Quotes:
"You're lucky we love Amanda." John mentioned. "So that you can get all the takeaway meals, restaurant dinners and good food perks that come along with our friendship package despite your regular harsh insults." ~ Jill Thrussell
"Well, at least they are funny insults John." Amanda swiftly pointed out. "Do any of guys suffer from depression, no and you are both quite intelligent, so as far as I'm concerned, you're both fair game for a bit of verbal target practice and some harmless banter when and if the opportunity arises which is really quite often because you both are so socially clumsy." ~ Jill Thrussell
"Yeah, you guys should just think of it as free preparation for marriage and family life." Amanda agreed as she enthusiastically nodded her head and grinned. "Your children will probably say far worse things to you and actually mean them." ~ Jill Thrussell
"Look Simon, maybe you've misunderstood my position and my definition of the term lady. What I actually meant is I'm a lady of leisure and since you guys are from the generation above mine that did like to do chivalrous things for women, I do like to capitalize on that sometimes if I can and make the most of it and a packet of honey nuts is just such a tiny gentlemanly sacrifice." Amanda teased. "I just don't want to waste all that wonderful generosity that you guys have inside of you that you save for the opposite gender because you hardly ever interact with women and rarely have a girlfriend to lavish all that financial affection upon." She continued as she shrugged. "I mean, it would just be such a heartless rejection and a total waste of really noble male intentions which nowadays, can be very rare and totally impossible to find." ~ Jill Thrussell
One small glimmer of hope did exist however, from what John knew of Simon and that was the reality that although his taste in women was absolutely awful, he knew that it was and so, John hoped that one day, he might apply slightly more logic to his dating choices which would then perhaps in turn furnish him with a slightly more hopeful romantic future. ~ Jill Thrussell
Unfortunately for Simon, from what John had observed over the years, the commitment and attraction that he felt towards the kind of women that he enjoyed in a romantic capacity was not a mutually beneficial two-way street. ~ Jill Thrussell
"But they don't commit to you Simon." John had pointed out. "While your commitment towards them is growing, their commitment towards you is diminishing, so you are never going to make any romantic gains only unromantic losses which will leave you with deficits of heartbreak.” ~ Jill Thrussell
More often than not from what John had seen, the women that Simon preferred usually abandoned and dumped him as soon as a more affluent or attractive suitor showed up in their lives and they rarely stuck around for very long and so he had been left heartbroken, loveless and with a definite love deficit of total rejection on many occasions. ~ Jill Thrussell
Although the women that Simon dated as John had seen with his own eyes, had always been immaculately groomed and had always worn very classy apparel which had seemed to go hand in hand with their stunning good looks, somehow simultaneously that flashy exterior had always been accompanied internally with self-absorbed gutter attitudes, an arrogant disposition and a total disregard for Simon himself which had really irritated John at times. ~ Jill Thrussell
A lack of recreational consistency in John's weekly schedule was unfortunately present most weeks due to the demands of his work which usually placed heavy demands upon his weekdays and even on some of his weekends and those time constraints had definitely cost John some heartbeats of love and some romantic relationships. ~ Jill Thrussell
However, as John continued to watch the two as they placed the dinner order which he had left that day pretty much up to Amanda and Simon, he began to internally reflect on his own romantic status and whether or not that was likely to change in the near future because it was hard to expect anyone else to emotionally invest into a relationship when there was a scarcity of quality time and where any quality time that was available was unlikely to be consistently offered. ~ Jill Thrussell
Some heartbreaks had definitely rocked both John and Simon's ships of life over the years and had on occasions almost fully capsized their hearts and as John already knew, it was far less painful to learn from someone else's mistakes in life than your own and so he hoped that Amanda would embrace the two pillars of male support in her life and learn from their past mistakes. ~ Jill Thrussell
In order to find and secure a suitable romantic partnership and to correctly identify a sincere, serious, compatible life companion as John fully appreciated, it could take a while and Amanda usually played quite recklessly with the years of her life as if each day were a toy, an attitude which currently suited her but that one day, could backfire and leave behind nothing but a ghost town of regrets that she would then have to live in for the rest of her life. ~ Jill Thrussell
At some point in time, John silently anticipated, Amanda would mature but whether that would happen at the right time for her heart and body was another issue entirely because hindsight although it could be helpful at times, usually arrived too late to be of any real use to your own heart and life. ~ Jill Thrussell
In terms of the two men's romantic and unromantic experiences, John hoped that Amanda would learn some important lessons from Simon's and his own errors because it was far less painful to learn from someone else's heartbreak than your own and he wanted her to experience more in life than just the sufferance of betrayals, the tolerance of inferior romances and the heartbreak of absolute disappointments. ~ Jill Thrussell
A few months beforehand from what John could remember, Amanda had mentioned that she was on a vacation from romance which had probably been as a result of her entanglement with a total con artist who had led her down an unromantic love path which had been nothing in the end but a total dead end of misery and a cul-de-sac of absolute heartbreak. ~ Jill Thrussell
"I'm very committed to my life John, just not to men and especially not to ridiculously rubbish men." Amanda had explained in one of her rarer more serious moments. "I'm pursuing a qualification that I'm really interested in and I have some great friends because we share bottles of beer, fits of laughter, tears of heartbreak and hugs of supportive care and comfort with each other all the time but if I ever do decide to settle down that male specimen will probably have to be a superhero of some kind because I'm seriously not impressed by the majority of the male gender. In the meantime though, I'm quite happy just to sample the goods on offer at times with no obligations to an actual mortriage so, you really shouldn't worry about my romantic future or me because until I meet someone worth committing to, I'm not in a rush to commit myself to potential misery." ~ Jill Thrussell
"Neither do I. At one point I did but in recent times, I've changed my mind." Simon had agreed. "Soulmates is a totally illogical concept because the mathematical probabilities, input variables and subsequent outcome occurrences that destiny and fate would require in order to effectively coordinate and implement the whole concept of soulmates, would just be absolutely impossible to realize in reality. So now, I just believe that we find partners of convenience that correlate with our social status that are likeable and that love revolves around our needs, wants, lifestyles, personalities, attitudes and values and that at some point, we find a way to compromise and accept one of the options that are on offer to us. This is where the term 'settle down' comes from when someone asks you 'are you ready to settle down yet' the word settle means to forgo the ideal notions of your perfect partner and settle for the one that you already have or the most likeable or appealing romantic partner that you have access to." ~ Jill Thrussell
"Well one day, if I have the time John, I might even build a mathematical model to prove my theory." Simon had mentioned. "But then that would be the end of the whole soulmates concept and probably the downfall of romance would follow shortly afterwards. I don't want to spoil it for all you guys that believe in it or break your hearts because it would kind of be like that day when you were a kid when you found out that Santa Claus wasn't real." ~ Jill Thrussell
A deep need definitely resided inside John's own self that wanted to feel wanted, needed, validated and loved to a huge degree and his desire to feel a romantic soulmate connection to someone else where fate tied two hearts together in an unbreakable manner, felt so deeply profound yet had so far eluded his romantic grasp. ~ Jill Thrussell
In terms of John's belief in a romantic concept that defied most logical realities and since it was a notion that was quite hard to believe, it was something that he never really discussed with anyone else and that internal desire within himself rarely even surfaced, never mind stood on trial to other people's opinions and judgements because it was so very intimate and so deeply personal. ~ Jill Thrussell
"That's because Amanda ate all the honey nuts." Simon piped in as he paused for a second in front of the door and then turned back to face them both. "And might I add, she didn't offer me a single one. I practically had to squeeze a dribble of kindness out of her." ~ Jill Thrussell
"Don't ask me how I do it, it takes an extreme amount of effort and a lot of coordination at times." Amanda admitted with a grin. "But I do squeeze in some moments of studious hard concentration where I can. Do you guys want me to see if I can book you into a monastery or should I research whether or not you can apply for a priesthood? We do have some religious chapels on campus you know and I'm sure they'd love to give you some spiritual career advice to supplement your celibate lifestyles." She paused for a moment before she continued in a low tone. "Oh but it would probably be better not to mention any of your recent sexual rejections or unromantic failures because usually, you have to want to join their priesthood or monastery because you feel God's calling upon your life which has led you to take a vow of celibacy whereas you two are just socially awkward and seen as an inferior sexual choice by the majority of the female gender." ~ Jill Thrussell
John agreed. "We just don't know what you ladies want from us anymore. The breakdown of marital structures in society and the disintegration of clear gender roles is just evolving at a pace that men can't keep up with." ~ Jill Thrussell
Due to the price of the vacation however, John guarded his thoughts and held each one captive inside his own mind as he continued to watch the scenes on display but he definitely felt as if the commercial had not only leapt into his lounge but that it had also displayed more passionate action inside his own home than he had for at least the past year or two now, a reality which he almost felt almost envious about. ~ Jill Thrussell
However, in this instance, even John's usual non-compliant attitude towards lavish luxuries had been nudged towards the border of a speculative purchase because the commercial had intrigued, entranced and enthralled all three present and due to the intellectual component intertwined in the offer itself, on this extremely rare occasion, John could not exclude himself from that actively interested consumer category.~ Jill Thrussell
The whole concept and notion of dream technology and holographic fantasies however, did intrigue John in certain ways and as that notion began to wander around inside his thoughts, the idea of a futuristic holiday silently evolved from a mild distraction into a full blown real, actual possibility despite the rather hefty price tag. ~ Jill Thrussell
"You could try a pretty and an ultra-please combo that might sway him and push him off the fence of indifference that he seems to be sitting on." Simon suggested. "Then he might even climb down from that fence long enough to join us in our quest to find recreational passion, intellectual stimulation, sensually enjoyable immersive entertainment and potentially, the ultimate experience in human pleasurable thrills and amusement." ~ Jill Thrussell
"Well, I agree with about two of the above Simon but only partially, just the entertainment and the amusement parts, so technically that does make one full point of agreement and in this instance that is definitely enough for us to unite in our battle to open up John's wallet." Amanda mentioned playfully as she grinned. "But don't worry Simon even though it is just one point, it is a huge one so that's just a minor technicality really. We are definitely allies deep down in the trenches on the battlegrounds of refusal trying to prise open John's wallet but I don't think the lure of fantasy seductions will be enough for him, he'll require something a bit more convincing than that so we'll have to try and come up with something really great to persuade him." ~ Jill Thrussell
"You see, Simon understands what's good for his male anatomy John, it's just like cooking and eating healthy food is good for your biological system." Amanda teased. "Sexual frustration can create tension, a lot of tension and especially in men and especially, when a few potential lays have not paid off with any climatic results." ~ Jill Thrussell
"Hmmm in your case I'd definitely call it sexual satisfaction of some kind Simon." Amanda teased. "An artificial kind but still some kind. Maybe I'd call it sexificial satisfaction." ~ Jill Thrussell
Deep down inside although John's curiosity had definitely been ignited and sparked and he longed to jump on a flight and jet off to an abundant supply of unknown fantasies which would contain heaps of technological intrigue, his intellectual fascination alone couldn't push him closer towards a positive decision and he still felt as if he required some further persuasion which he felt almost certain Amanda would definitely provide once she had managed to come up with a new sales pitch angle. ~ Jill Thrussell
Although Simon was a pretty simple person in terms of his social makeup as John already knew, he did not enjoy confrontational conflicts and so the tense situations that had arisen had frequently been a major source of Simon's complaints and it almost felt to John as if the man in question had crawled under Simon's skin and had then paddled around inside his nerves because he seemed to irritate Simon as much as he could as often as he could. ~ Jill Thrussell
"I don't know Amanda, sometimes you can be a very expensive companionship and familial overhead." John joked as he released a sigh of defeat from his lips. "Thank goodness you weren't a twin, I'd have probably gone bankrupt by now." ~ Jill Thrussell
"Yep, I'm a luxury item of companionship and an expensive relation that not everyone can afford." Amanda admitted triumphantly. "Absolutely nothing wrong with that and yes, it probably is a good thing that I'm not related to you Simon because you're not as generous as John is. He gives me far more from far less." ~ Jill Thrussell
"I think you should start a union Simon for unwanted and imaginary lovers and then you could demand that your fictitious romantic interests show up at least once a month to fulfil their imaginary romantic commitments." Amanda advised. "That way you won't feel lonely anymore or like a social reject." ~ Jill Thrussell
"What romantic opportunities Simon?" Amanda teased. "You've never had any real romantic opportunities, you've just enjoyed some fumbles with reluctant participation which really don't count or quite qualify as real romantic experiences, just desperate grasps of desire." ~ Jill Thrussell
"We feed them, shelter them and clean them and then they pee and poo all over us and our homes." Amanda quickly pointed out. "And if we're lucky, we get the odd purr or tail wag and that's about it." ~ Jill Thrussell
"And if they lick your face that's even worse because they clean their asses with their tongues and that's them telling you, your face looks like my ass. You think they're being nice to you but they're really actually insulting you." Amanda mentioned. "Domestic pets are total scam artists I swear, they pretend to like human beings just to get free meals and a cosy bed." ~ Jill Thrussell
"Yes it does and being devious at times does require a tremendous amount of effort." Amanda mentioned. "Though I've noticed that being broke does seem to come much more easily and far naturally to me." She admitted. "I'm not sure why but for some strange reason, it just seems to be so much easier to spend money than it is to make it." ~ Jill Thrussell
"True, I guess she does have some kind of skills in that area." John agreed. "But it would probably be more helpful to you though Simon because you usually date more devious women than I do." He turned to face Amanda and grinned. "I don't think you'll get much of a salary increase for devious deeds and efforts Amanda, so that particular skillset might not increase your overall value or worth." ~ Jill Thrussell
When it came to the issue of Amanda and money as John already knew, she was absolutely hopeless and her financial means were always just one small step away from financial destitution and total bankruptcy although her pretty face and lively personality did somehow seem to keep her afloat in the balance of life. ~ Jill Thrussell
Somehow though, John noticed, Amanda had leapt straight over that hurdle of reluctant refusal and she had uprooted that small remnant of uncertainty that had stemmed from his concerns and although there were still some slight traces of that reluctance that lingered in John's thoughts, those small doubts now meant very little to anyone, even to John himself because the vacation had now been agreed to and paid for. ~ Jill Thrussell
"Yes, and being devious at times requires a tremendous amount of effort." Amanda mentioned. "Though being broke does seem to come much more easily and far naturally to me, I'm not sure why." She admitted. "It's just so much easier to spend money than it is to make it." ~ Jill Thrussell
When it came to the issue of Amanda and money as John already knew, she was absolutely hopeless and her financial means were always just one small step away from financial destitution and total bankruptcy although her pretty face and lively personality did somehow seem to keep her afloat in the balance of life. ~ Jill Thrussell
Somehow however, John noticed, Amanda had leapt straight over that hurdle of refusal and she had uprooted that small remnant of uncertainty that had stemmed from his concerns and although there were still some slight traces of reluctance that still lingered in John's thoughts, those small doubts now meant very little to anyone even to John himself because the vacation had now been agreed to and paid for. ~ Jill Thrussell
"Yes Simon, Amanda can be quite helpful when it comes to filling up the interior of your wardrobe." John agreed. "She actually has great taste in clothes, just not in boyfriends." He teased. ~ Jill Thrussell
Their romance had simply died a very abrupt death as John had quietly allowed Francine to kill it and then he'd simply allowed it to rest peacefully inside the graveyard of unwanted love, totally undisturbed so for John now, their romance would never actually be reborn, restored or reinstated to its former joy or glory because now, he could no longer trust Francine in any capacity at all. ~ Jill Thrussell
"Don't worry guys, Operation Brainyerd Makeover has already begun." Amanda teased. "Because I have two perfect disasters that are in desperate need of a fix up and my stylistic help. I take my duties very seriously and if I do my job right, I might just be able to make you palatable for a couple of single women out there that will definitely appreciate my wisdom and good taste. I might just be able to make you both into eligible single, male candidates, if I can transform you into worthwhile love applicants which will be a total joy for some poor stranded women out there." She flashed them both a grin before she continued. "In fact, I'll be saving womanhood from the brink of despair and utter frustration with my provisions of two acceptable male specimens that might just appeal to their romantic taste buds and satisfy some aspects of their passionate appetite which is such a huge responsibility but I think I can rise to the challenge." ~ Jill Thrussell
"Then when we get back from vacation Simon, we can embark upon an Operation Deadbeat Elimination Mission." John added. "So, we can help Amanda to get rid of some of those deadbeat guys that she usually picks up and then attempts to have a dysfunctional, unhealthy romance with." ~ Jill Thrussell
"I'm sensing that our operation will be much faster than Amanda's shopping trip which should probably be called Operation Empty Wallets." Simon teased. ~ Jill Thrussell
"Yep and tonight, she's been like a bulldozer travelling along the fast lane of consumer pleasure at full throttle in full arrangements mode." John teased. ~ Jill Thrussell
I think I'll take a deep dive into excitement, dabble in a portion of romance, paddle around in puddle of mystery, chew on a mouthful of passion and have a splash around in hilarity." Amanda replied. ~ Jill Thrussell
"So pretty much your usual week then." John teased. "Your dates are always a total mystery to us and we do always wonder where you picked them up from because they are definitely always, hilariously awful." ~ Jill Thrussell
"Does that store offer refunds Amanda, or is it buy one deadbeat get one free?" Simon teased. ~ Jill Thrussell
"I'll need an actual day and time commitment from you both of you because shopping trips are not casual lovers, they need to be financially nurtured." Amanda quickly urged as she verbally pressed both men to make an actual commitment to her shopping trip and attempted to steer the conversation away from her past romantic failures. ~ Jill Thrussell
"Sometimes I think we're both too reliable and dependable Simon." John mentioned as he turned to face him. "And I think Amanda capitalizes on that and profits from our reliability a bit too frequently." ~ Jill Thrussell