Meeting Regina

"Hello, Roman," she greeted him, and then her eyes turned wary as she looked up at me.
"Hey, Nuru! Do you remember the girl I told you about, Regina Bardwell?"
I tensed too. The Regina? She was beautiful. Anton hadn't been exaggerating.
"Er... my memory is a lil shrewd," I said innocently. It was a lie. I said it out of spite.
"I'm an old friend," Regina introduced herself, and held out her hand. We locked hands with more force than necessary. Her freshly manicured nails dug into my flesh.
I winced once our grip broke.
I knew Roman could feel my tension; he wound his arm around my waist possessively.
"Oh?" Regina said thoughtful, comprehension narrowing her bright blue eyes. "I didn't realise."
He shook his head. I frowned and touched his arm. He was trembling. This is not good, I kept chanting in my head.
"What are you doing here?" Roman asked again, with more urgency.
Regina eyed me cautiously. "I was hoping we could talk?"
"Nuru?" Roman asked.
"What?" I asked, irritated. "Are you asking my opinion?" My tone was sharp.
He smiled at me, the first genuine smile I'd seen since this morning. I couldn't help turning towards him, to look into his eyes, they were calm now, amused even. I frowned.
Regina cleared her throat.
"Yes I am," Roman finally answered me. We turned to look at Regina. And Roman sat in the chair and pulled me to his lap.
"I was hoping we can talk in private," Regina said, eyeing me with uncertainty.
"Nuru stays, trust me, if we're going to have a decent conversation I need her close."
"Okay," Regina said, her eyes took Roman over, not once but twice — when they shifted unwillingly to my face, they turned bitter.
"Regina?" Roman warned curtly and he let out a growling sound that made her jump.
"I... I was wrong, Roman. I was so wrong. I thought the grass would be greener on the other side. It was foolish of me to break your heart the way I did. I was hoping we could talk through this."
I stiffened. But I was not surprised Regina would want Roman back. Who wouldn't?
Roman shook his head. "Er... things are a lot different now— he pulled me tighter against him for emphasis — "as you can see."
"Roman, we had a good thing going. I wasn't sure before but I'm absolutely certain now. I'm in love with you. I've always loved just you."
"I'm really sorry, Gina."
Her mouth twisted down. "So you're saying, there's no hope at all?"
Roman sigh heavily. "You're a lovely person, Gina. An amazing woman. Any guy would be lucky to have you."
"But just not you, right?" she grumbled, and her lips puckered.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I feel bad... really... for crushing your expectations."
"I just... figured..."
"You thought you'd come back eventually and I'd still be single," Roman said slowly.
She grimaced. "You make it sound so bad when you word it like that."
"I'm sorry," he said again.
Regina shook her head, her eyes wide with confusion looking at me. She jeered her thumb in my direction. "Is it because of her?"
An awkward silence followed.
"Huh, this has got to be some sort of a terrible joke. I mean look at her and then look at me." Regina sexily tossed her hair behind her shoulder, similar to the action in hair commercials. "Her skin tone is rather dull. Her facial features are boring. And her hair? Dear lord. May I use this phrase?" she frowned deep and continued in a sharp tone. "It is positively medieval. If you're going to replace me, shouldn't you do better than me? There's no competition here."
"Regina do you perhaps think it's possible that you and me can talk without really disrespecting Nuru in her own home?" His voice was calm but his eyes were murderous. "You're right. There's no competition. No one can ever come to mean what Nuru means to me. No one. I can never find someone I connect with the way I connect with this beautiful woman."
Regina cringed.
Roman looked gravely at Regina. "I think you should leave."
Regina hesitated and flickered a worried glance at me and then back at Roman, she stood up and did a catwalk, she came to stand a pace away from us.
"She could never fit into our world Roman. She's too... weak, physically and emotionally too it seems, to be able to handle you." She hesitated. "Did you tell her about the demons haunting you? Does she know you could snap at any moment? Does she fully comprehend what it means to be with someone like you. That she constantly has to walk on eggshells?"
Roman flashed Regina a dark look. "Regina, stop trying to cause problems. I tell Nuru everything and funny you should mention my anger issues, you see this woman right here..." he got to his feet and pulled me to his side. "She's got this weird cool element about her that just tames the beast in me. She's done something that even anger management couldn't do for me. I'm a lot calmer now. She's exactly what I've always needed, my remedy."
Regina threw a quick puzzled glance at me. "Are you sure she's the one for you?"
"I guess it's true what the say." His voice was was low. "All men can change and every man will change, but there's only one woman we're changing for and for me, that's Nuru."
Regina took one last look at us before gracefully ghosting to the door. Her walk was so flawless, she barely made footsteps sounds as she walked. She didn't look back. But before she pulled the door shut behind her I saw the sting of rejection on her face. She'd be crying soon.
With a heavy sigh, I pushed Regina's hurt face out of my head. We were silent for a while. Shocked silence on my part.
"Let's go to bed," he said, touching my cheek, sending a warm sensation through my body.
I blinked and looked up at him. "Of course."
"I'm sorry," he said. "I had no clue she would ever come here."
"It's not your fault."
Suddenly a glare of headlights illuminated the room. There was very little time for me to ponder who our next visitor was before the knock sounded in the front door.
"It's open," Roman said, turning to look at the door.
"Roman!" Anton called as soon as he stepped inside the house.
I turned towards Anton and managed a faint smile. He smiled back just as tentative.
"Anton, man, come in come in."
"Nuru," Anton said with a stiff nod.
"Hello, Anton."
"I hope you guys are hungry," Anton said. He paused and lifted his hands up. A half dozen of Heineken and two pizza boxes. "I brought some pizza and beer and I was hoping we could watch the match." Anton was looking at Roman.
Roman stood between Anton and me and hesitated, torn.
"I hope I'm not intruding," Anton said as an after thought, looking at Roman's conflicted face, his eyes flickering to mine.
"Not at all," I said and managed a genuine smile this time.
Anton grinned. "The game is about to start, Liverpool is taking it home tonight."
I saw that Roman was still unsure, whether to spend time with Anton or ask him to leave.
"Good thing you got here," I mumbled, as I fled to the hallway. I kept talking as I walked. "I have a mountain of homework." I paused. "Wait..." I backed into the lounge. "You said something about Pizza, I hope there's extra cheese."
Anton got the plates in silence and placed two slices of pizza for me. I scowled in his direction.
Anton looked at Roman with a questioning gaze.
"Nuru is a food killer. She probably will eat the whole thing."
"Stop exaggerating," I scolded Roman.
"Am I?"
I took two more slices.
Anton raised his eyebrows and his jaw dropped slightly, his expression so unbelieving that Roman and I shared a laugh.
"Enjoy the game," I said. "... and Anton, I wouldn't bet my money on Liverpool if I were you."
"Oh?" He raised his eyebrows in bewilderment.
"They didn't do so well last season. I think you're in for a disappointment tonight."
"Roman?" Anton said in utter astonishment. "You didn't tell me she speaks football, or anything sports at all."