Mark walked onto the back deck and was about to enter the kitchen when he saw the two women locking lips. He put on his game face, and walked in.
“Hey,” Mark casually said.
Shane chuckled and turned to look at Mark while Carmen wiped her lipstick off of Shane’s lips.
“Hey, Mark. What’s up?”
Mark spoke directly to Shane as if Carmen weren’t there. “Hey, I just talked to a friend of mine. He scored some ‘E.’ I’m buying enough for the weekend; we can invite a few people over…”
Shane perked up and began to stand, pushing Carmen off of her. Carmen stood and stared at Mark. “We’re not interested in doing any Ecstasy, Mark?”
This time, Mark did speak to Carmen, but his eyes never left Shane. “We’re not interested? Are you one entity now?”
Shane saw that things could easily get explosive, so she soothed. “Hey…”
“I was really talking to Shane, Carmen. So anyway, Shane I’ve got the cash. No cost to you.”
Shane looked at Carmen, then at Mark.
“I’ll pass, but thanks, man.”
Mark scratched his neck and shook his head. “God, Shane. You’re sounding kinda whipped.”
Carmen had enough. She got in his face. “I’ve got somethin’ you want, don’t I?”
Mark backed away and stared at Carmen and shook his head. The corners of his lips went up, but he never quite reached a smile. “It’s not like that.”
Carmen wasn’t fooled. “The hell it isn’t. You walk around here with a hard-on for Shane all fuckin’ day long.”
“Carmen?” Shane pleaded.
Mark moved closer. “I pay rent here. If I suggest hanging with my roommate and you don’t like it, that’s your problem.”
The idea of letting Mark slide on this was something Carmen wouldn’t allow. “Why is it that you always turn up wherever we are? LA’s a big place, but if we’re at a club, there you are. If we’re in a shop at the beach, who do we see on the boardwalk when we walk out?” Carmen got louder. “When we’re swimming at Tina and Bette’s, you’re diving in, too Do you want me to go on?”
Shane stepped between the two of them. “C’mon guys, be cool.”
“Cool,” Mark replied, gesturing with his hands like an umpire would declare someone safe on base. He didn’t want to go on with this because Carmen was hitting way too close to home.
Mark turned away and opened the refrigerator. Carmen wasn’t finished, though.
