‘I’m so glad you decided to stay and sit here with me’ rambled Claire. ‘It would have been yet another lonely weekend in my flat and I’m in a celebrity mood today…’

‘Don’t you mean celebratory mood?’ asked Bill, instinctively correcting her grammar instead of letting it slide.

‘Celebratory…? No celebrity…’ giggled Claire. ‘I just received news that your local radio station has agreed to play my demo on air. Angela at the office suggested that I send it in after I mentioned that I was an amateur singer. Isn't it just wonderful...?’

Bill wanted to point out that the station routinely did this, but insightfully bit his tongue in time…

'I'll have to listen out for that track then, won’t I?’

‘Ooh!’ continued Claire ‘Sitting here like this reminds me of the times I used to booze it up with my old friend Debbie – In my younger days of course’ she quickly added, signaling the waitress to bring yet another round of drinks.

Bill felt the generation gap stretch that much wider.

‘I was supposed to go home for the weekend, but my car wouldn’t start this morning, so I had to make an appointment with the mechanic for tomorrow you know…’ she explained as Bill took the last gulp from his beer mug. ‘I had to take a cab to work today.’

‘Oh…’ responded Bill sympathetically, ‘it’s probably just a small fault. I could probably check it out for you if you’d like’ he offered, before realizing what he was saying.

‘Oh… could you…’ pounced Claire. ‘If it’s not too much trouble…’

‘Well…’ he backpedaled.