A Place of His Own
By
Toreen Salberg
July1, 1983
"Checkmate." John smiled. "What? Where?" Terry looked over the board, and shook her head, smiling. "Good game. You're getting better." "Thanks. Playing Drew regularly has kept me in practice." "Drew?" "Andrew. It just popped out one day, and he liked it." She smiled and turned on the stereo, changing the radio station. "That was set to your station." said John. "I know. I'm in a different mood." She tuned in a classical station. John listened for a moment. "Nice choice." he stopped and thought for a second. "What do you want?" Terry gave him her 'hurt' look. "Unfair! I wasn't going to ask for anything! I just want to ask you a question." She pouted at him, then winked. John shook his head, a bemused smile on his face. "What's the question?" "What is your legal address?" He was caught off guard by the question. "I use a post office box. Why?" "Why don't you get a flat?" "Have you been talking to Liz again?" " Well, yes. But she does have a point. After all, you keep telling us The Lab belongs to all of us. Don't you want a place you can call your own? A place you can take a date? Somewhere you can throw us out when you've had enough of us?" The last part was said with an impish smirk. "Someplace I can take a date? Since when are you worried about my social life?" "I want you to be happy. That's what friends do." she said softly, blushing. John reached over and tugged one of her braids. She looked up and gave him a lopsided smile. "Besides, living underground all the time is fine for moles, but you're a man." She looked down at the floor, embarrassed at how that must have sounded. "Are you sure you're not just looking for a place you can invite your friends?" She tipped her head to one side and smiled. "Nope. I told them I couldn't bring them to your flat because you were an inventor and you jealously guarded your privacy. I would never invade with my friends from school. It's bad enough you have to deal with me." She winked, and John laughed. Her face was so expressive, she could always make him laugh. If he hadn't already made his decision, she could most likely talk him into anything she really wanted. "Actually, I have been giving it some thought since I spoke to Liz last week. I have an appointment to look at a place in an hour. Would you like you join me?" "I'd love to, but what do you need me for?" "You'll see." Terry sighed, knowing she wasn't going to get anymore information. John seemed to enjoy keeping her in the dark, and once she realized it was a game, she decided to play along. "I'd better go change." She got up and went to her room.
She came out wearing a conservative light green sundress and white ballerina flats. John nodded. He could never fault her choice in clothing. Oddly enough, John had chosen a green shirt. He chuckled. "It would seem we don't need telepathy to think alike." he said. "I think it's the 'dark hair, pale skin' thing. Limits the colours one's likely to choose." Terry smiled. He offered her his arm and escorted her to the jaunting pad.
The real estate agent, Miss Robins, looked John up and down, and gave Terry a sidelong look. She led them up to the flat. The third one she'd shown them today. It was a lovely two-bedroom flat on the second floor. It was airy and spacious and bright. "As you can see, this flat has all hardwood flooring, oak cabinets, and cedar closets." said Miss Robins. John and Terry split up, Looking over the bedrooms and bathroom, pacing off the living room, and in general examining the flat. Miss Robins kept talking to John, flirting with him. Terry was amused. Miss Robins was pretty, and John was uncomfortable. He didn't seem to like pushy women. "Well, Mr. York, what do you think?" Miss Robins looked at John. His face was unreadable. "I have to discuss this with my daughter." "You don't have a daughter, John." Terry called from the kitchen. Cora looked at him. "She's my legal ward," he explained. "Daughter just sounds better most of the time. May I have a moment, Cora?" He smiled at her. She flushed and smiled. "Of course, John." {Cora? How cosy.} teased Terry. {Hush, 'daughter'} He led her into the master bedroom. "What do you think?" he asked aloud. "It has possibilities." she answered. {I like it, but you're the one who has to live here. Why did you tell her I was your daughter?} {I had hoped it would put her off me. She's too pushy for my taste.} {Why, John, I thought you liked Cora!} She put on her wide-eyed-innocent face. John laughed. "I agree. Shall we take it?" "We? I live as school, and have my family home in Ireland. This place is all yours." "True, but to satisfy the authorities, I had better have a place for you to sleep." he winked. "And study."
"As you wish, 'father'. But I', a straight 'A' student still. I don't need to be forced to study." "Good. We can go shopping for the furniture after I sign the contract." They both smiled, and walked back into the parlour. {Are you going to ask Cora out to dinner?} {Do you think I should?} Cora watched them patiently. John was attractive, and the child was quick to point out she wasn't his child, as if helping pave the way for a date. {One date can't hurt. She might be the one.} Terry shrugged. {You're right. I'll call her tomorrow.} {Welcome home, John}
By
Toreen Salberg
July1, 1983
"Checkmate." John smiled. "What? Where?" Terry looked over the board, and shook her head, smiling. "Good game. You're getting better." "Thanks. Playing Drew regularly has kept me in practice." "Drew?" "Andrew. It just popped out one day, and he liked it." She smiled and turned on the stereo, changing the radio station. "That was set to your station." said John. "I know. I'm in a different mood." She tuned in a classical station. John listened for a moment. "Nice choice." he stopped and thought for a second. "What do you want?" Terry gave him her 'hurt' look. "Unfair! I wasn't going to ask for anything! I just want to ask you a question." She pouted at him, then winked. John shook his head, a bemused smile on his face. "What's the question?" "What is your legal address?" He was caught off guard by the question. "I use a post office box. Why?" "Why don't you get a flat?" "Have you been talking to Liz again?" " Well, yes. But she does have a point. After all, you keep telling us The Lab belongs to all of us. Don't you want a place you can call your own? A place you can take a date? Somewhere you can throw us out when you've had enough of us?" The last part was said with an impish smirk. "Someplace I can take a date? Since when are you worried about my social life?" "I want you to be happy. That's what friends do." she said softly, blushing. John reached over and tugged one of her braids. She looked up and gave him a lopsided smile. "Besides, living underground all the time is fine for moles, but you're a man." She looked down at the floor, embarrassed at how that must have sounded. "Are you sure you're not just looking for a place you can invite your friends?" She tipped her head to one side and smiled. "Nope. I told them I couldn't bring them to your flat because you were an inventor and you jealously guarded your privacy. I would never invade with my friends from school. It's bad enough you have to deal with me." She winked, and John laughed. Her face was so expressive, she could always make him laugh. If he hadn't already made his decision, she could most likely talk him into anything she really wanted. "Actually, I have been giving it some thought since I spoke to Liz last week. I have an appointment to look at a place in an hour. Would you like you join me?" "I'd love to, but what do you need me for?" "You'll see." Terry sighed, knowing she wasn't going to get anymore information. John seemed to enjoy keeping her in the dark, and once she realized it was a game, she decided to play along. "I'd better go change." She got up and went to her room.
She came out wearing a conservative light green sundress and white ballerina flats. John nodded. He could never fault her choice in clothing. Oddly enough, John had chosen a green shirt. He chuckled. "It would seem we don't need telepathy to think alike." he said. "I think it's the 'dark hair, pale skin' thing. Limits the colours one's likely to choose." Terry smiled. He offered her his arm and escorted her to the jaunting pad.
The real estate agent, Miss Robins, looked John up and down, and gave Terry a sidelong look. She led them up to the flat. The third one she'd shown them today. It was a lovely two-bedroom flat on the second floor. It was airy and spacious and bright. "As you can see, this flat has all hardwood flooring, oak cabinets, and cedar closets." said Miss Robins. John and Terry split up, Looking over the bedrooms and bathroom, pacing off the living room, and in general examining the flat. Miss Robins kept talking to John, flirting with him. Terry was amused. Miss Robins was pretty, and John was uncomfortable. He didn't seem to like pushy women. "Well, Mr. York, what do you think?" Miss Robins looked at John. His face was unreadable. "I have to discuss this with my daughter." "You don't have a daughter, John." Terry called from the kitchen. Cora looked at him. "She's my legal ward," he explained. "Daughter just sounds better most of the time. May I have a moment, Cora?" He smiled at her. She flushed and smiled. "Of course, John." {Cora? How cosy.} teased Terry. {Hush, 'daughter'} He led her into the master bedroom. "What do you think?" he asked aloud. "It has possibilities." she answered. {I like it, but you're the one who has to live here. Why did you tell her I was your daughter?} {I had hoped it would put her off me. She's too pushy for my taste.} {Why, John, I thought you liked Cora!} She put on her wide-eyed-innocent face. John laughed. "I agree. Shall we take it?" "We? I live as school, and have my family home in Ireland. This place is all yours." "True, but to satisfy the authorities, I had better have a place for you to sleep." he winked. "And study."
"As you wish, 'father'. But I', a straight 'A' student still. I don't need to be forced to study." "Good. We can go shopping for the furniture after I sign the contract." They both smiled, and walked back into the parlour. {Are you going to ask Cora out to dinner?} {Do you think I should?} Cora watched them patiently. John was attractive, and the child was quick to point out she wasn't his child, as if helping pave the way for a date. {One date can't hurt. She might be the one.} Terry shrugged. {You're right. I'll call her tomorrow.} {Welcome home, John}