Mel and Stephanie sat at the kitchen table. Stephanie watched as Mel tried not to poke her eye out. At one point, she did poke herself. She groaned and looked at Stephanie. "Can I have a little help?"

Stephanie took the eyeliner from Mel and said, "Close your eyes."

Mel did as she was told. A few seconds later, she felt the make-up poke her eye again. She yelled. "Stephanie, why did you do that?"

"Sorry! I'm not exactly an… expert at this," Stephanie replied, giggling nervously.

Mel sighed. "Okay, whatever. Just… make it look good."

Stephanie nodded. "Can do." She continued her job. "You act nervous. What are you and Mickey doing tonight?"

"Breaking up," Mel replied.

Stephanie made a face. "You're getting all dressed up so you two can break up?"

"I'm ending it with him," Mel explained. "I wanna look nice when I do it."

"Why?"

"Well, because, I just—fix my make-up!"

Lennox walked toward the kitchen and heard Stephanie ask, "So why are you breaking up with him?" Lennox hid behind the kitchen door and listened.

Mel shrugged. "It's just… not working out. We don't really match. He's taking things way too fast, to be honest. I just can't imagine being with him for very much longer."

Stephanie frowned. "That's too bad. You don't seem too upset about it."

Mel shrugged. "Well…" She looked around the kitchen to make sure no one could hear what she was about to say. "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure!" Stephanie replied.

"Promise not to tell anyone?"

"Cross my heart and hope to eat pie!" Stephanie cooed.

Mel grinned. "Okay. Lately… I've kinda developed a crush on Joe."

Lennox screamed, then quickly covered her mouth.

Mel and Stephanie looked toward the door. "What was that?" asked Stephanie.

Lennox quickly ran over in front of the couch and started banging the coffee table with a book. "Die, you monster!"

Mel and Stephanie walked in. "Lennox, what in the world are you doing?" Mel asked.

Lennox looked at them nervously. "I was just… uh… I saw a spider." She smiled.

"Oh." Mel smiled. "Did you kill it?"

"Yeah." Lennox gestured toward the table.

Mel looked down at it. "I don't see any spider guts."

Lennox held the book up. "Yeah, thank God for the…" She looked at what book it was, then cringed. "…the Bible. Killing bugs since Adam and Eve. It just wipes their guts right up."

Mel's eyebrow arched. "Okay… come on, Stephanie." She led her friend back into the kitchen.

Lennox quickly followed them. "Uh, so are you going out with Mickey tonight?" she asked.

"Yep," Mel replied, getting her purse ready. "What are you and Ryder up to? Movie night with Joe?"

"Probably," Lennox replied. She couldn't wait to see Joe's face when she told him what she'd heard. "As soon as he gets back from the grocery store."

Mel smiled. "Sounds like fun. Have a good night." She and Stephanie headed over to the back door.

"Bye, Aunt Mel." Lennox waved.

"Bye." Mel closed the door behind her.

Lennox jumped up in the air and screamed. She screamed and screamed and started dancing around the kitchen. "Joe and Aunt Mel dating! Joe and Aunt Mel dating!" she sang happily. "They're gonna get together! They're gonna get together! She's gonna dump Mickey! They're gonna get together! Hey!" Lennox grabbed a wooden spoon and sang, "Aunttttt Melllllllll and Joeeeeeeee are in loooooooooooveeeeeeee! YEAH!" She fell to her knees, holding the spoon up in the air like a microphone. As soon as she'd caught her breath again, she stood up and came face-to-face with Ryder. "Oh, Ryder, hi!"

"Hey there, Taylor Swift," Ryder greeted happily. "Is that song true?"

"True as… the truth," Lennox replied, putting the spoon away. "I'm so excited now!" She started walking around the kitchen. "First, they'll go on a date. Then they'll fall in love. Then they'll get married and we'll be responsible for it!"

Ryder made a face. "How will we be responsible for it?"

"We just will! Don't wreck this moment!" Lennox pranced out of the kitchen, excited to tell Joe.

OoO

Mel and Mickey sat at a table in a fancy restaurant downtown. Mickey kept looking into Mel's eyes. She awkwardly kept looking away. Suddenly, he reached over and grabbed Mel's hand. She giggled nervously. "Oh, you took my hand."

"Yeah." Mickey stared at her.

Mel gently took her hand away, smiling. "Mickey, we need to—"

"Hold on!" He snapped his fingers. "Waiter! Waiter!"

A waitress walked over to them, smiling. "Hey. How can I help you?"

"Can we get two champagnes?" Mickey asked, bouncing his eyebrows at Mel.

"Of course! They'll be out shortly." The waitress grinned and walked away.

Mel smiled. "She was nice."

"Yeah." Mickey was back to staring at her.

The next sixty seconds were filled with a horrible awkward silence. Mel looked around, humming to herself. Mickey just stared at her. She didn't know if he was trying to be romantic or what, but it was getting creepy.

The waitress came back out with two champagnes. "Here you guys go." She set them down on the table and smiled. "Enjoy your dinner."

"Thank you," Mel exclaimed.

"Yeah, thanks." Mickey picked his drink up and took a big sip.

Mel picked hers up and politely sipped hers as well, giggling at Mickey. Why did he keep looking at her like that?

Neither one of them said a word as they drank. When Mel was done, she put the glass back on the table and smiled. Now she was going to do it. "Mickey—"

The waitress returned. "Are you two ready to order?"

Mickey shook his head. "No, I don't think we'll be eating here tonight." He stood up and took Mel's hand, pulling her up. "Let's go, sweetheart."

Mel made a face. "What? Where are we—"

"You'll see."

Mickey led Mel out of the restaurant and out to his car. She got in nervously; she didn't know how to break up with him. He got in the drivers' side and they started to drive off. Mel shifted awkwardly in her seat. "So… are you taking me home?"

"You could say that." Mickey smiled at her, rubbing her arm.

Mel looked out the window, biting her nails. This wasn't the way to her house.

They drove for what seemed like forever in complete silence before Mickey pulled up to a house. Mel gulped. "Is this your house?"

Mickey nodded. "Yes ma'am." He got out and ran around to Mel's door. He opened it for her and helped her out.

She smiled. "Thanks Mickey…"

He led her proudly into his home. He turned on the lights. "Have a seat on the couch. I'll be right back."

Mel shook her head. "Mickey, we need to—"

"Calm down." Mickey rubbed her shoulders. "Everything will be fine. Have a seat."

Mel sighed and did as he told her. She crossed her legs and looked around. It was a nice house. He had wallpaper like she'd never seen before and a plasma screen TV mounted up on the wall. A chandelier hung above the couch strangely. Mel thought it was nice.

Soon, Mickey came back in. He set down two champagne glasses and a bottle of champagne on the table in front of them. Mel's eyebrow arched. "Didn't we have enough back at the restaurant?"

"You can never have too much," Mickey said, smiling and sitting down. He poured them both a glass, then handed Mel hers.

She smiled nervously and took a sip. "Oh, how… nice." She set her glass down. "Mickey, we need to talk."

"About what, my dear?" Mickey asked.

Mel hesitated, then said, "I don't think this is working out."

Mickey set his glass down and just stared at Mel. He looked into her eyes like he didn't know what to say. Mel avoided eye contact with him as best she could before just looking down. "I'm sorry."

He sighed. "Well… we don't have to be a couple."

Mel looked up at him. "We don't?"

Mickey grabbed her arm. "Nope. People do this all the time." He leaned in and smacked his lips against hers.

Mel screamed and pushed him away. "Mickey! What are you doing?"

Mickey grabbed her chest and came back in for another kiss. Mel started kicking her legs and hitting Mickey in the back. She grabbed her glass and smashed it over his head, champagne flying everywhere. He looked up, dazed, and then unconsciously rolled off of her and into the floor.

Mel sat up and wiped a tear out of her eye, then stood and walked over to the door. She couldn't believe Mickey would go that far.

OoO

Lennox and Ryder sat in the kitchen. Lennox was on her laptop and Ryder was eating a sandwich. Joe walked in the back door. "Hey, guys!"

Lennox hopped up. "Oh, my gosh! Joe, guess what!"

Her heart sank when in behind her came a brunette. She smiled and waved at Lennox. Lennox looked at Joe. "Oh… who's this?" she said as nicely as she could.

"Ryder, Lennox, this is Laurie," Joe replied. "I met her tonight."

Lennox looked at Ryder, her eyes wide.

Just then, Mel came in behind Laurie. She was looking down at the floor, then looked up and saw her. "Oh! Hi… who are you?" She looked at Joe, then her heart fell farther south than Antarctica. "Joe's… date?"
Laurie smiled. "Yes. And you're… Mel? Joe's boss?"

Mel looked over at Joe, who was smiling at Laurie. Mel closed her eyes and nodded. "Yeah," she mumbled hoarsely. "I'm just his boss." She headed upstairs, past Lennox and Ryder, who just stared in utter disbelief at both of them. This had sure backfired.

A/N: LOOOOOONG chapter! Omg like the longest chapter I've ever written! :D Did you guys like it? I think it's actually pretty good… I always enjoy feedback! Thanks!