“Hey baby,” Maria said as she stood up and walked over to Alex, throwing her arm around his waist. Maria looked up at him smiling trying to play it off.

Liz was still looking off into space and Max and Michael were looking at each other.

“Hey love,” Alex said looking unsure of what was going. He threw both of his arms around Maria’s waste and hugged her to him planting a kiss on her lips. He smiled and decided not to jump to conclusions.

“Max, Michael this is Alex,” Maria said, Alex still holding her closely to his body.

“Hi, I’m Maria’s boyfriend,” Alex said glancing at Maria approaching the two guys. Max and Michael both stood up and shook Alex’s hand. “Looks like I’m interrupting something."

Maria and Alex walked over to the table and Alex sat in the chair Maria previously occupied next to Michael and Maria sat in his lap. Alex still had his arms secured tightly around Maria’s trim waste.

Liz focused back on the others, peeking at Max next to her.

Alex, Max, and Michael started to make small talk about moving, and sports, and jobs, etc. "So how about those Saints?" Maria cracked, which earned her three very disgusted looks. "Ok..ok we'll let you guys talk! I can take a hint!" Maria slanted to Liz to meet her at the sink. They both got up and went over to the sink peeking their head out the window to check on LaLa and Opal.

“Oh my God Maria, you almost got busted,” Liz whispered.

“Damn it, I so didn’t think he would show up, especially not so soon,” she responded, pulling a beer from the fridge.

“I know,” Liz responded as they both got on their tippy toes so they could lean over the sink and look out the window.

All three guys glanced over at them taking in the sight of the two ladies bent over. Max’s eyes were glued to Liz and Michael’s and Alex’s were set on Maria. Alex looked at Michael, and then he looked at what he was looking at then looked back at Michael noticing he was looking at the same thing he was looking at.

“Maria?” Alex called to her and both girls stood up and turned around to the guys.

Max looked down at his fingers in his lap while Alex gave Michael a strange glare. Michael knew Alex had taken site of his glaring of Maria’s goods.

“Well we should get started,” Michael said getting up and walking towards the door. He stopped and turned around waiting for Max to join him but Max’s pager went off.

“Can I use your phone?” Max said standing up.

“Sure," Liz said. “Let me show you where it is.”

Liz led Max to the living room to use the phone. She sat on the couch and grabbed a magazine while Max dialed the phone. Liz knew she should’ve left him alone for some privacy, but she decided not too. And Max didn’t seem to mind.

“Hi, did someone page Max?” Max listened and turned his back to Liz when the other person began talking. “Uh...where are you? Oh, ok. Well we’re getting ready to start moving our stuff in. No, no, not right now I’ll just ah...call you later, Max glanced back at Liz. “Ok...me too...bye.”

Max hung up the phone and stood still for a moment.

“Who was that?” Liz asked still looking at the magazine. Sure it was none of her business, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask, she figured.

“Tha-tha-that was....ah..."

Liz knew Max was trying to make up something and told herself she wouldn’t buy whatever lie that was preparing to surface from his mouth.

“M-m-Mya."

Liz looked over the magazine and grinned.

“Mya...girlfriend,” Max mumbled.

“Come again.”

Max huffed and plopped down on the coffee table holding his head with his hands. “Mya.”

“Mya? Who’s Mya?”

“My girlfriend," Max looked up at Liz like he wasn’t sure of what he was saying.

“Ahhhh, your girlfriend. I see,” Liz said nodding her head. “You mind getting your booty up off my coffee table please,” Liz said gesturing to his butt and got up and walked to her room.

“Shit!” Max said looking around at the empty room.

Michael had gone outside to wait for Max after Liz took Max to use the phone. He went over to the pool with LaLa and Opal and started to play with them. This left Maria and Alex in the kitchen alone.

“So,” Alex looked at Maria. She was leaning on the sink facing him. “Look, Maria I saw how Michael was looking at you. What exactly has been going on in my absence and how long has it been going on?”

Maria was nervous about Alex’s tone. She knew Alex was not the jealous type and he rarely questioned her about other guys, but Stevie Wonder could’ve seen the sparks flying between her and Michael when Alex walked in.

“Alex we just met Michael and Max the other night. They were the ones we were interviewing for the apartment.”

“Maria you know that’s not what I’m referring too. I’m not stupid you know.” Maria was playing dumb and that was pissing Alex off by the second. She knew exactly what he had been referring to, but desperately tried to avoid it. Alex hadn’t really been upset by what he saw, he was used to it, but this guy would basically be living with Maria and that worried him.

Maria was chewing on her nails. She turned to look out the window checking on LaLa and Opal trying not to look directly at Alex fearing he would see her nervousness. When she looked out she looked directly at Michael, who had moved closer to the window to eavesdrop on the conversations going on in the kitchen. Michael gave Maria a half smile and Maria returned it.

“Are you going to answer me?” Alex said in a more forceful tone annoyed by Maria’s iggin him.

Maria swiftly turned around surprised by his tone. Though they disagreed at times, Alex and Maria hardly ever fought. You know how people say when you’re married you should never go to bed angry with your mate, well although they didn’t live together, Maria and Alex never departed from each other angry with one another.

“Fine. I’m not gonna sit here and watch you chew on your lip when I’m trying to talk to you. Call me when the cat lets go of your tongue,” Alex said getting up and storming out the door.

Alex slammed the screen door and stomped down the steps. “Nice meeting you Michael,” Alex said heading to his car not even looking over at him.

Michael had stepped back from the window and started playing with the girls again when Maria turned away from the window.

“Alex....Alex,” LaLa called after him.

Alex had gotten in his car and started the engine when he heard the little girl. LaLa ran over to his car and stood by the window.

“Was the matta Alex?” LaLa asked looking sad.

“Oh nothing sweetheart,” Alex lied with a fake smile at LaLa. “Hey how bout we go to the park tomorrow?”

“I’d like that” LaLa responded but not very happily.

“Ok,” Alex reached out the car window and pinched LaLa’s cheek, “I’ll see you tomorrow. Ok?”

“Ok.”

Alex sped off.

LaLa leisurely moseyed back over to her pool, but didn’t get in. She sat in her little chair. She pulled on Michael’s pants leg and he kneeled down to her eye level. “Why was Alex mad at me?” she asked in the most innocent of voice.

Michael smoothed her hair on her shoulder “He’s not mad at you honey. In fact he wasn’t mad at all, he was just in a hurry, that’s all,” Michael responded trying to soothe the little girls sadness.

Michael couldn’t help but think this was all his fault. All his fault that LaLa was sad, that is. He did not blame himself for being so attracted to the little girls mother. He couldn’t help himself. Obviously Alex wasn’t upset with him, he’d acknowledged him as he left the house. He had stopped listening in on there conversation when Maria looked at him and then turned away. So he actually wasn’t sure as to why Alex had stormed off the way he did.

“Hey why don’t you two get into some dry clothes and you could help us with some of our stuff?” Michael suggested to LaLa and Opal.

“Manual labor?” Opal asked, “I think not.”

Michael and LaLa chuckled at Opal. He picked LaLa up and they all went in the house.

When Michael entered the house he saw Maria sitting at the table with her head down. It took all of what he is not to go over to her and hug her closely to him and Alex had done to her a short while ago.

“Hey why don’t you girls go and change and I’ll be in the kitchen waiting,” Michael said putting LaLa down. The girls ran to the back to Maria’s room to change while Michael made his way to the kitchen. He stopped in the living room when he saw Max, alone.

“What’s wrong?”

“She knows,” Max said looking down, “about Mya.”

“Well join the club. Maria and Alex argued and he rushed out. And I bet you any money it had something to do with me.”

Max stood up and walked over to the window. He folded his arms and looked out window. “Do you really think it’s a good idea we move in here?”

“Look, I know how you feel. But this apartment is awesome, and you can’t beat the price with a bat. Besides, if I can’t have Maria for myself at least I can still see her everyday and be close to her. And remember, Liz is single you’re not,” Michael reminded Max.

“Yea, but what am I going to do about Mya? I mean I can’t just dump her.”

“Why not?” Michael asked thinking Max was making this harder than it really was.

“Come on, you know. It just wouldn’t be right,” Max said turning around facing Michael.

“Look you’re the one always complaining how bossy and possessive she is. All I’m gonna say is, Liz is single now, but that doesn’t mean she will be for long. And if you wait around to long, you’ll be like me, infatuated with a woman you can’t have.” Michael patted Max on the back and headed towards the kitchen.

“Michael, wait” Max turned around and walked to Michael. “So what are you gonna do? You know....about Maria?” Max asked softly since they were closer to the kitchen now where Maria was.