Mary Ellen went to meet her sisters after work for dinner at the Outback.

"Congratulations to you, Jerry," Melinda said to the owner. "We saw in the paper about your new baby."

"Thank you," Jerry said, taking them to a booth. "Drinks on the house."

"He's a proud papa," Colleen said, and Jerry grinned and ran off to the next customer coming in.

"I'm beat," said Mary Ellen.

"You look tired, Mellen," Melinda said, invoking an old nickname that had infuriated the child Mary Ellen but was OK as indicating affection to the adult version.

"Everything is sort of tense at the paper," Mary Ellen said. "There's this big deal that Herself – with a capital H - Jackie Templeton is coming back for a while. To do this big puff piece on going back to her roots, where it all began, where she got her start, before becoming an international correspondent."

"You think it'll shake things up somehow, and not in a good way?" asked Colleen, ever the counselor.

"I'm not sure," Mary Ellen said. "I like the way things are at the paper, and so shaking things up doesn't seem necessary, plus it's not normal, I mean, will she take her stories and just do them or will we all have to kowtow to her and miss our own deadlines doing legwork for her?"

"She's a pro," Melinda said. "And she did succeed on a big scale, but that doesn't have to mean she's vain and arrogant."

"Successful reporters," Mary Ellen said, "Wrote the book – or the scoop – on vain and arrogant."

"Still, it's a stereotype, Mary Ellen," Colleen said. "She might be OK. Isn't she the one that married that African guy who got put in prison for printing articles against the government?"

"Yeah, she helped get him out of jail and shame that country's dictator and was the big hero," Mary Ellen said. "Wonder why she doesn't just write a book about it?"

"Maybe that's part of her sabbatical here, and she'll stay out of your hair," said Melinda.

"I hope you're right," Mary Ellen said, as the waitress came to take their order. "You guys always make me feel better."

Meanwhile, Matt Delaney took Patti Polk for a ride on his motorcycle.

Patti had asked Taryn to watch the kids. She felt guilty somehow. Taryn had waved that aside, telling Patti that there was no reason she couldn't go out, too.

"I'll just be an hour," Patti said.

"Take your time," Taryn said.

Matt stopped near the entrance to the state park. There was a high bluff, and from it, there was a view of the Adirondack mountains. It was twilight, and beautiful.

"This is the kind of place you find, riding on motorcycles," Matt said.

"It's gorgeous," Patti said.

He came over to her and put his arms around her. She leaned her head against his chest, just feeling the comforting feeling of someone holding her. It had been a long while since she'd gotten this kind of attention from any man. At times it seemed wrong to complain that he was just too young for her.

"Taryn ought to be the one out with a guy," she muttered.

"Stop the guilt trips, Patti," Matt said. "Taryn was fine with you going out. She's really mature. You're divorced, so you ought to be out with a guy sometimes, too."

His compliment to Taryn's maturity overwhelmed her with a flood of appreciation for him.

"You are perfect for Taryn," Patti went on. "Such a nice guy, and-"

"Taryn just got out of high school," Matt said. "You want to know how I feel about high school girls in general? Taryn's mature. But she's eighteen, right?"

"Well," Patti said. "Maybe someday."

"Maybe not." He pulled her close and kissed her passionately.

His lips were so heated and demanding. Patti responded in an almost purely physical way. It had been a long time for her. Her hands pressed into his back and his broad shoulders seemed so stable and comforting.

"See," he said, releasing her. "You want me, and age doesn't matter. I've thought about it, and it really doesn't matter to me. Maybe you're the older and more mature, but it's not impossible. Look at what's her name, Demi More."

Patti laughed. "That won't work out."

"How do you know? It can. If it doesn't, it because of them being Hollywood people. There are probably more normal people that we've never heard of."

Patti considered. "I don't know any."

"It doesn't have to be common to have a chance to work out."

"I know you're not going to want to hear this," Patti said. "But I have to go slowly. Real slow. My divorce is still pretty new and painful. I have three kids to take care of, and I know you think you know all about kids, but you're a teacher, not a parent."

"I get that," Matt said. "I can do slow. Real slow." He started to massage her upper back. It felt good.

"I don't mean that," Patti said.

"I know," he said, with mock exasperation.

"I have three kids, so other than every other weekend, I can't just pick up and go somewhere or do something," Patti went on. "Which you would be able to do with girls your age."

"I've thought about that," Matt repeated. "And it doesn't matter. I have stuff to do, too. My family is very large, remember? There's always somebody who needs something."

Patti considered this. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to imply you had no responsibilities, just that you ought to be free, at your age, to do whatever you want."

"I do whatever I want," Matt said. "One thing I want is you." He kissed her again, slowly this time.

Patti wondered how long he would "want" her. She didn't feel up to having her heart broken, and not by some twenty-something, either.

But he seemed determined enough. Not flighty. Maybe he'd change his mind tomorrow. But on the other hand, she'd known him for a while now, and he hadn't wavered so far.

"I hope you don't think you're talking your way into bed," Patti said. "Maybe you think as an older woman I can teach you a lot. Well, I can't. I've been with exactly one guy, and he wasn't all that great. And he didn't think I was so great, since he left me for the younger model as soon as he could."

"You were just more committed and responsible," Matt said. "Or maybe you'd have done the same thing. He did it. Now you get your younger model, as you called it."

She started to speak, but he stopped her. "As it happens, I have plenty of confidence on the subject of me in bed and I don't need your instructions. I just like you. I know you do have more life experience than me and I am probably in way over my head, but I just can't seem to get it out of my mind. I've tried it, too. Tried to convince myself that you're too different because of being older. But I can't seem to shake it, so I'd rather try it. I'm only asking you for a fair shot, that's all."

"I don't want to start something that is for certain temporary. I have kids. I'm not up for that just now. At your age this temporary fling may sound good, and maybe it is a good thing for me, but I'm not up for that."

"I'm not purposely trying for the temporary fling. I may be young but that doesn't make me an asshole."

"I'm sorry, really, but can you understand why I would wonder about it?"

"Sure, but you can't always be sure of that no matter what the ages are. You could use me to help get over your ex. I don't think you would or are, but it's my risk, too. And if your husband can make it with a younger person, I don't see why you can't."

"That way around it works out more often."

"For no particularly good reason."

"Sure there's a good reason. How do you have children if you end up spending your youth with an older woman? I have a few years left in me, but I wasn't thinking of it.

"Jax did it," Matt said. "Some things just trump other things. I could handle it if it came to that. I get plenty of time with kids."

Patti smiled. "Yeah, but."

"Little monsters."

She laughed.

"Come on," he said. "I'll take you home to yours."

"How's your love life going?" Melinda asked Mary Ellen, back at the Outback. "Weren't you going to go out with that guy again?"

"Yes, we went out a second time, to the movies," Mary Ellen said. "He's very nice. His dad is a reporter, too, it turns out. At a paper in Buffalo."

"Are you going out with him again?" Colleen asked.

"Yes, to the Nurse's Ball."

"That's nice, whooo, your third date," Colleen said.

"Yeah, so what?"

Colleen laughed. "That's when you're supposed to put out. According to those girlie magazines."

"What is that, some teenaged boys' rule?" Melinda laughed.

"I don't think so," said Mary Ellen.

"I've have clients who have been oppressed by this," Colleen said. "Both male and female."

"Don't tell me they are adults," said Mary Ellen.

"Some are," Colleen said.

"Chad does not seem like he'd expect such a thing," Mary Ellen said.

"Of course not," Melinda said, soothingly.

"There's no way, anyway," Mary Ellen said. "I don't know him well enough yet."

"How do your clients have problems with this so-called rule of thumb?" Melinda asked Colleen.

"Sometimes they don't go on the third date," Colleen said. "What could have been a good relationship stalls because they think that can't go that far that fast."

"If there's going to be a custom," Mary Ellen fumed. "It ought to be more like, like, the 6th or the 9th date."

"Or the 29th," Colleen said. "Most people jump into these things too soon, due to societal pressure. Maybe I'll write my book on it." Colleen had an ambition to write a self-help book. It was still in the idea stage.

"I'm down for that," Mary Ellen said. "Chad hasn't even kissed me yet."

"Do you want him to?" Colleen said.

"I'm not even sure," Mary Ellen said. "It's just been very pleasant and friendly so far."

"You need more time to get to know him," Melinda said. "Well, it sounds like you think he'll give you that time."

"I hope so," Mary Ellen said.