Couples

​Ben Mason And Lisa Tanaka's Home - Cambridge, Massachusetts

"Well, this is it, Bud. Are we going to do this?" asked Tanaka

"At this point, we better do it. If we wait, we will already be grandparents."

Lisa laughed.

Lisa made no secret of being pregnant, and she somehow got her parents over the hump, or in this case, Lisa's still tiny baby bump.

Ben's parents were more excited about having a grandchild than going to their son's wedding. Ben's father, Jerome, asked Ben if "Lisa could hurry up and deliver the goods."

The venue, New York City, was the closest place for both parties' friends.

For her parents ' sake, Lisa needed a church setting for the I Do's, and Ben agreed. His parents would be happy with that as well.

The reception was planned in a hotel near New York F.B.I. headquarters, the one used by Agents coming in from Washington.

The Uber was downstairs, the bags were packed, and the butterflies were in both their stomachs.

Lisa cried a little as she locked the door.

The elevator opened, Ben looked at his beautiful soon-to-be wife and said, "I love you." "I love you too, Ben; this is good."

The door closed, and they were on their way to the airport.

The Home Of Thomas Allston and Eve Crowder - North Coast

"Okay, I met Dilly, and we will do drive-bys of homes tomorrow."

I want to hear Eve's initial opinion of Ashley Dillon, and I'm glad she brought it up. Before she started dropping details, I knew the review would not be good for Dilly.

How did I know that?

Eve summons a devastating Southern accent when she encounters someone she doesn't like. 

She grew up in NASCAR country, and her accent is not fake.  The accent she adopted since leaving Tennessee is accent number two.  When Natalie Freaking Leuze, who is from Kentucky, and Eve are together, the accents and Southern idioms drip all over the place, and the two laugh a lot. 

"Dilly was a lovely person."

"Uh-huh"

"She's so nice, and she turned down my request for "Drive-Bys" because of a funeral for a "good guy" in town."

"What a nice, caring person."

I started laughing because that said it all.

I added, "I saw Dilly at the Neville funeral in Exeter. She didn't look too broken up; she looked at her phone during the whole internment."

"There were a lot of people there."

Eve said, "Dilly daubed an eye with a tissue while I was with her, but I think that was all pre-sale sympathy torquing. I didn't like her."

"You don't say."

"Keep me posted on the drive-bys."

"How's the little munchkin coming along?"

Eve looked at me and said with Southern sweetness, "Oh my, you slipped in another Donut Chain reference about our child."

She then said, "Dunkachino Allston is doing fine. He or she did not like Dilly either."

Tango started thumping his tale on the kitchen floor.

The Home of Natalie Freaking Leuze, Maine

Wally and Natalie are cutting it up. They are sitting in Natalie's kitchen sipping Manhattans and playing a bloodthirsty game of Scrabble.

Wally was surprised at how good Natalie was at the game.

He knew about her background, how she was raised, how her mother was a prostitute, and how Natalie killed her father in self-defense. All of these items do not add up to the best of upbringings, yet Natalie rose through it all to become one of the most recognized celebrities in the world.

Wally looked at her as she studied the board. She planned to build on the word G U I L T Y he had just laid down.

"I'm having too much fun here, Nat. Can we tackle some hard stuff for a minute before we continue?"

Natalie looked at Wally, took a sip of one of her killer Manhattans, and said, "Go ahead, big guy, turn my offer down. I can take it."

"I have to turn down your offer for a few reasons, and they have nothing to do with how I feel about you."

"I love my job. It's what I have always wanted since I was young."

"I am at an important point in my career and have worked hard to get where I am."

"I'm just not ready to quit it yet, though your offer is very tempting."

She laughed and said, "Do you know how many men would kill to be in your position?"

"Are you talking about the position we were in earlier today?" Wally asked

"That was lovely, Wally." "I was thinking about it while stirring the Manhattans."

"And I thank you for your honesty."

"Finding a person that is real and not using me for money or fame is refreshing."

Wally then pushed on.

"You have your career, and I have mine. Can we co-exist like this, or should I move on?"

"Wally, you have grown on me, and I don't want you going anywhere."

Wally added I'm crazy about you, and I'll be honest while we are laying it all out. I love your rack and the way you move." "And I like your charm, intelligence, and humor."

"I feel so lucky."

"I am not using you."

"I know that, and I think we can work something out," Nat said.

Natalie then laid down H O N E S T using the Y.

I was going to put down H O N E across that Y, but this seemed more appropriate, so I added S and T instead.

She then added, "I am beating your ass, Wally," while taking another sip.

Wally started laughing.