0 comments/ 2265 views/ 0 favorites Their Good Advice By: WWEs1fangirl Having had a few days to marinate over what Raylan had told her, Ava started to worry that maybe she ought to keep a little more company. She wanted a confidant she could count on to be in her presence at all times, so as to minimize the likelihood of someone taking a gander at her life. Certain the presence of some random new comer would be alarming to anyone who knew her well, she elected to pick someone while already in the company of someone she knew well in order to eliminate suspicion. How and who, were her main concerns. She was never one to strike up conversations with people she was unfamiliar with and there were so many options to choose from but no way to be positive that she could trust them with her life. Forced to keep close to Boyd, regardless of her newfound indifference toward him after he failed to deliver her from her predicament, Ava reluctantly took him shopping with her. Since she had gotten out of prison, his presence irritated her and every word he spoke was like pulling teeth. While awaiting her turn at the register, she watched a young woman in front of her, trying to get the attention of the cashier, talking to another employee. "Excuse me..." The girl fiddled with her hands anxiously, embarrassed with herself for being ignored in front of others as the cashier ignored her. "Uh, hello?" She tapped her nails on the counter, hoping the constant noise would draw attention her way. Almost embarrassed on behalf of the girl, Ava slammed her hand on the counter. The cashier turned, looking disgusted. "What?" "If it ain't too inconvenient for you," Ava told her, "you think you could try doin' your damn job?" The cashier rolled her eyes but approached the counter anyway. "What do you want?" "Uh..." The girl felt awkward for being thrown in the middle. "A PS4," she pointed it out behind the counter. When the cashier turned to get the box, the girl smiled up at Ava, being quite a bit shorter than she was. "Thanks..." Ava only smiled back unsure what she ought to say. The girl finished her transaction and left carrying the large box in both her hands. Out in the parking lot, Ava was surprised to see the girl still there. She was putting the PS4 in the passenger seat of her two-door Camaro, buckling it in like a child while saying something to it. Ava watched her with a crooked smile, unsure what to make of her peculiar behavior, unaware that Boyd was watching her. "What's so funny?" he asked her. "Nothin', it's just... hmm," she threw her purse into the car and went to speak to the girl. As she approached her, she could hear the girl saying to the PS4, "now, you stay put because if you get broken, I'll have nothing to live for." When the girl turned around, she gasped at finding Ava behind her and screamed. "Oh, hah, you scared me," she laughed, holding her chest. "I just wanted to apologize for that world class bitch in there," Ava told her. "Oh but that's not your fault. World class bitches are a dime a dozen," the girl scoffed, waving her off. "That's for sure. Uh," she thought about whether or not she wanted to invest any effort in getting to know the girl. Something about her huge eyes and sweet smile made her look youthful and happy, inclining Ava to be intrigued by her. "I'm Ava." "Uh, Stevie?" Ava chuckled, "you askin' or tellin' me?" "Well, I've never introduced myself to anyone before. Actually, I've never had anyone introduce themselves to me so I'm not all that sure how it works." "You did pretty well." "Yeah? So, I'm Stevie, heh." She rubbed her neck, ashamed for not knowing something as simple as how to introduce herself. Ava thought she looked a bit like a child: constantly moving and very expressive with both her body language and hands. In the sun, she could see that Stevie's black hair had a green hue to it. "Wow, your hair is amazing." "Oh thanks. I- I just dyed it. Teal, actually. Blonds are so lucky you would have such intense color if you dyed yours. Black hair is god-awful for coloring." Stevie tossed her hair back, trying to hide it. Ava was glad she made conversing with her a breeze. She did not feel pressure to impress or discuss certain topics. "But then again, hair dye is for people who feel inadequate. You're already really pretty and you have a nice smile." "Aww, why thank you," even though she tried to suppress her elation, Ava could not avoid smiling about it. "Are you a model?" At first, Ava assumed Stevie was just being excessively nice but the expression of genuine curiosity on her face, led her to believe otherwise. "No, no, I'm in... a bit of a different line of work." "Oh? Well, it's none of my business, of course," Stevie shrugged, throwing up her hands, seeing Ava was not too inclined to divulge it. She was unsure what to make of some random woman approaching her and having so much to say. However, she was grateful for the conversation and did not want to ruin it so she thought it best not to inquire too much of Ava. "Um, Miss Ava, I think someone's waiting for you." Stevie looked past her at Boyd. "I know," Ava nearly sighed, clearly not too eager to go, "I guess I'll see you around then." "Okay, bye." When Ava started to leave, Stevie closed the passenger door of the car but it did not lock. She reopened it and closed it again two more times and she could not help laughing at herself. Ava looked back at her, "you doin' okay with that?" "I swear, I'm usually not so lame," laughed Stevie, trying repeatedly to slam the door shut until it finally locked. "Ah, there we go." When Boyd and Ava returned home, she immediately started to go upstairs. "Aren't you gonna eat, Ava?" Boyd asked her. "I'm not hungry." Boyd nodded, "yeah... of course not." Though he was blatantly pointing out her recent distant behavior, Ava thought it best to pretend she had heard nothing. After she went up alone, Boyd sat on a couch, thinking about how much she refused to do anything with him lately. She often went out of her way to avoid him. He did not want to be angry at the situation but it was obvious that Ava no longer wanted anything to do with him. She had not even allowed him to touch her in nearly a year. What really perplexed him was why Ava had not yet kicked him to the curb. He almost wished that she would, so he could give up hope on her and move on. Boyd knew that she would not reveal her reason to him. He would have to get that information from someone else. Not ecstatic to stay in the same house as Ava, he decided to go out on his own. Upon arriving in the parking lot of Audrey's, he could hear commotion just outside the door. Without even needing to get out of his car, he recognized the woman from the store, Stevie, arguing with a man who seemed to be about her age. Behind her were two other guys, apparently only present for moral support but seemed to be playing the part of an armed guard. Boyd was not too baffled as to what the fight could be about, seeing as how they were standing outside Audrey's. "Oh, you've got it so wrong, asshole," Stevie yelled so everyone could hear her, without screaming. "I couldn't give two fucks what you put that nasty dick in but I do think you should know that if you plan on making a fool of me, then, dumbass, you got something else coming. I mean, I wonder if that ho could even feel what you're packing." The two men behind her chuckled. "Sometimes I can barely even find it. I've lost track of how many times I've asked you if it was in yet." "Steve, look, it's not like-" The man tried to take her hand and she grabbed it, twisting it around so he could not pull it back. "Don't even think about touching me, you stupid prick. It'll be the last thing you ever fucking do with this hand." She shoved him back and dusted both her hands on her pants, disgusted that she had touched him at all. The way the girl presented herself in her current situation, Boyd thought she looked a bit like a mob boss with a napoleon complex. She was certainly nothing like the mousy girl Ava had stood up for earlier that day. "Don't try and act like you weren't doin' the same to me," the man told her. "You're surrounded by dicks twenty-four seven." "I would never fuck these r-tards!" She turned to face the two men behind her, "no offense, guys, I just wouldn't." They both shrugged it off like nothing. Turning back to Tristan, the man she was yelling at, she sighed, "I hope it was worth it, dipshit. Seriously, I do because I am just done with this shit." She dusted her hands together, "D-U-N done." Stevie turned to leave and one of her bodyguards, Andrew, stood with her, trying not to laugh at her intentional misspelling. The other, named Elliot, stood behind to talk to Tristan, "you fuckin' blew it, man. She was so legit too." "And she really didn't?" "Man, go away with that shit. You know she only ever fucked you. I- I just can't believe you fucked up so bad. I really thought you knew you had a good thing." Stevie went and got in a truck with Andrew. She looked out the window for Elliot. "Where'd he get off to?" she thought aloud. "Dude, you totally told his ass off," Andrew scoffed. "That was fuckin' great. I fuckin' loved it. Motherfuckin' poetry in motion." Stevie smiled at him, shrugging casually, "it's what I do, homes. You don't fuck with me. If he didn't know it before, he sure as shit knows it now. " She spotted Elliot halfway to through the parking lot. She noticed that he had stopped to talk to someone. She could barely see in the dark parking lot. "Eh, Andrew, who is the fuck is that with Elliot?" He twisted himself around to see who she was talking about. "Oh, that's, uh, Boyd Crowder. What's Elliot doin' talkin' to that fuck? Elliot, move your fat ass!" "I think he's ignoring you," Stevie pointed out to Andrew, who rolled his eyes at her. "Yeah, no shit." "Who the fuck is Boyd Crowder anyway?" "Heh," Andrew shook his head slowly, smiling, "no one you need to know, Steve." "Well, now I want to know." "You don't need to know." Stevie opened the door, getting out. "The fuck are you goin'?" "I'm gonna get my bitch," Stevie copied Andrew's drawl. "Ugh... women." Without bothering to look in Boyd's direction, Stevie moved in front of him to steal Elliot's attention. "I don't have all day." Elliot ignored her and continued his conversation with Boyd since Stevie was short enough that he could see over her. "It sounds decent enough," Elliot told Boyd. "I'll consider it and let you know what I decide." Stevie continued, "consider my foot up your ass if you don't get it in that damn truck, Elliot. Move your ass." Boyd told Elliot, "not the most gracious woman, is she?" Stevie turned around slowly, looking disgusted with Boyd. She did recognize him from when she had seen him with Ava but chose to act as if it was inconsequential to her. "And you're so hot?" she scoffed. "Get over damn yourself." He smiled down at her, impressed with her attitude, even though she clearly had no idea who he was. "Look, maybe no one's been kind enough to tell you to your face so I will: no one dresses like that anymore. Set that shit straight... and you," she got behind Elliot and started pushing him away, "move it." After Elliot told Andrew what Stevie told Boyd, they both started to criticize her for her brash, thoughtless words. "I can't believe you did that," Elliot groaned. "You could've just waited like a normal person." "Damn," Andrew continued, "Tristan was one thing but... Boyd..." "Hey, do I look like I give a fuck who he is? He isn't going to do a damn thing." Elliot pondered over what Boyd suggested to him. It was a very simple objective: to find a reason to take Stevie by Ava's house and Boyd would pay him for it. The more Elliot tried to think up a lie to get her there, the more stupid he started to feel. He ended up simply telling her he wanted her to accompany him to pick up something up from Boyd, saying he did not want to be alone. Stevie was skeptical at first, since Elliot had never asked her to do anything of the sort before. Seeing her suspicions, Elliot offered to buy her anything she wanted afterwards and she promptly agreed, thinking of the most expensive thing she wanted. Elliot had not told Stevie they were going to Ava's home so when she was the one who answered the door, they were both equally surprised to see each other. "Oh, hey..." They both smiled but Stevie moved slightly behind Elliot, like a shy child hiding from a stranger. Boyd approached the door, resting his hand on Ava's shoulder and motioned for Elliot to come in. "Ava would keep her company while I deal with this?" Ava nodded, her smile vanishing. "Sure." She joined Stevie outside, while Elliot and Boyd went in. "You live with that douche?" Stevie asked her, suddenly shameless. "Why?" "I'm begginin' to wonder that myself. What was that reception all about? You afraid of me all of a sudden?" "Oh, I, uh... I'm shy around women when my friends are around but I do fine when it's a one-on-one. I'm just a freak like that. Anyway, this is some house," Stevie stepped back to look over the whole thing and Ava copied her. "I suppose." "Whatever you do, at least you're covered." Worried what Stevie might think if she told her, Ava quickly put a question to her before she could inquire about her work again. "What do you do?" "Me? Nothing all that grand. I... well, don't tell anyone but I work at a salon. It's kind of embarrassing." "Not really," shrugged Ava, "there are worse things you could do. Trust me." "Not many I can think of. It's just... I don't care what I look like. I got more important shit to worry about than how I look." "Like that disagreement outside Audrey's yesterday? Boyd told me about it. " "That was no problem. I would've fucked up my ex's face up and then apologized because I was aiming for his crotch." Ava giggled slightly, "and you wouldn't be worried about what he might do?" Stevie smiled up at Ava, raising one of her eyebrows. "Men are predictable. Women plot and scheme against each other and their men. They're evil." Ava thought about how she had managed to get herself out of prison and realized she could not disagree with Stevie. "Then why are you here with me?" "Honestly, Miss Ava," Stevie clasped her hands together and opened them as if she was showing her something when admitting, "I just feel comfortable with you. I guess it helps that the first time we met, you helped me out with that bitch cashier." "Oh yeah," chuckled Ava. She thought about what Boyd said about Stevie: how he described her aggression and how arrogant she was. Though Ava had never seen that behavior for herself, she liked Stevie enough to decide she wanted to keep her around. "Well, seriously, the bitch should've been doin' her job. Hey... might you by chance be interested in workin' for me?" "How do you mean?" "Well, I need someone to give me a hand with the house. Like a... well, a housekeeper. You could just show up whenever you got time and I'll pay you for every hour you're here." Stevie was taken aback at her offer, thinking two adults could not make that much of a mess out of a two story home. She felt like it was too good to be true yet she was finding it difficult to reject the idea, even in her own head. The women she worked with at the salon were rude to her and often talked behind her back. Ava was a nice change of pace from her normal interactions with women and she believed working for her would be easy. "Why me? I'm sure someone else could be more qualified than I am." "It ain't trigonometry, whatever that shit is. I think it's just best to have someone you know in your home. Plus, I ain't exactly drownin' in friends I'd trust around my stuff. In fact, I don't have any friends," Ava threw up her arms. "Oh, that can't be true. You?" "I might actually be a little bit past the friend makin' age." "You are so not," scoffed Stevie. She waved her hand as if to dismiss Ava's statement. "You look better than I do... no homo." Ava nearly choked on the gum she had when she started laughing, which made Stevie laugh. Boyd and Elliot were watching them from an upstairs window. "That's what you wanted her for?" Elliot asked. "I need someone to get to Ava since I obviously can't. Woman doesn't tell me shit anymore so I'll find out from yours." "She's not mine." "No?" Boyd seemed curious and Elliot wished he could take his statement back. "I'll take her off your hands." "Andrew's into her." "Has he done anythin' 'bout it?" Elliot only raised his shoulders. "Then she's still runnin' game." The following day, when Stevie finished work at the salon, she sat in her Camaro thinking about whether or not she really wanted to go to Ava's. She tried to think of a downside to working for her and when that failed, she tried considering if Ava might be using her. It was then she realized she did not know anywhere near enough about Ava to figure that out. She conceded to the idea, thinking she would tolerate the work as long as it was convenient. After knocking on the door and Boyd opened it, she wanted to head back to her Camaro but something made her stay, almost against her will. He leaned against the frame of the open door. "What're you doin' here?" Stevie had every intention of saying something smart but instead all she could manage was, "Ava called for me." She immediately reprimanded herself for such a pathetic response while Boyd turned to look back over his shoulder. She insisted on avoiding eye contact with him, looking for anything else on the porch to stare at. Any other time she would have something cool to say but without Andrew or Elliot, she felt exposed and she did not want Boyd aware of what she thinking about him. Ava finally came to the door, ushering Boyd away. "Quit tormentin' the girl. I don't need you runnin' off my only friend. Come on, Stevie." She started walking back to the stairs, expecting Stevie to follow. "Honestly, I haven't picked up a thing in order to leave you somethin' to do." She turned and saw her still just outside the door, anxious about going inside. "Um..." "You don't need to worry about him." "Just... let me get something from my car real quick." Stevie ran back out to her Camaro and Ava was a bit surprised. "That's your car?" "No, this is my baby. My Camaro, Tony Montana. Though I think Scarface would've had a Caddy instead. Steve leaned into the car and took a switchblade form the glove compartment. "Who?" "Tony- never mind. Okay, ready." Stevie pretended to be comfortable in the house, though she felt like she had broken into prison instead of out of it. Ava led her upstairs and asked her to put away her clothes, dust, make the bed and shred some papers. "Okay, I don't think that'll even be an hour though," admitted Stevie. "I can always make stuff up for you to do if you wanna stay longer." After several months of working for Ava, Stevie found herself making more money as a housekeeper than she was in the salon. On top of that, Ava often suggested they spend time together outside the house and even paid her for her time there. Stevie constantly had so much extra money, even Elliot and Andrew started to notice it. They were both sitting on a new couch she bought, while she handed out the fast food she bought them. "Where are you gettin' all this bank?" Andrew scoffed, looking through the video games she just bought. "Well, I... got another job," she answered hesitantly. They both turned to look at her. "And how long have you had that? Because I noticed you been droppin' bank all over the place and you got all this new shit, like this bangin' new couch," scoffed Elliot. "I've been doing it for a few months now." "And you never told us?" Andrew seemed offended. "We see each other pretty damn near every day. How did we not notice this?" Their Good Advice "I kept it a secret on purpose. I didn't want to hear your bitching about it. I work for Ava." Andrew and Elliot tuned to each other slowly then to Stevie. "Um... what is it exactly that your ass does for Ava?" "I'm like her maid or something. I just kind of take care of the house or whatever she needs me to do. It's pretty easy money." "Stevie, are you aware of what Ava does? What her job is?" Stevie took a seat opposite of them. "Andrew, are you aware that I have no fucks to give? Look, there it goes: the last fuck I will ever give. I like Ava. She's just... she's cool and I don't care what she does. That's her business." Elliot shook his head, recalling when he took her to Ava's home and was beginning to regret it. "I don't know, Steve. I think you might've put yourself in the middle of something you weren't supposed to be in." "I don't care, dude," Stevie threw up her hands. "I don't even think of it as work anymore. If she needs me around, I'm going to be there and that's all I have to say about it." "You think that bitch would do the same for you?" Andrew gasped, throwing his food on the coffee table. "She doesn't give a fuck about you. If she did, she wouldn't have you workin' around her douche of an ex-fiancé. That's an unsafe work environment if I ever seen one." "And you wonder why I never said shit? It's not open for fucking debate, guys. It is what it is. I'm not just going to bail on her with the excuse that my friends are assholes." When they were leaving, Elliot lingered at the door with Stevie while Andrew went to the car. "Look," he touched the side of his face, afraid she might still be angry. "I know we were kinda fucked up about it earlier but you really should be suspicious of Ava. You know that, right?" "I was from the moment she suggested it. Dude, I've been there for months, if I thought anything was up, I'd be done with it." "I trust your judgment. Just keep that in mind." "What's his problem?" scoffed Stevie nodding her head toward the car where Andrew was. "He just ain't too fixed on the idea of the girl he likes hangin' around another dude. Especially one who's just been dumped by his fiancé and is likely to stick his dick in anything to make himself feel better about it but you know what you're doin', don't you?" Ignoring what Elliot was inciting about Boyd, Stevie pointed out, "Andrew does not like me. Why are you always saying that?" "He tells me so all the time. Why don't you ever believe me?" "Maybe because I've known him for three years and he's never said shit about it." "Ohh, I have a feelin' you're gonna be seein' a slightly different side of my boy real soon." Meaning what he said, Elliot had every intention of discussing the situation with Andrew. "I just wanna sit here and be mad about it or is that too much to ask?" Andrew snapped at Elliot. "Why can't you just talk to her like a normal fuckin' person?" "Because! I ain't no fuckin' good at that shit. I can't even talk to you without makin' mountains of molehills. She's better off with someone else. Anyone else." "And you would just let someone else make off with her because you don't even wanna try? Could you really do that? Honestly, I don't see you attendin' any weddin' that ain't your own, Andrew." He rubbed his eyes before telling him, "if you really wanna know, I'm afraid that when she sees what I'm like, she's gonna hate me and then I won't even have her as a friend." "Sure you're an asshole, man, but you're an asshole to her face too so really what have you got to lose?" The next day after work at the salon, Stevie received a message from Ava, letting her know she would not be home but neither would Boyd. She wanted her to use a key to the home, which she had given her recently, and go to deal with an issue on her computer and then have dinner ready for her when she came home. When Stevie walked into the house, she went to the kitchen to see what Ava had that she could use to prepare a meal. On her way to the kitchen, she found Boyd lying on the couch, his hands behind his head. "Why are you here?" "Ava sent me." His lack of a response and unchanged expression made her think he did not really trust her. "Ugh, see for yourself." She dropped her phone on his lap and proceeded on to the kitchen. Her months working for Ava made her feel a bit more comfortable in Boyd's presence but she did not feel completely at ease around him. Boyd knew Ava had sent her. In fact, he told Ava he would not be home at all that day, hoping she would send Stevie to the house. He intended to have a moment alone with Stevie to get a chance to inquire of what she learned of Ava. He sat up, as he looked through her phone. He rarely exchanged any words with Stevie since she was always in Ava's presence but her phone revealed quite a bit about her. He could see she had an eye for art, a small social circle and an interest in fashion, which surprised him. While he looked through it, a message came through from Andrew. Without a word to Stevie, Boyd looked the message over and promptly deleted it. "What're you doing to my phone?" she asked him as she came back into the room. "You gave it to me. Next time try bein' a little more fastidious," he held it out to her for her to take. She snatched it back promptly. She flipped through the phone to see if he had changed anything. "Hey, I been meanin' to ask you..." Stevie glanced back at him, wondering what he could possibly need to know from her. "Does Ava ever... talk to you about me?" Feeling the question was utterly pathetic and disheartening, Stevie was hardly eager to give him the equally depressing answer. "Not really, no." "She ever say why?" "I assumed if she didn't tell me, it's because she didn't want me to know," Stevie raised her shoulders a bit, wanting to be finished with the topic. "She just tells me what she wants and I don't push her." "You should ask. She'll tell you for sure. At least then, someone would know what happened to us." He felt that if Stevie was even slightly curious, she would question Ava about it and he could find out from her. More than curious, he wanted Stevie to commiserate with him. "She never did tell me why and when I saw her again, she just... cut me off, the way you see her do every day." "I know." Unsure what else to do, Stevie stood rubbing her arm. She was uncertain what was expected of her in her present situation. "Now, I sleep here and she locks herself up alone in what used to be our room. Locks you installed, by the way." "I just do what she says." She felt like a child making lame excuses for herself. "I do work for her." "Not today, you don't." He pushed himself up off the couch. "Huh?" "Today, you work for me. My car's a wreck so it's in the middle of gettin' a little TLC. You need to take me to Audrey's." "But Ava said I have to-" "I wasn't askin' you a question." He left went out the front door and from the window, Stevie saw him get in her car. She winced, "no! My Camaro... tainted. Asshole." She sighed and her whole body slumped. She got her keys off the counter before going to get in her car. Both angry and uncomfortable, Stevie was sure to stay as close to her door as possible. "What's wrong with you?" Boyd asked her, seeing how tense she was. "Oh nothing, I'm just totally fine," she sounded extremely sarcastic. "This is all completely natural. I'm always forced to drive random people around in my precious car, to a place I hate." "Woman, I ain't force you to do a damn thing." "Oh yeah," she scoffed, "whatever helps you sleep at night. Stop talking to me." She could feel him staring at her and kept her eyes fixed on the street before her. "That's some attitude you've got on you," he growled, almost daring her to bring it out again. "Me? Yeah, that's fucking righteous," she chuckled nervously. "I have an attitude. That's some funny shit." "You do not want to push me, woman." "Hey, you wanted this, not me," she grumbled. "You'll put up with my bitching just like everyone else does. No exceptions." "Fair enough," he nodded. "Damn right, fair enough." Both Boyd and Stevie tried not to smile. Stevie dropped him off on the street, seeing as how she did not want to pull into the parking lot at Audrey's. Immediately after closing the door, he turned and grabbed the window to prevent her from driving away. "Try that again, man," Stevie told him, "I dare you. I'll drag your white trash ass all the way down the street." "A girl after my own heart." "Keep talking and I'll show you what it looks like." Stevie started to hear herself and realized she was now relatively comfortable joking with and insulting to Boyd. He could not stop smiling at her and dropped something into the window of the passenger's seat. "What's that?" "Your pay." She was tempted to pick it up and throw it in his face. "I pay better than Ava does." "I don't work for her because of what she pays." "Whatever you need to tell yourself," he shrugged before leaving. Stevie rushed back to the house to fix the computer and get dinner ready before Ava could return. She was putting everything when she arrived. "What is that smell?" Ava inquired as she went into the kitchen. "Is it a good smell?" Stevie clasped her together with a huge smile, awaiting a response. "You know I like everythin' you make, Steve. So what is it?" Stevie bowed slightly and pointed at a frying pan on the stove. "This is beef tenderloin stuffed with lobster, cooked in red wine, butter, garlic and onions. Then for dessert you're having a small chocolate French patisserie." Ava smiled but appeared lost. "I don't know what half that stuff is." "Your taste buds will let you know." She turned back to the continue serving the plate. "Where's your plate, Steve?" "Oh, I'm not eating, Miss Ava. I don't even like this stuff." "Then why'd you make it." "Well, I made it for you. I knew you'd like it." "I would've liked it better if I wasn't eatin' alone." "That makes sense, I guess." Stevie stood for dinner to keep Ava company. She ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich while Ava ate what she made for her. "So, um, I was wondering..." Stevie started slowly."Whatever happened between you and Boyd? You never talk about it but he's always here and you're never together. It's just a curious thing is all. Of course, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Ava took a deep breath, "I figured you'd ask me about it eventually. It's not all that great a story really but I have no problem tellin' it if you wanna know." When Ava was finished telling her about it, even the part about her deal with the Marshals, Stevie looked impressed. "So, how 'bout it? Do you think I'm a terrible person yet?" "Oh, I could never such a thing about you, Miss Ava... it's pretty intense though." "I guess." Ava was hoping Stevie would not realize that her story was the real reason she hired her in the first place. By now, however, Ava enjoyed Stevie's company and simply wanted to keep her around. Stevie, on the other hand, could not have felt more torn. Though she thought Boyd had failed Ava, she also felt it was wrong on Ava's part to keep close to someone she had every intention of betraying. She began to worry if Ava intended to do the same with her. Unintentionally, Ava fell asleep on the couch after her large meal and Stevie went to clean up in the kitchen. She started wrapping the remains of the tenderloin in tinfoil and putting what was left of the patisserie in the fridge. "What's that?" Boyd was standing in the doorway of the kitchen. "Gah! Damn it! Why do you do that?" Stevie snapped, stomping her foot. Everything Ava told her during dinner came back to her, making her act awkward again. "It's a... just a stupid cake." She tried to avoid looking at him, debating in her head whether or not she ought to tell him what he wanted to know. She started putting all the tools she used in the sink. "I'll just, uh, deal with that tomorrow." Boyd could see how nervous she was and watched her go to the front door. She took her keys and phone off the end table and placed the money he gave her, down on it before leaving. He figured she must have asked Ava about their situation and whatever Ava's response, Stevie was clearly not too eager to reveal it to him. He knew he could still manage to convince her to be forthcoming but he would have to change his approach. Knowing she had developed a sort of sisterly love for Ava meant Stevie would do anything to keep Ava from being angry with her. All he needed to do was make her out to be a bad friend then threaten to expose her. Stevie was not scheduled to work at the salon the following day but asked Ava for the day off because she did not want to see Boyd again and have to keep the information he wanted away from him. It was unusual but Ava dismissed it as nothing. Stevie called Elliot over since she was going to be home all day. "I'm the only one here?" he was a bit surprised, seeing as how he never visited her home alone in the three years he knew her. "Andrew wouldn't answer my calls or my texts," Stevie revealed. "Really? That's not what I expected to hear on that front." "What did you expect?" "He said he was finally gonna ask you out. He was supposed to do it yesterday. I expected to hear somethin' good, not this." "He never sent me anything. I tried to call him like three times today." "I'm gonna call his ass, see what the fuck is goin' on. I won't tell him I'm here." Elliot made the mistake of having Andrew on speaker, who then proceeded to tell him, "that bitch makes me fuckin' sick to my stomach. I waited all fuckin' day to hear back from her and instead she sends her fuckin' lap dog to call me. For what? To reject me nicely? She obviously doesn't need me so her ass can get whatever she needs from whatever dick she spends all day suckin' because I am fuckin' done with that slut." "Dude... seriously, you need to-" "Don't you try and make this shit seem fine. I don't wanna hear shit out of you and I don't ever wanna see that fuckin' whore again. You can tell her that whoever she's seein' instead, I hope he fucks real good because she won't be gettin' a damn thing from me! Fuck both of you!" Elliot and Stevie stared at the phone even as the dial tone came on. "Holy shit..." "What did I do?" Stevie asked Elliot. "I... I'm not sure exactly. You okay?" "No," she admitted, much to Elliot's surprise, "I don't get it. What happened? He never sent me anything. I had my phone all day yesterday. If he sent me anything, I should've gotten it." Elliot stood with her for most of what remained of the day but he had work after sundown and had to leave. Eager for something to do to occupy her mind, Stevie tried calling Ava with no response. Without anyone to confide in, she simply stood home, festering over what had happened with Andrew. The following morning, Stevie was again without work at the salon but received a call from Ava. She sympathized with Stevie's pain and informed her she would be home after dark that day but she would still be glad to Stevie then. The moment the sun went down, Stevie went straight to her house. Ava's car was not in the driveway yet so she waited in her Camaro until Boyd noticed her. He came out to invite her in and though she was aware that it was not a wise idea, he told her the same thing he told her the previous day. "When Ava's not around, you work for me, whether you take the money or not." "I don't know if that was intentional but that sounds exceptionally hostile," commented Stevie, not too interested in listening to Boyd simply because he said so. "Well, I just don't want you sittin' out in dark all by your lonesome." She shrugged, "I've done stupider things and I'm still here." "That's because you've never crossed me before. Come on. I'll make you somethin' to eat." Stevie sighed but conceded only because she did not want to be stuck in her car by herself, listening to depressing music on the radio. "You do know I really shouldn't be in here," she told Boyd as she folded her jacket and placed it on the end table where she always put her stuff while he went into the kitchen. "If it makes you feel better, go on and find somethin' to clean for Ava," he yelled back at her. "Not a bad idea..." she told herself, looking around the room for anything out of place. "Ah, here we are." She went to the couch and started folding the blankets Boyd slept with. "Hey, you ever think of cleaning up after yourself?" Stevie asked him. "Well, woman, if I did that, then what would you do?" "Heh, can't argue with that logic." "Hey," he leaned out of the doorway of the kitchen, "you don't like onions, right?" "How'd you know?" "Ava told me. She talks about you," he pointed at her with a wooden spoon, "all the time." He went back into the kitchen and started mocking Ava's voice, "'I tell you what she said? Oh, she is just a riot and a half, that girl.'" "Oh shut up. Don't make fun of Ava. She's an angel." "You've certainly got a funny idea of how angels behave." Boyd shook his head slowly as he thought about the fact that Stevie knew what he wanted to know but she was still keeping it from him. He turned the fire off on the stove, put the lid on the frying pan then went to join her in the living room. Stevie told him, "I don't know what the deal is with you but Ava is perfect." He sat on the couch in front of her as she continued folding blankets. "Not too long ago, I would've agreed with you but if you could feel my pain, you'd know why I can't see eye-to-eye with you on that now. I mean, she agreed to marry me and look where it got me." Stevie finished with the last blanket and Boyd noticed her trying to avoid looking at him. "Look, man, what do you want from me? Sympathy? Because I can't change her mind. I can't do anything about your situation." Boyd took her left hand gently and nearly smiled at the wide-eyed expression on her face. "I don't want anythin' from you. I just think you ought to know what she's capable of. All I ever did was love her and this is how she repaid me. She banished me here," he said patting the couch with his empty hand. "So what you should be askin' yourself is what does Ava want from you? Otherwise, you wouldn't be here." He watched Stevie think about it for a moment then told her, "thank you." "For what?" she scoffed, feeling like she had not done a thing. "Listenin'." "Yeah... no problem." For the first time since he met her, Boyd saw a real genuine smile released. He saw her use it with Ava but this time, it was only for him. He thought about the fact that he was using Stevie as well and in the split second he was staring up at her, decided he did not care why Ava did anything. What difference would it make if he knew? Nothing would change Ava's mind, seeing as how each day she became more and more distant from him. However, regardless of what Ava thought, he could have Stevie and there would be nothing she could about it. He pulled her closer gradually until her legs were touching his slightly. In a moment of irrational sympathy, Stevie caressed the side of his face with the tips of her fingers and he leaned his head into her hand. He took her hand in his and kissed the tips of her fingers. She was surprised when she felt his tongue escape his lips. She bit her bottom lip as she watched him play with her fingers and stick his tongue between them. Out of the corner of his eye, Boyd noticed how hot and bothered Stevie had become. She was sighing and closing her eyes. He released her hand to hold her lower back, pulling her in closer. Her hand went to the collar of his shirt. She grasped it firmly and he yanked her against him suddenly, making her gasp in surprise. "Come here." His other hand went around to the back of her neck and he slowly pulled her closer. He kissed her carefully, as though he were fishing for her reaction. The instant Boyd realized she was kissing him back, he started twisting to get his suit off without breaking the kiss. Finally free of it, he broke the kiss, threw the suit across the room and stood up quickly, pressing up against her. Their Good Advice "What?" Stevie asked innocently, looking up at him with large curious eyes. "I think I might've been a bit overdressed for the occasion," he whispered into her mouth. Stevie's hands went to his chest, her nails rasping against him before beginning to undo the buttons on his vest. He started to curse the fact that he was wearing so many layers and elected to focus on hers instead. Both his hands settled on her waist and he slid them up under the back of her shirt to undo the clasp of her bra. Instead of opening it, he changed his mind, pulling his hands back and put her hands up around the back of his neck. "What're you doing?" she whispered. "Hang on." His hands went down to her thighs and he pulled both her legs up around himself. Stevie had to squeeze her legs around him in order to stay up. She felt him twitching against her through both their pants and wanted nothing more than to have him inside her. "Oh, damn, that feels good." She threw her head back, grinding her hips against him, teasing him. "Oh yeah, it does." He buried his face in her neck and chest, kissing and biting her. Stevie let one of her hands go up into his hair, weaving it through her fingers then playfully tugging on it. The other went down the back of his shirt, scratching him whenever he was rough with her. He stuck his tongue into her cleavage before sucking on the top of her tits. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, Stevie's commonsense returned and she dropped her feet back to the floor and stepped back from him, keeping him at a distance with one hand. "Stop, just... stop." "What is it?" "What do you think? I can't just... no." "Now, woman, you may want to take a moment to reconsider that." "Maybe I'm the only one who can say this but I love Ava and... I'm just not doing this." She went to take her jacket from the end table beside the front door. "Really? Now, since you clearly know Ava so much better than I do, I'll ask you why you think she's even gonna care if you do. You're aware that Ava hasn't allowed me to touch her in damn near a year. You don't seriously think this is gonna matter to her?" "I- I don't know, okay. I just don't want to take that risk and I don't want to be your go to for revenge sex." "Well, I wouldn't call it that." "I don't care what you want to call it," she snapped, "I don't want to be involved." "Really?" he approached her and Stevie stepped back, resting her hand on the doorknob. "Because you were singin' a different tune just a second ago." She hated that he was right. She was not going to bother lying to herself about something they both knew to be true. "Okay, fine. I admit it but it doesn't mean that I want this." Boyd scoffed, "I think that's exactly what it means." "Stop doing that." "What? Pointin' out the truth? Why are you tryin' to pretend like nothin' just happened?" "You know what I'm trying to say. Quit twisting my words like that." "Well, I'd be lyin' if I said I was even slightly concerned with what was comin' out of your mouth, seein' as how all I can think about, is what I'm gonna put in it... as well as a few other places." Stevie pushed her hair back out of her face, "you are impossible." Boyd took her arm and lowered her hand. "How 'bout you just let me show you a good time, huh?" He ran his hand up her arm, resting it on her shoulder. Stevie allowed him to get close to her again and he whispered into her mouth, "how's that sound?" Boyd stroked her neck tenderly before kissing her slowly. Stevie placed one of her hands on his chest, the other on his arm. She allowed him to kiss her briefly once more, swooning with his touch then pushed him back carefully. "Sorry... I can't..." Stevie opened the door and nearly screamed at seeing Ava coming up the stairs. "Miss Ava! Oh, I was just... I was going to..." "Hello Ava," Boyd leaned against the doorframe, next to Stevie, intentionally showing Ava his disheveled appearance and partially removed clothing. He intended for her to think that he had been intimate with Stevie. "I was startin' to hope you were plannin' on stayin' out longer," he told Ava. He went from looking at Ava to shamelessly checking out Stevie, almost flaunting her in Ava's face. Stevie cringed as she stepped out of the doorway, separating herself from him. "So," Ava started, "you gonna tell me what happened with Andrew?" Ava and Stevie sat on the front steps of the porch while she told her everything Andrew said and how she could not understand why he said he contacted her when she never received anything from him. Boyd watched them talk and it occurred to him that severing Stevie's loyalty to Ava would not be as easy as he anticipated. He had underestimated just how close they were. It hit him when he saw Stevie start crying and Ava went to hug her, quietly consoling her. When Stevie was about to leave, Ava followed her to her car. "Hey, look," Ava whispered as though someone was trying to hear what she was saying, "if somethin' ever happened to you... here in my house or because of someone I know, I don't know that I could forgive myself for that." Stevie seemed confused, "w-what do you mean?" "I mean to say that if you ever... don't feel comfortable workin' here, I'd hope you'd tell me so. Did... somethin' happen here today? With Boyd? I won't be mad, Stevie, I promise. I just... I want you to be okay." Stevie thought about it for a moment and tried to deduce if Ava would honestly not be angry with her. She felt a sore pain in her throat and tried to swallow it down. "Look, it really doesn't matter to me. It's okay but for your own sake, just know that you don't want to be involved with him." "I didn't mean for this to happen. It just... I don't know." "No, no, it's fine. I don't care about all that. I just don't want anythin' happenin' to you." Stevie felt so fortunate to have someone care for her as much as Ava did. It made her feel cozy and secure. She went home not caring about what happened with Andrew and more appreciative of the friends she did still have. For nearly a month, Ava was careful only to call Stevie to work when she was going to be home. It became near impossible for Boyd to get to speak to her, since she was stuck to Ava like a pet. He felt like Ava had poisoned Stevie against him. Boyd was certain it was not his doing, since he was now aware that Stevie did indeed want him. If he were going to get her to return to him, he would need to convince her to disregard whatever Ava had told her but the brief moments he did happen to catch her alone, were never long enough for much to happen. One morning Stevie needed the cleaning supplies from under the bathroom sink and found Boyd right in her way. "Damn," she sighed as they noticed each other. She was about to walk away but realized if she did not have what she needed, there was nothing else she could clean. "You, uh, you want to get out of my way?" "Not really," he divulged as he turned to her, leaning back against the sink to prevent her from being able to get past him. "Not unless you plan on makin' it worth my while." "Ava's right down the hall. I need only call her," Stevie whispered as though it would deter him. "Then don't." He touched her arm carefully, testing how she would react. She only stared his hand on her. Boyd took her hand in his to prevent her from leaving and gently brought her closer. "Seriously?" she sighed, sounding like she was unimpressed even though she placed her hand on his chest. "You run a whore factory. Why do you waste your time with me?" "It's not all that complicated. I like a challenge and you sure as hell ain't easy," he whispered as he brought his face close to hers. She turned away from Boyd when he tried to kiss her and he nearly laughed. "Somethin' wrong?" "Yeah," she nodded. "Oh, of course. How could I not have noticed?" He pushed the door closed. "Better?" She allowed him to kiss her the second time. He moved his hands to her back when he noticed Stevie was reciprocating his advances. Both her hands were on his chest but she slid them up to his shoulders, digging her nails into them. Boyd closed his mouth but did not back away from her. He repeatedly kissed her with his lips only and she stared to giggle. "Oh, darlin', you are just too adorable." "And you're an animal." "I am." He squeezed her waist a bit and she nearly laughed. "I'm sorry. Was that too much?" he smiled as he did it again. Stevie covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her laugh. She wrapped her arms around her waist to guard herself. "Stop, Boyd, seriously. Damn..." "Okay, I won't do it again. I promise. You wanna move your arms though? They're pushin' your tits together and damn, it looks nice." "Oh, sorry," she put her hands into her pockets. "You ain't seriously apologizin' to me for that, are you?" "Well, I just don't want you to think I'm trying to torture you." "Tryin' to torture me? If you walk by, I wanna pull you back and rip your clothes off. Woman, the moment I catch your scent, I get hard. In fact, your letterman's jacket, the one you left here and couldn't find: I have it." "I don't even want to know what you've been doing with it." "No, you don't." He went to kiss her again and slid his hands down the back of her pants. "Whoa, hey." Stevie pulled his hands back out, backing away from him. "I'll make it quick. She won't even know." "No, are you insane?" "Possibly." She kept him at a distance with her hand on his chest. She pulled the door open and tried to walk out. Boyd held on to her hand, holding her just tightly enough so she could not walk away. "Come on. I have to go." "I think you might be forgettin' somethin'." He pulled her back inside and into his arms. He kissed her hard and she tried to twist her face away from him. "The door's open," she whispered, trying to push him back as he kissed her neck. He scoffed, biting her a bit, "good." "I said stop. You're pushing your luck. Ava! I can't find the cleaning stuff!" Boyd released her instantly and whispered to her with a smirk, "you're such a tease." He left the bathroom before Ava could see that he had been there. There was nothing he had to say to Stevie that he intended to say to her in front of Ava. At least, not until he was prepared to do so. While Stevie continued to try adamantly staying away from Boyd, Elliot spent more time with Stevie to help her get over what happened with Andrew. When his mother passed away, she did not hear about it until she got a call at work from his cell phone, which ended up being Boyd, asking her to pick Elliot up from Audrey's since he was shitfaced drunk. Though she hated the idea of having to go there again, especially on Boyd's instruction, she was not about to leave Elliot to his own devices when he needed her. When she arrived, Stevie stared at the door, still figuring if she really wanted to go inside, she pulled the sleeve of her hoodie down over her hand to open the door. The smell of smoke and alcohol offended her senses instantly and she pulled her sweater up over her face, "oh fuck, that's rank." She felt fortunate to spot Elliot promptly. He was half extended over a table, asleep. Boyd was standing beside it, apparently just waiting for her. Stevie wanted to turn and leave as quickly as she came in but her feelings of obligation towards Elliot forced her to go get him. "I think this belongs to you," Boyd told her. She only nodded and was about to go get Elliot when Boyd moved between them. She stepped back, dreading what he wanted to speak to her about. "What did you tell Ava?" "I'm afraid you'll have to be a little more specific. I tell Ava a lot of things." "Now, woman, you know full well what I'm talkin' about. So how 'bout you cut the shit and tell me what you told her about us." "Nothing," she responded quickly, "because there's nothing to tell, man." "Then what did she tell you about me? Why do you go so far out of your way to avoid me?" "Um, you know, I don't remember," she lied, shrugging casually as though she were not under any pressure. He stood staring at her, waiting for her to break down. She scoffed suddenly, "what do you want me to say? What do you want from me, huh?" "Somethin' tells me you already know the answer to that." Stevie held her forehead with her hand as she thought about how she was going to deal with him so she could get Elliot and get out. "I... can't do that," she groaned, pulling her hair. "You know I can't." "I know you can and you want to," he said pointing at her, "but you won't because of Ava." "So if you know, why can't you just accept it?" "Because Ava doesn't care. I know she told you so. What I don't understand is why you insist on usin' that as an excuse to shy away from me." Stevie kept reminding herself of what Ava had told her about Boyd and that she ought to be wary of her dealings with him. He had always made her nervous. Around him, her stomach often felt twisted and tense, her words were sloppy and she could often hear her heartbeat in her ears. Stevie sighed, feeling like a complete idiot and taking a moment to ensure Elliot was still asleep before she told Boyd, "okay, honestly... I 'm afraid of you." He did not appear to believe her. "Because of somethin' Ava said?" "Oh, damn, you're not going to make this easy, huh? I was always afraid of you. I'm proud as fuck then when you walk in to the room that all goes out the fucking window. I'm incoherent and stupid because... well, because all I 'm thinking about is how much I want to have you inside me. There, I said it. Happy now? Damn." She covered her eyes with her hand, not wanting to know his reaction to her statement. "Now, if you'd be so kind as to depart from me, I have to deal with this guy." "Be my guest," Boyd could not bring himself to stop smiling as he stepped back and invited her to the table. Stevie kept her eyes fixed on Elliot, too embarrassed even to look in Boyd's direction. She pulled Elliot's arm up over her shoulder and Boyd could hardly believe she intended to lift the man up off the table herself. He was easily over six feet tall. "I don't suppose you're gonna confess to needin' any help with that?" "I got it," she snapped, waking Elliot in the process. He seemed at a loss for where he was. He stood himself up, trying to keep from teetering without leaning on her. "Hey, dumbass, you still alive?" Stevie asked, snapping her fingers in his face. "Steve? What're you doin' here?" his words were all blended together. "I thought you said," he paused for a moment, feeling like he was going to barf. "You said-" "It doesn't matter. Let's go." "No, no, what did you say again?" Elliot smiled as he tried to recall her exact words. "Oh yeah, you said only a worthless asshole like Boyd could run a business like this." Stevie covered her face and Elliot finally noticed that Boyd was present. "Ooh, my bad." "So, what else does she say about me?" Boyd asked Elliot. "Don't you fucking dare, man," Stevie threatened Elliot. "I will end you." "Nothin' good," he chuckled as he thought about every name and insult she came up with for Boyd. "Don't worry 'bout that though. That means she likes you and she wants you to give it to her dry and raw." Stevie gawked at him in complete disbelief that he would say that about her even in his current inebriated state. "She likes it rough too so just go balls deep and have fun tearin' that ass up." Boyd only smiled at her. "Elliot! Stop it!" "Heh, yeah that what she says but she really just wants it harder." "You fucking prick," she said quietly. "You fucking asshole. You are unbelievable." Stevie took his hand to lead him, "I'm getting your ass out of here." "Oh, I'm in trouble." She took his hand and pulled him out to the car, even though he was a bit wobbly. She leaned him against the car. "What?" "I can't believe you did that to me!" she screamed hitting him repeatedly. "You piece of shit!" "I don't see a problem here," Elliot shrugged and Stevie stared at him in disbelief. "I mean, I wasn't lyin', now was I? Everythin' I said was one hundred percent true." "Like you would even know, you douchebag! We've never fucked." "Oh? We better change that then," he chuckled. "Wha-? Excuse me?" He rested his hand on her waist and she smacked it away. "Touch me again and I'll show you what your guts look like." "Hey, I think that guy likes you," Elliot laughed, pointing at Boyd. "He's followin' you." "What are you? Ten? Get in the fucking car." "Hey," he whispered, "what do you think will happen if I piss off Boyd Crowder?" "How the hell should I know?" "Let's find out." Elliot pulled her against himself and tried to kiss her. Stevie turned her face from him repeatedly, "uh, get off! You smell like a fucking keg!" She tried to push herself back and then kick him but both proved in vain. While consistently moving her face from side to side to avoid him, she heard something hit her car and she was released. She stumbled back, bumping into another car. Boyd was pulling Elliot backward over the top of the car. He had a gun to his neck. "And I was havin' such a good day. Get in the damn car." Elliot could barely manage to get the door open and lay the front seat forward. "Steve... you got a bag?" he asked her. "Puke in my car and that will officially be crossing the line," she sighed, going around to the door to get in. Elliot lay on the back seat like a bed. Boyd put back up the front passenger seat and Stevie scoffed as she watched him get in. "Where are you going?" "I'm goin' with you to drop this asshole off." She nearly laughed, "yeah, like hell you are." Keeping his eyes on her, Boyd placed his gun on the dashboard. "Fuck my life." "I don't think that's what he intends to fuck," chuckled Elliot. "Shut your face," Stevie said quickly. "I don't want to hear anything out of your stupid mouth until you're hung over tomorrow." Boyd was rather thrilled to see that Elliot lived pretty far from Audrey's. "Is there any particular reason you see fit to be keepin' me in suspense like this?" he asked Stevie, breaking the long silence in the car. "I'm not home now. Please, leave a message after the beep." She sounded sleepy, even yawning after she spoke. "I was only curious as to when you're gonna stop livin' in denial. I mean, you clearly want what I want. I don't see why you insist on denyin' it." "Two reasons," she said holding up four fingers, "Ava and second, you're a piece of shit." Boyd stared at her for a moment. "Damn, woman, you hit hard." Upon arriving, Boyd led Elliot to his front door. Stevie was tempted to drive off and leave him behind. She kept telling herself to do it and was disappointed when she allowed him to get back in the car. "So, what now?" His voice was soft, almost curious. "Don't..." Stevie rolled her eyes as she started the car. "Don't what?" "Stop trying to make me feel bad about this. I'm trying to do what I know is right and you're making it so hard." "Actually, that's what you're doin'." He looked at her hands on the steering wheel, remembering how receptive she became when he had his tongue on her fingers. Stevie was breathing deeply as she tried to keep herself relaxed regardless of what he was saying to her.As Boyd watched her breasts rise and fall, he bit his bottom lip, thinking about having them in his mouth again. The light from the street reflected on the metallic tights she was wearing, drawing his attention to her thighs. He recalled what it had felt like when her legs were wrapped tight and snug around him. Not only was she warm and soft; the fact that she was so eager to have him, made him so hard. He finally brought himself to turn away from her then realized his breathing had become heavy, like hers. He could hear her breath so well, she might as well have been breathing into his ear. The front window was beginning to condensate so Stevie wiped part of it clean with the sleeve of her sweater. Boyd rolled down the window on his side. He tried to adjust his pants to better accommodate himself as he kept throbbing yet could not bring himself to stop thinking about what he intended to do with her. He turned back to her, this time, envisioning her under him, gasping and groaning.