After showing out the last customer, Natalie, Tootie, and Jo congregated in the living room. Edna's Edibles was finally closed for the day. Working all day Saturday was a drag but at least being busy made the day go fast. As Jo flipped through a motorcycle magazine, Tootie and Natalie dug out the playing cards.

"Nat, can you help me rehearse my lines?" Tootie asked her friend as she watched her shuffle the deck.

Natalie looked up to see Tootie's puppy dog eyes looking back at her. "Again? I have my own stuff to do you know."

"But Natalie, this is important," the younger girl whined.

Jo was relaxed on the couch with her feet on the well-worn coffee table when she looked up from her reading. "What play are ya workin' on?"

Tootie looked in the mirror on the wall, smoothing out her hair. "I have the lead in 'The Sound of Music.' I'm playing Fraulein Maria."

Natalie couldn't muffle her laughter. "A nun! Imagine Tootie playing a nun?"

Jo joined Natalie in a guffaw when Blair came into the room and sat next to Jo. "Hopefully it's one of those silent orders," Blair quipped.

The laughter continued loudly at Tootie's expense.

"C'mon guys," Tootie pouted. "I happen to take this part seriously. I'm thinking of my acting career. Today it's the Peekskill Community Theatre but in a few short years it could be Broadway."

The others just looked at one another skeptically while the aspiring actress continued pleading her case. "Well hey, you never know. A woman can dream, can't she?" She turned her attention back to Natalie. "Nat, are you going to help me or what?"

"Tootie, you're perfectly aware I'm right in the middle of organizing my sock drawer."

"Oh come on now. You're a writer. You can think of a more creative excuse than that," Tootie nagged.

"Give me a second will you? You know how I crumble under pressure."

Tootie continued to whine. "I don't know why I even bother. You guys just don't appreciate my artistic merit."

She stomped out of the room with Natalie following close behind, throwing her hands in the air. "Okay Tootie! Okay. You guilted me into it as usual."

Tootie stopped and looked back at her friend. "Great! You can read the part of Mother Superior."

The silence returned and Blair sat looking out the window.

"What have you got goin' tonight?" Jo asked. "Are you seein' Ron?"

"Yes," Blair sighed. "And as usual he's late picking me up."

She can be so cute when she sighs, Jo thought to herself. But I hate the way that jerk treats her. It's like she's an afterthought. Blair deserves to be treated like a lady.

"Do you have any plans tonight?" Blair inquired.

Jo couldn't help but stare at the blonde as she looked just stunning in her red cocktail dress. Her hair sparkled like champagne as it was caressed by the light of the reading lamp. The tomboy was in awe of this woman and it was becoming harder to suppress her growing feelings.

"Home base to Jo," Blair said as she waved her hand past her best friend's face. "Why are you staring at me?"

Jo blinked and quickly came back from her reverie. "Oh...uh, sorry. I was just thinking about somethin'."

"Are you thinking about Ted?" Blair lilted.

"Yeah, sorta."

"I don't blame you. He seems to be a nice guy."

"Yeah, he is," Jo mumbled halfheartedly.

"I can see you're just overwhelmed with enthusiasm," Blair cracked.

"We're just friends. We're not datin' or anything."

"And he's never tried to make a move on you?"

Jo shook her head no.

Blair wondered to herself how the guy could possibly resist. Jo was so lovely. "That's odd. Could he be gay?"

"Blair-"

"Not that it matters," the heiress added. "The Warner family is involved in many social circles and we are pretty progressive in our views." For Pete's sake. Why am I babbling? she thought to herself.

"Blair-"

"It's just that you're so attractive I can't imagine why he hasn't tried to sleep with you." Oh shit. I can't believe I just said that. The social butterfly blushed and her throat was suddenly dry.

Jo's throat felt like the Gobi Desert as well, and her stomach did little flip flops. "Uhh...well..."

A horn beeped outside saving both women from their awkward moment. "R-Ron's finally here. I'll see you later." Blair jumped from her seat and hurried out the door.

After the car drove away, Jo sat alone and befuddled, muttering to herself. "What was that about? Eh, it probably doesn't mean anything."

Jo and Blair had been friends for nearly five years but their relationship always had an element neither one of them understood. Their frequent arguments were impassioned and they could drive each other nuts. The pair were opposites in every way, yet constantly drawn together. When the chips were down, they had each other's back no matter what.

After years of longing looks and stolen glances, Jo was starting to realize the depth of her feelings for her friend and it scared her. However, the thing that scared her more was the thought of not having Blair in her life. She sat with her feet up on the coffee table once again, just thinking. The more she pondered over it, she wondered if she picked fights with Blair because she didn't know what else to do with her emotions. Perhaps she resented Blair for making her feel that way.

"No wonder I can't sleep at night," Jo grumbled.

Blair wasn't faring much better. The red two-seater drove leisurely down the street to the center of town. Ron had opened the moon roof and his neatly cropped mullet moved slightly in the breeze. He and Blair drove in silence with Blair staring straight ahead, caught up in her thoughts and the hypnotizing patterns of the street lights.

"Blair, what's wrong with you?" Ron asked.

"Nothing really."

Ron wasn't convinced and his gun metal eyes were full of questions. "Did I do something to upset you?"

"No. I'm just tired and I can't shake this headache," Blair answered as she reached up to rub her stiff neck.

Ron grinned. "When we get to the theater I hope you don't fall asleep like you did last week. Your snoring's kind of loud."

Blair looked at him for the first time since she got in the car. "Ronald Fredericks Jr.," she scolded. "I do not snore and you know it."

"Now there's the Blair I know," Ron said with a chuckle. "And no, you don't snore that I'm aware of, but if you spend the night at my apartment I can find out for sure."

"Look Ron, I already told you I'm not interested in that."

Ron brought the roadster to an abrupt stop then quickly pulled over to the curb. "That's it. I've had it," he snarled.

"What are you doing?"

"I know who you're interested in, your friend Jo."

Blair's mouth dropped open in exasperation. "What did you say?"

"I mean I always figured she was a dyke, but you Blair?"

"Ron, what the hell are you talking about?" The heiress shrilled.

"Oh, come off it, Blair. Everyone knows Jo has a thing for you. And I've noticed the way you look at her when you think nobody else is watching," he sneered.

Blair felt her stomach drop and her thoughts began to race. How does he know? Can he really see it? She took a deep breath. "Jo and I are friends and that's all," she said emphatically.

"Silly me. Now I get it. Why would you want to sleep with me when you're already in Jo's pants?"

The slap that landed across Ron's face was quick and sharp. He sat dumbfounded for several seconds until the sting in his cheek brought him back to reality.

"You can't get away with this!"

"I just did," Blair announced smugly.

"You'll be hearing from my lawyer!"

"Get over yourself you big oaf!" Blair shouted as she climbed out of the tiny bucket seat, slamming the door.

"In case you didn't notice, Ms. Warner, you're right in front of the bus stop. Put it to good use!"

"Shithead!" Blair hollered as the car screeched away. Her nose wrinkled at the scent of burnt rubber.

"No big deal," she said aloud. "I'll just call a taxi."

She rummaged through her handbag, sifting through assorted cosmetics. "Oh crap. My wallet's in my other bag." Blair then came to another realization; there was no pay phone around. She snorted in frustration and began to walk up the street, neglecting to notice the sizable crack in the pavement.

Blair felt a sharp pain in her ankle when the heel to her designer pump broke. Immediately following the pain, she spouted off a couple of unladylike expletives and would've embarrassed herself if she hadn't been so angry. "Ron, you jerk," she grumbled as she hobbled her way back home. The heiress was grateful the argument broke out after they'd driven less than two miles.

Blair arrived back home and entered the kitchen with slapdash hair, a swollen ankle, and a furrow on her brow. Jo was looking through the cabinets for snacks when she looked up and saw her friend limping. Her face froze in surprise and concern.

"Hey, are you okay?"

The heiress winced in pain with each step, her lips thin and tense with anger. Ron had pissed her off for the last time.

"What happened?" Jo put Blair's arm over her shoulder and helped her to sit at the table.

"I...he...oh...that jack ass! We had an argument and he left me at the curb."

"Why didn't ya call me? I woulda picked ya up."

"I had no money. I left my wallet in my other bag and there was no pay phone around."

"See Blondie? This is what ya get when you're hung up on your handbag matchin' your shoes," Jo teased.

The blonde cracked a smile. "For once Jo, I agree with you but I still didn't expect to need my hiking boots."

Both women laughed.

"So is this the end of Ronald Fredericks Jr.?" Inside, Jo hoped the answer was yes.

"You'd better believe it. How could he kick Blair Warner to the curb?" She sat tall in her chair and flipped her hair in mockery of her younger self, ending with a short giggle.

"I dunno Princess. He just didn't know how fortunate he was to have ya. You're uh...you're an okay person."

The two women locked eyes until Jo cleared her throat as a diversion. The atmosphere too intense for her comfort, she began digging around the freezer.

"Uh, let me get some ice for that ankle of yours. Does it hurt like hell?"

"It's not too bad."

Jo gingerly lifted Blair's leg onto a chair, placed an ice bag on her now bruised ankle and wrapped it in a dish towel. Blair was moved by how gentle Jo was. Part of her expected Jo to tell her to be tough and suck it up, but she was very caring.

Who was Jo exactly? When they met she was an ill-tempered delinquent with a chip on her shoulder. She then blossomed into a beautiful, empathetic young woman with endless facets that Blair was continuing to discover.

"Want some aspirin or somethin'?"

Blair was lost in thoughts of Jo as she toyed with her broken high heel.

"Yo, Blair!"

"Huh?"

"Aspirin?"

"Oh. No thank you Jo. You're very kind," Blair replied with a tender smile.

"I'm very kind?" Jo shook her head, not believing what she just heard. "What? I remember a time when ya woulda told me to get away from ya with my grimy grease monkey hands. Are ya sure you don't need that aspirin? You must be delirious with fever," Jo cracked.

Blair shrugged. "People change, Jo."

"Yeah," Jo softly smiled. "I guess we do."

The two women looked at one another with a lingering gaze, each wondering if it was just a little too long.

She is so beautiful, thought Jo. Messy hair, bruised ankle and all.

The shirt she's wearing catches the color of her eyes perfectly. She has no clue how stunning she really is, Blair thought.

"Can I make you a cup of tea? Anything?"

"Isn't Ted coming over tonight? Don't you have to get ready?" Blair inquired.

"What's to get ready? Pour chips in a serving bowl? Ted and I aren't the finger bowl sort. I think I can manage," Jo smirked.

"Jo, you're something else. I'm still trying to figure out what," Blair snickered.

"You're a riot, Blondie. A real card," Jo said as she looked intently into Blair's whiskey colored eyes. She was searching for something, but not sure what. Cautiously she touched her fingertips to the back of Blair's hand. At this very moment, Jo was overtaken by feelings for her friend. There was so much she wanted to tell her and she didn't know where to begin.

"Blair, I...um-"

"Blair, what happened?" Mrs. Garrett hurried into the room.

"Oh, hey Mrs. G. We didn't know you were home," said a startled yet relieved Jo.

"I just got here," the older woman answered as she began to inspect Blair's leg. "Did you sprain your ankle? Are you all right?"

"It's feeling pretty sore but I'll be okay. Jo gave me some ice." Blair smiled at the resourceful brunette.

"You need to elevate it better than just on that chair," Mrs. Garrett chirped. "Let's get you settled in your room so you can rest it."

Blair went willingly, knowing from past experience any argument would be futile. She looked back at Jo as they were leaving. "Did you have to tell me something?"

"Never mind. It wasn't anything," Jo replied, waving at her to go ahead.

Blair wasn't so sure that was true but she exited the kitchen, leaning on Mrs. Garrett for support and hobbling all the way.

Jo felt like a bungling fool as she muttered to herself. "Polniaczek, are ya insane? Keep your mouth shut. This is Blair and she's out of your league. She has an endless array of men at her door. Men! What the hell would she want with you, a misfit from the Bronx? Just forget it and move on." Jo had already endured many heart breaks and disappointments in her lifetime. What was one more?