Finishing the dishes Patricia made her way to the lounge and took a seat as Stephanie headed upstairs with Chloe and she was soon joined by her husband, "there is something weird going on."

Looking at his wife with a raised eyebrow Senior always did enjoy the way his wife jumped to conclusions, "you think so do you? And what brings you to this conclusion today?"

"Stephanie denies that he was flirting with her, she says it was just joking between friends."

Not entirely sure what his wife wanted he shook his head, "then maybe it was? Would it be so bad if he was flirting with her? I mean you hate Megan anyway and you do seem to like Stephanie so would it be so bad if he dumped the wife and got with the help?"

"Paul!" Patricia was utterly outraged by her husband's comment, "I cannot believe you just said that, Stephanie is so much more than that and it is entirely unfair of you to just label her as 'the help'. I don't want to see Paul get hurt and I don't want to see Stephanie get hurt either."

Rolling his eyes even after nearly forty years of marriage he still found women impossible to deal with, "they are both grown adults, if she says that he doesn't flirt with her then he doesn't flirt with her and it is just two friends having a laugh. It is not our business what sort of friendship they have so you need to keep your nose out of it before you start making Stephanie doubt herself and she pulls away from her friendship with Paul making things awkward. It is none of our business and I think we should keep it that way if not for their sake for Chloe's."

She didn't like the idea because she wanted to protect her son but Patricia knew he was an adult now and it wasn't her place to interfere.

After changing Chloe's diaper the young baby quickly fell asleep in Stephanie's arms as she carried her back down to the lounge so laying her down in the bassinet she turned to Patricia and the newly returned Senior, "I was going to make some coffee, do you both want some?"

Receiving nods from the older couple she headed to the kitchen just needing something to do right now and she was thinking about baking to keep her hands and her mind busy.

Walking into the kitchen she wondered if Paul had snuck out of the house as she hadn't heard a sound from him since she had arrived but she would make him a coffee anyway just incase he was still here and was only incredibly busy.

Making four cups of coffee she left three of them in the kitchen and took Paul's through to him knocking gently on the door to see if he was there.

Staring at the screen in front of him Paul wanted to say 'fuck it' and go and spend some time with Chloe and Stephanie . . . wait he meant Chloe and his parents didn't he? Rubbing his temples he sighed and rested back in his chair, she was really taking up a lot of time in his head now and he didn't get it but he wished she would get out of his head. There was a knock at the door bringing him out of his thoughts and forcing him to go back to work, "come in."

Slowly pushing the door open she bit her lip seeing him working, "sorry to interrupt, I was just bringing you some coffee so I will just put it down and get out of your hair. Do you mind if I bake a cake or something?"

Turning his chair around so he could face her as he she put his coffee down he wanted to see her reaction when he asked the question, "is it because of my parents?"

Quickly shaking her head she turned and perched herself on the edge of his desk feeling awkward stood up, "not at all, I just feel kind of useless so thought if I made a cake it would keep me busy and I would feel like I had earnt my money."

Laughing at her reasoning he put his hand over hers squeezing it gently, "just by spending time with my parents you are earning your money."

Using her free hand she slapped his arm gently, "don't say that, they are really nice people and I enjoy spending time with them. So can I bake a cake please?"

Shrugging his shoulder he pulled his hand back from hers and rubbed his arm where she had hit him and pouted playfully, "despite the fact that you were mean to me you can bake as many cakes as you want as long as I have the ingredients and if I don't have them let me know and I'll give you some money to buy them even if you don't deserve it as you slapped me."

Rolling her eyes and not thinking she grabbed his hand and pulled on his arm before she kissed his arm gently, "there, is your boo boo all better now?"

Realising what she had just done she dropped his arm and went to race out of the room but he grabbed her arm stopping her, "before you think it or say it I'm not going to fire you. I don't know why you are so jumpy but please relax, it was just a bit of fun between friends, there's nothing to it and I know it. If you must know my boo boo is much better now though so thank you."

Silently she left his office pulling the door closed behind her to go and see if he had all of the ingredients to bake a cake or six.

Staring at her as she closed the door he shook his head before he turned back to his desk and hit his head on it a few times, "what are you doing Paul? Seriously what are you doing?" Now he had even more reason than ever to focus on his work and not leave his office today.

Walking back into the kitchen she really had to resist the urge to quit, she didn't know what the hell she was thinking but she wished she could redo the last five minutes of her life. Picking up the coffees for Patricia and Senior she carried them through to the lounge placing them on the coffee table, "whilst Chloe is asleep I am going to bake a cake. Would you like me to take the bassinet with me or for you to call me when she wakes up if I'm not in here by then?"

Patricia was confused, she could feel the tension in Stephanie's voice and she was fine before she left, "leaving her here is fine. Do you want some help with the cake?"

Shaking her head this was definitely something she needed to do alone, "no you're okay thanks. I quite like baking, it's fun and therapeutic and I used to do it a lot so I will be fine. Thank you for the offer though."

Turning around she made her way back to the kitchen and began searching the cupboards for all of the ingredients relieved when she found them all so she could just begin baking.

An hour and a half later and the cake was cooling on a wire rack and she was searching for something to decorate it with. Sure she could just use icing but that was boring, she liked adding a little something extra to it to make it interesting.

Walking into the kitchen Paul wanted cookies, he desperately needed a sugar rush to give him more energy to get through the mountain of alterations that the client from hell wanted made. Not paying attention to anything he walked around the island and nearly fell over Stephanie as she was knelt on the floor, "Jesus, I didn't see you there."

Shutting the cupboard door she felt guilty as she stood up, "sorry, I was looking to see if you had something to decorate the cake with and you have nothing."

Taking his wallet from his back pocket he pulled out twenty dollars and handed it to her, "there you go, go and buy something to decorate the cake with."

Her eyes widened and she shook her head, "I wasn't . . . I didn't . . ."

Smiling he put his hands up, "I am aware you weren't asking or doing or whatever you are trying to say but I am offering it so whilst you are getting some milk you can get whatever it is you want or need or whatever."

"What about Chloe?"

Smirking he looked around him, "well considering she isn't here with you right now I would say that you haven't got much of a look in with my parents around so I think she'll be okay."

Getting out of the house alone would give her the opportunity to call Jade so she pocketed the twenty dollars, "as long as you're sure."

"I am positive that we need milk, either you go or I will have to so you would be doing me a favour."

Nodding her head she watched him grab some cookies before she turned for the door, "when I get back I will make lunch so don't eat too many."

Rolling his eyes as he took a bite of his cookie he mumbled, "yes Mom."

Walking out of the room she looked back over her shoulder briefly, "and don't talk with your mouth full." Entering the lounge she checked on Chloe who was asleep, "I'm going to run out and get some milk for Paul and something to decorate the cake with but will be back soon. You will be okay with Chloe right?"

Patricia nodded her head, "absolutely, take your time."

Smiling she knew she would say that so picked her phone up off the table, "sure. If you need me Paul's got my number but he is also here if you need anything and I will be back soon."

Exiting the lounge she picked her coat and the keys up and pocketed the keys before she left the house pulled her coat on as she went. As soon as she was safely away from the house Stephanie scrolled through her contacts until she reached Jade, she could only hope she was free right now.

Dinner was in the slow cooker so Jade made a start on the cleaning beginning with the bathroom. She was currently on her knees scrubbing the bathtub clean when her phone began ringing so getting up from her uncomfortable position on the floor she grabbed the towel drying her hands as she made her way to her phone intrigued when she saw Stephanie's name, "hey you."

Breathing a sigh of relief she smiled, "hey you too. Are you free? I am currently on my way to the store to buy some milk and cake decorations so thought I would call you now."

Tossing her towel to the side Jade went and took a seat on the couch, "I am always free for you. So what's going on between you and Paul?"

"Fuck knows but I need to rein in my feelings."

"Whoa whoa whoa, rein in what feelings? Stephanie what haven't you told me?"

Shoving her free hand into her pocket Stephanie didn't know what feelings either but she assumed there had to be some, "I don't know actually. Paul's Mom has got me so confused that we're flirting that I'm doubting myself and wondering if I do actually have feelings for him or not."

Jade was confused, "so you don't have feelings for him? Steph you would know if you did or not."

"I don't think I do, I don't feel like I do but I have fun teasing him and I love winding him up so am I flirting with him?"

Putting her feet up she had a feeling this would be a long conversation, "why don't you give me an example of the joking he has done to you and what you have done to him and I will tell you whether I think either of you is flirting or not."

Moving around a couple stood on the sidewalk she wondered how to put it, "on Saturday he came to Gino's for dinner with his parents which is all fine and everything but when they were leaving I gave Chloe a kiss and I gave his parents a hug and a kiss to say goodbye and then I turned to leave but when I did he moaned asking if he smelt and saying he wanted a goodbye too so when I said I could stretch to a hug he said he wanted a kiss too as that is what everybody else got and well that is him."

Sitting on the couch with her mouth open it was no wonder his parents had tackled Stephanie about if he always flirted with her, "well damn. Now tell me a example from you."

Biting her lip she figured the one from this morning was as good an example as any. Biting her lip she took a deep breath, "we were talking about me earning my money and I said I felt like I wasn't with is parents around and he said just by spending time with them I was earning my money so I slapped his arm and told him to be nicer about his parents as they were good people. He was then all sulky telling me I was mean to him and was rubbing his arm so I grabbed his arm and kissed it where I had slapped him."

She wasn't sure if she should admit it to her friend but it sounded like they were both flirting, "so how do you view him? Friends, boyfriend material if he wasn't married, fuck on the side?"

Unsure what this has to do with whether she thought either of them were flirting with the other she answered it anyway, "really good friend. That doesn't answer my question to you though."

Jade didn't know what to say now because she didn't want to screw with her relationship with her boss but she didn't really want to lie to her friend either but then again on the phone she couldn't see her face so she hopefully wouldn't know that she was lying to her, "I don't think either of you is flirting, I think the two of you have got a really relaxed friendship where you are able to have fun with each other and I don't think you should allow anybody to tell you that it is wrong unless you overstep the boundaries of a friendship and start making out or something."

Rolling her eyes Stephanie shook her head, "he is married and I'm the Nanny, he wouldn't make out with me like ever so I don't think there is anything to fear there."

Jade admired her best friend's confidence that they would never make out but she wasn't so sure herself with the way the two of them were flirting, "well I'm just saying so you know."

Arriving at the store Stephanie was relieved on two counts, one that she had answers and one that she could end this conversation, "well I have arrived at the store now so I had better go. Thank you for this Jade, you have made me feel better to know that his parent's just misunderstood it and there was no flirting going on. I will speak to you soon."

"You're welcome Steph, have fun."

Ending the call Stephanie slipped her phone into her pocket before she entered the store.

Putting her cell phone back down on the arm of the couch Jade had a feeling that before long she would be getting a phone call from her best friend to say that he had kissed her or she had kissed him but she was going to keep her fingers crossed that she was wrong because she would kill Paul if he broke Stephanie's heart because it was already fragile.

Walking back to the house with the milk, some chocolate for Paul as he was clearly after a sugar hit and some cake decorations in a bag she had a smile on her face. All morning she had been afraid that she had been doing the wrong thing with him by his wife but to know that to somebody else it wasn't flirting made her feel so much happier as she wasn't about to inadvertently wreck somebody's marriage.