Vanessa Tries to Damage Lauren's Image

"You know, Vanessa shot out quickly, that Lauren stole my boyfriend when were younger! He must have been pretty stupid, to switch me out for her!", hoping to at least get a nod of agreement out of David.

Instead David sipped some ice water, "Oh, I don't think so. Would you consider a man a glutton when he's tired of some old, salty, half rancid beef to turn his attention to some lovely, fresh mutton?"

Vanessa only gulped her wine at this insult, but David went on. "Any men in your life? Are you close to marriage?"

"No.", Vanessa confessed, blankly looking at her now emptied glass of wine.

"Well, I'm sure you have plenty of time, David reassured, but what a shame it would be if someone was getting close to forty, with no prospects or hope of finding love as their charms slowly, but inexorably decayed away until there was nothing left even worth looking at."

Vanessa drained the bottle of wine into her glass. She was approaching forty much too rapidly for her taste, and David's words pounded in her head even as the wine rushed to drown them out.

"I mean, how many cats does it take to replace a loving husband? And how many more cats to replace children? Oh, I forgot, you have some cats, don't you, Vanessa?"

"T-two.", Vanessa stuttered as a slur began to take over.

"Two? That's nice!" David smiled a genuine smile, "That way they can have some companionship! How empty life would be if you had to go through it alone, that's why I'm so happy to have Lauren, just like you must be happy to have your cats."