His mother helped him get started, and five years after he got out, the Crossroad Diner came alive. It had once been a country store on the intersecti...n of two county roads.People got a lot more mobile since the building was built. By the year two thousand there were few cars passing through to buy gasoline. Even fewer buying the other items stocked by the store. So the owner was happy to rent the building to Joshua. No one thought that people would show up to buy food in a country diner? But. Sally told me. He’s talked about nothing else since you came.’ ‘Really,’ she said preening herself, ‘really,’ she added thoughtfully. ‘But what about Sally. I don’t want to come between them.’ ‘I’ve spoken to her,’ said Jo, ‘before we came down. She knows how you both feel and she doesn’t mind. She even fancies you a bit herself, not that she’s ever been with a woman.’ She laughed, ‘Perhaps you can ‘cum between them’.’ ‘You are terrible Jo,’ she laughed back, then seriously, ‘she doesn’t mind?. ‘The little fagot is interested in women’s things, like cooking and cleaning,’ Michael sneered. ‘There’s nothing wrong with a young man knowing how to cook and clean. It could come in handy,’ Jessica said. ‘For what? For when his wife leaves him for fucking another man?’ Michael asked, rolling his eyes. Craig looked embarrassed and like he wanted to cry. ‘Craig, why don’t you come help me for a minute,’ Jessica suggested. Craig looked at Evelyn who nodded her approval and Craig followed. Still, the Ship didn't acknowledge him until he sat on his couch. Yes, Prime? she said, her mental voice sounding ... odd, perhaps a bit too formal as she immersed him into her mind.Jeff settled himself more comfortably into the couch. There was a slight hesitation before it snuggled to him. Shrugging mentally, he thought to her, I was curious as to how my AI was able to detect you when you came back? I know you're capable of preventing any of our technology from alerting to you.Again, there.