Mallory sat back, with both of her hands covering her mouth, astonished by the sight before her. She began to giggle almost nervously, presumably due to this thing's sheer size and weight. “This is totally unreal,” she muttered in awestruck disbelief. “This can’t be real.” “I didn’t earn it, Mallory, I didn’t buy it. It’s just what I ended up with. It’s just like a side-show attraction at a carnival or something. It’s jus...

I don’t know why we’re doing this,” Mallory protested, sounding just slightly irritated, probably because she was hungry. “Do we have to go over it again?” I replied. “You know as well as I do that this relationship has hit a wall. It’s stopped dead in its tracks…practically dead, flatlined. Too much stress, too much distraction, too much discomfort, and not enough of, well…us,” I concluded. “Well, if you ask me, this all...

I did a little internet research, and I found what was purported to be an upscale Nashville steakhouse. I figured that the prices alone would weed out some of the riff-raff. What I found was a place called Jeff Ruby’s. It was downtown. It got great reviews and was a bit pricey. Nothing too over the top, but sufficiently upscale. It seemed like just the ticket and something Mallory would enjoy. I made reservations for Frid...

I caught up to Mallory, still standing motionless in front of the elevator doors. She looked shocked. “So, were you able to catch your guest?” I asked. “I was,” Mallory replied. “And you gave him your number?” I asked. “I did,” she replied. “Something tells me that’s not all that happened,” I commented, providing Mallory with an opportunity to divulge what was said. “Well…” she began, "after we’d spoken for a few moments,...