I have my favorite places all over: the breakfast joints, the excellent little pubs where the cook doesn't know he could be a chef, seafood on the wat...er, dark-paneled steak houses. Different places for different moods, different company, different purposes.I was at a place I like to go for lunch when I am by myself. Great food, busy enough to be private if you know what I mean, good light for reading, excellent waitresses--a little older, confident without being brassy and dedicated to service.. .. she’s the only sister I’ve got.“Take it slow with the water ... little sips. Abby? Brandy?”I fetched. Daddy keeps a bottle of Richard Hennessy for occasions. I figured this was one. A splash in a snifter. Mrs Morris had an educated nose.“Oh my god...” A sip. “That’s possibly the best brandy I ever tasted.” She ruminated... “Hennessy...” she looked at the bottle. “Richard ... that’s eight thousand a bottle.”I almost dropped it. When I finally stopped coughing, I said, rather lamely, “Daddy. Finally the last present was set on your lap, and you were shocked to see it was from Jessica! You smiled hesitantly at her, and she nodded back, and you neatly unwrapped the plain red paper - inside sat a blood red box with a ring inside; a black band with a single dark blue stone."Thank you, Jessica," you say polietly, secretly disliking the ring. Wanting to try to mend your relationship with your cousin, you set the ring on her finger and enjoyed the rest of the party - you were quietly. Using thebar, he lowered himself and felt a shelf that would support him. Heslowly inched down into the mud as the weight and thickness of the mudprevented him from moving with any speed. He leaned back and allowedhimself to settle into the mud fully, his bottom resting on the shelfand the mud oozing up between his legs and up his chest, his hands stillholding onto the bar. Once fully seated he let go and found hand-holdsand foot rests under the mud. He settled in carefully so as not to.