Now, nearly two months later, Jackie still couldn't forgive her mother for causing her such confusing, frustrating embarrassment as she had inadvertantly caused by arranging the date with young Gary Starkoff.

"Oh, darling… Gary just wasn't very mature… But Matt Fields is the most charming and polite young man. I'm sure he's a student – and he has his own little dog breeding business. I'm not trying to make you marry him or anything, you know… I'm just asking you to meet him!"

"Oh, Mother, I know!" Jackie sighed with a wan little smile. But inwardly, she was thinking, If he wanted to meet me he would meet me himself… and Mother wouldn't have to go around trying to catch him for me! It always made her a little bit jealous instinctively whenever she realized that probably all the boys her mother brought home ostensibly for her would actually prefer the older woman. It had been that way with Gary Starkoff, anyway, for after the ill-fated "date" with Jackie Burnside, he had made several deliberate passes at Stella, going so far as obtaining a fake ID so that he could take her to a bar one night after she got off work. The black-haired mother had fended off the younger boy's passes for the sake of her daughter, but the knowledge was still there. Men just like Mom better! Jackie thought defensively. So there's no point in me going out with Mother's friends! Besides, she thought consolingly, as her eyes wandered back to the strong, eager German Shepherd, I have another friend now anyway!

"Okay, Jackie…" Stella said with a tone of finality. "I won't make you meet him, but I just might invite him over sometime…" Her catlike green eyes glinted speculatively, as she recalled the deliberate arrangement she had made with the dark-haired dog breeder to pay once a week for the gorgeous young dog. Surely Matt wouldn't mind coming to the apartment sometime, to pick up the payment! And this Friday was as good a time as any…