne really loved you she would have understood. I thought you were better than this, Maureen. I guess I was wrong." Collins stood and began to leave.
"Wait! Collins, please just hear me out, ok?" Maureen pleaded.
"Oh boy. This will take a lot of explaining." He sat back down.
"I guess I've just been. . .curious, you know? Like what it would be like to be with another man again. And. . .ok, you win."
Collins smiled. "I was winning all along. Mo, that was really stupid."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"What are you apologizing to me for? You're only hurting yourself and Joanne."
"Ugh. . .don't make me feel worse," she groaned. "Are you gonna tell anyone about this?"
"No. It's not my story to tell."
"Thanks." She gave Collins a quick hug and began to leave.
"Maureen?"
"Yeah?"
"Stay away from that man. He's bad news, and I know for a fact that you weren't the first he's manipulated."
Maureen raised an eyebrow. "How did you. . .?"
Collins just shook his head. "Don't worry about it."
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"C'mon you two! Dinner is ready!" Mimi called. Roger walked into the kitchen with Mark following.
"You cooked?! I've gotta get this on film!" Mark turned on his camera.
"Hey, I can cook!" Mimi protested. Mark just rolled his eyes.
"Alright, so what are we having?" Roger asked eagerly. He was already seated at the table. Mimi proudly set a plate before him. "What IS it?" Roger asked as he pointed to the white blob occupying his plate.
"Tofu."
"Um. . .I'll pass," Mark said and began to leave, but Mimi grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him roughly back into his chair.
"You, my uneager friend, will try it first!" she giggled. Mark gulped.
"You have got to be kidding me!"
"Meems, are you sure this is food?" Roger poked at the blob. "Hey! It jiggles!" he laughed.
"Roger amuses himself with Mimi's mystery meal," Mark said as he filmed Roger.
"Oh come on! Just eat it and at least pretend to like it!" Mimi whined. Mark and Roger ignored her.
"Hey Rog, I wonder if it'll bounce?"
"Let's find out!" Roger picked up the tofu and headed for the fire escape.
"No way are you ruining my dinner! I worked hard to cook that for you and now you're wasting it!" Mimi cried in a serious tone but was forced to suppress a giggle.
Mark and Roger laughed like little boys. "Five, four, three, two, ONE!" They dropped a piece of tofu.
"Hey! It DOES bounce! Look at this! Get over here, Meems! You gotta watch this stuff bounce!" Roger yelled.
Mimi reluctantly leaned over the railing and watched them drop another piece. Sure enough, as soon as it hit the pavement it bounced about halfway up to the fire escape.
"Gimme some of that!" she laughed and dropped it down. "At least my cooking is good for something!"
"Hey Meems, think fast!" Roger tossed a piece of tofu at her. She shrieked and threw a chunk at his head.
"TOFU FIGHT!" Mark yelled. Soon they were all rolling around on the fire escape attacking each other with white blobs of tofu. Mimi squished some onto Mark's glasses while Roger tossed a few bits into Mimi's hair.
"Roger!!!" she squealed, and a mischievous grin spread across her face.
"I don't like the looks of that," Mark groaned. He looked at Roger to find that his eyes had suddenly become huge.
"Meems. . ."
Mimi began giggling hysterically.
"What? What did she do?" Mark was apparently confused.
"I can't believe you just put that stuff down my pants!" Roger screamed and soon the fight began all over again.