He would still surprise her."Well, I thought of buying you a car in case you survive Driver's Ed. But Mom refused to raise my allowance two thousand p...rcent. So I settled on a postcard for the next time your parents cut you off from the phone." Meany! Anyway, you are on the other end of most of my long phone calls. Tell me! I'll leave the car without kissing you if you don't." She withdrew the threat when it didn't work. Their kiss was long and sweet, worthy of sending Brian off to war.. She handed me the mug and welcomed me to her apartment, saying she had recently broke up from a long relationship, and needed some extra cash, so had rented the other bedroom. She returned to her room. Another hour or so passed, my girlfriend and I were fooling round on the sofa in front of the TV. Her flatmate came into the kitchen in an amazingly short black dress with a pair of heels on a pair of black thigh high boots in her hand, "Which ones?" she asked, "Well show us". She put down the. 'Betty!' She said her grin turning to laughter. 'I just had to see who had my daughter in the biggest flap I've ever seen. What have you done to her? Her garbled explanation isn't making sense.'I quickly told Betty what I'd said and how we met.'I thought you might be the young man from last night. She told me a bit about you but nothing to expect this. Tell me, are you always so impetuous?''Never!' I replied honestly, 'but once I'd taken that first step it just sort of snowballed. I kind of. But I must interview the lad, myself, before I can pronounce a cure (if cure there be) for this condition." Sir Edric nodded in understanding and at once sent for young Alaric. "Tra-la-la-la-lah!" sang young Alaric, as he flounced into his father's Audience Chamber. "Good morning, Pater!" he continued in a high falsetto. "Good morning, Mater! Good morning, Strange Man with the Beard and the Spectacles (which haven't even been invented yet)!" "Harrumph!" Edric rumbled. "Ah, good morning....