Science reporter

Science reporter

Science reporter Published this article page no  44 Todd gulped. “I like it.” “Me, too,” she told him. Just then the waitress returned with the champagne list. Todd looked it over and noted that, as expected, each bottle was marked up about five times over retail. He avoided the cheapest bottle, a California brand with a tenuous French heritage, lest he take some glitter off the festivities, and ordered the second least expensive bottle, which was authentically French and had some credibility toward extravagance. Obviously, California “champagne” has not made as big a dent as California wine in French claims to being superior custodians of the grape. Price: just over a hundred dollars. “We’ll have some Moet Chandon Brut Imperial,” he said. “Very good,” the waitress replied, and off she went to get the valuable bubbly. Todd reached down to hold Lila’s hand, feeling he had, by his unspoken agreement to overpay for the champagne, earned the intimacy. She looked down at the sudden conjunction of flesh, and then, smiling, said, “You know we have a different way of charging back here?” “You do?” Todd asked. “Yes,” she said. “I’m sorry but I have to charge you for holding my hand.” “You do?” he asked. “Yes,” she said. “It’s part of our Intimacy Price List. Would you like to see it?” “Naw,” he replied bravely. “You keep track.” Then, looking down at their irresistibly joined hands, he said, “But, tell me, how much am I spending?” “Ten dollars,” she told him. “Is there a time limit?” he asked warily. “No,” she smiled. “Once you pay, you can hold it all night. Holding hands is one of our better values.” “Great,” he said, and, feeling he had copped a bargain, took out ten dollars. She tucked it in her garter. The waitress returned with the champagne and held the label toward him. He smiled, and soon he and Lila were toasting like a voluntarily enchanted couple. “To a great night,” he said. “With you,” she replied, and flicked her tongue at him, as if to intimate the possibility of more than the law allows. He looked at her lovely, long blonde hair and couldn’t resist stroking it lightly. “You’re very pretty,” he said, catching his breath. “Thank you,” she breathed back. “You don’t mind if I bill you for that, do you?” “For what?” the poor soul wanted to know. “Caressing my hair.” “Oh,” he said, and withdrew his hand. “How much is that?” “Only ten dollars science reporter magazine buy.

Science reporter