He was standing outside the hair Dresses waiting for Doris, his mind wondering over his shopping list. When suddenly the door flew open and a woman in her early forties threw herself at him squealing!
"Sweetie, it is you!"
Alistair blinked, and came out of his daydream as he felt two arms lock around his neck and a more then friendly kiss was pressed on his lips.
He knew this wasn't his wife miraculously transformed for three good reasons.
Firstly, she was at least 8 inches too tall!
Secondly, her hair was the wrong colour, Doris was blond, she would never countenance a change to red!
And thirdly, and most obviously, his wife was stood in the shop door way looking at him in a way that meant she wanted an explanation!
He managed to pry the over enthusiastic lady away from him and cleared his throat.
"Err, as nice as the greeting was, I think you have me mistaken for someone else!" he said rather embarrassed!
"Of course I haven't sweetie, do you think I could ever for get you? Alistair, I mean after Cromer?"
His wife was now looking at him even more suspiciously!
"Cromer?"
"Yes, Cromer Sweetie, 1976, you can't have forgotten?"
Alistair shook his head, he knew some of his memories were hazy but surely! Then he looked at her again. She was at most 40 years old. She would have been about 13 in 1976,"
I'm sorry but you really are mistaken Miss..
"Oh come on, Alistair, it's me River, River Song!"
She turned around pushed past a stunned Doris, who was looking at her bemused husband in a less then impressed manner, back into the shop. She return several seconds later with her purse. River pulled a small photograph from it. The photo clearly showed a tall, handsome, army officer, with a moustache, who had his arm around River. This River not, a 13 year old girl.
Doris was looking at the photo, "She's got you there Alistair, that's definitely you!"
River cast a glance at the lady in her early 60s stood next to her!
"And you are Sweetie?" she asked rather stiffly!
Doris held out her hand,
"Doris, Lethbridge-stewart, his wife!"
"Oh," River said in a disappointed way, then smiling wickedly threw her arms back around Alistair's neck and kissed him again, just as enthusiastically.
A shocked Alistair tried to disentangle himself. His eyes looking at his wife in absolute shock and horror!
River lost her grip on the photo. Doris bent down to pick it up! As she looked at the image of the couple it started to fade.
River let go, stepped back and smiled up at Alistair.
He nearly fell backwards in his haste to escape her, as he quickly stepped behind his wife, who was for some unknown reason smiling!
"Err Miss Song!"
"Professor Song, sweetie!" the woman said archly.
Doris passed her the photo!
River stared at it in horror! Then glanced back at Alistair!
Alistair put an arm around his wife holding her in front of himself for protection. Daleks, Cybermen, Yetis and Autons were all in a days work. But this was his ultimate nightmare, a woman bent on an over emotional display in public!
"Oh Dear... , I'm very sorry, Cromer hasn't happened for you yet, has it!"
Alistair shook his head bemused.
"I must have crossed time lines again! He's always warning me about that!"
Alistair swallowed hard!
"I best put this right straight away!"
The young woman gathered her things together, and with the hair dresser shouting after her, dashed off towards a blue police box across the street!
Alistair shook his head!
Doris paid her bill, which wasn't easy with Alistair refusing to let go of her arm. She also paid for Miss Song's hair do as well. The blue box obviously meant she was something to do with the Doctor and she knew he would pay her back the next time they saw him!
"I'll Drive!" Doris said as they got to the car. She could now see the funny side of the encounter. It was obvious Alistair would need a few stiff drinks before he could.
As they got closer to home he started to relax!
Just as they turned on to the drive he sat bolt upright in his seat! A look of absolute horror on his face.
Obviously River had just revisited Cromer!
Alistair swallowed audibly and grasped his wife's arm!
"I'm sorry love, but could you please.. change hair dresses!" he asked desperately!