"Well, where would you like to take him on your first date?" asked Chris.
"I was thinking maybe an antique car show. Later, Bentley and I could go on a picnic, and little Ricki could join us for that part. Then she could go on back home with her grandmother, and Bentley and I could go clubbing."
"Sounds fine," said Chris. "You can pick him up in an hour."
The date card arrived. It read "BENTLEY -- LET'S FORD THE RIVERS BETWEEN US, DRIVE OUR CHEVY TO THE LEVY, AND DODGE THE NAYSAYERS. -- EMILY" Everyone in the mansion was surprised she had chosen Bentley for the first date except Bentley, himself. Whistling softly, he went upstairs to get ready. He chose a slightly wrinkled plaid work shirt, khaki slacks with only a small smudge on one back pocket, and scuffed loafers. He decided not to shave, and mussed up his hair to have a good bed-head look. "Just the right touch of casual and sexy," he said to himself. He went back down to the living room.
"You're going like THAT?" asked Thad, incredulous at Bentley's slovenliness. "Don't you have any respect for her?"
"She'll love it," Bentley said, smiling confidently.
And, as he had predicted, Emily greeted Bentley with big smiles and a great deal of enthusiasm. Thad, Richard, and several of the others couldn't believe it as they went out the door, hand in hand. "I wouldn't treat her like that," said Thad. "Neither would I," agreed Richard. And there were nods all around the room as each suitor wondered exactly how he WOULD dress when it became his turn.
Bentley loved the car show. In fact, he was far more interested in the cars than he was in Emily. He would seemingly forget she was there, and just wander off to the next car. When he did notice her, he mumbled things about bore and stroke that she didn't quite understand, but she did catch the leer in his eyes as he talked. Then he'd wander off again. Just as she was about to despair of his ever paying any attention to her, he turned and said, "I'm starving! Did you say something about a picnic?"
As they arrived at the park, they noticed the security officers were having some trouble keeping the crowds back. Worse, there were TV news cameras and reporters there. She could hear one of the reporters saying, "We're here, on the ground, at the Robert E. Lee Memorial Park, where Emily and Bentley have just arrived, on the ground. And, off in the distance, we can see little Ricki, on the ground, wearing a bright red jacket and carrying a large picnic basket toward her mother. She's accompanied, on the ground, by her grandmother, who is with her here, on the ground. We're being pushed back by the security forces who are also here, on the ground, but we'll continue to bring you detailed reporting of actual events on the ground as they unfold and as we can see them. Back to you in the studio, Brian."
Little Ricki and her grandmother reached Emily and Bentley. Emily made the introductions and Bentley smiled charmingly at Ricki and her grandmother. "It's a pic-a-nic basket," shouted Bentley in his best Yogi Bear accent, which was completely lost on Ricki who had never seen the cartoon. Gram, however, smiled in memory. Mary Ann wasn't sure if this called for a cue card, and decided it didn't.
"Look at the pretty flowers over there by the creek," Bentley said to Ricki. "Let's go pick some and bring them back to your mother and grandmother." As they headed for the creek, Emily and Gram unfolded a large blanket and began setting out the plates, utensils, cups, and lidded bowls of food. Just as they had finished putting everything out, they heard a scream from Ricki. Emily, Gram, and Mary Ann ran toward the sound.
"Nothing to worry about," Bentley said smoothly. "I frightened little Ricki by pretending I was going to gobble her up." He turned to Ricki. "I'm sorry, sweetie. You just look cute enough to eat!" Ricki stared at him, suspicion in her eyes. She ran away from him and toward the creek.
"No!" shouted Gram. "Don't get so close to that water!" Gram and Mary Ann ran after Ricki, who had stopped just at the edge of the creek bank. Gram and Mary Ann, however, skidded on a soft patch of turf and fell into the creek.
"Gram! Mary Ann! Uh..." Emily began, but didn't know what to say next without Mary Ann there to hold up a cue card for her.
Fortunately, the creek was only about a foot deep, and while Gram and Mary Ann landed with a thud on its rocks, they were in no real danger. They were, however, quite wet.
The Fleiss mice cut the cameras and Mary Ann tried to figure out what to do next. Finally little Ricki solved the problem by announcing she wanted to go home with Gram, and the two departed. Mary Ann said it was a warm enough day that she figured she would dry out quickly and the date could continue. "We'll just edit all this together so that it makes sense," said Mary Ann, trying to sound upbeat.
"Let's talk about our relationship," Bentley began, taking another large bite of fried chicken. "I know you want me, so when should we... you know... get together?"
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