They were in Jr's apartment, and looking around Thalia saw that the layout of the rooms was similar to that of the layout in her apartment. She had been expecting a lair of masculinty, a mans den , but what she got was a homey feeling. He had warm colors and his place smelled nice, there were even a few plants in his window. 

Jr sat Thalia and the kids down at his table, then pulled the pre-cooked ingredients for the tacos out of his fridge. Thalia had been a little worried that her children would misbehave, but no they were being perfect angels. She wanted to know what magic Jr had woven over them.

Like he did last time, Jr played waiter, charging ridiculous things as payment. 

" For that sir, I will require you to count to twenty," he told Theo, or," and you young lady, do you know your alphabet, ? Well then one taco will cost you an alphabet,"

The children giggled, and paid up. 

" What about mama?" Terry asked him.

" She didn't cook today so she has to pay," Theo said, quietly, and Jr marvelled at the memory on the boy. He was going to let her off easy, but then he decided to be cheeky.

" Mama has to give me a hug," he said grinning at her. Thalia scowled at him and he just kept smiling innocently, like he had no idea what he'd done wrong.

"hug him mama, " Terry said, " he made you tacos so now you have to hug him."

She couldn't exactly say no, ok fine, technically she could, but she didn't actually want to. She wanted to hug him, even if she knew she shouldn't.

Jr didn't give her a choice, he pulled her chair out, then pulled her into his arms, and gave her the hug of all hugs. Complete with squeezing of the ribs, lifting of the feet, and spinning of the woman. Thalia squealed as her arms wrapped around his shoulders even tighter, and her children giggled.

He smelled really good and thalia gave in to temptation, just this once and burrowed her face in the crook of his neck as he spun her around. He finally set her down but didn't release her, and with much regret she unborrowed her  face from his neck. She tried to step out of his arms but he wouldn't let her go. He just smiled down at her.

" Are you going to kiss her?" Terry asked, breaking the silence, and dousing her mother with some metaphorical cold water. Jr grinned at Thalia, and for a moment she honestly thought he would actually do it. But he stepped back and then turned to Terry, " No, but maybe i'll kiss you, !!" and so saying her he attacked her with kisses, making her squeal much like her mother had. 

" Eeeew cooties!!" Terry yelled wiping the kisses off her face. Jr feigned outrage, gasping as he placed a hand on his chest.

" I do not have cooties young lady!!" he argued back.

" Yes you do!! You're a boy!!" she argued back. Well technically he was a man but he supposed to Terry they were one and the same. So as punishment he attacked her with kisses all over again, then sent her to her brothers, yelling " attack!! give them cooties!!"

Thad and Theo jumped from their seats and fled, running around Jr couch as Terry held her hands out to try and catch them, so she could give them cooties.

" Cooties huh?" Thalia asked smiling at Jr.

He looked at her and she recognized the mischievious gleam in his eyes. She had three children, her mischief radar was one of the best, so she slowly started backing away from him. He grinned, at her and then he pounced. He caught her, and threw her onto the couch, then commanded her children to " attack, give her all the cooties, all of them!!"

Her children were obedient little soldiers, and they attacked their mother kissing her everywhere, Jr cheering them on in the background. " Good now tickle her!!"

" No, no stop, please, stop" Thalia wheezed, as her children tickled her. The one saving grace was that other than holding her legs down so she couldn't escape, Jr kept his hands pretty much to himself.

The children only stopped tickling her , when Jr told them that they had done a very good job, that mama was now well and truly cootified. And it was time for dinner.

Thalia was panting and trying to catch her breath, but  she was smiling, she hadn't had that much fun in a long time, and from the looks of it, the children had enjoyed it as much as she had.

They sat down again and wolfed down their tacos, and for some reason all through dinner Jr kept smirking every time he happened to look at Thalia, it was almost like he knew something she didn't.

He did know something she didn't. He'd messed her up, and he couldn't be happier than if she had kissed him. There were tendrils of hair that had fallen loose from her bun, her skirt was now well and truly wrinkled, and her blouse was untucked on one side. Yup. He'd messed her up, ok fine he had gotten the minions to do his dirty work for him, but it didn't matter, she was wrecked, and that was all that mattered.

After dinner, Jr let the children sit on his living room floor and gave them a large puzzle to work on, then he sat down on the couch with their mother.

" What?" she finally asked him. She had to know why he kept smirking at her.

" Oh, nothing, " he replied nonchalantly. Thalia narrowed her eyes at him. She knew he was lying to her, but she let it go.

" What are you doing tomorrow?" he asked her.

" Probably nothing, quiet day in."

" So here's the thing, i was wondering if I could borrow your children. There's this movie I really want to see, but i'm too old, so..."

Thalia smiled, " I should make you go alone, "

" Woman you are cruel,. So what do you say, can I borrow your children. You can come too if you want,."

Thalia smiled at him, she was actually having a little difficulty figuring out if he was being serious, half serious, or not serious at all.

" I reeeallly want to see this movie" he pleaded one more time, and Thalia finally relented and told him he could borrow her children, but she'd have to come with, there should be at least one adult, she explained.

Jr mentally hive fived himself for the second time that day.

Date number two, check.

That evening he and Thalia talked a little bit and watched the children figure out the puzzle, and much too soon for Jr it was time for them to leave. It didn't matter that they lived right across the hall, he didn't want them to go. So he followed them, to their door, and when Thalia turned around to say goodnight and thank you for dinner, she was met with a pouting puppy faced Jr, and she laughed.

" Oh my goodness you big baby, fine yes you can come read them a bed time story,." she relented. He'd been pleading with her and she'd been telling him no, because she actually wanted the children to go to sleep and she had a feeling that wouldn't happen with uncle Jr reading to them. They would be too excited.

Jr gave her such a big beautiful smile, it was worth the extra effort it would take to get the children to fall asleep.

He children hugged her so tight it was worth the headache it would be to wake them up come morning.

Thalia made sure they washed their faces and brushed their teeth, then she got them into bed and finally let uncle Jr read to them.

They loved it, and like she expected, having uncle Jr read to them, excited them more than it soothed them to sleep.

" One more story please mama!" Thad wheedled. But she stood firm, that had been their second bed time story, she was cutting them off for the night.

She shook her head, and was glad when Jr got up from the chair he'd been sitting in, and said to them, " no more stories for tonight, we have to save them for another night,. Now go to sleep."

The children nodded and said their goodnights , then held their little arms out for uncle Jr to hug and kiss him goodnight, and then they did the same for their mother.

Thalia walked Jr to the door once she'd turned off the childrens lights. He stopped at the door, then turned to face Thalia.

She opened to say, " thank you for dinner and reading to them,. Have a good night. We will see you tomorrow," but only got as far as "thank y.. "because Jr wrapped one arm around her waist then pulled her into his body. And then he kissed her. Thalia was too shocked to respond to the kiss, though her arms did find their way to his shoulders and her eyes did close in bliss as soon as his lips made contact with hers.

He was gentle with his kiss, gently pressing his lips to hers as he held her close. And then he stepped back and smiled at her. Thalia was frozen, good frozen, but still frozen. A man had just kissed her. Correction. A hot man had just kissed her. 

" You kissed me," she stated the obvious.

Jr grinned, " yes,."

" Why?"

He chuckled and instead of answering her, he lowered his head and kissed her again. at her lower lip this time, asking for entry which she unknowingly gave.  He let his tongue play a little with hers, before tracing the outline of her lips. And then he stepped back.

" Good night Thalia, I'll see you tomorrow."

And then he was gone.

Thalia closed and locked her door then leaned against it as she tried to process what had just happened. Her neighbour had just kissed her, like a man would kiss a woman he was attracted to.

She her lip and whimpered.

She could still taste him.