"We’re so happy you could make it for dinner," screeched the overexcited brunette as she wrapped Adele up in a hug. The brunette was Stacy, Adele’s very good and very married friend.
          "You know me," Adele said, hoping her grimace wasn’t too evident. "Never one to pass up a free feed.”
          "I bet you’re starving," Stacy cooed, sounding more like she was talking to her children than an adult.
          "Famished," Adele smiled and passed Stacy the mudcake she’d picked up on her way over.
          "I shouldn’t eat cake," Stacy sighed, leading Adele into the kitchen. "Still trying to Pilate off those baby pounds.”
          "Stace," Adele frowned. "You’re a size ten. The only time you’re carrying baby pounds is when Jessica is attached to your nipple.”
          "I want my pre-baby figure back.”
          "I want your pre-baby figure.”
          "Del!" Stacy groused as her husband Trevor appeared with the aforementioned Jessica over his shoulder. He looked tired and drawn as baby Jessica screamed herself purple. "What’re you doing with bubba?”
          "I think she’s got wind or she’s hungry or something," Trevor shrugged, patting the baby gently on her back. "Hey Del.”
          "Trev," Adele mused, giving him a small wave.
          "What should I do?" Trevor half pleaded as his wife put her hands on her hips. "Is it a hunger cry? Because if it’s a hunger cry you know I can’t do anything.”
          "Me neither," Adele mused, wanting to join in the conversation.
          Stacy let out a grunt and collected the screaming infant from her husband. "Watch the potatoes," she ordered, sinking into a chair, unbuttoning her shirt and slapping the child onto her nipple.
          "I always said that you could silence a room the second you got your tits out," Adele chided and Stacy glared at her.
          "How’s work?" Trevor asked as he manned the potatoes. "Been busy?”
          "No, same old, same old," Adele lied, sighing for effect. The reality was that she didn’t really want to tell Stacy about Harry Eastman or Wes for that matter as it would just cause her friend to sulk. Stacy had been a very good newsreader before she fell pregnant but the stress and morning sickness caused her to take time off, and once Jessica was born she’d felt compelled to stay home. Adele thought her dedication was wonderful but knew the poor woman was so bored she was climbing the walls in crampons and a harness.
          "Comes with the job I’m afraid," Stacy smiled warmly, looking down at Jessica who had pulled away to coo and smile. "Is Mummy’s little possum happier now?”
          "I’d be happy if I could do that," Trevor mumbled under his breath. Adele gave him an amused grin and he blushed slightly. "How do you know when potatoes are ready?”
          "Oh for…" Stacy stopped and took a deep breath. "Jessie say hello to your Aunty Adele," she added and plonked the infant in Adele’s lap.
          "Oh God," Adele winced as Jessica’s bottom lip began to quiver and her face began to go crimson.

          After dinner which consisted of a roast with all the trimmings much to Trevor’s immense joy, he explained to Adele after Stacy had gone to see to Jessica who was screaming a lung up, that he’d been forced to live on salad and fish since the birth of his daughter and was very pleased to finally get at least one meal of red meat. The group relocated to the living room and talked while eating dessert and watching television. During a particularly fascinating conversation about nappy rash, Adele noticed ‘Eastman’ was on.
          "Oh can you turn the telly up," Adele asked. "I really want to hear this.”
          "You actually want to watch Harry Eastman?" Stacy said surprised.
          "There’s a comedian I want to see," she explained and Stacy relented and turned the volume up.
          Harry Eastman was three quarters of the way through an interview with Jake McFarrell who was the latest in the long line of up and coming Hollywood actors. Adele couldn’t work out why Wes had been so intimidated, the guy was clearly a pretentious bastard.
          "So Jake there’s been some rumours flying around about you and an alleged affair with a minor…"
          "Oh he’s so in the shit," Stacy gasped. "McFarrell does not look happy.”
          He certainly didn’t, Jake McFarrell was sitting there with a grim expression on his face but Harry Eastman didn’t miss a beat.
          "Although what you’d see in anyone with a flashlight on their hard hat is beyond me. Is it a fetish thing?"
          Jake McFarrell’s face went from furious too amused and he began to chuckle leaving the subject permanently dropped.
          "Well what do you know," Stacy mused. "Eastman used some intelligence.”
          "I didn’t think that was possible," Trevor agreed.
          "Wow," Adele said blankly. She couldn’t believe it, she’d told him to do that and he’d actually listened. Harry Eastman - The Harry Eastman had listened to her.
          "Del you look stunned," Stacy chided glancing over.
          "The man is a tool," Adele said quickly. "Is it any surprise I’m shocked he did something competent?”
          "Now ladies and gentleman, beloved home viewers…we have a special treat; an up and coming comedian who’s making his first TV appearance tonight, right here. Will you please make it big for Wes Addison.”
          "Oh he’s cute," Stacy smiled and then patted Trevor’s thigh. "Not as cute as you though honey.”
          Adele felt a little twitch in her stomach; it was very weird seeing someone you’d recently been conversing with in a dressing room suddenly on television doing stand up. What caught her attention the most though wasn’t the raucous laughter from the audience or Harry Eastman’s own fake laughter. It was the water bottle clutched in Wes’s left hand, her water bottle.
          "You can tell it’s his first time," Stacy declared. "So unprofessional to be holding a water bottle.”
          "I think it’s endearing," Adele smiled and then realised what she said and decided she wished she hadn’t.
          "Endearing?" Stacy asked curiously.
          "Well, its clearly his security blanket," Adele shrugged. "If it makes him feel comfortable, so what?”
          "He’s pretty funny," Trevor giggled. "That thing about women and lipstick is so true.”
          "Watch it," Stacy chided and poked her husband.
          "You know when I was asked to come on Eastman I told all my friends, y’know to brag and make sure more than three people were gonna watch and they all said the same thing. ‘Oh mate, tell us if he’s wearing a rug.’ Now initially it made me laugh but it also kinda got me thinking and it’s kinda become an obsession now. Every time I see Harry over there I just, I just want to…"
          Adele, Stacy and Trevor all let out a unanimous gasp as they watched Wes dash across the stage, leap onto Harry Eastman’s desk and grab the man’s hair.
          "Oh my God!" Adele said half-shocked, half-amused.
          "He’s gonna be in trouble," Stacy said stunned.
          "Although really, it’s about time someone actually found out," Trevor shrugged. "I mean a coiffure like that just can’t be natural.”
          After several seconds of tussling, Wes stood proudly on the desk and declared to the audience that it was in fact real or hair or a very well attached fake before he jumped down and fled the stage with a grin plastered on his face.
          "Well, that was interesting," Stacy remarked.
          "And I thought he was so meek earlier," Adele sighed, resting her cheek against her clenched fist.
          "Earlier?" Stacy queried. "Why earlier?”
          Adele cringed, wishing she hadn’t spoken aloud, but she knew Stacy would never let up if she didn’t give her something. "I ran into him before I left, Wes, he was very nervous.”
          "Ah," Stacy nodded. "So that’s why you wanted to watch Eastman, for Wes.”
          "No Stacy," Adele sighed. "I don’t see myself marrying Wes in a huge, luxurious affair where I wear a dress disguised as a meringue and we have three lovely children who all go to private schools.”
          "You’re so single it’s frightening," Stacy teased. "Your funs bits will have sealed over at this rate.”
          "Better than being stretched beyond repair like yours," Adele retorted, causing Trevor to both laugh and get his arm slapped. It took another hour and Stacy having Adele married off to Wes in her imagination before Adele finally arrived home. Her small apartment seemed more inviting than ever after her long and withering day and she took great satisfaction in just sprawling on the couch for a few minutes.
          As Adele lay there her friend, housemate and loyal companion Frank Skywalker, a rather devious looking ginger tom, appeared. He jumped on the coffee table and cried rather pathetically only bothering to reach out a paw to swat at her when she dared look away.
          "Oh ok," Adele groaned and got reluctantly to her feet. "I’ll feed you, you whiny little girl." She headed toward the kitchen and on her way pressed the ‘play’ button on the answering machine.
          If you want me I’m not in so leave a message, call later or call my mobile you stingy bastard…beep…Adele, this is Barry Cassidy from ‘Every Night with Eastman.’ Um I’m interested in having a chat with you. Come to my office at about ten tomorrow and I’ll explain further, thanks…beep.
          Adele stood there with a can of cat food in one hand, the fork in the other and a stunned expression on her face. It took Frank Skywalker clawing her leg to bring her back to earth. "Holy Mother of God, Frankie, what have I done?"