They’re interested in us as a package. Bring that up in conversation and see what management says.”In the end, she didn’t get what I was making,...but still got an almost thirty-five per cent raise. She was really happy, for about a week.We were coming back from a piece on women’s rights. She was quiet, withdrawn, and had been for several days. “What’s going on, Jen?”She roused herself, looking confused. “What?”“You’ve been ... off, for several days now. You’ve got something heavy weighing on. "You owe me a shift's worth of sleep," the stern looking guard said across from the lift."Sorry," Ferro said automatically. "Was Riata really that bad?" Squalled like a baby and beat the shit out of a few inanimate objects," he said. "I hope you don't like modern art. There isn't much of it left on this level."Ferro thought about tossing out some stereotypical gibe about emotional women or clueless men, but he held back his first impulse."Thank you. I take care of it right away."He walked down. The second man stood there and watched until the car had disappeared and then he turned and headed for the back of the lot where he got into Barb's car.He and Barb slid toward each other and began making out. After about five minutes of necking they both got out of the car and I expected to see them walk back into the bar, but what they did was get in the back of Barb's car. I know it sounds stupid, but until that moment I had been telling myself that Brandon had misread things, that Barb loved. If everyone wants to go wash up I can put everything on the table,’ Janey said. ‘I got the wash basin first,’ Ren said and headed for the bathroom. Janey gave Nicky a fresh helping of food then set about putting the cooked food on the table and hurriedly setting out plates and cutlery. She left a place setting on the bench for Brent if he should turn up. By the time she was finished the others were returning from washing up and began to take their places at the table. ‘I’m starving,’ Ren said.