The Unsuitable Boyfriend

Carol and Derek were having a serious talk about their daughter Charlotte. Well, Carol was having a serious talk. Derek was being more frivolous. "Oh come on, I'm sure we've all had unsuitable boyfriends or girlfriends in our time. What about that idiot Paul you dated before me ?" he challenged his wife. "Yeah but I wasn't planning on throwing away my future because of that twat was I ? Charlie's threatening not to take up her place at uni because of Max and go and be his muse or some such crap !"

The problem was Charlotte's latest boyfriend, if boyfriend was the most appropriate term for someone a dozen years older than their daughter. Max described himself as a poet. An upper class scrounger would have been more to the point as far as Carol was concerned. He had been published in a couple of obscure magazines but that would have paid him a pittance. It appeared he was living off his parents allowance still at the age of 30. "Charlie's usually so sensible. I can't understand how she doesn't see through him" Carol complained. "She's still maturing mentally though. Half woman, half child" was Derek's opinion of his 18 year old daughter. "Which is why we've got to protect her. The guy's an obvious womaniser. In old fashioned terms, I'd call him a cad !" Carol continued. Derek laughed. "He's an absolute bounder " he declaimed in a faux aristocratic voice. "Oh, do be serious" Carol insisted. "We've got to break them up."

"He does seem to have a roving eye" Derek admitted. "He seemed to fancy Debbi when she called in that time and he was here." "Everyone fancies Debbi" Carol stated. "True" Derek laughed. "But he was flirting with her and I noticed Charlie getting agitated." he added. "Everyone flirts with Debbi. Or rather, Debbi flirts with everyone" said Carol.

The cogs in Carol's mind began turning. "Our camping weekend" she began. "What of it ?" asked Derek. "Well, Charlie and Max are coming with us aren't they ? What if I invite Debbi along too ?" suggested Carol. "What ? And get her to flirt with Max ? Would she play along ?" Derek wondered. "Oh, I won't tell her. But you know Debbi, it shouldn't be too difficult for me to arrange it so that she's flashing the flesh and if I read Max correctly, he'll start following her around like some old hound dog !"