Overheard at Chipperfield's ... Part XXVI ...

"Ross what are you doing?" Bonnie's voice was twinged with concern.

"Nothing," Ross answered sheepishly, as he tried to push the cardboard boxes that had enraptured his attention until he was interupted, behind the couch. "Hey, did you get your hair done today?"

"Ross!" Bonnie's voice took on a stern, parent-like edge, "what's in the boxes?"

"What boxes?" asked Ross glancing at the glass topped table in front of him, "I don't see any boxes."

"The boxes you are trying to hide behind the couch," Bonnie motioned to the reflection in the picture windows, which clearly showed two boxes hidden from view behind the couch.

"Busted," snickered J-- from the other couch, "might as well owe up ..."

Ross sighed heavily as he pulled the first box from behind the couch, "It's for the Stay-cation idea." He said quietly.

"How much?"

"It's not the price that's important," offered Ross in a tone just this side of a whine

"How much?"

"It's the sheer joy that this will bring people as they tell their friends about their trips to exotic locales." Ross paused slightly as his hands covered the top of the box as though he was protecting the contents, "What, with rising gas prices, people won't be able to travel like we once did. And with the increase of security at the airports, many will just choose to stay home instead of going through all the inconvenience of trying to get through security and customs ..."

"How Much??" Bonnie's tone was stronger, and the words clipped.

"Look Bonnie," Ross was holding out a handful of items for her approval, "It's good quality stuff. I got tee-shirts and key rings and some souvenior items ..."

"Dammit Ross, How much ??"

"And, I found out that L---- Printing in Brandon does lots of post cards for overseas customers, and they will give me the rejects at a discount ..."

"Tell me how much?" Bonnie's voice sounded exactly like the computer generated voice in Space Odyssey, that spoke to Dave.

"Um," Ross feel quiet, "I'm not really sure."

"Not sure!!" Bonnie's voice now raised to a tone dancing near shrill, "How can you NOT be sure?"

"Well, I bought it from a distributor in Venezula or Brazil over E-Bay, and ... well ..." Ross fell silent as he considered his next words, "well ... there wasn't a currency exchange rate posted, and I'm not sure how much Venezulan Pesos are ..."

"Are you even sure Venezula uses pesos?" asked J--.

"Shut up," hissed Ross, "you're really not helping ..."

"Sorry," offered J-- with a laugh, as he took a sip out of his coffee.

"Ross ..." it was all Bonnie could manage to utter ... her left eye had developed a strange twitch in the last few moments ...

"Yes Honey," said Ross hopefully, doing his utmost to offer a flirtatious smile to his wife ...

"Ross ..." Bonnie repeated, her eye still twitching ...

There was a very long pause before Bonnie spoke again. The girls behind the counter were clearly trying to make it look like they weren't paying attention, but everyone in the store was caught up in the suspense of the moment.

"Ross," Bonnie repeated for the third time. She was growing visibly calmer, and the twitch in her eye had diminished.

"Yes dear," offered Ross hopefully, only to be cut off by Bonnie.

"Don't interupt me, and DON'T say another word ..."

Ross' mouth opened to utter a "yes dear," but the shaking of J--'s head altered his direction, instead Ross sat silently.

"I will deal with you in the morning, in mean time you WILL be sleeping on the couch tonight, and perhaps for the foreseeable future ..."

"Yes dear," offered Ross in a whisper.

"I said not another word," Bonnie then turned and headed to her office. The girls behind the counter suddenly became very busy with things behind them.

The door slammed and Ross turned to J--.

"Think she's mad?" he asked hopefully.

"Oh yeah," offered J--, "If I were you, I'd be buying flowers tomorrow morning when the shops open ... lots of flowers ..."

Ross reached into the box sitting on his lap and pulled out a pink tee-shirt that read "I love Rio". He held it up to J-- as he asked, "think she'd like this ?"

J-- just shook his head ...