"Elizabeth and Anastasia 5"( Ff FF )[5/8] Betty didn't think the day would ever arrive, but somehow she ended up standing in front of Annabella's, working up the nerve to go in. It was 6:20. She wanted to be there first, wanted to be able to study Stacy's face when Stacy finally saw her. Her dad had been no problem. He thought she was going out with Robert for the evening. She'd asked Robert beforehand, and he said it would be okay this once, because it was so important to her, and he'd cover. He also volunteered to pick her up and drop her off at the restaurant, and said to call him if she needed a ride home. He was such a nice guy. It had taken hours for her to get her hair and makeup just so. She was wearing her new pale pink evening dress, with matching everything. Dad probably thought she was wanting to turn every head in the place, making the guys drool, and the girls green with envy. He was close. It was just one head she wanted to turn. You'd rarely see anyone better in the fashion magazines. Betty wasn't really sure why it was so important to her to make a good impression on Stacy, but reasoned that it couldn't hurt. Finally, steeling herself, she walked in. The maitre'd was the same lady who'd been there so long before. "Hello, can I help you?" "Yes. I have a reservation. It's for Betty, uh, I mean Elizabeth Brust." "Elizabeth ... Elizabeth .. Yes, right here. Oh. Now I remember you, you've been in once before, haven't you? Quite some time ago." "Well, yes I have." "So you're that Elizabeth. Welcome. I'll have Jacklyn show you to your table. I hope you have a very pleasant evening." The restaurant was much more crowded than last time, even though Betty couldn't see very many of the patrons. There were quite a few waitresses (Hosts? Hostesses?) running around. All were wearing the same style of dress, but some were in blue, some were in pink, two others were in black, and she'd seen one in white. The odd thing was that the accouterments rarely matched the colour of the dress. One person in a pink dress would be wearing blue jewelry and a black scarf, one in a blue dress had pink accessories. The ones in black were all in black, but the one in white had red accessories, the only colour she'd seen other than blue, pink, white and black. When Jacklyn finished guiding Betty through the maze to her table, Betty had to ask. "What do all the different colours the waitresses, uh, I mean hosts, what do the colours they wear mean?" Jacklyn looked at her for a moment, wearing a very strange expression. Then, with a big smile, she said "You are an innocent, aren't you. Well, I'm not going to ruin things by explaining the differences. It will probably help you to know, though, that all the ladies wearing black or blue dresses, like me, are hosts, and the ladies in pink, white, or yellow are hostesses. Now, would you like something to drink while you wait?" This only served to confuse her further. She decided to ignore it for now. "What would you recommend? I don't usually drink much, and I don't want to get drunk." "I'd recommend a Brazilian Special, light. It's a good, smooth, cream coffee, light on the tastebuds, with just enough creme 'd cacao added to give it a slight edge." "Okay, I'll try it." The coffee was good, and wasn't too strong. Stacy (sorry, not Stacy - Anastasia) came in at 6:45. She looked better than she had the night of the show. Her hair was up, piled high, with a simple silver comb helping to hold it in place. Her makeup was flawless, lipstick a pale pink. The dress she wore was a light blue smock, dropping to just above her knees, cut to display her figure. Dark blue stockings, shoes, belt, and a white purse completed the picture. She looked beautiful - nervous and uptight, yes, but still gorgeous. After very simple "hi's" were exchanged, Betty slid over into the corner seat, leaving Stacy sitting down on the outside. The older girl ordered a Berlin mint coffee to start with. Neither said anything until after their host delivered her drink. She broke the silence. "Why did you invite me here today?" It took a minute for Betty to answer. "I have to know. That night we were here, I need to know if it was us, or if it was my imagination. This is the only way for me to find out. I thought I'd figured it out once, way back then, but I don't know anymore. Please, let's not ruin anything by talking right now. I'd like to have us enjoy a really nice meal together. Please, Anastasia?" "Yes Elizabeth. I think I could enjoy having a nice meal. Together." When their host came to ask about appetizers, she also asked if the ladies wanted full dinners or the lighter portions. Lighter consisted of less of everything except the main dish. This was done because there were many women who couldn't finish a full meal, never mind enjoy dessert afterwards, and felt guilty leaving food behind. Both asked for the lighter portions. It was a fabulous dinner. They shared a shrimp cocktail for an appetizer, and ordered a half-litre of the house dry white wine to go with their meal. Next, Betty had some Beaufort bisque soup while Stacy had a Spanish salad. Their main course choices were veal chops savoyarde, wine-braised pork tenderloin with mushrooms, or chicken breast with artichokes. Betty picked the veal and Stacy picked the pork. They shared some from each other's plates, of course. Betty made the first move by stealing a mushroom from Stacy, then looking totally innocent, like she'd never ever do anything like that. Stacy retaliated by pointing out one of the hostesses, then stealing a piece of ham from Betty (yes, that's part of the veal dish) when she looked up. It escalated from there. Betty was never sure afterwards whether she'd had more of her meal or of Stacy's. Both were delicious. They both relaxed a bit after finishing the main course, before ordering dessert, and just leaned back. Betty ordered another half-litre of wine. She also asked to see a menu, wanting to know what other desserts were available. Their host brought them desserts-only menus. Everything had pictures, even the weekly special. Betty thought she'd gain five pounds just looking. After the two of them drooled for a while, pointing out some that looked especially nice, they ordered. Stacy went for the chocolate raspberry torte (what can I say - she likes raspberries). Betty couldn't decide whether she wanted that fruited streusel thingy with the orange cream, or the Grand Marnier chocolate mousse torte. When Stacy pointed at the little river of chocolate sauce running off the whipped cream, she went for the chocolate mousse. Yes, these were decadent times. Before the desserts came, there was a surprise. The maitre'd arrived at the table with two other girls, one 'host' and one 'hostess'. "Good evening Elizabeth, Anastasia. To honor your birthday (nodding at Stacy) and your first official dinner here (nodding at Betty), may I present a gift from the management." The 'gifts' were two beautiful bouquets of flowers, both centerpieced with carnations surrounded by pink, white, and green. One had white carnations, the other had pink. "They're gorgeous!" Betty reached out to take the one with pink carnations, but Stacy stopped her and handed her the white bouquet. She took the pink for herself. Both girls thanked the maitre'd and the host and hostess. Dessert done, sipping on the last of the wine, coffees on order, Stacy relaxed by slipping off her shoes, turning, and sitting in the corner. Betty slipped off her shoes, turned, leaned back into the corner padding, and put both of her feet into Stacy's lap. The older girl turned and looked at her, wearing a puzzled expression. It looked like she was about to say something, but then turned back without a word. She began to massage the feet in her lap. They sat there like that for some time, through the last of the wine and then through the coffees, Betty watching Stacy, Stacy staring off into nowhere. Betty broke their long silence. "Will you invite me here for dessert again?" After a long pause. "Would you like me to?" "Yes please. But not right away. Maybe in a week or two." "It's a date. Guaranteed." Betty ordered two more coffees. She didn't want to leave yet. "Elizabeth, how did you arrange this? It's a member's only restaurant." "When I first called, they said that if you were coming, they would let me use your membership, if you agreed. That wasn't necessary." "It wasn't?" "No. I'm a member." Stacy turned and looked Betty straight in the eye. "How did you become a member?" Betty smiled and shrugged her shoulders. After a minute with no other reply, Stacy turned her head back and stared off into the distance again. "Elizabeth, do you know what this place is?" "No, Anastasia, I don't. You and a few other people have made me realize it's not just a nice restaurant. I found out that some of the girls are 'hosts', and some are 'hostesses'. It just made me more confused." "That's all right. In time, you'll learn. Right now, we'll leave you as an innocent, in white and pink." Eventually they packed up to go. Stacy offered Betty a ride, but was refused. She said she wanted the evening to end just like this. It was late, so she called a cab. She also called Robert to let him know she was okay and wouldn't need a ride home, and thanked him again. Betty felt better now than she had in a long, long time. ********************************************************************** <> The two of them just sat there for a while, Stacy humming a bit and playing with Betty's hair, Betty trying to sort out how she felt about moving away from home, her father, Stacy, her mother, moving in with Stacy, how her friends would react, how it would feel living with Stacy, going back to school monday, how she was going to survive on her own, and how nice it felt to be sitting there with Stacy. She giggled, suddenly realizing where her thoughts kept circling around to. "What's so funny, Little Blossom?" "Well, it's a bit strange. I'm trying to sort out what to do about dad, moving out, school, and everything else. The trouble is, every line of thought I follow ends up with you in it. I guess I really am in love." "Now that you brought it up, I've been sitting here daydreaming, not thinking about anything in particular, except about how right it feels with you here. I already know I love you. I figured that out this past week. I missed you so much it hurt. I just didn't know how you felt, because we've never used the word love before. I don't want to lose you. Now, look me in the eye. Elizabeth, I love you." Betty's heart just melted, right there. Stacy was serious, and meant every word. Betty knew she loved Stacy, but until that moment didn't realize how much, or how much Stacy loved her. Fighting back her tears, Betty replied. "Anastasia Celeste Augden, I love you too. Now kiss me." And they did, in a long, passionate embrace. It was like being in heaven, being held by the person she most loved in the world, knowing that she was loved just as much in return, and then feeling and tasting the passion in those lips and that tongue, their kiss being both soft and sensuous. Betty could care less that it hurt her face. This was interrupted by an "Ahem" from the doorway, some time after it started. "I hate to interrupt you two lovebirds, but the tea is hot and the sandwiches are cold. Therefore I need you both in the kitchen. Come along." They got up and followed Joyce. A plate of cold cuts, bread, and fixings was set out, along with a large pot of fresh tea. After they all sat down and the tea was poured, Joyce spoke again. "I assume from what I saw in there that you've made up your mind where you'll be staying?" "I think I'll be moving in with Stacy. That is, if she'll have me." "Elizabeth, you're being silly again. I'd be heartbroken if you even considered going anywhere else. Of course I want you." And with a wink, "In more ways than one." ********************************************************************** <> Sunday she'd had another date with Dave, her boyfriend. To his surprise and delight she was the aggressor that night, doing things he'd only ever had wet dreams of. She satisfied herself and him physically several times, but emotionally she felt very little. Finally she had to admit to herself that she was using him as a shield against finding someone who would inspire feelings, and possibly pain again, in her. It was time to let him go, regardless of how things went with Stacy. Stacy called the following week, setting up a date for thursday, around eight. Betty was thrilled, but nervous and uptight as well. She liked Stacy a lot, and knew now that her feelings for the other girl were real. It just felt right in the restaurant when they'd had dinner. This yearning to be with Stacy was there and hard to resist. Could she? According to the half-conversation she'd heard in Diana's office, Stacy had some pretty strong feelings too. She just didn't want to fall into the same trap she'd landed in before. This next date would determine if she'd continue seeing Stacy, or forget all about her, regardless of her own emotions. At precisely 8:00, Betty was in Stacy's car and they were heading to the restaurant. The only words spoken were by Betty. "We'll have a nice long talk after we eat." Betty had an English trifle along with a cafe Belge, and Stacy had key lime pie and the house coffee. They split a half-litre of the house dry white wine. Betty made a mental note to find out what kind it was. It was good. After their desserts, they relaxed. It wasn't the same booth this time. It had and 'L' shaped seat, but both ends were open. Surprising the hell out of Stacy, Betty took the initiative, sliding right around the corner, putting her now-shoeless feet up on the other side, and leaning back into Stacy. In self-defense, the older girl put her arm around Betty's waist to keep herself from being slowly pushed off the seat. "Anastasia, do you still have that lover?" Stacy was again surprised, this time by the forthright nature of the question. Her mental image of Betty was that of a rather shy, timid girl. "You mean the one I had last year, when we, uh, parted company?" "That's the one." "No. We broke up again about a month after that." "Why?" " That's a difficult question. It was probably your fault. I was always very much physically attracted to the lady, and she could do things for me that nobody else I've met could. The one thing this lady wasn't, though, was a friend, or a nice person. I needed more than just the physical part of a relationship. It took a while after our split for your words to sink in. I was cheating myself in this relationship, and in any others where I couldn't connect physically, emotionally and mentally. It was also cheating on the other person, because I'd be looking for what was missing with someone else." "Have you had any lovers since then?" "None. I have had bedmates, but that's not the same. With them, we both knew we were looking for physical pleasure, with no commitment." "I've had a bunch of different bedmates too, since then." "Elizabeth, what have you been up to?" "I've been trying to find someone who could give me some spark, or some real emotional highs. Sex was supposed to be the greatest thing ever, so I tried it. I lost my virginity to a half-drunken lout who jerked himself off with my vagina. After that, I let a few of my dates go all the way. They were all beginners and couldn't even satisfy me physically. "I finally found a nice guy who could give me pleasure, and did every chance he could get, but even with good sex I still felt empty and hollow afterwards, not satisfied. There was no real feeling, no big release, when we had sex. I've decided to drop him because of that. He deserves to have someone who'll be really happy with him." "It sounds like you've become very experienced and jaded over the last year." "No, I don't think so. I haven't found anybody who's good for me yet, who can teach me what I need to know. And I'm not experienced. A half-dozen near-identical copies of the same wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am guy isn't my idea of enlightening. Now, if only I could find a straight version of Robert." "Is that what you're looking for? A guy that can entertain, thrill, and excite you, all at the same time, and still be good in bed?" "I'm looking for ... someone ... who can do that for me." Stacy ordered another half-litre of wine and two house coffees. "Elizabeth, you've changed an awful lot since last year. That person I taught English to could never sit in a restaurant discussing her sex life in public. And she'd never be caught dead in public with another girl's arm around her." "Would the old Elizabeth have politely told you to shove-off in a restaurant, like I did last year?" "Touche. I guess I don't know you as well as I thought I did. You are more aggressive than you used to be, though." "True. But just remember, we're in a private restaurant, in a private booth, and I imagine the staff is very discreet. And I'm not discussing myself in public, I'm talking with Anastasia." "I am a little more forthright. I've found that the people worth knowing rarely come to you. They have to be tracked down and ambushed, just so they take notice. There are too many other things in their lives that they're involved in so they'd never find sweet, innocent, shy you. Like Dave, my soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend. He's a wonderful person, but until I hunted him down and broke through the armor, there's no way I could have known that. He'd never dare approach the prettiest girl in school and ask her for a date." "So why haven't you had any other lovers, Anastasia?" "Come on, 'fess up. I'm trying to learn who you are." "All right, you asked for it. I've had opportunities, and several girls and guys have hinted that they're interested, especially some of the juniors and seniors in college. These weren't all hitting on be because of my looks, either. Some were really interested in me. I let the guys down gently, of course, but it was more difficult with the girls. It's very hard for a girl to approach another girl. It takes a lot of courage, because you might be making a mistake. I had to let them know that yes, it was okay, yes I was attracted, but no I wasn't really interested in any kind of long-term commitment." "Anastasia, come on. You've told me what, but not why." "Let's leave that for another time, please. I'm not ready to talk about it. Not yet." " More secrets. All right, answer me this instead. How come you don't go out with guys?" "That's something I've never shared with anybody, not even my father. Maybe someday, but not here, not now. I'm still not comfortable being with you, Elizabeth. I don't have your, uh, your confidence. It takes me a long time before I completely trust someone, even you. Even though I want to." "I guess I'll have to live with that, for now. Just one more question, before we get going. When you came here to have dinner with me, did you really miss out on a party?" "How did you ... What did ... All right, yes I did miss out on a party. It wasn't a big deal though. How did you know about that?" "It was your birthday party, wasn't it. You gave up a lot to be with me, didn't you." "Yes, I guess I did. I had to choose what was more important to me. We moved the party to Friday instead, even though some of my friends wouldn't be able to make it. It was still a nice party. Who knows, maybe Saturday could be one of the best birthday presents I've ever had." "Thank you for being honest." "Your turn. How did you know about the party?" "Nope. I said just one more question, and that was it. You'll just have to be curious until next time." "When will next time be?" "How about Saturday after next. Phone me and invite me shopping. It's time we met somewhere other than here. I can't afford this place often enough." "Me neither, though I'd like to. I'll call you next week." Little was said on the drive back to Betty's place. ********************************************************************** <> "Now that that's settled, eat up. The food's getting warm and the tea is getting cold." After Joyce and Betty finished eating, and everyone had had their fill of tea, Joyce noticed that Betty was thinking about something, and it was bothering her. She thought she knew what it was. "Betty, now that you've decided you're moving away from your father, it's time to think about what's next. You've got a place to stay, at least for a while. What about the long haul. Did you want to finish school, go to college, find a job, or what?" "I wasn't thinking that far ahead. I was trying to figure out what to do about simple things, like food and clothes and stuff. Almost everything I own is at home, and I don't think I could go back there to get it. At least not right away. My father now scares me too much. I don't think he realizes yet that I'm moving out permanently. He probably thinks I'll be back in a day or two, ready to beg for his forgiveness. Fat chance." "'Atta girl. That's the right attitude. To hell with that ignorant neanderthal. I know you still love him, but that doesn't change what he is, an arrogant, hot-tempered, bull-headed, homophobic misogynist. I'm sorry, sweetie, but that's the way I feel about him." "Now, what are the important things that you need. I don't mean like clothes either. I mean personal things that you don't want to lose. We can replace the clothes, but there's no way to replace the things you love. I have a couple of ideas on how I might be able to get them for you." "Well, there's my photo albums, my trophies, Bert (her teddy bear), some of my jewelry, the photo of mum and dad and me, the one of me and Stacy hidden in the closet, some of the knick-knacks on top of the dresser, and probably a few other things I can't remember. Oh, right, my school stuff. I need the textbooks and my notebooks and binders. Some of that stuff I've been working on for a month. I wouldn't have time to re-do it. And my basketball uniform. It would be hard to replace in a hurry." "No problem. Knowing that you need those things for school will make it easier to get the rest. I'll pick them up sunday night." "Joyce, no! I couldn't let you go in there with him. He might hurt you!" "Don't worry about me, sweetie, but thanks for caring. I'll have two very large police officers with me. They helped me deal with your father after your mother left, and don't like him any more than I do. It'll be fun seeing him squirm again. The only problem is, he'll probably try and take it out on you later, or on Patsy. That reminds me, I'd better call her and warn her about what's happened so she can lay low too." "Patsy? You talk with her too? After what she did?" "Listen sweetie, Patsy was part of the reason your parents broke up, but certainly not the only cause. If it wasn't her, it would have been someone else. She is a conniving bitch, always scheming to get what she wants, but she did help out your mother and I several times after the breakup. I owe her a few favours. I don't think I'd let even her walk in on your dad right now without some warning." "Joyce," asked Stacy, "you sound like you're really enjoying this." "Stacy, I enjoy the intrigues, the secrets and mysteries, the late-night rendezvous, and sometimes even the confrontations. I don't enjoy seeing my friends get hurt, or battered, or worse. That makes me very mad. Those of us involved with the breakup knew that this would happen, as soon as Betty started to have an independent life. Her father would try to keep control of 'his little girl', and a showdown would be inevitable. And, using his past actions as a guide, it would probably be fairly messy. That's why we prepared for this. Stacy, if you weren't here for Betty, we had several different backup plans ready to go." "You mean you had everything planned for me, what I was going to do and everything? Isn't that like what my father's trying to do?" "No, not really. We were ready with alternatives, giving you some choices as to what you could do. It would always be your choice, even if you wanted to move back in with your father. I don't think you would, but you would be free to do so." "You're right on that. I don't think I could. What other choices do I have?" "Well, Marion and Mike have set aside some money as a just-in-case fund, that I can use as I see fit. There's enough cash in it now for you to finish high school. There's certainly more than enough to get you set up again away from your father, even starting from scratch. They've also promised to put you through college, if that's what you want." "The other choice would be to move in with them, before or after you finish school. It would probably be harder for you, having to move away from all your friends, but you would be with your mother, who still loves you very much." "Okay, I get the idea. But - Mike? Who's Mike?" "Damn my big mouth. Forget I said that. It's something you can ask your mother about. So like I said, there are some choices for you. My advice is that you move in with that delightful lady beside you, and use some of that money to get settled in and support yourself. If you two split the costs, there should be enough for you to set up house and finish school without needing a job. Just remember, though, this is advice only. I'm not telling you what to do." "It sounds like good advice though. I'm going to have to think about it." "Good. In the meantime, I take it you'll be staying with Stacy tonight?" Betty nodded her head in assent. "Fine. I'll pick you up around eleven tomorrow morning, and we'll go shopping for some things. This isn't optional. I'm in a good mood and feel like going out and spending money, and I can't think of a better way of doing it. You too Stacy, if you'd like to come." "It sounds like fun. I always feel better after a day of serious bargain hunting." "Doesn't everyone?" They all laughed. Joyce chased them out of the house, telling them to get a good night's sleep. They'd need it for tomorrow. After they left, the curtains in the next house slid back into position. Daddy had been watching. ********************************************************************** <> It took Betty days to figure out how to break up with Dave. She didn't want to just dump him because he was too nice a guy to do that to. He'd be hurting for too long. Then she thought about Rosie, and a plan came to mind. She wouldn't dump Dave, she'd give him away. Perfect. Rosie would be a good match for him. She was intelligent, witty, and with friends she could be very daring. In public, though, she was much too shy. Sometimes she wouldn't even have to turn down a date. The guy would give up after a minute or two of her blushing and stammering. There were a few guys who'd taken her out, but the word was she was too shy to be any fun. It took her a long time to get used to someone. Betty had known Rosie for years, and knew how much she envied the easy way Betty had with guys, even the jerks. She would never go looking for the right man. If managed properly, they could end up being very good for each other. Now for the rest of the plan. First she called Dave and invited him out to dinner next Friday. He was surprised, but said okay. He was even more surprised when she told him to cancel any plans he had for the weekend. He'd be busy. Remembering what happened the last time she took control, he agreed quickly. Next, Rosie. When she called Rosie up, she invited her out for a blind date Friday. It took a while to convince her to come, but Betty was insistent, and finally she agreed. Betty also learned that Rosie had no other concrete plans for the weekend. The stage was set. Also during the week Stacy called and they agreed to meet at a nearby mall Saturday at eleven. Friday showed up, like it usually does, and Betty got to the restaurant early. She wanted to get as private a booth as possible, just in case things got difficult. Dave was supposed to be there half an hour before Rosie, so she'd have some time to talk. There were butterflies in her stomach, small knots of fear and excitement at what she was going to try. When Dave showed up and saw her, a big grin came over his face. She grinned back. They exchanged greetings. He asked what the big deal was for the weekend. "Dave, you're going to be busy this weekend." His grin got bigger. "But not with me." His grin froze, then slowly disappeared. "I really don't know how to say this. You are one of the sweetest, kindest men I've ever known. You are a genuinely nice person. But you are not the man for me. If I let this go on much longer, you're going to use that 'L' word. Don't say anything, I can see it in your eyes when you look at me." "So you're dumping me, is that it?" "No." "Then what? You say I'm not the guy for you, and then you say you're not dumping me?" "What I'm saying is that I won't be going out with you any more. I do care for you, but that's all it is for me. I need more. You are simply the wrong person for me." "I'm not good enough for you, is that it?" "Wrong again. It's not you, it's me. I can't give you what I don't have. You deserve someone who could maybe fall in love with you. I just don't have those feelings for you." "Why not? What have I done wrong? I've done everything I can think of. Maybe it's just that you haven't given us enough time. If you stay with me I'll try harder, you'll learn to love me. Please." "No. You've done everything right. It's just been with the wrong person. That's part of the reason I have to break off now, before it gets worse. I feel like I've been using you, leading you on, tempting you with something I don't have to give you. It hurts me." "Is it ... is it another guy?" "Still wrong. I'm not throwing you over for another guy. I don't do things like that. Try to understand, it's not your fault that I'll never have those feelings for you." "Do I have a choice? No, I don't understand. All I know is that you're dumping me. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go home." "Shut up and sit down. I told you I'm not dumping you. I also said that I had plans for you for this weekend." "Make up your mind. Please. You're either dumping me or your not. Even if you're not, you've made it plain that you're not really interested in me. Why would I want to keep going out with you?" "You wouldn't. I know that. Now listen, and don't interrupt. You are far too shy and sensitive a guy. Getting dumped is hard on anyone, but for you it's worse. You have a really hard time meeting nice people. That's why I'm giving you away to a friend of mine. No, don't interrupt. She is a very kind and gentle person, just like you, and also very shy and sensitive. I'm setting you both up for this weekend. Period. No, she doesn't know anything about this either. In fact, she should be here any minute, thinking she's here for a blind date. Just remember, if you reject her tonight, it will hurt her deeply. You have no idea how delicate she is inside." "I don't like this. I feel like I'm being used. Why are you doing this to me?" "Dave, I've been using you ever since we started going out. I'm trying to make myself feel better by setting you up with someone who could fall in love with you. Please. Just go through with this weekend. Anything after that is purely up to you. Just don't hurt her. She's a nice person. Here she comes now." "Hi Betty. Hi Dave." "Hi Rosie." She slid into the bench opposite Dave and Betty. "So, where's this dreamy guy you're supposed to be setting me up with. Do I know him?" "Only a little. Rosie, meet Dave. Dave, Rosie." "Betty, is this some kind of joke?" "No Rosie. No joke. Now sit there and listen for a minute. Dave and I just broke up. I knew about it a week ago, he just found out. I don't want to just dump him, he's too nice a guy for that. I want to give him to you." "What kind of nonsense it this? You just broke up? And you don't just give someone away!" "True. Let's just say I want to give him a chance to get to know you. He's going to be hurting real bad for the next while, and needs someone who understands that kind of pain. You've been through this before, so you know what it's like. If you say no right now, you know you'll always regret it." Rosie sat there for a while, thinking. It was difficult to tell from her expression what was going on inside. "What if I say yes. What happens?" "You'll spend most of this weekend together. That's it. Anything else is up to you. Rosie, Dave is one of the sweetest, kindest, most romantic guys I've ever met. He's just not the guy for me. If you treat him gently but firmly, and don't pull all that shy stuff you usually do, you just might end up with the kind of boyfriend you've always dreamed of having." "All right, as a favor to you, I'll do it. But only if Dave agrees. Dave?" He was blushing a nice shade of pink, listening to this frank discussion of himself, the two girls going on as though he wasn't there. "Yes." "Good. That's settled. Now here's your itinerary for the weekend. And don't either of you skip out on any of it. If you do, I'll know and I'll be mad." "First, dinner here, now. Saturday morning, you two take a walk along beach drive, the whole thing. Lunch on the river front. An afternoon matinee, then dinner at Juliette's restaurant." "Sunday you'll go to the zoo for the whole afternoon. Dinner will be at Dominique's. Take your time and enjoy the meal. Now I'm outta here. Just remember, you both promised me you'd do this." With that, she just stood up and walked out, leaving them alone. She really hoped they'd do as promised, because they would be good for each other. There was some pain and a feeling of loss because of Dave, but not as much as she'd feared. It was manageable. She might not even cry.