The barmaid stole a glance at my wedding ring as I picked up the two pints then gave me an enigmatic smile. She was a looker for sure, no pun intended. "It was Alice suggested the Canny Man," I told my friend Jimmy as we turned to look for a free table. "She's got her sister and some friends coming round for a girlie night in and wanted me out of the house." Jimmy laughed. "Of all the people, Ross," he said, "I never reckoned you to be one for getting hitched and settling down." "No, me neither," I said, fingering the shiny silver band gracing my third finger, still light-headed after the recent event. "Alice is a nice lady, you're a lucky man," he said. I believed him. We went on to discuss other topics, such as the state of the world, updates on what mutual friends were up to, memories from our time together at college, the usual. Beer and conversation both...