——

The next day

Joe and Taylor were at Paula's for dinner tonight. They were waiting for her new boyfriend Sam to get here before they ate.

"Guy's 10 minutes late I don't like him." Joe said looking across the table at his mom. She cocked her head and Taylor hit his leg under the table to stop.

"He said he was on his way, probably just hit traffic."

"Mhm." Joe said taking a drink.

"So tell me my son is better at cleaning up after himself then he was when he was living at home?" Paula turned her attention to Taylor and changed the conversation topic.

"Really?" Joe didn't like her calling him out.

"Ha, he's pretty good!" Taylor answered making eyes at Joe not knowing if she should elaborate, which she did.

"Except for dishes…he likes to let them party in the sink all night." Taylor said laughing.

"Oh c'mon Joe." Paula cocked her head at him.

"Hey when I lived alone my place was clean, I just didn't get around to the dishes sometimes. Everything else was good." He defended. They laughed, and then the front door opened and shut.

"Hey sorry." A man's voice called out. Paula got up to greet him, they shared a hug and kiss, he definitely grabbed her butt when they let go too. Joe was quick to observe everything about Sam. He had a mix of brown and grey hair, 6 foot tall, around 220 lbs, brown eyes and a tattoo on his right hand.

"This is my son Joe and his girlfriend Taylor." Paula introduced. Joe got up and shook his hand before he sat down.

"Nice to finally meet you." Sam said. Joe nodded and they sat back down to eat.

The dinner went well, Sam was a decent guy, Joe couldn't find anything he didn't like yet, other then him being late. They hung out for a little after dinner before they headed home.

—

"How long do you think she's been seeing him?" Taylor asked on the car ride home.

"Not sure, I should've asked. Probably a couple months."

"But she didn't tell you until now?" She asked.

"That's always how it was."

"Oh. Well I don't think it's been that long."

"What makes you say that?" He wondered.

"Because when we were cleaning up from dinner he didn't know which cabinet the plates and bowls were kept in." She explained.

"Really?" Joe asked and she shook her head no.

"You know that's pretty impressive, you could be a detective." He said laughing. She shrugged and smiled.

"Speaking of…hey! Getting some late night donuts and coffee I see!?" Joe yelled out the window at a male and female officer who were walking out of a coffee shop in uniform.

"Ha! Hey!"

"Screw you!" They both yelled laughing. Joe laughed and kept driving.

"That was Jordan and Trent." He told her.

"The same Jordan…?"

"Yeah the same one who car pulls with me sometimes." He said.

"Oh okay." Taylor turned quiet, they were going to be home in a minute.

"Wanna get out awhile before I park?" He asked as they approached the parking garage.

"Sure." He stopped the car and she got out to head in awhile.

—

When Joe got in he found her in the office.

"Wanna get a shower with me?" Joe asked seductively, watching her type away on the computer.

"No I forgot about this work email." She said.

"Okay, no problem." He was surprised she passed up on the opportunity to jump his bones but she did seem busy.

——

Later that night they were watching tv and Joe went to make a move on Taylor again.

"No." She pushed him away.

"Babe why won't you kiss me?"

"Cause I'd rather talk." She turned the tv off.

"Oh okay. About what?" He sat next to her and was all about it.

"I don't know, you tell me."

"Woah, what's with the 3rd degree?" He asked taken back.

"You tell me."

"Why do you keep saying that?"

"I don't know Joe, once again…you tell me."

"Is it something that happened at my moms?"

"No."

"…I have no idea what your referring to?" He was honestly very confused. She sighed heavily before talking.

"You didn't tell me Jordan was a girl who you take to work AND go have dinner and drinks with while I'm at work." She called him out.

"I didn't know I had to?"

"Are you fucking serious?" She was frustrated, he could tell she had this bottled up the whole evening.

"Yeah…!?"

"Wrong answer!"

"I work with men and women Taylor, just like you!" He reminded.

"I don't offer to drive attractive people to work at the crack ass of dawn!"

"You're right, you just screw them instead." He regretting saying that comeback…

"Wow! Once again with the slut shaming!"

"Taylor, Jordan has a fiancé!" He argued.

"So why couldn't her fiancé drive her to work!?" She argued.

"Because he's an emt and is working 3rd shift this week."

"Okay well still. She couldn't find ANYONE else to give her a ride?!"

"She lives close by, it's on my way!"

"I still think you kept the fact she was a girl from me!" She crossed her arms.

"Why would I do that?!"

"Cause you didn't want me to freak out!"

"Well jokes on me considering your freaking out right now anyway about it!"

"So you did keep it!?"

"No! Of course not! It just wasn't a big deal to me so why should I of made it a big deal!?"

"You don't get it." She shook her head and walked off.

"Hold on. What is this all about? What don't I get?" He questioned.

"I have been lied to, I've been cheated on, I have been drug through mud and hung out to dry by men. You not sharing something like this just doesn't sit well with me." She talked with her hands.

"I'm sorry. Like I said it wasn't a big deal to me…we just work together."

"Kinda like Jamie and Eddie just worked together…" she argued.

"Good point, but I love YOU." He emphasized.

"Do you believe me?" He asked when she didn't say anything.

"Yeah."

"I want to spend my life with you. No one else. You." He admitted. The look on her face said it all, she'd never been told that before. She was stressing for no reason. Joes never went out with anyone he worked with, he wouldn't want to.

"Just don't keep stuff like that from me."

"But if I would've made it a point to tell you Jordan was a girl wouldn't that of made you worried as to why I even told you?" He questioned.

"…I don't know." She knew he had a good point.

"I'm right. And you know it." He smiled and pointed at her. She rolled her eyes, and didn't like that he was.

"Mhm…come here." He said and embraced her tightly.

"I'm sorry about how this all came about." He added.

"I know." She knew it wasn't his fault, he wasn't keeping anything from her it just so happened the girl had a unisex name.

"Wanna go to bed?" He let go of their hug.

"It's 9:15, I'm not tired yet!" She glanced at the clock

"Who said anything about sleeping?" He flirted, she blushed with a smile and let Joe pick her up and carry her to their bedroom.

——

Little mix up there, at least they got over it quickly and moved on. I get both sides of the argument for sure. But that's water under the bridge. Leave your comments!