I stared at her; she did not flinch, features rapt in the spectacle. How it came to me, I do not know but a powerful impulse commanded me. So engros...ed in the view across the quadrangle, she did not make her usual enquiry on my every move. Picking up my digital SLR camera, I scampered back to the lounge. Marianne remained motionless and awestruck at the blinds. Switching it on, the anticipation welled as a fillip to my heartrate; I could not remember if I drained its battery. Nerves. An hour or two later we heard a knock at the door. Some guy showed up, she whispered it was number three from her "trolling expedition". She wanted him to join us. She was going to go to a ship party with him the next day. I said it was okay, and we all slept together with nothing happening. The next day I dropped them off on Hampton Boulevard near Old Dominion University. I called my ex and asked if we could talk, and she said yes. I went over, we talked and somehow her robe fell open. We made. "Ain't giving back nothin'! 'Giving back' implies that I was 'given' something in the first place by THIS bunch. All I did was get born and show up here." What about your Dan and Mizz Helen and Mister Jim and Mizz Aneeta?" I pushed."Good point, but those are people who just do their jobs. My job is to make the universe a better place. If I don't do this, then I'm failing in my mission." Your mission is to build a weapons system that will punch holes in people miles away."She fixed me with those. I'd like that." Yes. Promise. I'll come here or to your flat. Wherever you are, Dave." And she stood up, and stepped closer and leant over and kissed my head. "Just get better, and I'll see you tomorrow." And she just turned and walked out.I sat there in stunned silence. I'd never thought that this could lose me Davinia. I thought I'd protected her from this stupid relationship with Lucy. Surely I couldn't lose her over something so meaningless?I was still feeling the unfairness of it all when.