"OK, let's go to work," Orlie said. "Alex, would you carry out all these covered dishes and put them -- right out there -- on that big table?"It soon ...as obvious to me that Maria's earlier assurances that Paul would never even notice me at the picnic were pure invention on her part. If Paul hadn't seen us when we arrived, he certainly couldn't miss my presence as I made repeated trips out into the yard, delivering copious quantities of food.And I figured that Paul would also notice how. ”The difference in pronunciation wasn’t lost on me. I tried to “remember” what I already knew about pictsies, but I could come up with nothing other than they’re flying, mischievous humanoid creatures of some kind.The elf sighed, noting my puzzlement. “A pictsy is a small, mischievous type of fae creature. They can go invisible at will, usually know a bit of magic, and some can even inflict a kind of insanity. They’re about one or two feet high, and have wings like a butterfly’s or insect’s,. . ‘Not often enough!’... “Later.”... ‘Hey, Your girl has this boy going crazy!’... “Good!” Then she hung up!The next call was to Tina. “When are you coming home?”... ‘We just finished up today.’... “I’ll send a plane!”... ‘Okay.’... “Christine is coming right?”... ‘Almost positive!’Meg called Connie and asked if she could pick Tina and the rest up? She said they were coming back tonight! “Call them and ask them can they be ready? They are in Chicago at Boeing. Here is the number, call them!”Meg. "What's on your mind?" he asked me."Would you like to join us for dinner tonight?" Icouldn't believe I was asking him."Dinner?" he said smirking. "Is that all?" He was goingto make me beg for it.There was an uncomfortable silence. I thought of mygirlfriend and said it, "Would you like to fuck mygirlfriend tonight? Please." He grinned an evil grin. "See that wasn't so hard was it?I knew you were one of those, I could just tell," he saidmaking a gesture with his thumb and finger of an inch ortwo,.