Sweet -N- Sour

Not So Sweet...

B, thanks so much for another terrific book cover.  This dedication is for you! ;-D

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"GET OUT!!! Just get the hell out of my house!" With quick ducking, Blaire narrowly missed being struck by the frying pan, which was still hot due to strips of bacon having recently been prepared within it. Splatters of grease fell to the linoleum floor as the pan encountered the wall instead of her forehead.

"Joe--"

She wasn't able to finish her statement as a drinking glass sailed in her direction and she had to duck again, cringing when shards of broken glass slid across the grease stained floor. "I said get out now!"

"We need to -- no!!! Put that down! Please." Apprehensive blue eyes pleaded with the hostile blonde not to throw the object she now held in her hands. "Please don't. You know Mom gave us that china plate as a housewarming gift. Don't break it. Doing so might break her heart."

The other woman rolled her eyes. "That's a laugh," she replied, though there wasn't a trace of humor in her words. "What heart? Has she purchased one since the last time she insulted me?"

A dark head quickly shook. "That's not right, Joely."

Though she put the plate safely down on the counter, Joely continued to glare at her partner. "Neither was it right for you to kiss that secretary tramp of yours!" A fresh wave of anger coursing through her veins, the petite blonde selected a butter knife from the dishpan. Her glare didn't waiver as she tightly clutched the heavy silverware. She doubted that she would ever be capable of removing the image inside her head of going to visit Blaire at her office today with some Chinese food takeout, only to find her lips sealed with the silicone laden twenty-one year old secretary.

On the brink of a full fledged headache, Blaire rubbed her temples. "I told you that there isn't anything going on between Stacy and I. I told you that she initiated that kiss."

Though she folded her arms over her chest, Joely still had a grasp on the knife. "And you are completely innocent? You had nothing to do with it?"

"I... did... not... kiss...that... woman... back." Blaire clapped her hands together for emphasis with each word she uttered. "When you entered my office, she had just put her mouth on mine, so, I didn't have time to push her away. Therefore, it looked like we were kissing, but honestly, it was one-sided. I swear. I swear on the life of our baby!" The golden retriever lounging under the kitchen table less any other inanimate objects suddenly flew through the air, raised his head, his dark eyes connecting with those of his eldest mama. He knew he was the baby she spoke of. However, he didn't appreciate her swearing on his life. After all, unlike a cat, he didn't have nine of them.

Unfolding her arms, Joely used the knife to point toward the kitchen exit. She had already made up her mind about what she saw and that was that. "Get out, Blaire. I want you out of my house within sixty seconds. Tomorrow you can come get your belongings while I'm out of the house, but for now I don't want to look at you. Every additional moment you're in my presence, I feel my blood pressure elevating."

The brunette appeared to be on the verge of tears. Her eyes glistened with agony and sorrow. "But Joe... I love you so --"

"I don't want to hear it," Joely swiftly cut her off. "If that were really true, you wouldn't have done what you did. Leave."

Blaire sighed, blinking away tears. "Okay, but I'm taking Otis with me."

"Oh no you're not. He's staying with me." Walking toward the kitchen table, Joely kneeled on the floor, placing a possessive hand on the dog's head.

"He's going with me, Joe. You're attempting to kick me out of my own home? Fine. But at least let me have my dog."

With her free hand, Joely tapped her knife on the floor. "He's not your dog. You bought him for me for Christmas last year." Green eyes narrowed with animosity. "You can't take him back. Especially considering your extracurricular activities. If you want Otis, you'll have to take me to court."

Looking determined, Blaire grabbed the box of milkbones from the top of the refrigerator and rifled inside until she pulled out one of the brown bone-shaped treats. Crouching, she presented the bone to the canine under the table watching her every move. She graced him with a winning smile, white teeth flashing. "C'mon, Otis. Come and get yourself a nice yummy milkbone and then you and I can go for a ride. You wanna go bye-bye with mama?"

Otis's ears perked at both the words milkbone and bye-bye. He loved going out almost as much as he loved food. Licking his blonde mama on the cheek to let her know that it wasn't personal, the golden retriever scooted from underneath the table and purposefully headed toward Blaire. He stopped when he heard his name being called. Glancing back, he licked his chops when he spotted Joely wiggling a piece of the crisp bacon she had cooked to go on the sandwich she intended to have for dinner. People bacon. Ooh, very yummy. He loved his doggie treats almost as much as he loved people food. Making a U-turn, Otis made a beeline for the bacon.

"Hey, Otis!" Putting the brakes on just before he reached the tempting meat, he turned around again to face Blaire. Cocking his head to the side, he waited for her to speak. "Buddy, don't you wanna go with me? We'll have fun. We'll go to the canine park and play fetch, go to the beach and frolic in the water... wouldn't you like that?" Slowly, his paws led him in her direction, although he realized that this meant he probably wouldn't get to eat the bacon. Well, some things were just more important than food. His eldest mama looked so melancholy that the heart tucked underneath his furry chest was set to split in half.

"Petco, Otis?"

Suddenly halting, he deeply inhaled while allowing the magical word his youngest master had just enticingly uttered to sink in. Petco was his most favorite store in the whole wide world! Every time he visited there, he was showered with free treats and was the delighted recipient of lots of affectionate pats and rubs from various employees of the animal oriented store as well as its customers. Petco was indeed the dog's Achilles heel.

Glancing between the two women vying for him, Otis released the canine version of a sigh. He couldn't stand to see the people he loved most in the world bickering. It made him so sad that he couldn't even enjoy the idea of possibly going to Petco. Humans could behave so foolishly at times. After giving Blaire and Joely his best 'you ought to be ashamed of yourselves' expression, Otis hurried toward the doggie door, which led to the back yard a.k.a. his play haven. However, he didn't have any plans to play with his numerous toys or in Joely's carefully cultivated garden. No, he needed time to ruminate because this could simply not go on. He had to take action.

Joely regarded the saddened brunette triumphantly. "Looks like Otis has made his decision."

"Congratulations," Blaire softly intoned. Knowing that she was only moments away from bursting into tears and not wanting to give the other woman the satisfaction of witnessing them, she fled from the kitchen.

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Having checked into a motel less than five miles from hers and Joely's house, Blaire swallowed the remaining bit of the Vanilla Coke from the bottle she had purchased for two dollars from a vending machine downstairs. After tossing it into the wastebasket, she removed her shoes and every inch of clothing except for her underwear before slipping underneath the covers, which she prayed were clean. They smelled like lemon scented detergent, so that was a good sign.

Turning off the light, Blaire took a deep breath and closed her eyes, wanting to forget all about the day's events. As an image of her perturbed girlfriend entered her mind, Blaire snorted. That was easier said than done. Glancing toward the digital clock on the nightstand, she noticed the time. 10:32 p.m. Although unbidden thoughts of Joely soared through her brain, Blaire managed to fall asleep just before eleven.

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In the next chapter, let the musical begin! ;-D