Summerabbacat

I like @weinerdog assumed Dad had the same-sex attraction. What a truly remarkable man, husband and father. The oft quoted adage "if you love someone enough you will let them go" I have always thought such bullshit, likely written by someone who had never experienced love. In this case it proved to be true. When Mum mentioned Nancy @weinerdog I assumed it was a typo and should have read as Megan. Perhaps @gdaniel can clarify this for us. A delightful conclusion (almost) to this story. I look forward to the epilogue, which I will read shortly.

@gdaniel I certainly knew at the age of 12 that I was not attracted sexually to girls at all, but was attracted to boys. At the time my parents were married to each other and my father was, and still is, very religious so I knew it had to be kept a secret. I was not engaging in any sexual activity with other boys as it was rural Australia and it was only 1976 and I was somewhat naive, not to mention dorky with glasses, braces on my teeth, acne and body hair, the latter of which very few boys my age had to the same extent as me. Music was a safe haven, although in hindsight my musical tastes were stereotypically gay too e.g. ABBA, Donna Summer, KC & The Sunshine Band, Silver Convention and anything else with this slightest hint of disco to it.

I loved and continue to love it. I had already seen the video for 'I Still Have Faith In You' and wept profusely at how beautiful the song and video were. Frida has always been my favourite member of ABBA and to hear her wonderful, heavily accented vocal (one of the most appealing aspects of ABBA for me) on a new track, was something I did not think I would ever hear. I watched many Youtube videos of people reviewing and commenting on the new album, and the one thing they all had in common (apart from being ABBA fans) was that they wept with joy, which of course turned my bucket of tears into a torrent. I think 'Voyage' is a natural progression from 'The Visitors' which I thought was a masterpiece, on par with 'Voulez-Vous' and almost as good as 'Arrival'. I bought it on CD (2 copies) and on black vinyl. I was a little surprised by the inclusion of 'Just A Notion', an outtake from the 'Voulez-Vous' recording sessions as it does not really "fit" with the rest of the album, but I did not care as anything by ABBA is welcome. I have two disappointments with the album; the first being that the gorgeous 'Just Like That' was not completed and included on it (I have the incomplete outtake of this song on the 4CD boxset 'Thank You For The Music' and have always believed it to be a song with major potential); and, the second being that the album is only 37 minutes in length. I have consoled myself with the fact that it is 37 minutes of sheer perfection, rather than a few good songs and the rest being filler. I shall stop writing now as I could go on forever about the impact the album has had. Suffice to say, it is my favourite album since the release of 'The Visitors'. ABBA and Donna Summer were the absolute pinnacle of joy for me as a teenager growing up in rural Australia. ABBA were more popular than God in Australia at the height of their fame. The reverence expressed for them in 'Muriel's Wedding' and 'The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen Of The Desert' I remember well as a teenager. Before their resurrection with 'ABBA Gold' I regularly attended ABBA nights at a popular gay pub in the gayborhood in Sydney. I had one friend in particular, now deceased, who worshipped them like I did. He met Frida when he went to Sweden in 1982 and he said she was delightful. He had some lovely photographs of her too with him and a friend, also now deceased.

Whilst reading this chapter I had a song from my youth on constant rotation in my head. The song, 'I Like It Both Ways' by Supernaut, was a massive hit in 1976 in my native Australia by a band from Western Australia. At the age of 12 I knew what the song was about, but had no appreciation for the potential "difficulties" faced by persons in such situations. It was all about the sex at that age of course. When one reads a story such as this one can observe the potential "difficulties". In this story, someone is likely to get hurt as not all parties are aware of what is going on, and it looks like it is going to be Nancy. Well written as usual @gdaniel. You do have a way with teenage angst.

Marc please arrange for a police guard on Simone. Nothing would surprise me as to how low Jonathan and Maggie may stoop. I think the "real" Maggie will emerge once she and Jonathan are confronted with the news Marc is May's sole beneficiary. The downtrodden doormat wife dressed in those fucking peasant skirts and blouses (what a wonderful stereotype @Libby Drew, almost as good as Jonathan in his cream linen suits 🤮🤮🤮) is a facade. Simone's comment Maggie is an "ingrate floozy" keeps ringing in my head. It will not surprise me if Maggie is the brains behind the operation (humanitarian work puhlease) and when confronted with the truth her true colours will be shown. Sawyer's mother sounds like a piece of work too. Something else Sawyer and Marc seem to have in common. Both spawn of selfish, self-centred "mother's". How terribly sad for Paul; he was obviously aware of his daughter's indifference (at best) and yet he still helped her. I hope Sawyer appraises Finn of what their mother is really like; she has seemingly been far more successful in manipulating Finn and turning him against her father than what she has been with Sawyer. She may also find herself friendless, or at least, both her sons may have some questions she will not like having to answer. Brilliant chapter @Libby Drew. The anticipation of success built slowly and reached near "boiling point" before Bruce's wonderful exclamation about finding "this little ditty". I thought this was such a clever move on your part, end the tension with a dash of humour and frivolity, and who better to deliver both in spades than Bruce. The best news though was the finding of a "missing" chapter, with two more to go plus an epilogue. The best surprise since the release of Abba's first album in 40 years in 2021.

You must have been speed reading @Dan South, either that or you are retired and snowed in wherever you live. That is very impressive. I certainly appreciate your sentiment; when I started reading it was addictive (like good quality dark chocolate, my favourite music or cuddling a feline). @Libby Drew is certainly a very talented and entertaining writer.

Several of my fellow readers have expressed the hope that Maggie has a copy of the new will and that she will deliver it at the last moment in an attempt to repair her relationship with Marc. I cannot help but remember Simone's description of her as "an ingrate floozy". Simone did not strike me as someone who would harshly judge another without justification, therefore, I cannot see Maggie "turning over a new leaf". I think Maggie's number one concern is Maggie. I doubt she is the doormat she appears to be; I suspect she is no more or no less than Jonathan. It was pleasing to see a thawing in the relationship between Sawyer and Finn. I daresay Sawyer's revelation that it was their grandfather who pulled Finn from the water and prevented his drowning will be the catalyst for some soul searching on Finn's part. Perhaps their mother is not what each perceives to be either. A relatively tame chapter @Libby Drew, but enjoyable nevertheless. I am still quietly confident the will will be found, although it may be by accident rather than design, especially if it is hidden in the red photo album or the secret room in Sawyer's home.

I am convinced now @danalford is correct. There is a signed copy of the will in the red photo album. Donna Summer visited me again @Libby Drew during this chapter. This time it was 'Love To Love You Baby', the perfect first-time-fucking (whatever that may entail) song for any gender combination of more than one person. Now for my first negative comment regarding this story. There are only three chapters left. This will just not do Libby. Your literary talents have created a vast hunger and thirst in your readers', a hunger and thirst you have sated to date, but it is not a hunger and thirst we will be to "just turn off". It, the hunger and thirst, needs continual replenishing to keep us alive.

Aunt May and Paul Steinbrick. Well I did see that coming, but I thought he was the "great love that got away". Rick proved to be far more than the sum of his parts. His comment about the internet being for more than just watching porn is one I have made on occasion to deliberately shock some very uptight, prim and proper, acquaintances. Even the men feigned shock, which I thought was total bullshit. Simone has a wonderful sense of humour as evidenced by her description of Maggie as that "ingrate floozy niece of hers" and of Aunt May "she was old Marc, not dead". What a hoot. I also loved the comment she made in passing at the end of their visit; clearly she was wise to the true nature of their relationship from the get go. What a vital and enchanting woman. I still think @danalford may be correct. Check the red photo album Marc and Sawyer, the will could be hidden there somewhere. This very amusing chapter was a welcome respite from the intensity of the past couple of chapters @Libby Drew. I feel quietly confident that justice will prevail and Marc will be able to kick Jonathan and Maggie to the kerb, just as Simone hopes he is able to. I hope she has at least a guest starring role in several of the remaining chapters. It is easy to see why she and the pistol, Aunt May, would have enjoyed each others company. And I looooooooooooooooooooovvvvvved the fact Simone was growing pansies in her garden. I think they are the most undervalued flower commonly grown. They come in such a vast array of colours and have big bold flowers for their size. I love them, much as I do fuchsias and hibiscus. My grandmother grew them in rural NSW, Australia, when I was a child/teenager and I have wonderful vivid memories of them, much like the memories of my grandmother whom I adored.

Another brilliantly written, believable and wonderfully entertaining chapter @Libby Drew. I am betting that if the more recent will is found, and I think that is almost a near certainty, Heidi Strobler will rejoice. When Marc revealed the nature of his relationship with Sawyer "her lips turned up in a small smile". My fertile imagination immediately went into overdrive. Heidi Strobler "petite middle-aged woman in a dark blue suit and matching pumps.... Wire-rimmed glasses framed a sharp face with large, shrewd eyes" in a professional capacity by day; bare-breasted, tattooed, leather-clad dyke on a bike in her private life by night. If Heidi is by chance a lesbian I hope she reveals this to Jonathan and puts him in his place, or better still awakens Maggie's inner lesbian and she leaves Jonathan (and she can ditch those fucking peasant skirts and blouses too). Such delicious irony. I think @danalford may be onto something. The red photo album well may be a place Aunt May has hidden a copy of the more recent will. I'm also revisiting my previously raised speculation that Sawyer's grandfather may have been Aunt May's lover. Some comments she made regarding him in the first chapter and the fact she referred to him as Paul, seem rather intimate to me now. She also told Marc that her lover returned to Edgewood after having been away for some time and reconnected with her in the hope he could change her mind. He may have left Edgewood and returned with his young bride, who ultimately left him because she was aware his love belonged to another. I too think Marc's predicament may bring Sawyer and Finn closer together. I am sure fault lies on both sides regarding their fractious relationship. I am more convinced after this chapter that Jonathan's humanitarian work is a fabrication. He is a property developer who has invested heavily in China and owes a significant amount of money to some very shady lenders i.e. the Chinese mafia. The real estate boom has burst in China and his very life is dependent on more cash to pay off these shady lenders. Maggie is a doormat certainly, but don't let that pathetic downtrodden wife in a peasant skirt and blouse fool you. She knows exactly what is going on. It would not surprise me at all if her intention is to take the money and run, leaving both Jonathan and Marc penniless. A very strong visual image emerged in this chapter for me @Libby Drew as opposed to the musical soundtrack of the last two chapters. The witches from Hamlet were chanting in my brain at various times "Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble", hopefully as a precursor to the ill wind which will envelop Jonathan and Maggie.

O.M.G. @Libby Drew Kate's 'Get Out Of My House' was playing in my head at such an intense volume at the start of this chapter it almost caused me to fall off my dining chair. What a showdown between good and evil, truth and dishonesty, humility and arrogance, beauty and ugliness. @Doha expressed my sentiments perfectly "Marc's father is a single-minded, domineering man. His mum is a doormat." Given Jonathan's behaviour I find it difficult to believe, although not impossibly so, he is so altruistic. Unless Marc has witnessed his parents engaging in humanitarian work, I am very sceptical this has been the reason for their prolonged absences from his life. Perhaps I am reading more into this than what you intended @Libby Drew, but I believe it may be quite telling that you have written "Marc understood that his parents had dedicated their lives to humanitarian causes, but their work had done nothing to temper his father‘s controlling nature. He didn‘t have a humble bone in his body". The word understood implies to me that this is something Marc has been led to believe is the case, hearsay in fact, when in fact it may not be. Sawyer, Sawyer, Sawyer! What can one say about his "performance" in this chapter, but sexy, sweet and all so sassy. He was magnificent in his interactions with Jonathan and Maggie, his acerbic responses worthy of Rosalind Russell as Auntie Mame. She came to mind very quickly as Sawyer's responses barely disguised the contempt he felt for both. And what a surprise (NOT), Jonathan is a narrow-minded bigot when it comes to homosexuality. Sawyer is going to have fun with that; perhaps he can invite Bruce to join them. And if Finn proves to be the ace up Marc and Sawyer's sleeve that others are predicting, then we are in for fun times. I want to see Jonathan and Maggie working in the equivalent of Wal-Mart and living in a trailer park in Texas. They will be able to do their "humanitarian" work a little closer to home. I hope Marc turns his back on both of them, permanently.

O. M. G. @Libby Drew you have surpassed your previous high standards with a chapter so rich with colour, language and provocations, my head feels like a whirling dervish. A myriad of emotions awash with a soundtrack of beloved songs had me swooning whilst reading this chapter. "MARC woke to a dark room, lit with the pale light of a crescent moon. The house was quiet, but something had awakened him. Not a noise. A presence. When a shadow in the doorway shifted, Marc smiled. “I thought you‘d never get here.” For just a brief moment I envisioned Stevie Nicks at Marc's door, resplendent in lace and calling forth 'Rhiannon'. Marc's revelations regarding Aunt May, the man who loved her and she him, and the sacrifices she made for his own mother and for him, saw Stevie joined by the incomparable Lana Del Rey. She and Stevie harmonising on Lana's epic 'Beautiful People Beautiful Problems' was the perfect backdrop to the discussion. Marc and Sawyer's sexual exploration, particularly its crescendo, galloped at the furious pace set by Donna Summer's seductive vocals on 'Could It Be Magic' (yes I know it is a Barry Manilow cover and Take That had a big hit with it, but for me IT IS, WAS AND ALWAYS WILL BE DONNA's song). The arrival of the unwanted found Kate Bush's ear-splitting, feral (a compliment on this occasion), banshee-esque vocals on her masterpiece 'Get Out Of My House', shattering the languid retreat from the ecstasy accompanied by Donna. And they are sooooo exactly what I imagined they would be, she in "a long, flowing paisley skirt and peasant blouse. A thick mane of curly, blond hair fell halfway down her back" and he a rude prick. I can almost smell the fucking patchouli oil on him. I always know when I have read something extraordinary @Libby Drew when music starts to play in my head or I feel a change in body temperature as a result of what I am reading (the latter always happens when I read Emily Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights'). And on a "lighter" note I don't know if it was your intention, but the statement “You seriously didn‘t just ask that, did you?” Marc surged forward and kissed him, swallowing Sawyer‘s soft exclamation of surprise" had me laughing hysterically. For a brief moment I thought "Sawyer's soft exclamation of surprise" was a euphemism for cock which Marc initially kissed before swallowing.

Such a heinous crime deserves the death penalty. Not only oak, but wide-plank oak to boot. I can only but imagine what a beautiful backdrop they would provide to my family of felines. Sheer purrrrrrrrfection.

I have pondered this too @weinerdog. People react to grief in many different ways, but surely there must have been some history of mental instability, alcohol and/or drug abuse on the part of Tanner's incubator before his father died. The only historical information we have is that Tanner said he and his brother loved each other and their father, and that the three of them had a great time together. I don't recall him mentioning what his incubator was like before his father and brother's death, which struck me at the time as somewhat odd. I think it is a very safe assumption Charlie will continue to deal drugs, he may just change schools or deliver them to children outside school hours. I envisage a scene where he and Tanner's mother drink, snort and/or inject just a little too much one time, or he in a crazed frenzy attempts to rape her and he kills her and then suicides, or he attempts to rape her and she kills him and she then has an epiphany at what she has lost and she suicides. Oh well, shit happens. Kudos to Ms M. She is one badass motherfucker, a word which on this occasion is most befitting.

I was thinking more along the line of STD's or HIV infection @gdaniel. I had not thought of the pregnancy risk because I thought perhaps she have been too old to get pregnant. Now that I examine that again I guess she could get pregnant as she may only be in her late 30's, an age when many women are now having their first child.

Why limit it to a throuple @pvtguy. Add Rachel to the mix and it could be a quad. In all seriousness a throuple of Bruce, Karen and Tim is more likely, although how that would work for Karen and Tim when they are work colleagues my be problematic, at least on Karen's part. I admired Rachel greatly for her candour. “You know what hurts the most about all this?” Could his mouth get any drier? Speechless, Sawyer shook his head. “That I won‘t have a convenient hiding place anymore.” She sought his gaze again. Sawyer was no coward. He met her stare. “But that‘s pretty unfair to Marc, isn‘t it?” I have thought from the very beginning the relationship between Marc and Rachel was not as it seemed, that it was to an extent a cover for both. I do believe both have a genuine affection for each other, but a lust driven frenzy it was not. "And Marc…he’s got a bit of the same, okay? Part of him is always going to be that little boy that wasn’t wanted, no matter how hard he tried to be perfect. Just keep that in mind.” Marc's parents have really done a number on him. If they have the audacity to show their faces in town again I really hope they have a 'Come to Jesus' moment with the ghost of Aunt May. I am still undecided regarding Rick. I think perhaps he is a little envious of the others in the team that they seem to bond with each other far better than he. He may well be a little lonely and this latest episode will only reinforce that sense of isolation. Then again he may be a bit of a redneck and have a problem with Marc being gay.

I agree with @pvtguy: Aunt May's death will be the catalyst for the real Marc to emerge. If there is any gossip or backlash I think Reba and most likely Rachel will sort them out. Reba was not at all surprised to find Marc and Sawyer in a "position" of amore, and whilst Rachel was I don't think she will be as upset as what one might have expected. I think her feelings for Marc are more akin to that of a good friend. He was her confidante, a shoulder to cry on. I envisage she will emerge as one of his biggest supporters, particularly if there is any small-minded behaviour by any in the town. I think Rick may be surprised, but I really don't think he is a homophobic redneck; he is just a little crude as suggested by @weinerdog. If Marc's sperm donor and incubator do return to town I don't think they will be welcomed by anyone with open arms. Methinks they will be as welcome as what Finn was. If Sawyer is made aware of their behaviour they had best watch out as I don't think he would have any qualms in telling them exactly what he thinks of them. I like @weinerdog's suggestion of what Marc could say to them. I am intrigued now by who Aunt May's mystery paramour was. I hope we get to find out who he is/was @Libby Drew (hint hint). At first I thought it might have been Sawyer's grandfather, but then realised Marc would surely have known him by then as Marc attended the party as a child at the age of 10 at which Sawyer was present.

When Charlie entered Tanner's bedroom and made the accusations he made and then started coming towards him, I feared Tanner was going to be raped by him. When his mother subsequently entered his bedroom two nights later I was almost certain he was about to be raped, possibly by Charlie while his mother watched or by his mother alone. What his mother did to him was certainly horrific, but I feared it was going to be much worse. Tanner's mother needs to spend time in prison for what she did, although I would much prefer it if Brian's mother was able to exact retribution beforehand. I am aware of the biblical proverb "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" @gdaniel and on this occasion justice meted out in such a fashion would not trouble me. The baseball bat used to inflict the injuries on Tanner could be deployed again, although on this occasion I would like to see it well splintered first. If used effectively Tanner's mother may not get to experience the "pleasures" with her boyfriends again and Charlie may not be able to sit down for a very long time if ever.

A delightful chapter, with Matthew and Tommy enjoying each other as something more than just friends for the first time. Perhaps if they share this within the group of friends it may be the impetus to propel Brian and Tanner into action. Matthew's dad is a star, just like Brian's mother. Kissing. Mmmm I am with the boys on this one. Love it as long as there is no facial hair (not always practical of course) as I hate getting "beard burn".

I think some of my fellow readers have been a little harsh in their assessment of Sawyer's behaviour. He is as much out of his comfort zone as is Marc. Marc has him at a disadvantage as noted by Finn; Sawyer is not used to being attracted to or in a relationship with anyone who is not out. I am not attacking Marc by any means, but any interaction of a sexual nature he has had with Sawyer has been on his terms, completely private. Sawyer has "agreed" to this for Marc's comfort, but at what price to his own sanity. Sure he may have been a little self-indulgent in this chapter, but he has indulged Marc ever since he arrived in Edgewood. My response to Aunt May's death can be summed up in two words, "Oh fuck". I don't want to appear insensitive, but her death may be the kick in the ass Marc needs to move forward with life. Either that or he will withdraw completely. It will be very interesting to see in what direction our author will lead us. It will also be interesting to see if Aunt May's death heralds the return of Marc's parents

Like @gdaniel I am beginning to lose patience with Marc and his reluctance to accept himself and act on it. The comments he made which @drsawzall alluded to were certainly very sad, but he has to move on. I assumed his parents spent their lives travelling the world, but @drsawzall speculations that they are lost to drugs or in prison make more sense. A number of my fellow readers have also alluded to the relationship between Sawyer's grandfather and his mother. I seem to recall Mrs Singer mentioning Mr Steinbrick's young wife leaving him and taking their daughter with her. I don't think one can draw any inference from that comment. There may have been any number of reasons, including but not limited to, she met someone else and left him or he was abusing her and she left him. Was he much older than her? Perhaps given Mrs Singer's reference to her as his younger wife this was the case. Like Sawyer, I am prepared to give his grandfather the benefit of the doubt. Finn's comment that Sawyer deliberately misled him and their mother regarding his intentions for the Steinbrick home really rankled me. Sawyer does not owe either of them an explanation as his grandfather left the house to him, and if Mrs Singer's other comment that Sawyer was the only one who ever visited him, then that decision seems fully justified. If Sawyer's mother is upset he intends to retain the house and live in it, then she needs to behave like an adult and address this issue with him herself, not bitch about it behind his back, if this is in fact what she has done. If the house holds unpleasant memories for her, then all she needs to do is not visit. Quite simple really. Reba also annoyed me in this chapter. It is admirable she also "looks out" for Marc, but she needs to rein in her mothering at times and realise some things really are not her business. A great chapter @Libby Drew. For the first time since starting to read this story I felt a growing impatience with Marc (get out of the fucking closet, you are 27 years old). I am also becoming increasingly curious about Sawyer's family too. His home life may not have been the "bed of roses" I first thought it to be, particularly when compared to Marc's (apart from Aunt May of course). Fortunately, there was still plenty of humour to counterbalance my impatience and annoyance.

Aunt May is clearly far sicker than what one could have foreseen, so much so that she wanted to willingly go and see the new Tom Cruise movie. And here was me thinking she was a woman of taste. I suppose even Aunt May is entitled to one lapse of judgment. In all seriousness though, the increasing forgetfulness and the screaming blue murder on the footpath outside the doctor's clinic tend to suggest something akin to dementia. Bruce warned Sawyer about locking his front door. Had he done so he could have ignored Finn and let him think he was not home. Finn certainly appears to be everything Sawyer said he is; manipulative, spoilt and egocentric. His acceptance of Sawyer's sexuality and the fact he did not try to use his knowledge of it to gain favour surprised me. After reading this chapter @Libby Drew I am as curious about Sawyer's parents and his maternal grandmother as I am about Marc's sperm donor and incubator.

I have to agree with my fellow readers who have commented that both Reba and Tim are on to Marc and Sawyer. Reba is already running cover for them. Tim has been a dark horse to date; methinks he might be an equal opportunity lover like Bruce. The secret staircase would stay a secret if it were up to me to explore it. No amount of curiosity would make me overcome the claustrophobic confines of the staircase. Aunt May is being very foolish, but at her age (I am guessing she is in her 70's) she has the right to be if she so chooses. Hank found her passed out near the letterbox on her back and confused. I suspect she either is having attacks of vertigo (hideous believe me) or she had a mild stroke. If the latter, it could be a warning of further strokes to come, one of which could be fatal. I have to wonder if she may know more about her health than she is revealing too. @Libby DrewI felt somewhat claustrophobic when reading of Marc and Sawyer's descent into the lower floors of the house. The tension was palpable for me, even the jesting between Marc and Sawyer was not enough to ease the tension. Fortunately they came out alive, without having encountered any were creatures or vampires (perhaps that is a plot line for a later chapter).

The photograph preceding this chapter is breathtaking @Libby Drew. Before I even read your comment which followed I half expected to see Laura Palmer’s body floating in the water. I have observed an unattractive trend of not only punctuality on the part of the humans who fill the landscape of this story, but also those who dare to be early. First the attendees at the Steinbrick estate sale and now in this chapter, Bruce. Where is the respect for tardiness amongst this lot. Sawyer is a man after my own heart. Punctuality should be discouraged at all costs. Paul Bunyan. I had not heard of him (I am an Australian). After looking him up on the ‘net, the image of Bruce was very vivid. The Paul Bunyan archetype seems to be quite popular in American porn, although he has had a makeover with a sleeve of tattoos on one arm at least. You have a marvellous sense of humour @Libby Drew, evident again and again in this chapter (and prior chapters), never more so than with: “Why didn‘t you knock?” They reached the bottom of the steps. Bruce‘s disapproving stare was ruined by his half-smile. “I did. Several times.” Sawyer held up a hand. “I didn‘t hear you.” “Well, you were having a private moment in the Star Wars room, so that‘s understandable”, and “Bruce ignored the temper tantrum. “Drove through it to get here. It‘s so fucking cute, I almost vomited. By the time I turned off Main Street, I was craving a three-bedroom mortgage, a wife, and a puppy. Can you believe that?” Consensus is that Bruce is hot and definitely worth following. He certainly has a wonderful sense of humour and a very quick wit too. I dare say if he remains in town he will have some of the women, and quite possibly some of the men, under his spell. Luckily for Bruce he won't have to make a choice on the basis of gender from amongst the pickings.

@Libby Drew never has shade been so deliciously descriptive, although without any real malice, than with “Based on how his day had begun, he shouldn‘t have been surprised when it was Sasha who appeared. As usual, her skirt barely covered her ass and her T-shirt clung to her chest with enough gusto that the people in the next county could see she wasn‘t wearing a bra. Pretty to look at, if you went for that sort of thing. She was sweet, actually, and not stupid. It was a shame nobody had ever helped her see that there was life after being crowned Homecoming Queen.” Rachel appears to be sweet, but the “chemistry” between her and Marc isn’t going to ignite any fires. Perhaps it is a lavender relationship for not only Marc, but for Rachel as well. Or in her case, Marc may be arm candy to ward off any interest from unsuitable suitors, whom she would likely be very wary of given the treatment she apparently received at the hand of a former boyfriend. "She sniffed at him. “Hello, Marc. Excuse me, please?” She clacked by in her three-inch heels and started up the stairs. Rick, on his way down, plastered himself to the wall until she passed. The poodle growled as it trotted by, and Rick snarled back, then jogged down the last few steps. “If I get a chance to step on that thing before we finish here, I‘m taking it. Just letting you know.” “Get in line,” Reba said." For a brief moment I thought Rick was referring to Mrs Kennerdale as the “thing” he wanted to step on (or was it wishful thinking on my part). I am not fond of yappy dogs, but could not forgive myself if I hurt one (unless it was attacking one of my beloved felines). Dare I say the yappy poodle is a mirror image of its human companion. Marc leaned back over the banister. Tim‘s pale face greeted him from the floor above. “Man, you have to talk to Mrs. Kennerdale. She decided she wants me to paint the molding in the library.” He gripped the railing. “It‘s freaking mahogany.” WTF. This woman has nooooooooo taste. She would probably lay carpet over polished floors. Forget the yappy poodle, it should be her that Rick and Reba (gotta love that name) quibble over stepping on. She must meet the same fate as Eddie in Rocky Horror Picture Show. Perhaps Karen can inflict the fatal blow with one of her heels.