I HAVE been duped.

My friend's dad, a 70-year old cockney who looks like a cross between Elvis Presley and a Pearly King, and who has alleged historic Mafia links, rang me on Thursday.

"All right Karen, do you want to come to a pub quiz on Friday night? Everyone is coming."

I took "everyone" to mean his daughter and her husband (my friends) complete with their collection of children and various other family members. The modern-day Brady bunch.

"That would be great, the Teen and I would love to come, but I'm rubbish at quizzes, my general knowledge is severely lacking," I chirped.

"Oh, err I don't know if I can get two tickets, I'll call you back." And he hung up before I could ask him why we needed tickets for a pub quiz.

Ten seconds later he was back on the blower, informing me that he had obtained another ticket before giving me three dinner choices.

"Um, Elvis, (his real name is Alan, but we call him Al Capone or Elvis) you said it was a pub quiz. It sounds like an organised event, what are we actually doing?"

"Oh, didn't I say? It's the bowling club quiz, at the pub."

"Hmmm. But everybody's going, right?"

"Errr, well no, cos they are all ill. It will just be you and me oh, and the Teen of course. Is that alright?"

"Elvis, it's fine, I'll see you tomorrow."

What could I say? Sorry, I am painting my toenails after all?

I rang my friend.

"Your dad's duped me into a date."

She was laughing so hard that she was struggling for breath. And then her other phone rang.

"That'll be dad, I bet, stay on the line."

"Hey guess what," said Elvis on loudspeaker. "Karen's agreed to come with me. Can't believe it. I fell in love with her the first time I saw her, all those years ago."

I hung up. Sort of laughing and crying at the same time.

The quiz was relentless but good fun. We came in fourth place. There were five teams. The Teen enjoyed it because she won a mile-long Toblerone. Al enjoyed because he was drinking copious amounts of red wine and knew all the lyrics in the 1950s music quiz.

And I enjoyed it because my steak and ale pie was bliss after forgetting to eat lunch.

I overlooked it when Al began introducing me to everyone as "My g-g-g-friend."

In fact, given my advancing years, I am quite pleased that I can still pull.

Every cloud.