Standard Disclaimer. Since it seems Alliance is done with them . . . Please send comments, questions, compliments, and otters to sdelcul@mail.com or visit http://www.members.xoom.com/dueSou .

I'm not making any judgements on Taco Hell - oops, I mean Taco Bell. Really. I worked there once. .. . . For two whole days. Besides, this is all Shannon's fault. She started it, and not just with "The Little Things."

Man bites dog. Dog sues.

"Let me make it simple for you. No!" One look at Ben's face, and he instantly regretted his choice of words. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

"Are you alright, Ray?"

"Yes. No." He sat down quickly. "It's just been a long day. If this keeps up, I'm gonna quit and go work for Taco Bell or something. 'Would you like a chalupa with that?' What the hell is a chalupa anyway?"

"Actually Ray, a chalupa is a small boat- "

"Fraser."

"How that translates into some sort of taco-like product I have no idea-"

"Benny." His interruptions went unnoticed as Fraser continued.

"And it may interest you to know that the grammar involved is atrocious. The mucho grande nachos, for example. Mucho means a lot, not very. Plus nachos is plural and the Spanish language places the adjectives after the noun, so it should be nachos muy grandes anyway. Saying mucho grande nacho is rather like saying muy gracias . . . "

Ray was unable to fight the smile creeping across his face.

Seeing it, Ben wound to a stop, fighting a matching smile in his eyes, one corner of his mouth twitching not to return the grin.

"Thanks Benny."

About to deny all knowledge of what he was being thanked for, he changed his mind and said simply, "You're welcome."