"Aha!" George exclaimed.  "I knew it."  The realization should have made him feel...bad?  But the truth was it just confirmed what George had always thought and as such was a simple click of truth in his mind to happily accept and move on from.  "Well, Fred, my friend, I guess I was just a little bit quicker than you - not bad for a wild-haired education major, huh?"  George quipped, ending the sentence with a light, friendly clap on Fred's shoulder.<br/><br/>"Well, to finish the introductions: Beth, here, is a childhood friend of mine and apparently a new friend of Vicki's...whom she was trying to keep me from."  George knew the real reason Vicki had never made a big deal over Beth is because George had never opened up too much about his youth and his climb from mediocrity.  George couldn't even remember if he had ever told Vicki about Beth at all.  George looked at both Vicki and Beth.  Both were beautiful women, but each time his eyes ran over Beth, he felt an air of innocence.  Not that she looked innocent, quite the opposite, she looked a bit daring in her dress, revealing hints of skin.  But she reminded him of more innocent times.  And Vicki, lovely Vicki, had left behind her innocence a long while back - perhaps the day she joined the ranks of the male-dominated world that she had since made great strides in.<br/><br/>"And while the two of you make your acquaintance, I believe I shall pour some wine.  Call out your preferences."  George listened for their choices and then headed into the kitchen.