D-DAY

"Can you be a little more patient?" Alicia asked, gazing into Harold's eyes earnestly. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, and at the same time, she didn't want to do something she might regret later because she let herself be carried away by the moment.

"How long?" Harold asked calmly.

"Until the banquet is over? I need some time to think and sort out my feelings," Alicia said, and Harold looked at her skeptically. 

"You will give yourself to me after the banquet?" Harold asked, wanting to be sure that he wasn't going to wait only to be disappointed at the end.

"I need to think about it, Harold. I care about you, and I do not want to hurt your feelings, but I also need to be sure that I want to do this with you. I have to weigh the pros and cons," Alicia said, and went on to explain what she meant by pros and cons when he stared at her blankly, but Harold could care less about whatever that meant.