24......

Continued.........

At every party there are two kinds of people — those who want to go home and those who don't. The trouble is, they are usually married to each other.
~Ann Landers


Marta and Genghis Khat were lying on the sofa, writing invitations to Marta's 40th birthday party. (Genghis wasn't so much writing the list, as vetting it.)

'George and Melanie Roberts - yes or no?' asked Marta.

Genghis twitched his whiskers. He had no intention of being at the party, but he was curious to know who'd be in his house.

'She's that client you always follow around,' continued Marta, 'and he's the one with the wig.'

Genghis flicked his tail approvingly. Melanie Roberts was terrified of him. He enjoyed nothing more than appearing silently in front of her and fixing her with his lamplight stare. Once, during a party, he'd climbed up the back of the sofa and started pawing at her husband's toupée.....not that he'd known it was a toupée of course. He'd assumed it was some sort of somnolent rat. Melanie had turned to speak to her husband, spotted Genghis extending a delicate claw to his head, and shrieked like a menopausal banshee with toothache. It was a great result - wine and canapés spilt everywhere, Marta horrified, Dora crying with laughter, George mortified and Melanie running round the room as though her backside was on fire.....

'Hmmm,' said Marta rubbing Genghis' chin, 'perhaps not. Here's the really tricky one though....'

Genghis purred encouragingly.

'....what would happen if I invited my dad?'

Genghis closed his eyes. His imagination wasn't that advanced, but he supposed it would be a bit like the time he'd been staying at Dora's and had brought a live bat home for her. The ensuing hysteria had been exciting and terrifying in equal parts - if the party was going to run along similar lines, he might just consider staying in for it after all......