Magdalene.  He wondered if he needed to keep a closer eye on her, as the time of their imminent date was creeping ever so closer.  Prior to their recent photo-shoot, Anton was of course aware of her, since they were under the same modelling agency’s umbrella.  Her recent aggressiveness was an eye-opener for sure.  Her phone number slipped into his hand following their returned trip.  That, he had to admit, wasn’t so bad, but her text out of nowhere was questionable at best, especially since he never contacted her initially.  The onus of their date of ice cream and coffee could not be placed entirely on her.  True, it was her suggestion, but he did agree to it.<br/><br/>Licorice had found her way onto his lap, a clear sign of a solicitation of pets if there ever was one, as he sipped black tea and continued with the latest Anno Dracula yarn.  The name of the delicious tea escaped him at the moment, since he purchased it loosely.  No tea bags for him.  His furry roommate’s presence, however, pretty much shouted,<i>Pick two!  Cuz there’s no way you can do all three at once!  </i>And let’s face it, petting her was unequivocally<i>one</i>of the activities he would be engaged in doing.  Tea or novel?  Novel or tea?<br/><br/>Smiling with a shake of his head, a bookmark was placed within<i>Johnny Alucard, </i>and summarily consigned next to him on the couch.  Stroking her exposed belly with his left hand, Anton gazed upon his wedding band.  Insistent on continuing to wear it, he could just about hear Evangeline teasingly berating him to remove it and get on with his life.  She was, however, appreciative of his continued show of affection.  A lone tear formed at the corner of his left eye.  Anton missed her immensely, and he knew he would continue to do so for the remainder of his life.  Licorice, on the other hand, was in kitty heaven, going by the intensity of her purring.<br/><br/>The ring also sparked another thought.  His first and foremost reason for not removing it was his undying love for his departed wife.  Admittedly, and perhaps selfishly, he also wore it to ward off any advances from women.  This desired effect didn’t always pan out, as the more forceful females hit on him anyway.  Usually, an apologetic shrug with a show of his left hand would shoo them along, right?  Ha!  The true Alphas, he quickly learned, gave him a look that implied, So?  That’s when things got dicey.<br/><br/>Magdalene.  The ring obviously meant nothing to her, as an advancement of hers was already under way.  It was then he had to remind himself that she happened upon this information via Chloe, the agency’s receptionist.  Reluctantly, he did admire her ingenuity in how she acquired his phone number.  Silver lining in all this was that her chess-like moves, at the very least, revealed she liked him.  That had to count for something.  His petting hand, meanwhile, rested on the side of a flat-lining, yet still purring, cat.  His stare rested upon his wedding ring.