Nearly Heartless

"It's been so long since you came to see me," she said breathily. He paused in his stride to look at her where she lounged against the wall. He hadn't seen her when he had started up this corridor. Otherwise, to be perfectly honest, he may not have come this way.

He cleared his throat noisily.

"Well, you know," he said awkwardly, "Places to go, people to see, that sort of thing."

She regarded him, her eyes warm and shining, her fingers trailing almost carelessly over her ample bosom and down across her waist. He swallowed.

"I mean, I've been busy," he said again, his eyes riveted to every motion of her fingertips.

"I was beginning to think that you didn't love me anymore," she said after a moment. He sighed gustily.

"Madame, I hardly need remind you, I think, of last month's conversation. Any tenderness that may have existed between us is… well, its over."

The Fat Lady began to weep huge glistening tears that ran down her face and gathered in her amazing cleavage before spilling out onto the bodice of her dress.

"Oh Nick," she wept. "Oh Nick… I didn't think... I mean to say… Really?"

Nearly Headless Nick wished that he were completely headless so that he wouldn't have to see her misery.

"My dear Madame," he said gently. "Oh… my dear , dear Madame…"