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11{\*\bkmkend _Toc138726720}{\*\bkmkend _Toc143679041} \par }\pard\plain \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8145904 \f36\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {\insrsid8145904 \par After a fitful night, Stan got up in the morning feeling tired and somehow unkempt. A shower and a shave later it was only tiredness, but Stan couldn\rquote t get the grittiness out of his eyes. His 20-20 hindsight was telling him that there were all sorts of things he could have said last night, the most important of which would have been \'93Can I take you out for a drink next week?\'94 or something similar. In his wildest fantasies Anne invited him in for \lquote coffee\rquote - an invitation that would maybe then lead to lovemaking. \par \par But then his doubts came back in full force. Anne was beautiful, why\rquote d she want to go with him? Surely she already had a boyfriend, maybe more than that? She was far too intelligent for him, he\rquote d never be able to keep up. She was }{ \cs16\i\insrsid8145904 so}{\insrsid8145904 beautiful\'85 \par \par Stan\rquote s thoughts went back and forth like this for a while, gradually intermixing and becoming more chaotic. Suddenly he looked at his watch. Uh \endash oh. It was already after eight thirty! Stan was late. Time to move. \par \par Stan ruthlessly suppressed all thought of Anne for a while as he frantically got ready for work. In any event, he needn\rquote t have worried. Bob had left a message with Elaine that he was going to be late too \endash one of his daughters had had a minor but messy accident and had needed to go to hospital. As Stan entered his office he knew he\rquote d have to stand in for Bob, doing a lot of his work this morning. So it proved, and Stan was immensely busy for the first couple of hours. \par \par \par Stan looked up as Bob entered. \par \par \'93Hi Bob, how\rquote s Mary?\'94 \par \par \'93Oh, that daughter of mine\rquote s a trial, but she\rquote s fine, she\rquote s fine. Silly girl managed to drop a cast iron saucepan, she tried to cushion the fall by putting her foot under it!\'94 \par \par \'93She okay?\'94 Stan asked, concerned. \par \par \'93Oh, yes, she\rquote s in pain, but there\rquote s nothing broken and the hospital\rquote s provided her with painkillers.\'94 \par \par \'93Did the doctor say any more about the injury, Bob?\'94 asked Elizabeth. \par \par \'93No, not much. \lquote Nothing broken, just soft tissue injury. No long term consequences.\rquote was the gist of it.\'94 Bob replied. \par \par \'93I wouldn\rquote t think there\rquote d be any long term problems Bob,\'94 said the older lady. \'93I know I haven\rquote t practised for a long time, Bob, but simple injuries like that don\rquote t change over time. She\rquote ll be fine, Bob.\'94 \par \par Being a former nurse, albeit a long time ago, her reassurances made Bob feel better, even though the doctor at the hospital had said much the same. Stan brought him up to date with the latest dealings and got on with his own work \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\pnrdate0\pnrnot1\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8145904 {\insrsid8145904 \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8145904 {\insrsid8145904 It was lunchtime before Stan knew it. He stood up and stumbled into the canteen, hoping to catch sight of Anne. His hope was not fulfilled. \par \par Today\rquote s main meal offering was spaghetti carbonara, allegedly. It was edible and cheap, but Stan suspected that a true connoisseur would have blown a gasket. Some fruit squash and a cup of coffee later and Stan felt better, at least. \par \par Stan resolved to head straight to the design lab, but was intercepted by one of the salesmen with a customer problem, and before Stan knew it he was fully back in work mode. \par \par It wasn\rquote t until later in the afternoon that Stan was able to get free for a few minutes. Before he could move, Elizabeth came into the office and called, \'93Wait a moment please, Stan.\'94 \par \par Stan, who had half risen, sat back down again. \par \par Elizabeth sat at her desk. She leaned forward and told him, \par \par \'93A little birdy in Personnel tells me that it\rquote s Anne\rquote s birthday tomorrow. Have you got her anything?\'94 \par \par \'93Er, no!\'94 Stan thought for a moment, and then continued, \'93I\rquote ll have to get her something tonight. God knows what. I need to get a card, and think about wrapping paper, and\'85 wait a minute. Why\rquote d they tell you it was Anne\rquote s birthday tomorrow?\'94 \par \par Elizabeth looked a little smug. She said, \par \par \'93Your face yesterday told me all I needed to know. Whenever Anne walks in the room you take notice. Also, you two have been, well, \lquote getting along famously,\rquote since last week. Elaine noticed it too. You }{\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 know}{ \insrsid8145904 what the speed of gossip is, Stan! \par \par \'93So when Faye in personnel saw me, she \lquote Just Happened To Mention It\rquote . Like I said before, Stan, it\rquote s a good job you let us organise things for you!\'94 \par \par Stan was dumbfounded. What did Anne think? Does she know? In fact\'85 well. \lquote Better to ask a question of Elizabeth than to court disaster through ignorance,\rquote he thought. \par \par \'93Does }{\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 Anne}{\insrsid8145904 know this, do you think?\'94 he asked her. \par \par \'93I\rquote m supposed to say something like, \lquote Only if she\rquote s not blind and stupid\rquote , Stan,\'94 she told him, gently, \'93but in this case I think she\rquote s as blinkered as you are.\'94 \par \par \'93Really?\'94 Stan didn\rquote t know what to think. Was that good or bad? \par \par \'93Mmm. So, when you give her the card and present that you\rquote ll be buying and wrapping tonight, you can ask her out as well, can\rquote t you. Perfect opportunity, Stan. }{\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 Take it!}{\insrsid8145904 \'94 \par \par Stan grabbed his forelock with his right hand, looked down and said, \'93Yes, ma\rquote am!\'94 \par \par }\pard\plain \s17\qc \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8145904 \f36\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {\insrsid8145904 - - - - - - - - - - \par }\pard\plain \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8145904 \f36\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {\insrsid8145904 \par \'93Bob, is it okay if I leave a little early today \endash say, about four o\rquote clock?\'94 asked Stan in mid-afternoon. Bob didn\rquote t seem overly surprised by the request. \par \par \'93Sure, Stan. No problem.\'94 Then Bob turned back to his work, and Stan did the same. \par \par \lquote Either he\rquote s oblivious to all around him as well or he already knows, just like Elizabeth. In the first case it\rquote s bad because he\rquote s supposed to be the people person of the two of us; in the second it\rquote s bad because }{ \cs16\i\insrsid8145904 everyone}{\insrsid8145904 seems to know that I\rquote m smitten, except Anne,\rquote Stan mused. \par \par He paid a visit to a jeweller\rquote s and a car d shop, then went home to write out the card and wrap the present. Thinking of what to write took a long time. In the end he started writing on scrap paper to see how it looked, and made several attempts, throwing each of them away. Finally, inspiration h it, so he wrote down the words that had sprung to mind on scrap paper to see how they read. Then finally, he wrote the card before spending some time wrapping the present carefully. \par \par When he\rquote d finished, he looked at the wall. He knew he still loved Caron, he always would, but now it seemed she\rquote d given him the freedom to move on without hurting or slighting her. He felt her love for him as fresh as the first day, that first day on which they\rquote d known, just completely }{\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 known}{\insrsid8145904 , that each loved the other and that they\rquote d be together. But instead of allowing that love to draw him inward, closing him off, he felt Caron encouraging him, \lquote }{\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 Take a chance, love. Live again. Love again. I\rquote ll always love you, don\rquote t worry.}{\insrsid8145904 \rquote \par \par His eyes full of tears and with a lump that felt like a football in his throat, Stan couldn\rquote t say anything. But he felt better. His love for Caron was unbroken, but now he knew that it didn\rquote t mean he couldn\rquote t love someone else. Someone who had blonde hair and intelligent, shining eyes. \par \par }\pard\plain \s17\qc \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8145904 \f36\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {\insrsid8145904 - - - - - - - - - - \par }\pard\plain \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8145904 \f36\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {\insrsid8145904 \par On Wednesday morning, Stan called Pat, the Design department secretary. \par \par \'93Pat, is Anne free at all today?\'94 he asked. \par \par \'93Hang on a moment Stan\'85yes, she should be. There\rquote s no meetings or anything planned for her group this afternoon,\'94 the ever efficient Pat told him. \par \par \'93I need to see her about three o\rquote clock, will that be okay?\'94 asked Stan and Pat confirmed \'93She\rquote ll be free for most of the afternoon, Stan, she should be in the lab area, }{\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 all alone}{\insrsid8145904 .\'94 Pat ended her sentence with a smile that Stan could hear down the line. \par \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\pnrdate0\pnrnot1\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8145904 {\insrsid8145904 \'93Good luck, Stan!\'94 she finished before hanging up, which only inspired another bout of paranoia and doubt in Stan for a moment. It seemed everyone knew what was going on! \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8145904 {\insrsid8145904 \par As the day wore on, Stan felt increasingly nervous and excited. He couldn\rquote t sit still, he felt hot, and he couldn\rquote t stop talking. He wasn\rquote t making much }{\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 sense}{\insrsid8145904 a lot of the time, though. \par \par Elizabeth brought him a paper cup of water from the machine. \'93Calm down, Stan, you\rquote ll have a heart attack!\'94 \par \par Eventually, the clock wound its slow but inexorable way towards three o\rquote clock. Stan made his way over to the design lab, getting winks from Elaine and Pat on the way. He held in his slightly sweaty hand the small box, wrapped up in blue paper, and the envelope with Anne\rquote s card. \par \par As soon as he entered the lab he saw her. His breath whooshed out of him and he stopped involuntarily. \par \par Today Anne was not wearing her usual conservative wraparound skirt and blouse. Today she was wearing a black top and a short gypsy style denim miniskirt that showe d off her long, long legs to maximum advantage. She was standing with her back to Stan, leaning forward slightly. Stan couldn\rquote t help himself. He simply stared at her ass for a while. Anne\rquote s legs were long and her muscles were clearly defined yet feminine. Shaking himself, he approached the beautiful woman who had stolen his breath. \par \par He tried to say \'93Hi, Anne,\'94 but all that came out was a croak. Anne whirled around, eyes wide at the unexpected intrusion. She\rquote d clearly been concentrating on something, and was taken aback at being disturbed. She opened her mouth, but before she could say anything Stan blurted out, \par \par \'93Happy birthday, Anne. I got you a little something.\'94 \par \par Anne\rquote s mouth closed with an audible clomp. Her eyes narrowed, then her face cleared as she realized that Stan was holding something out to her in his right hand. \par \par Two things, actually. Anne felt her own face grow hot as she reached tentatively, out to take the proffering. Hand shaking slightly, she took the card and the box from Stan. \par \par She opened the box first. Inside lay a lovely white gold pendant with sapphires, on a delicate chain of the same metal. Her mouth open and dry, she held it up to her neck. Stan reached towards her, then stopped. Anne nodded, almost imperceptibly, then opened the cla sp before turning around so Stan could put the chain around her neck and fasten it there. Stan\rquote s hands were shaking as he attempted to do that, but eventually he managed. Anne turned around and looked at Stan, a question in her eyes. He returned the look wi th one of his own, full of doubt and uncertainty, before pulling himself together and saying, \'93Now the card, Anne.\'94 \par \par Anne slid a nail under the flap and opened the envelope. Inside was a simple card with a \'93Happy Birthday!\'94 message, but when she opened it she saw that Stan had written his own message inside. It read: \par \par }\pard\plain \s18\qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8145904 \i\f36\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {\cs16\insrsid8145904 You fill up my senses like a night in a forest \line Like the mountains in springtime, like a walk in the rain \line Like a storm in the desert, like a sleepy blue ocean \line You fill up my senses, come fill me again. \par }\pard\plain \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8145904 \f36\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {\insrsid8145904 \par The words are John Denver\rquote s, Anne, but the feeling\rquote s mine. \par Please, will you go out with me? \par \par Anne gasped and hesitated a moment, before she looked at Stan, then said, simply, \'93Yes.\'94 \par \par }\pard\plain \s17\qc \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8145904 \f36\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {\insrsid8145904 - - - - - - - - - - \par }\pard\plain \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8145904 \f36\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 \par Anne \par }{\insrsid8145904 \par The two sat next to one another in the lab. They were close, but not quite touching. Neither had said anything. \par \par Anne was furiously thinking. She\rquote d not been looking for any of this. After Daniel, she\rquote d sworn off romantic entanglements, preferring to throw herself into her work and closing off that side of herself. \par \par On Monday night she\rquote d thought Stan was going to say something, but when he hadn\rquote t, she\rquote d decided that she\rquote d misread things. She\rquote d waited at the door for a moment, but it seemed that Stan couldn\rquote t wait, virtually bolting down the path. So she\rquote d closed the door feeling sad, miserable, alone, and somewhat rejected. \par \par On Tuesday, Anne had woken with the conviction that she should put it behind her. She\rquote d worked with furious intensity before being pulled into a series of meetings. Anne hated these, feeling (with, she felt, some justification) that they were a waste of her time and skills. The last one dragged on to after five thirty. Percy\rquote s droning voice drove her to distraction, desperate to get out and get on with some real work. \par \par So she\rquote d gone home that Tuesday night frustrated. She\rquote d arrived home, changed, did a little housework, cooked herself a little pasta with a bottled sauce in the microwave and poured herself a large glass of white wine to go with it. \par \par While she was eating, she \lquote d thought about herself. Tomorrow, Wednesday, she\rquote d be 35. She\rquote d forced herself up through sheer ability to become a leader in the design group at The Firm, but her home life was a wasteland. She hadn \rquote t enjoyed physical love for almost a decade, relying on her fingers and toys. She hadn\rquote t been close to anyone emotionally, either, for all of that time, and more. \par \par She knew she should have made more of an effort to meet and enjoy the company of others, but not only did she tell herself that she was quite c omfortable on her own, but she was secretly still frightened. After the first time, Daniel had been subtle, ensuring that the blows fell where the marks wouldn\rquote t show or at least could be easily concealed. She\rquote d put up with it for two years before he\rquote d lost control, this time breaking her wrist. The young doctor had been horrified when she\rquote d seen the fading bruises, and Anne had poured out her soul. Proceedings had begun later that week. Daniel hadn\rquote t contested the divorce, as her solicitor had made it quite clear that if he did, charges would be pressed. \par \par For a long time she flinched away from physical contact with anyone, but particularly men. As time had passed, that had got better, but she still was wary of men. Many of them had the opinion that she had to have used her looks to get anywhere. This only reinforced her view that men were entirely optional and she'd much rather do without. On Friday and again on Monday night, Stan had seemed an exception to the rule. Then he\rquote d left her on her doorstep, scuttling off. He hadn\rquote t even been to see her today! \par \par The wine had made her woozy and not a little sleepy, so she\rquote d pulled herself up the stairs to bed. \par \par On that Friday, when she\rquote d been dressing for the \lquote Success Dinner\rquote , she felt so elated that she had needed to dress more freely. Over the weekend, she\rquote d realized that Stan had been right \endash she\rquote d slipped, and instead of hiding herself behind her professional persona, she\rquote d revealed herself. Today, Anne had woken up on her 35}{\super\insrsid8145904 th}{\insrsid8145904 birthday with a resolve to stop conc ealing herself. She had put on a little more makeup than usual, let her hair curl around her face, (some, annoyingly, kept straying across her eye) and pulled out a miniskirt she hadn\rquote t worn for over five years. When she\rquote d looked at herself in the mirror she\rquote d thought, \lquote You\rquote re not hiding any more, girl!\rquote and grinned at herself. \par \par Once again she concentrated on her work, almost (but not quite) oblivious to the looks she was receiving. Anne felt a little ambivalent about that, as she was still unused to }{\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 that}{\insrsid8145904 s ort of attention, but on consideration it }{\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 was}{\insrsid8145904 flattering! \par \par Eventually she\rquote d been bothered enough by her stray lock of hair that she\rquote d clipped it behind with a pair of combs. Lunch had been a sandwich taken at her bench in the lab, eaten one-handed while ad justing an oscilloscope and taking notes with the other hand. She noticed that she wasn\rquote t alone when she heard a strangled croak from behind her. \par \par Whirling around, she\rquote d been going to yell at whoever it was for startling her and breaking her concentration, when the intruder had wished her a \'93Happy Birthday!\'94 and she\rquote d realized it was Stan, standing there and managing to combine guilt and bewilderment in the one expression. Anne had smiled a little to herself when she\rquote d realized he\rquote d been looking at her behind. \par \par His face had cleared a little and he\rquote d given her a gift and a card. The gift was wonderful, a white gold pendant studded with sapphires that went beautifully with her skin and hair colouring. It was truly beautiful. Then she\rquote d opened the card. \par \par She didn\rquote t recognize the rhyme, but it was beautiful, too \endash and the question at the end took her breath. She\rquote d thought for a moment, wondering \lquote Am I ready for this?\rquote before simply looking at Stan and saying \'93Yes.\'94 \par \par }\pard\plain \s17\qc \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8145904 \f36\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {\insrsid8145904 - - - - - - - - - - \par }\pard\plain \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8145904 \f36\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 \par Stan \par }{\insrsid8145904 \par The two spent almost half an hour together, sitting close but not touching, saying very little. Stan had explained where the words had come from, \par \par \'93It\rquote s \lquote Annie\rquote s Song\rquote by John Denver. I remember it playing when I was a kid. I loved the lyrics then, I was about ten and it all seemed silly when I first heard it but later it was re-released and I loved it,\'94 and then he \rquote d sung a little to her, not too well- singing }{\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 wasn\rquote t}{\insrsid8145904 one of his talents! \par \par She\rquote d been able to recognise it from her childhood, it had been one of her mother\rquote s favourites. However, she had a request to make: \par \par \'93Stan, it\rquote s lovely. But I hate \lquote Annie\rquote . It\rquote s what men call me when they\rquote re being patronizing. You get away with it this time, but it\rquote s \lquote Anne\rquote !\'94 \par \par Then, Anne had almost whispered her \'93Thank You\'94 to Stan for the gif t and card, feeling almost shy, like a young teenager being asked out. Each tried not to be caught staring at the other for a while, stealing glances. Finally Percy had intruded, almost apologetically asking if Anne would attend yet another meeting with R ick and some of the Sales staff. \par \par Stan had stood, said \'93I\rquote ll meet you here at five, Anne.\'94 \par \par \'93Fine. We\rquote ll have to decide what\rquote s next.\'94 \par \par }\pard\plain \s17\qc \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8145904 \f36\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {\insrsid8145904 - - - - - - - - - - \par }\pard\plain \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8145904 \f36\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {\insrsid8145904 \par \par Stan returned to his desk, and was immediately pounced on by Elizabeth. \par \par \'93Well? How\rquote d you get on? What did you give her? Did you ask her out? What did she say?\'94 Elizabeth asked in quickfire succession. \par \par Stan thought for a moment, collecting information. \par \par \'93In order: Well! A white gold pendant. Yes! And\'85 }{\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 Yes!}{\insrsid8145904 \'94 he finally answered. \par \par Elizabeth froze, then her mouth dropped open. She finally squeaked \'93Stan!\'94 and came around the desks to throw her arms around him. Stan was more than a bit embarrassed, but hugged her back. \par \par \'93If you only knew how much I wanted you to do this! God!\'94 she told him, tears in her eyes, heedless of the rest of the office. \par \par \'93You\rquote re my son in all but name, and you were closed off to everything and everyone for so long after Caron. I\rquote m so glad I got Denise to intervene, and that you\rquote ve taken the first step to opening your life up again. You\rquote re a romantic to the core, Stanley Hinch. When do I get to see this pendant?\'94 \par \par More than slightly dumbfounded, Stan said, \'93Well, Anne\rquote s wearing it. But I think she\rquote ll be in a meeting until five. Can you wait until tomorrow?\'94 \par \par \'93Beast! You\rquote re such a tease. Oh well, if I must, I must. Now, what are your plans?\'94 \par \par Stan paused in realization. \par \par \'93Well, we don\rquote t really have any, yet.\'94 \par \par Elizabeth walked back around the desk and sat down. She gazed indulgently at Stan, and said, \'93But you\rquote ve asked for a date, and Anne\rquote s said yes.\'94 \par \par \'93That\rquote s right, but we never got as far as deciding what to do, or even when to do it. We\rquote re meeting at five to discuss it.\'94 \par \par \'93Well, what do }{\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 you}{\insrsid8145904 want to do, bearing in mind that it\rquote s a first date, you\rquote re a gentleman and wouldn\rquote t want to shock me?\'94 \par \par Stan laughed. \'93I thought }{\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 I}{\insrsid8145904 was supposed to be the tease? Well, I suppose somewhere a bit classy, where we can get a booth or a table that doesn\rquote t let everyone stare at us, and we can get a nice drink. Maybe some food. Um?\'94 \par \par \'93You\rquote ve got a little while, Stan. Think about it.\'94 \par \par So, Stan thought about it. They hadn\rquote t even decided if their date would be tonight or perhaps Friday or Saturday, but Stan knew }{\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 he}{\insrsid8145904 wanted it to be tonight. So it couldn\rquote t be late, or with too much booze involved. He didn\rquote t think he\rquote d feel hungry, but Anne might, and besides, it still wasn\rquote t four o\rquote clock, so who knew? \par \par \lquote Ah! }{\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 Tennants}{\insrsid8145904 Wine Bar,\rquote he thought. It had a small bistro restaurant, as well as the normal bar area. It didn\rquote t have booths, precisely, but the bar area was arrang ed to have a lot of nooks and crannies for at least the illusion of privacy, and it was dark enough. Overall the impression was\'85 intimacy. With the restaurant available as well, food wouldn\rquote t be much of a problem, and midweek it shouldn\rquote t be so crowded that they\rquote d have to book, well not now at least. \par \par \'93How about }{\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 Tennants}{\insrsid8145904 ?\'94 he asked Elizabeth. \par \par \'93It\rquote s a good place. I\rquote ve been there many times,\'94 said Elizabeth. She didn\rquote t exactly have a string of studs on call, but she did have an active social life: \'93There\rquote re miles on the clock,\'94 as she\rquote d said to Stan last summer, \'93and the chassis is more upholstered than before, but the engine still runs and I know how to take the curves!\'94 Sometimes Elizabeth could be outrageous, and Stan had roared with laughter, he remembered. \par \par \'93Anyway, Stan, I need a little help. Could you\'85\'94 and Elizabeth went on to describe a problem she had with a test she was running. With a sigh, Stan went back to work. \par \par Not soon enough, it was half past four and Elizabeth was saying \'93Good-bye and }{\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 Good Luck}{\insrsid8145904 !\'94 to him as she left. Stan kept on, tinkering with the test jig that Elizabeth had been using, trying not to think about the time. The minute hand of the clock seemed to take }{\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 forever}{\insrsid8145904 to climb up towards the twelve. \par \par Eventually, after an aeon, it did. Stan walked through into reception, where he had to run the gauntlet of Elaine. Normally, he didn\rquote t really mind, but this time he had somewhere to go! \par \par \'93Hi Stan, what are you up to?\'94 \par \par Stan hurried through, merely wishing Elaine a \'93Good night!\'94 on his way. He caught a glimpse of Elaine\rquote s wide, wide smile as he hurried by. \lquote She\rquote s another who knows far, far too much!\rquote he grumbled to himself, but he didn \rquote t really mean it. \par \par He had an oddball grin on his face as he entered the lab where Anne was standing, waiting for him. Her face lit up in an arc-light smile as she saw him, and he felt his spirit lift in response. \par \par Without words, they sat together as they had earlier in the afternoon. Each went to speak, mouths opening in unison, and they hesitated together. Finally Anne grinned and said \'93You first, then Stan. If I recall correctly, you asked me out\'85\'94 \par \par Stan couldn\rquote t help it, he blushed crimson. \par \par \'93Yes. Yes, I did, didn\rquote t I, sort of. Let\rquote s see if I can do it properly, then.\'94 \par \par \'93Anne, would you like to go out with me? Tonight? I thought we could go to }{\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 Tennants}{\insrsid8145904 .\'94 \par \par \'93Where\rquote s that, Stan? More importantly, }{\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 what}{\insrsid8145904 is it?\'94 \par \par This was NOT going as planned. \par \par \'93Um. It\rquote s a wine bar in town. I\'85 I\rquote ve been there a few times. It\rquote s got small tables and low light, so we can be private, and they do excellent food there, too, if you\rquote d like. It\rquote s er, sort of \endash well, cosy. We used to like going there.\'94 Stan had been }{\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 going}{\insrsid8145904 to say intimate, following his thoughts of earlier, but felt that was not }{\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 quite}{\insrsid8145904 the note he wanted for this early in the relationship. \par \par \'93Who did you go there with, Stan?\'94 Anne asked, quietly. \par \par \lquote Yes, that\rquote s right. It had, of course, been Caron.\rquote He looked at Anne, then his eyes unfocussed and he seemed to go away from her for a moment. He came back to her, looking her intently in the eye. \par \par \'93It\rquote ll be okay, Anne. It\rquote ll be fine.\'94 \par \par Anne didn\rquote t understand what had just happened, but she decided to file and understand later. In the meantime, she\rquote d take it at face value. So, she said, \par \par \'93Good. Then I\rquote d be glad to go there with you tonight. What time were you thinking of?\'94 \par \par \'93Oh, let\rquote s say about eight?\'94 Stan thought aloud. \par \par \'93That\rquote s fine. What sort of place is it. I mean, is it dressy?\'94 \par \par \'93Well, it\rquote s not like }{\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 Apricot\rquote s}{\insrsid8145904 , but it\rquote s not a spit\rquote n\rquote sawdust pub, either. So, you\rquote ll want something nice, but not flashy, I guess. If it helps, I\rquote ll be wearing a shirt and a sports jacket, no tie.\'94 \par \par Anne grinned. \'93That\rquote s good, Stan. Now, what }{\cs16\i\insrsid8145904 colour?}{\insrsid8145904 \'94 \par \par \'93Grey jacket. I don\rquote t know what colour shirt. Or anything else at the moment. I\rquote m not sure I know my own name! Did I tell you that you\rquote re beautiful?\'94 \par \par \'93Flatterer! Now go! Go on, I need to get home and get ready for my date tonight. Shoo!\'94 \par \par Stan went, his smile wide, his eyes bright. He had a date with Anne and Caron still loved him. All was well with the world. \par \par }\pard\plain \s17\qc \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8145904 \f36\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {\insrsid8145904 - - - - - - - - - -}{\insrsid11292439 \par }\pard\plain \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8145904 \f36\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {\insrsid8145904\charrsid8193564 \par }}