Daphne

(1) Leo

It was about 2 PM on a warm Spring Friday afternoon. Daphne, a college freshman at Castro University, had just finished her last class of the week and was headed to her favorite spot on The Mall, overlooking a pond.

The Mall was a 40-acre park, a two hundred-plus yard wide extension of the main campus that stretched a half-mile southward from the official border of the University. She walked along one of the well-worn gravel paths that lead from the edge of the campus to the far end of The Mall. The University was founded more than a hundred fifty years ago and this path passed through great stands of wood that seemed at least that old. It was dark here and the air smelled cool and a little musty, and there were no sights nor sounds of humanity. She felt as if she was a million miles from civilization as she crossed a rustic wooden bridge that arched over a meandering creek. The path snaked alongside the creek. The path finally emerged from the trees, revealing an undulating green expanse, punctuated with occasional oaks. In the distance, she could see several groups of students playing ball. The stream emptied into a large pond lined with marsh grasses.

The Lower Mall, past the trees, was wide and grassy and flatter the further you get from the University. This was the unofficial social focus of the University, a popular place where the students like to go to play games, picnic, socialize, or just to unwind, especially when the sun is out and the weather is nice.

She stepped off the path and walked over the deep, green carpet to her favorite spot on the slope. She sat down on the vast lawn and watched a duck emerge from the thick grasses and cattails, followed closely by four ducklings. The mother and her parade swam around in the pond.

The Sun felt good. She lay back on the soft grass, draping her left elbow over the bridge of her nose, shading her eyes. It was so warm and comfortable...

She had a problem. The weekend was upon her and she needed to figure out how to avoid two-and-a-half days of utter boredom (and what could possibly be worse than to be bored for a whole weekend?) – it was so bad last weekend that she'd almost cracked open her texts! Would she end up all alone in the campus library on Sunday morning like three weeks ago? Ugh!

She was immersed in thought, sunning herself, when she heard footsteps on the gravel path, then something moving in the nearby grass, moving closer, and finally a voice, "Hello, miss?"

The voice was on her right.

She didn't move. "Hello, yourself," she replied.

"Hi. I'm Leo."

"Hi, Leo."

There was a long pause as Daphne waited for the Stranger to explain what he wanted and, more importantly, why he interrupted her nap.

Damn. He's not going away.

She groaned as she made the obviously great effort to prop herself up on one elbow, open her eyes, and shade them with the other hand. After a momentary blinding light, the world slowly came into focus.

Why does someone always have to bother you after you've gotten comfortable?

An attractive, older man (anyone over 40 – double her age – seemed old to her) had crouched down near her. He was a couple of yards away, close enough to converse with her comfortably, but not so close that she felt uncomfortable in this semi-private setting. "Are you lost or something?"

"Sorry for bothering you, but, no. I want to know if you would be interested in earning some money over the weekend? I mean, if you're not doing anything else..."

Daphne was receptive to the idea, or at least willing to hear more – this would certainly solve her immediate problem – but she didn't want to seem too eager either. She summoned her best I'm not even remotely interested, but I'll politely pretend to listen to you if you keep talking attitude: "Mmmm... Perhaps."