"FWLS39" - читать интересную книгу автора (A Future We'd Like to See)

"That's fascinating," she said. I couldn't tell if she was
amused, annoyed, sad, happy, or bored with this bit of news
through her nasal clog. "I used to play the harp until it
exploded."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, my family has this curse on it that we'll never get
very good with... ah... *ACHOO!* (wipe) instruments. My dad was
killed in a piano accident."

"Oh. Umm. I'm not sure what to say about that."

"No, don't worry, the piano wasn't hurt."

I nodded my head, trying to express sympathy for the piano
or her dad, whichever she was more upset about.

Okay, so we can scratch out the common-job concept. What
did Cupid see in this girl? I mean, maybe some other sewage-
worker type would really dig her, but she had no shared interests
or ideas with me. Unless...

"You wouldn't happen to like mountain climbing would you?" I
asked, hoping she'd say yes.

"What's a mountain?" she asked. "Some kind of nature thing?
I don't get above ground very much, really... treating C'atels
sewer runoff is pretty time consuming. I'm lucky I had tonight
off."

Okay, so climbing is out. Maybe we shared the common bond
of literature... "How about poetry?"

"Don't read much, I'm afraid. I can't keep anything that
gets damaged when wet."

Great, I thought. Just before I was going to excuse myself
politely and slip out the mens' room window, the band kicked into
a slow dance number.

"Hey, dance music!" Nancy grinned with grayish teeth.
"Might as well kill time while our... ah... *SNORK* Phew. Held
that one in. While our dinner gets here."

"Umm, I'm not very good at dancing."

"Oh. Neither am I, actually. Always hoping I'd date
someone that could show me how. I hear it's pretty fun. Are you