David and Nanci returned exactly when they said they would and were true to their word about spending the evening hanging out with a poor graduate student (though they probably would have throttled me had they knew that I had written that about myself).

"Did you pick out a video tape?"

I held up a video tape.

"Jaidyn, please, select something else." This came from David who looked somewhat chagrinned.

He set down the popcorn that he had carried in from the kitchen after changing into boxers and a t-shirt.

"Nope. My choice. This is what I want to watch first."

It was a tape labeled 'David's 35th Birthday Party.' I grinned at his discomfort.

Again, Nanci came to my aid agreeing that it would be a good tape to watch.

I opted to sit on the side of the couch away from David. That lasted as long as it took him to set down his coffee, reach over and set me in the middle of the couch next to him.

Glaring at him, I started to move away. He only glared back and held me firm; Nanci was snuggled up on the other side of him and reached over to squeeze my hand.

"Enjoy being the director for the night, because we won't be seeing each other again." I stated quite sure right now that I never wanted to come back if I was going to be bossed around.

"Quiet, Jaidyn, I'm watching TV."

I released a long, drawn out sigh and resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't going to be able to retreat into a bubble, at least tonight anyway.