Not in her wildest imagination did she ever imagine she had the nerve of doing that. “No,” he said. “I worship the ground you walk on. You trea... me no different from another human being. And I respect your parents,” he ended. His words only filled her with what she had felt all this while whenever around him. It hit her with such force that she reached up and kissed his cheek. “Dammit, don’t do that Marie, please,” he said, pulling his head away from her. Marie was hurt and confused. She. I noted every female patron entering the bar. That girl is to skinny, that ones tits are too small, that one is with a dude, that one is too old. It went on like that for a few minutes until I saw a generous girl with a flowered skit walk in and look around nervously. I stood up, caught her eye and motioned for her to come over. As we met I pretended like we were old friends. I held her in an embrace, spoke her name and turned her 180 degrees so that my back was to the bar shielding her from. He told her that he had heard some time ago that she lived in the area. When he got transferred here, he had called her parents, and they willingly gave him her address.I never did like her parents."Well, I'm glad you did, it's so good to see you again. Come on in and sit down, may I get you a drink?"She took him by the hand and led him to the couch, which was on the other side of the room from where I sat. I wondered if she would ever get around to introducing us. She seemed to have lost sight. " He gestured towards bust ofHarris. "You recognised both of those instantly. I am pleased to seethat those years in Scots College and Oxford were not passed in an idledream."Point taken. He had done his research and the small talk was now over.He continued. "I had expected rather less of a real estate man in thisbenighted backwater."And I had better watch my fucking step. Check. Point taken.He seemed pleased that we were communicating. He took the lead and wepassed through several equivalently.