At about ten o'clock I heard a knock at my door. Going to the door onlydressed in a short nightgown, I looked through the peep hole. It wasHector. ...e was carrying flowers. "He had come to apologize," Ithought. I flung open the door. "Hector you're here. I prayed you'dcome. Are those for me? Thank you," I gushed as I took the flowers tothe table. I was arranging them as he started talking. "I'm sorry I hurt you lastnight. I should have not have called Karina over. That was unkind. . I popped one in my mouth. “Yum! You want some?” I asked Steph. “Sure,” she said, reaching for my full palm. I turned away with a teasing smile. “Ah ah, no, not like that. Open your mouth.” She frowned at first, puzzled, then she broke into a smile. “Like this?” she said, opening her mouth wide. Seeing her tongue sent a shiver through me. I wanted that tongue exploring me. Giggling like a kid, I tossed a berry into her mouth, and she giggled in turn. “Good?” “Awesome, really.” I popped a couple. I pushed June to the back of my mind, into the compartment labelled rejections. In my teens I'd had many, virtually all of which were now forgotten, so one more was going to make little difference. Looking back, those rejections helped mould my opinion of the opposite sex.During the rest of the year, I rarely thought about June for more than a few seconds. On the second of January Paul rang, wanting to meet up for a pint and regale me with his Spanish break exploits. His local was our usual. "Hi Joe, how are you doing today?" the young woman asked. "Where, how, what's going on, why can't I see you, I mean, how come...." "Easy Joe, you'll hurt yourself, I'm a Genie, just like on the TV show. I am here to grant you a wish," she explained. "But I didn't find a bottle or rub a lamp and how did you get in my mirror" "Well, I'm a Genie, that's how I got in your mirror and I was sent by the woman you helped last month. Remember stopping and changing the tire for an elderly woman on that.