Taz could tell that Gracie was enjoying every bit of her new-found involvement with the next door neighbors. Especially Joe's little crowd of three. Taz loved hanging out over at his place now, because not only did she get to have some real girl-bonding with Nikki, but she also got to experience those quick, stolen chats with Joe. Quick, because whenever she was there, Joe was either on his way to work, or busy fixing something in the garage. Joe, for so many reasons, fascinated the living soul out of Taz. He was an all-around nice guy and she honestly couldn't seem to find anything wrong about him, except of course, when he and Nikki would be throwing mocks back and forth at each other, but even that she found adorable. Joe also had this way of being this sensitive dad for a minute and then morphing into this mean, funny brother the next. He was maintaining two crucial roles around two people and found a way how to balance them. Taz loved witnessing that. What an irony that she had thought he was the bad guy at the beginning.

Taz wanted to go and consult Nikki about the whole babysitting issue that had emerged the day before, and she was so used to being inside the Larot residence that she let herself in through the backdoor. Walking inside the little lawn, a sweaty Joe washing his silver Mercedes brightened her morning like you can't imagine.

"Hey, Joe!"

"Hey there, gorgeous." Joe stood up from his stooping position and Taz had a perfect view of his body covered only in a white tight-fitting tee and a pair of faded Levi's. Taz knew he was what people call "easy on the eyes" but never expected he was this "easy."

"Watcha doing, good-looking?" Taz cursed and bit her lip in the name of God.

"Just cleaning her up. Nikki's out with Isabelle, if you're looking for her." He said, smiling and showing Taz that dimple she dreamt about the night before. Yeah, weirdly enough, she was having a dream about it. A very, very nice dream, if somebody were to ask her.

"Oh, okay." Taz said, half-disappointed, half-jumping for joy. Now the next move. "Should I come back later then, you seem a little busy…"

"No, no, no, I'm just finishing up actually. Please stick around if you don't mind." Oh, no, she definitely, most certainly wouldn't.

"Yeah, why not." Taz said casually, sitting on an unoccupied stool that was probably placed there exactly for her. Oh, stop daydreaming, you!

Taz could hear the sound of loud music blasting off from somewhere inside the house. "You having a little party back there?"

"Yeah. It's a fullhouse. The guys decided to stop by and eat and drink everything in my house." Joe said, sounding amused. "Hope they don't find my Twinkie stash."

Taz had a time to respond to that with a laugh before asking "So how's the arm?"

"Oh, the arm?" Joe did a macho pose and gave his arm a quick kiss. "The arm is the charm."

Taz chuckled. "What?"

"I think it's the one that got us that gig in Vegas." He said, grabbing the brush and scrubbing it all over the hood. "Thanks to you."

"No, I'm pretty sure it's because you are good, plain and simple." Not that Taz would know 'coz she had never seen dance them before. But Nikki had nothing but positive feedbacks about them, so that had to count for something. "So, Vegas, huh?"

"Yeah, the classic Sin City."

"That must be exciting. You guys must really be good to score yourselves a gig there."

"I know. I still can't believe it. One day you're dancing at clubs and community gatherings, and next thing you know, bam, you're having your own show in Sin City."

"So, when's the big day?" Taz asked, though she already knew the answer.

"We're actually only weeks away." Joe said, reveling in his excitement. "I can barely wait to get some Sinning done."

"I'm sure Vegas is lucky to have you guys."

"You don't know that. You haven't even seen us onstage."

"All right, you got me. I may not have seen you and your little dance crew do your thing but I have no doubt in my mind that you're good."

"And why do you say that?" Joe asked, crossing his arms, slim bulges folding together perfectly.

"Because… I don't know…" Taz panicked; she frigging panicked. Because the truth was all her mouth wanted to say was "because you're hot, period." "Because you're Joe. You're good at everything."

Taz saw the little faint of red on Joe's cheeks and smiled. "Oh, we only met, what, four days ago, the beginning of which you mistook me for a kidnapper? And you think you already got me all figured out?"

"Trust me, I have a very efficient radar that comes handy during first impressions. I trust people, and I trust my radar for trusting people."

"Really." Joe narrowed his eyes and stepped closer to her. "Was that your radar that told you I probably might be a big, bad guy who steals away kids for a living when we first met?"

Taz found herself punching him in the arm. "OW!" Joe massaged the sore spot on his manly bicep. "Are you always this violent?"

"Oh, Joe, I'm more violent than you can imagine."

"Ooh. Scary. Whatcha gonna do? Wedge me?"

"You really a man of mockery, you know that?" Taz said, suppressing a laugh as Joe started making cross-eyed faces. "I can't even stand looking at you right now."

"Ahh, see? Now you're just saying that because you find my face irresistibly handsome. So handsome that you can't take it." This time Taz really did feel her laugh impulse give out. "I mean, with perfectly chiseled cheekbones, and deep-set blue eyes and wishy-washy long, blonde hair, who wouldn't want this? Who?"

"Definitely not me, Adonis."

` "I may be perfect on the outside, but who am I in the inside?" Joe finished his little drama by squishing the sponge over his head and letting the water pour all over himself, and overdramatically shaking the excess water off his head as though in slow-motion, like the ones likely to be seen on Mexican soap operas. Taz laughed so hard it almost hurt. Humor played a big role in Joe's well-being.

"But seriously though, you arm, Joe." Once recovered, Taz said. "Is it healing yet?"

"Oh, it's almost as good as new."

"Does little Belles still hate me?"

Yeah, one minor problem she had with this house was Belle, who was still not talking to her that much, unlike her talkative father and aunt.

"She's just still getting used to the idea that you can still make friends with someone who's capable of physically hurting you." Joe explained. "Still explaining that little part to her."

"Well, I do hope she starts warming up to me soon, 'coz I can't resist those soft, rosy cheeks."

Isabelle was probably one of the cutest, if not, the cutest, babies she had ever seen in her life. She was a baby doll in human form, only more animated and ten times more adorable. With that wavy soft hair, and that cute, charming dimple. Huh. Funny how that reminded her of Joe.

"Oh, yeah. She's one fine kid, all right. I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night, asking myself how I'd manage to make such a beautiful little girl."

Taz laughed. "No… It's not so hard to tell where she got her looks from."

Joe locked his eyes into hers for while, that got her blinking for several times, and said, "You're talking about me right? Because if you're talking about Nikki, I'm gonna be so upset I may not be able to look at myself in the mirror again."

"Seriously, though." Taz said, after giggling like a little girl again, "I mean it, Joe. She's got your dimple."

"She has, huh?" For once, Joe did look serious, and gave her a sugary, dimpled smile.

"Hey, Punk, I think we've run out of booze, oh…"

Taz had a moment to consider that a man just walked in on them in their Zen of peace and ruined their whole alone moment, which was precious and rare. Ugh, good going, pal.

"Oh, I see you've got company there." The man teased Joe, and whoa, he was cute, if Taz had time to assess him.

"Why, you have a firm grasp of the obvious, man." Joe said, half-frowning, half-smirking. "Taz, Rynan. Rynan, Taz."

"Well, that's convenient." The guy called "Rynan" said. "So, Taz… hey."

Taz smiled and shook his reaching hand. "Hey, Rynan."

"I don't think I've ever seen you before."

"New neighbor." Joe supplied.

"New neighbor?" Rynan's eyes formed into cute, round saucers. "You're…She's…"

Joe nodded like he understood all the missing words, and unceremoniously enough, Taz did, too.

"Nice meeting you. Wow." Rynan faced Taz at that moment with enough awe as though it was the first time he really took the time to look at her. Like REALLY look at her. Being a knife warrior did have its advantages. "I didn't know you and Joe are friends now."

"Yeah, she ain't so bad without her scary Samurai sword." Joe kidded, gaining a playful shove from Taz. "See? Look at her. Isn't she just cute?"

"She's not the woman I had in mind, if that's what you're trying to say." Rynan said. "Anyway, dude, booze. We're out of booze."

Joe scratched the back of his head and sighed. "Then go get some at the store, Rynan. I gotta go and change."

"Yeah, why are you all wet?"

"She poured the water all over me!" Joe pointed his finger accusingly at Taz, this time getting a disbelieving glare from her.

"I so did not!" She gasped in feigned disbelief.

"Did too!"

Rynan shook his head distractedly. "Seriously, Joe, you gotta give us alcohol, otherwise it'd be so easy to go and sneak into the wine cellar downstairs…"

"Don't even think about it, Rynan. That cellar hasn't been touched in years."

"Exactly. So if you don't want our hands on those babies, get us drinks. Kapish?" Rynan finished, knowing that he had won already. "So, hey, it was a pleasure knowing you, Taz, but if you can excuse me for a moment, I have five grown men to attend to."

"Of course. And ooh, the pleasure is mine." Rynan beamed at her one last time before dashing back to the house.

"Story of my life." Joe sighed. "The provider of food and drinks for six completely capable men. Can I serve a more demeaning purpose?"

"Go up and get changed, Joe." Taz simply said.

"Why, will you wait for me?" There was so much more meaning in his smile than Taz was prepared to see. A few seconds had passed before Joe broke the silence and began gathering all the washing equipment. "Please stick around; I'd like the guys to meet the girl who nailed my sorry ass."

Ass? Suddenly Taz's eyes were on Joe's denim-clad buttocks like it was all they could do. She snapped herself back to sanity and braved herself to face an almost amused Joe. What had she done? "Yeah, of course, I'd like to meet them all, too. Knowing five other Phil's is kinda exciting." Taz adored Phil. He was cute and his smile was just an apple of the eye. It wasn't difficult to see why Nikki felt the way that she did about him.

"Oh. Well, you just wish it's five other Phil's, and not five other Joe's." He said.

Oh, it'd be difficult to be crushing on seven Joe's, would it?

Wait, was she really into him? Was Taz really beginning to see this guy in a less platonic light now? Geez. He had a baby, for Heaven's sake! This was wrong.

But wait. Why was she so worried? What was wrong with having a light, harmless crush on someone, anyway? Because that's what this was all about – just a crush and nothing major. Right?

Riiight?

"Taz?"

"Yeah." Taz realized she'd spaced out for awhile back there.

"Let's go inside?" Joe's eyes were suggestive but void of malice.

Taz nodded as her mind was asking the same "Right?" over and over again. She was too preoccupied looking at Joe to give an answer just then, though.

Unable to take the smile off her face, she followed him as they both made their way into the house.