Alice walked into the kitchen, breaking Dana from her train of thought. As soon as Dana caught a full glimpse of Alice, all of her thoughts were enhanced. Alice stood before her in a black long sleeve button up shirt with the sleeves up to the middle of her forearms, a black skirt that fell right at her knees, and a very short pair of heels. Her hair was lightly curled and her makeup was flawless. Dana’s breath caught in her throat and her heart did that stop-beat number she was thinking of. She fell in love all over again.

“What? Oh my god, do I look bad?” Dana hadn’t noticed she was staring. “No, Alice. You look amazing. You’re so beautiful. I mean you look beautiful everyday, but you know.” Dana fixed her eyes on the writer’s own brown eyes. “You have such a way with words, Dana.”

Pulling up to the restaurant Alice’s mind began to race. ‘What if they just brought me here to tell me how much I’m fucking Dana’s life up? What if they brought me here to point out all of the things wrong with me? What if they don’t think I’m good enough for Dana?’ Alice’s thoughts brought a tennis ball sized lump to her throat and sweat to the palms that were clasped so tightly together her knuckles were white.

The tension rolling off of Alice and filling the air was so thick that no chainsaw could have cut it. “Alice, breathe! I promise everything’s gonna be just fine. It’s a simple lunch with my parents. I’ll keep the focus off you I promise.” The warm smile that Dana showed melted Alice’s heart, but did nothing to ease the fears that had her back glued to her seat.

“I think I’m gonna throw up, Dana.” Dana groaned and got out of the car. “Don’t throw up in my car please, Alice.” Alice shot her an annoyed look. The tennis star would be worried about her car! As, Dana rounded the front of the car to retrieve Alice, on her crutches, the blonde panicked and smacked her hand down on the door lock. Dana’s eyes got huge.

“Al, you get out of that car right now.” Dana’s gentle scolding was almost broken by the laugh that the predicament was threatening to bring about. “I don’t wanna!” Alice turned her head so she wouldn’t have to look at Dana. “Alice, you look at me right now! Al, I’m serious. Get out please. It’s a meal with my parents, not a stroll to the guillotines.”