Strangers

Assistant

Taylor, in her bathrobe, sat at the bar counter that was this apartment instead of the usual table and drank the coffee Joe had just brewed.

She grimaced, "what's the problem with buying yourself a coffee machine?"

"Coffee brewed in the coffeemaker is much better with your own hands" smiled Joe, who was standing at the stove, wearing only jeans, no T-shirt.

Taylor grudgingly glanced at his hands. It seemed like those fingers had been in her just half an hour ago, but she didn't mind going a few more rounds.

Joe, on the other hand, as if not noticing that Taylor zoomed out, sat down across from her and drank his coffee, too.

"Do you know where your son is right now?" Asked the blonde.

"Should be home,but who knows" shrugged Joe "he's not a little kid anymore, I think he's fine, why?"

"Jenny went to study for her upcoming test with her friend Stella. Only here's the rub, I talked to Stella's mom the other day and now they're in Austria at a ski resort."

Joe just grinned with a sly look in his eyes "teenagers, what can you take?"

"She's with Michael, isn't she? And you know that very well, but you don't tell me. Even though I'm her mother!"

"Yes, I think they're together right now."

"And that doesn't bother you at all? A boy and a teenage girl, unsupervised, alone in an apartment" Taylor asked with surprise

"Do you think they'll follow in their parents' footsteps?" Joe joked, but seeing the holy terror on Taylor's face, continued, "They're not dating, believe me"

"I'm not sure, they seem like close people. And I notice there's a lot of physical contact between them, it's disturbing."

"Taylor, exhale, Michael is not interested in girls. At all."

"Oh...So that's why you're so calm."

"Yeah."

"Okay then," sighed Taylor.

"But the way you kicked him out of the apartment last time was rude, don't think I forgot."

"I was under the influence of emotion."

"You're a grown woman Taylor, it's not nice to take it out on a teenage boy because you can't handle his father."

Taylor knew it herself, but damn it, she wouldn't say it out loud anyway.

"His father is simpler than he looks."

"Really," Joe's dimples became even more prominent.

"Exactly. And I beat his father's company in sales."

"With an unfair move."

"All the ways are good here, as long as they contribute to the goal," Taylor shrugged.

"Only when you use them. And when they're used against you, you don't like it for some reason."

Taylor didn't like the sarcasm in his voice. Right now Joe reminded her of a Cheshire cat.

"What do you mean?"

"Everybody knows you were furious this week and fired your CEO because this time you turned out to be the one who got passed over."

"Very interesting" Taylor grudgingly crossed her arms over her chest "and how many people know about this?"

"Well, everyone. You're the one everyone's talking about in all the smoking rooms."