Headsman's Axe - chapter 2

The mostly brown POS Escort pulled to the curb at Joe's house and the driver slid out and shut the car door as firmly as it would take without falling off the car. Walking to the front door with a degree of determination, she knocked and listened as Bob the mostly golden retriever bounced around and barked at the knock.

Joe opened the door with a smile. "Cupcake - I didn't expect you yet. No leftvers?"

Pushing past him, Steph rolled her eyes. "Glad I am something to you other than just a booty call."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, either you and your 'boys' miss me, or you are looking forward to Mom's leftovers, or you want to sit and watch TV and eat takeout."

Confused, Joe answers 'But that is what we normally do on weekends..."

"Exactly my point. You know we have never gone on a date?"

"But we are together..."

Steph sighed "No we aren't. We sleep together, and you yell at me when we aren't sleeping together."

"But..."

"No buts. Listen to me for once in your fucking life. We are not together, I am a booty call just like Terry. If you really listened to me you would know I *don't * ever want kids, I don't ever want to quit my job, and I don't ever want to turn into my mom."

"But Cupcake ..."

"Again with the buts. No. I am not having kids, ever. End of discussion." Walking through the small dining room intot he kitchen, Steph opens the refrigerator and grabs a beer and carries it back to Joe and puts it down on the coffee table in front of him.

"I will tell you this once, and that is it. You will never come and yell at me, you will never make bets on anything I do, and you will keep Grandma Bella off my back or I will stun her and haul her in for assault."

Puzzled, Joe grabs the beer and opens it.

"I will *never* have children because I had my tubes tied last year. The only reason I make you use rubbers is because I can't trust you to keep it in your pants and not catch some STD. I know about your 'business meetings' with Terry, and you screwing around when you were up in New York on assignment last January. None of this was ever about Ranger, it is all about you, and we are now over. No more booty calls, I am worth more than that. Now leave me alone."

Joe sat there stunned as Steph turned and walked out, firmly shutting the door behind herself.