Damn it to hell, it was Christmas Eve. I was curled up in my favorite chair listening to Bruce laugh his way through "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" while I sip my second glass of Shiraz – could it get any better than this? Of course it fucking could. For one thing, Stephen could have not been assigned as first officer on a three-day to Australia. And for another, he could have fucking taken me with him, the asshole. .....