Pride and Prejudice

"Hot date, huh? Where'd you find this guy?" asked Mandy, browsing department store sale racks alongside her girlfriend.

"Well... promise not to laugh—"

But Mandy did laugh. "Not online! Again? Deb..."

"What? You laugh, but it's convenient." Deb gave her friend a cool look. "I can't be at the bars every night like you, not with Trevor to look after."

"Where is Trevor?"

"That new toy store upstairs, picking out his bribe. I know, I'm a terrible mom."

Unencumbered by mothering instincts of her own, the admission didn't faze Mandy. "So, about Internet Man—"

"Manager in Space Division," Deb bragged casually.

"A Boeing man? Hmm."

"Janet's husband is a Boeing engineer. Have you seen their house?"

Mandy was too practical to be impressed by fantasy prospects. Deb's high hopes provided a good excuse to shop though. "What about this outfit?"

"Magenta? I don't think so. Besides, my profile might have said something about me being a blond..."

"Deb!" Oh lord! "Odds are he'll find out the truth soon enough."

Deb was in too good a mood to be indignant. Besides..., "He sounds a little geekish, but... maybe!"

Deb made her purchase and floated upstairs to collect Trevor. Her rosy mood took a hit when she entered the toy store and spied her son in the custody of a store manager. He held a broken toy robot in his hands.

"Mommy, it was an accident."

The pleading whine barely registered with Deb. The man's nametag bore a familiar name: "Martin Spencer, Toyworld: Space Division" and sported a green smiley face with antennas.

"Oh! Martin. You work here at... I didn't know that. What a surprise!" Deb turned on the fake smile, but way too late to fool anyone.

"Deb? I didn't know you had a son." Martin didn't do fake smiles.