I am Baaack! Part 1

Yes, I suppose we could come.All right.Yes, we'll be right over." She snapped the phone closed. "That was one of our clients. His system has just had a major meltdown, and he wants us to fix it.yesterday. I'm afraid we have to leave." She and Ed got up to leave. When Rose started to rise also, she gently pushed her back into her chair. "You're enjoying yourself, honey. You stay here and have your fun evening. Joan will bring you home. Won't you, love?"

Joan laughed. "Of course." And to Rose, she said, "Salielah and I will make sure that this big lug remains a perfect gentleman!"

Pretending to be offended, Adain drew himself up straight in his chair. "Of course! As I always am with a charming and beautiful woman. I will treat Rose as if she was a part of my.family." The pause, and the frown Joan gave Adain because of it, passed completely over Rose's head.

"But, what about my surprise?" she replied to Ed and Lou.

"Don't worry, honey," said Lou, placing her hand on Rose's shoulder. "You'll find out before the evening is over. You'll enjoy it; just trust us, honey."

"Okay," said Rose, "I'll see you two later."

"Yes.later," said Ed, grinning.

Rose watched her two best friends in the world leave the restaurant. The thought never entered her head that she would never see the two again. "Aren't they great!" she exclaimed to the three others left at the table.

"Oh, yes," replied Adain, "great." There was a big smile on his face.

Several more drinks and much flirting later, a thoroughly buzzed and very happy Rose announced that she thought she'd better go home now. The next half hour was a blur in her memory, as Joan and Salielah took her to the ladies' room, then helped her on with her wrap and guided her out of the restaurant. There was a big Mercedes limousine at the curb, so she imagined Adain must have called for it while she was in the ladies' room.