"What?" Amanda said in exasperation, then turned to Cindy. "What's he saying?" I think he's saying," Cindy said, going a shade paler, "That your ring ...s worth more than what we spent together." She put her glass down and turned her fork around so the tines were facing down. "Alright big guy," she said sweetly, "Here's how it is. You're gonna spill your guts, or I'm gonna stab you in the leg with this fork."Her statement caught Corey by surprise so much he laughed champagne out his nose. The. .. AND?"The tone of voice caused David to look up from his paper and he realized what she was talking about, what she was expecting. "Oh Christ honey, I'm sorry but look I'm not really up for THAT tonight." When David? When are we going to finally deal with your complete lack of intimacy?" God damn it Joan I don't have any lack of anything, I'm just tired tonight and now I'm going to bed. Goodnight." David, we're going to have to deal with this sometime!" Alright, fine, but not tonight."Joan. That course was palaeontology. She began university when she was seventeen and six months of age and at twenty nine she had gained a doctorate in her subject. She had noticed on a palaeontologist’s map the spot marked “Fossil Hills.” On enquiring about the place she was told of the original find and on asking what work had been done there the answer was a shrug and the statement, “Very little, it didn’t look too promising and there’s plenty of other work to be done.” Karina’s interest was. So I did.I fixed us both cups of coffee, then began to tell Mona all about what Josh had told me about what he and his buddies were doing overseas, and how what he’d encouraged me to do.“You can’t be serious, Susan!” she gasped. “Are you really telling me Josh wants you to fuck other men and send him videos of you doing it… so he can share them with other men over there?”“That’s exactly what I’m telling you, Mona,” I said.“God! And are you considering it, Susan?” she asked.“Not just considering.