Weren’t no need ta feel guilty ‘bout findin’ a nice girl ta spend some time with. First off, the captain had told ‘im to. Second, Kaylee hadn’t actually staked her claim. Third, havin’ a woman stake her claim had never stopped Jayne from findin’ a nice, different girl ta spend some time with before.

‘Course, no one had really ever staked their claim in ‘im. And he ain’t ever staked nothin’ in nobody long term before.

Hazard of movin’ around too much, he reckoned. Certainly weren’t nothin’ wrong with ‘im.

The doc’s silly yella horse was tied up outside the main house, along with a couple dozen other horses. The noise comin’ out the door was even louder than it’d been when he’d come before. Lot’ve people in there. He’d have ta be real sure ta stay pretty close ta the doc in order ta make sure he was safe.

Not that he really cared, personally. Havin’ him taken hostage would sure make things a lot easier with Kaylee.

Why hadn’t Kaylee staked her claim?

He felt a hand slide along his back.

“You got an invite?”

The hand slid across his side. The girl attached ta it came around an’ looked up at him.

It was the dark-haired one. Marie.

“You!” She smiled. Looked genuinely glad ta see ‘im again. “Back for more?”

Jayne grinned. “Didn’t get much the first time.”

“Too true.” She peeked around him, then looked back up at ‘im through her lashes. “You alone?”

He shrugged. “Couldn’t get any real business done with the missus around, I reckon.”

She smiled. “I reckon.”

“Can’t come in if you ain’t got an invite.”

Jayne turned ta see who was talkin’. It was the red-haired one. Stella. She was standin’ in the doorway lookin’ at ‘im. He saw the smile spread real slow across her face. “Oh. Didn’t know it was you.”

Marie took Jayne’s hand an’ coaxed him up the steps ta the door where Stella was standin’. “Told ya he’d come back.”

Stella didn’t look away from ‘im as she answered. “I was hopin’ you were right.”

She circled around him like Marie had, trailin’ her fingers up an’ down his back, feelin’ around his waist. Jayne knew now that she was lookin’ fer weapons. Didn’t stop him from enjoyin’ it much.

She put her hand on his chest when she got around ta his front. Stood on her tiptoes, pressin’ herself against ‘im. Her breath tickled his ear. “Can’t come in if you ain’t got an invite.”

“Lucky for you, we’ve got an invite.” Marie was smilin’ up at ‘im, still holdin’ his hand in a way that let ‘er stroke his palm with her fingertips.

Stella backed down an’ took his other hand. Jayne let the two girls pull ‘im inta the house.

Gorram. This was easier th’n he’d thought it’d be.

A few things registered with Jayne as the girls pulled ‘im through the crowd. First, everyone was dressed up real nice. Second, everyone was men. There was a few girls movin’ around in the crowd, but they was all servin’ drinks. All the men were talkin’ between themselves.

Made ‘im feel kinda creepy.

The curtain that led ta Mr. Pink’s room was pulled back. Mr. Pink was holding up a drink and laughing. He looked up, still smilin’.

“Girls! Oh, look what you’ve found.”

Jayne glanced over at the doc, who was sittin’ ta Pink’s right. The doc looked at ‘im an’ raised his eyebrows, then looked away.

“He showed up at our door.” Stella put her head on Jayne’s shoulder an’ slid her arm under his.

Marie slid her arm under his other one an’ started strokin’ his bicep real lightly. “Can we keep ‘im?”

Pink stood up and eyed Jayne up an’ down. “I believe we’ve met.”

Jayne nodded. “Came here with my wife a few days back.”

“Ah.” Pink smiled. “Yes. And now you’ve come back without her.”

Jayne didn’t like the way he was lookin’ at ‘im. He looked over his shoulder an’ back to Pink.

“Looks like I interrupted somethin’.”

“Not a problem.” Marie tightened her hold on his arm. She looked at Pink. “Right? Please? Tell ‘im it’s not a problem.”

He was still smilin’ his eerie-ass little smile. “Of course it’s not.” He looked at the two girls on Jayne’s arms. “But who will watch the door?”

“Ask Jaqui. Or Kristy. Or Rinny. Or Ali. Or Bella. Hell… ask anyone.” Marie’s voice dropped to an irritated mutter. “It’s not like anyone’s doin’ much tonight.”

Jayne looked down at ‘er. She looked back up at ‘im. “Slow night for us.”

Pink smiled again. “Well, the two of you have been working hard. I suppose you’ve earned a treat.” He looked at Jayne again. “You will, of course, be willing to pay.”

“’Course.”

Pink nodded. Jayne an’ his girls turned ta leave.

“Oh! How rude of me. I forgot to introduce you to my friend.”

Jayne turned back. Pink offered a hand ta the doc. The doc stared at it for a bit, then took it and stood.

Pink kept hold’ve the doc’s hand.

“Jayne, this is… I believe your name was Zeek, yes?”

Jayne grunted an’ clenched ‘is jaw.

“Zeek, this is my friend Jayne.” Pink gestured ta the doc.

Jayne sniffed. “Good name.”

The doc looked at ‘im. “I was named after my mother.”

“Good woman.”

“I take after her in a lot of ways.”

Jayne clenched his teeth again.

He could feel Pink’s eyes goin’ between him an’ the doc.

Stella cleared her throat.

Jayne turned around an’ let the girls lead ‘im away.

***

Had ta be said, this was one of the warmest welcomes Jayne’d ever got.

He was lookin’ down at Marie. She had her head in his lap an’ was lookin’ back up at ‘im, strokin’ his fingers that was restin’ on her belly.

Stella was leanin’ against ‘is side. She’d pulled his arm around ‘er and was playin’ with the hair on it.

“Mr. Pink has these parties ‘bout every other month. Whenever he gets bored.” Marie picked his hand up an’ put hers against it, comparin’ the sizes.

Stella shifted an’ pulled Jayne’s arm closer around ‘er. “He gets bored a lot.”

They were sittin’ on a couch not too far away from Mr. Pink’s little cubby. There was a couple’ve men gettin’ too close ta each other fer Jayne’s taste on the other end’ve the couch.

Jayne spared a glance at the doc. He an’ Mr. Pink were talkin’. The doc laughed.

Jayne looked back down at Marie.

She linked her fingers through his an’ looked back up at ‘im. “An’ so do we.”

Stella’d shifted so that she could nibble real light on his earlobe.

Jayne was losin’ his focus real fast.

Marie slid her hand from Jayne’s an’ sat up, drapin’ her leg across his lap. She slid her hand up his shirt an’ toyed with the hairs there.

“That’s why we were so glad to see you.” She kissed his neck.

Stella was breathin’ real light in his ear. Drivin’ him near crazy. “We’d been hopin’ you’d come back since you left. Waitin’ for ya.”

Marie nuzzled his neck. “Watin’ fer a real man.”

Jayne closed his eyes. Forget the doc.

Marie moaned softly next ta his ear. “And you’re a real man.”

Jayne sighed as Stella started on his ear again. “Damn right.”

Real man. Real… man. Real… someone else had called him that.

Jayne lost the train of thought as Marie climbed onta his leg and started on his other ear.

Ai ya, that felt good. Real good. Real… man. Real…

“Kaylee.”

“Marie. But I’ll forgive you.”

Jayne opened his eyes.

Shi.

He pushed the girls away as gentle as he could, despite their protests, an’ put his head in his hands. Took a few deep breaths.

When he opened his eyes again, both girls were sittin’ with their arms crossed lookin’ at ‘im.

Stella tipped her head ta the side. “You done feelin’ guilty now?”

Marie moved in an’ started kissin’ his neck again.

Ye-soo, that was nice.

Jayne’s brain stopped fer another second or two.

Stella took the opportunity ta stand up an’ start tuggin’ at his hand.

“Why don’t we go somewhere a little more… private?”

Jayne opened his eyes again. “No!”

Marie stopped kissin’ his neck.

Stella raised her eyebrows and looked around. “Okay. I guess if ya like people bein’ able ta see…” She looked back at Jayne. “I’m okay with it if you are.” She smiled a wicked little smile that woulda made a weak man melt.

Jayne was only a little weak. So he only melted a little.

“I can’t… it’s just… I… uh…hell.”

“Your wife?”

“Somethin’ like that.”

He could feel Marie lookin’ at ‘im. “I thought your wife’s name was Rebecca.”

Stella looked over at Marie. “Rebecca?” She looked down at Jayne. She turned and pulled a coffee table closer. Then sat on it so she was facin’ him. “So then who’s this Kaylee?”

“Girlfriend?”

“How romantic.”

“Do you love ‘er?”

“Is she pretty? I bet she is, ta win’ a big ol’ piece of manful like you.”

Jayne sat back in the couch. Marie was sittin’ with her hands folded in her lap.

“So then what are you doin’ here?”

“Oh! Let me guess!” Stella leaned forward. Jayne could see clear down her shirt. Took ‘im a bit ta look away. “You were forced ta marry this Rebecca woman fer… I dunno. Business reasons or somethin’. But really you’re in love with this Kaylee. But you can’t be with Kaylee because… because… well, because you’re married and it wouldn’t be good for business.”

Jayne smiled.

“And Kaylee’s married ta some… hwoon dahn doctor or something.”

Jayne looked over at Marie, then back ta Stella.

“How’d you do that?”

Stella shrugged. “We read a lot’ve cheap romances. Not a whole lot ta do around here.”

“So you came here ta forget yer troubles an’ pretend that Rebecca an’ Kaylee don’t matter to ya.”

Stella was noddin’ all wisely. “But they do. At least Kaylee does.”

Jayne sighed an’ ran a hand over his face. “Rebecca’s more’ve a… friend-type.”

“You poor thing.” Marie scooted closer to ‘im and ran her fingers through his hair.

“Marie! The poor man’s life is difficult enough! Don’t complicate things!”

Marie scooted back again. “Sorry. But he’s just so… damn… swai.”

Jayne grinned an’ looked down at ‘is hands. “I ain’t never been called swai before.”

“You’re kiddin’ me.”

Jayne looked up at Stella. She looked genuinely surprised.

He shrugged.

Marie came in from the side again. She slid her hands down his arms. “But… you’re so… big. An’ manful. An’… big.” She nuzzled his neck again.

“Marie!”

“Right.” Marie retreated, but Jayne could see her outa the corner’ve ‘is eye, starin’ at ‘im an’ chewin’ on her thumbnail.

Stella hand her chin restin’ in her hand an’ was lookin’ at ‘im all intent-like. “Are you in love with her?”

“With Kaylee?”

Stella nodded.

“I… well I want her real bad. An’ I think about her all the time. An’ when I’m not around her I feel like… I feel like there’s only half of me.”

Stella smiled. “So… yes, then.” Jayne nodded.

Marie sighed. “Ai ya. I want a man like that.”

“But you’re married.”

“Well Z… Rebecca knows. She doesn’t seem ta mind none.”

Stella raised her eyebrows. “Does Kaylee’s husband know?”

Jayne snorted. The doc…

He sat up. Ni ta ma de tian xia suo you de ren dou gai si. He’d forgot about the doc.

He looked over at Mr. Pink’s room.

It was empty.

A hand dropped onto his shoulder from behind. Jayne shot off of the couch and whipped around.

One of Pink’s goons was standin’ behind the couch. Two more were standin’ behind him.

“Mr. Pink would like to have a word with you.”

***author's note***

to my loyal readers who did NOT recieve a little shoutout in there, I'm sorry. I couldn't figure out how to stick your name in there and have it sound normal. ;)

i would also like to add that my sister's middle name is estelle. (stella.) mine is marie. HEE!