A/N: wow! such sweet reviews! i'm really flattered! both from Untold Story, and this current one. i dont even know how to express my gratitude... oh wait, how bout with another chapter? sounds fair, right? well, hope everyone enjoys this chappie!

"You just had to get in trouble with the last groomer," Jazz reprimands Ace as she wets him down. "It's not something to wag your tail about, mutt," she continues glaring at him, but his tail just swishes back and forth even faster.

As she lathers him up, she starts thinking of excuses to explain why she never answered Terry's calls the week after quitting. Telling him the truth seems like a ludicrous idea for some reason. He doesn't need to know that talking to him would have made her doubt her decision to leave, or that seeing him would tempt her to go back. At the time, leaving seemed like the best solution to stop the nightmares from haunting her every night, and eventually it worked. It didn't take her long to pick up a different routine, and landing the job at the grooming salon helped keep her mind from wondering about Terry's wellbeing… most of the time. But seeing Terry for the first time in three months brings back much of the guilt she managed to repress; mixed in with that guilt is a bit of fear. Although Terry didn't seem angry when she saw him, she has a feeling he's holding a grudge, so not knowing what to expect when he comes back to pick up the dog sets an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

"If only you could talk," she sighs looking at Ace as she rinses him down and starts spreading some conditioner over his coat. As she waits for it to set, she starts thinking of a believable excuse. "What about 'I was busy vacationing in France with mom?'" She asks Ace, whose reply is a tilt of the head. "Yeah, no way he'd believe that." She grabs the toothbrush and squeezes some pink paste onto it. Then she wraps her hand around his muzzle, pulls up his lips and starts gently brushing away. "What about 'I accidentally flushed my phone down the toilet and couldn't afford a new one?'" His reply is trying to pull away from her grip as he licks away at his teeth. "I take that as another no."

"Are you talking to the dog?" Becky, the blond groomer, asks Jazz when she brings in another dog into the bathing room.

"What? No, of course not," Jazz quickly replies without looking at her.

"I do it all the time, you know, so it's nothing to be embarrassed about," she confides as she lifts the tiny Bichon into the tub. She turns on the water and tests its temperature before she starts wetting the white dog down. "He's pretty, isn't he," she says looking at Ace.

"Hm? Who, Ace?" Jazz asks lifting her head to look at her. "Yeah, but he can be a pain."

"He doesn't look like it," Becky replies admiring how calm Ace seems as Jazz cleans his ears; but when she extends a hand to pet his head, Ace's lip curls up to bare a few of his teeth stopping her hand mid-air. "Not very friendly; must have some Shar Pei in him. I guess we're lucky he knows you."

"Yeah, lucky," Jazz mumbles as she throws away the q-tips and starts rinsing him down again.

"How do you know him anyway?" Becky asks as she lathers the dirty Bichon.

"I'm, well was, friends with his owner."

"Was?"

"Long story," Jazz replies; she hooks the spray nozzle on the wall, loops a lead around Ace's neck, and signals him to jump out of the tub and onto the drying table.

"So there's history," Becky says giving her a wry smile. "I'm interested."

Turning her back towards her, Jazz rolls her eyes and turns on the two loudest dryers. When she turns back to face Becky, she gestures she can't talk because of the noise and starts drying the unhappy Ace.

With nothing left to distract her at the end of the day, Jazz begins nervously pacing in front of Ace's crate as she waits for Terry to pick him up. She tried to find a way to seem busy so that when Terry does come by, she wouldn't be the one to walk Ace out thereby avoiding the meeting; however, since Terry is cutting it close to closing time, Jazz has already finished all the necessary cleaning, restocking, and replenishing duties and finds herself unoccupied at the moment.

"Ace is ready to go home," Becky announces poking her head through the doorway.

"Can you take him out for me?" Jazz asks with pleading eyes.

"Sorry, really busy with paperwork," Becky replies with a sly grin on her face.

Scowling at her, Jazz grabs Ace's leash and collar, and lets him out of the crate. She walks him to the doorway that leads into the reception area, but instead of walking through it, she pokes her head out, surveying the area. She finds Terry leaning on the reception desk as he waits for the dog to show up; looking down at Ace, she drops the leash.

"Okay, go ahead, he's right over there," she whispers trying to coax Ace to run to Terry's side. Unfortunately for her, the dog doesn't move making her scowl at him. She tries pushing him out the door, but he only walks back to her side. Inwardly groaning, she picks up the leash. "You are no longer my friend," she says glaring at him, but he looks up at her with a contented face.

Taking in a deep breath, she bravely walks out and up to a grinning Terry. "Hi," she quietly greets, handing him the leash.

"Hey," he replies taking it, but doesn't straighten up suggesting he's not ready to leave yet.

Looking away, she notices Becky standing behind the desk intently watching them with a smile on her face. So much for paperwork. "Well, he did good," Jazz starts glaring at Becky for a moment before returning her gaze to Terry. "And no one's missing a finger this time."

"It's been a while," Terry says ignoring Ace's performance report.

"Uh, yeah," Jazz replies and nervously shifts her weight to the other leg.

"You cut your hair," he casually points out.

Running a few fingers through her shoulder length locks, she nods. "Yeah, it kept getting caught in the dremmel."

"Dremmel?" Terry asks with a raised brow not understanding what she means.

"It's a file with a rotating head like a drill tip," she quietly explains looking down at her feet suddenly feeling embarrassed.

A small smile returns to Terry's face when he nods. "Well, I like it short."

Her eyes shoot up to study him for a moment. She can't understand why he seems so casual and even friendly given the circumstances, but then again he's probably just messing with her head. "Well, anyway," she starts taking a step back, "it's closing time, so..."

"How does dinner at seven sound?" He suddenly asks stopping her from walking away.

"Uh, tonight?" He nods. "Can't, sorry. I have plans with Henry," she replies trying to sound apologetic.

"I thought he was at a conference in Jersey and won't be back for another week," Becky suddenly speaks up before receiving a glare from Jazz and a grin from Terry.

"Must have slipped your mind," Terry says looking back at Jazz and straightening up. "See you tonight." Without giving her a chance to come up with another excuse, he tugs Ace's leash and walks out the door.

"Oh, what I would give for the power to fire you right now," Jazz says glaring at Becky for the last time.

"You'll thank me later," Becky replies smiling.

- to be continued - reviews welcome -