"Don't be," I replied. "I'm not, best thing that's ever happened to me." I didn't know if it was a pick up line or just part of the conversation. We c...hatted more and when he asked what I did, I told him. He looked a little stunned when I told him. He abruptly changed the subject, I could tell that he was uncomfortable talking about it. We drove and talked for a little while longer when I told him that I was still half asleep, and needed a cup of coffee. I pulled into the drive through, ordered. Sure, she knew about Samantha’s ‘warm’ side, but based on past experience, she didn’t expect Samantha to show it to anyone involved with the Foundation.“So two things have happened. I’ve been invited into Jeri’s inner circle that consists of Alec Glass, his daughter Lisa, and Samantha. And that means developing relationships with them. Alec Glass called to invite us to dinner, and also to verbally invite us to Lisa’s wedding in August. We’ll get a formal invitation in the mail soon. I told him. If she had been less forthcoming at the reunion dinner, I would very likely still be in my Penthouse-only mode.And if she were less beautiful, less desirable, and a few hundred more miles out of my life, none of this would matter very much at all.So I just continued the pattern of violating Shirley's privacy, and went over to see Herm and Betsy, to talk about Shirley some more, behind her back. I gave them a moderately abridged version of our conversation at my place -- deemphasizing Shirley's. My family lived five hours drive away in the West of England and I was due to be working both the day before and the day after Christmas. "Nothing," I replied lamely. This was completely true. I was having Christmas Day at home in the flat on my own. I'd also worked eighteen days in row and quite fancied a day just sleeping, even if it was Christmas. "I'd love you to come here and have Christmas with me," she said. "Are you serious?" I replied, thinking this was just a lovely idea best.