A Second Time Around

Chapter Six

The next day passed uneventfully for Stacey, and before she knew it, it's Saturday.

So here she was, at a local coffee shop, sipping a glass of her water, patiently waiting for Diane.

A few minutes later, Diane arrived. It was a chilly Saturday morning, and Diane was wearing a beige coat to ward off the cold air. She sighed with relief when she reached the warm confines of the shop.

"Hello, Stace!" She greeted, hugging Stacey. She took off her coat and draped it around the chair opposite Stacey's and sat down.

"I hope you weren't waiting that long." She was saying. "I'm sorry for being late. Too much things to finish, you know."

Stacey waved away her apology. "Oh, it's fine. I've only been here a few minutes before you did."

"Okay, that's good." Diane replied. "Have you ordered?"

"Nope, not yet."

Diane then beckoned a passing waiter to get their orders.

"How have you been? We've got a lot of catching up to do, you know." Diane said, drinking the complementary water the waiter had given her.

"Yes, we do." Stacey agreed. "Well, everything's fine with me. The new semester's going to be tough though, since we're getting more major subjects now." Stacey answered.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll do okay. I know you'll be having Taxation and Managerial Finance this year, and I nearly failed those two back then. They're that hard." Diane spoke off-handedly.

"Gee, thanks for the comforting words." Stacey said sarcastically.

"You're welcome." Diane beamed. "But seriously Stace, I know you can do it. You're intelligent. Just a bit lazy, though." She sniggered.

"I'm not lazy!" Stacey said defensively.

"Mm-hmm that's cute. Now tell me, is there anyone from our old group who has visited?" Diane asked as the waiter laid their coffee, hot chocolate and cakes on the table.

Stacey frowned, trying to remember. "Nope, no one that I recall." She said, eagerly sipping her chocolate.

Diane looked a bit disappointed. "Oh, I thought Kevin might have dropped by and you know, asked about me."

Stacey gave her an amused smile. "Why? Are you still holding out for him then?"

All of a sudden, Diane's expression turned dreamy. "Oh Stacey, yes I am. That guy is a hot piece of bad news for me and he haunts my dreams every night."

"Woah, you sooo do not need to go into detail on how he haunts your dreams." Stacey warned, shuddering.

Diane gave her a withering look. "I only meant how I miss his heart-melting smile and his lazy eyes and his gorgeous accent. Those were what I've been dreaming about." Diane's stare turned sly. "Why? What do you think I've been dreaming?"

Stacey sniggered. "Probably what you think I was thinking."

They both laughed.

"So, based on what you said, I take it no progress with Kev since study group?"

Diane sighed. "Nope, none whatsoever. After review school, he disappeared to work somewhere else. I had no contact with him anymore."

"Aren't there any cute guys at work?" Stacey asked, eating her cake.

Diane snorted. "Most men that I'm working with are middle-aged guys with middle-aged wives and are as interesting as my paperwork." She was saying. "Some of my colleagues are younger, but are a bit too young for me. So either I go to dinner with the former and be accused of being  a mistress or go out with the latter and be accused of child-abuse. You get me?"