The first thing Stephen hears the next morning is a quiet voice saying, "What would you like for breakfast, my angel?"

Stephen looks over to see Betty curled back in his arms, but with her awful uniform back on and her cat curled at the foot of the bed. 'Where did the cat come from?" Stephen asks as he brushes the hair off his face, the sleep out of his eyes, and sits up.

"Well, good morning to you too. Now what would you like for breakfast?" Betty asks again trying not to be too put out that he hasn't even said good morning yet.

"Good morning," Stephen says as he leans over and gives Betty a kiss. "Breakfast, did you say? Whatever you're having is fine. Breakfast is about my least favourite meal of the day."

"Well, I whipped up pancakes; the griddle is already hot and I've cut some fresh fruit. It's ready when you are." Betty says as she puts the last touches on her uniform and make-up.

"You look much nicer in your own clothes or none at all." Stephen says as he rolls over to look at Betty sitting at her vanity.

"Flatterer," Betty says as she finishes off her rather understated make-up with some coloured lip gloss. It is far more subdued than usual, but she feels prettier and so she feels that she needs less make-up. "Now get dressed or you shan't get any breakfast and we'll be late for work."

Stephen, disgruntled as he is to be ordered out of bed, realizes his girlfriend is right and looking at the clock realizes they needed to hurry. "Can I have a shower?" he asks timidly.

"Of course," Betty says as she dishes out some cat food. "I'd join you, but as you can see I'm already dressed. There's some non-feminine smelling soap in the cabinet under the sink."

Stephen emerges a brief five minutes later to a plate of steaming hot pancakes and treacle and gorgeous fresh fruit. "Ta," he says smiling at Betty as she hands him a plate. "This is the best looking breakfast I've had in a long time. Normally, I'm served porridge and a spoon of treacle, but this is lovely."

"Well, hurry up and eat. I've had mine, so you enjoy. I've just got to change handbags from last night, but let me know if you want more pancakes." Betty says as she scurries into the bedroom with a pile of her clothes in her hands. "Your jacket is on the back of the wingback chair and your shirt is pressed and hanging on the outside of the bedroom doorknob."

"Thank you, Betty," Stephen says as he grabs his jacket and his shirt and walks back into the bedroom. He kisses Betty on the cheek as he slips his shirt back on. "Do you think anyone will notice if I come in wearing the same shirt as I had on yesterday?"

"I doubt it." Betty says calmly. "We all wear the same thing every day of our lives and besides everyone is too tired in the morning to notice anything and by the end of the day nobody cares enough to notice."

"I notice you managed to find a shirt with a high enough collar to hide that little love bite I gave you last night." Stephen says cheekily.

"I notice that your shirt doesn't cover mine." Betty says with a grin and she points to a large purple mark on Stephen's neck. "I'll just dab a little make-up on there and no one will even notice."

"Damn," Stephen exclaims. "What happens when I go home and my wife notices this? I'll look a right fool then, won't I?"

"Never mind. Just stay at my house until it goes away. Besides we're going on vacation tomorrow and then you won't have to fuss about it anyway." Betty says trying to calm Stephen down.

"You're right I suppose, but what happens when Mr. High and Mighty Cuthbert Rumboldt notices I've got a love bite. He's the only one in the whole world that knows about the two of us." Stephen asks as Betty daubs some make-up on the purple mark that now adorns Stephen's neck. "Besides I have to go home to finish packing tonight."

"Tell your wife you're staying with a fellow employee so that you don't wake her up too early tomorrow morning. That way you can just come here and we can head to the airport together tomorrow. Besides, that way I can cover over that little love bite tomorrow morning before we leave." Betty says as she wipes her fingers on the towel from the bathroom and gets ready to leave.

"Why have you not been promoted to a supervisory or managerial position? Your instincts are dead on about many things. I'm surprised you have risen higher at Grace Brothers." Stephen says as he buttons his shirt and puts on his suit jacket.

"There are two reasons I think that I haven't been promoted. One is because I'm more of a social problem solver than a business one and two is because I'm a woman and men are steadier in the work force." Betty says as they exit her flat for the second time in twenty-four hours.