"So that's it?" Stephanie looked disappointed and got up to get a newspaper.

  "What do you mean that's it? Hey! Get back over here and sit down."

  "I don't know. I mean you said that you would never have left the house again if it wasn't for this woman you met in the park last night and the whole story ends with a handshake and some schpeel about being good-natured. It just sounds like some hokey religious thing I guess." After flipping through the pages of the business section, she returned to the front page and started looking through the news of the day.

  "It didn't seem like that last night. I know I woke up kind of cranky but I felt so good last night. I still feel good in body if not in spirit. In fact, I feel better now that I've told you the story than I did earlier."

  "Whatever cheers you up babe." Stephanie raised her hand to order a fourth cup of coffee. This time, she thought, I'll get some biscotti cookies to go with it.

  A light tapping began to filter through the air and Sara smiled as she looked up to greet the source.

  "Hi Benjamin."

  "You know how much I hate being called that."

  "I only say it when I first see you."

  A pair of blue eyes blankly stared out from behind a pair of faded sunglasses as the smile underneath it beamed with the joy of hearing a friendly voice.

  "Hi Sara, I assume Stephanie is with you."

  "Hi Ben," Stephanie pulled a chair away from another table and brought it to her friend. "Hey, is that a new cane?"

  "I have no idea. Thanks for the chair though." Ben felt around for the offered seat and placed himself in it. He set his walking cane beside him and listened for the waitress to come around. "A cup of Ibarra with half condensed milk and half water please."

  The waitress, always amazed at his keen sense of hearing, scribbled his order on a pad and walked into the kitchen without a word. Ben smiled.

  "So how are you lovely ladies today, I assume it's a nice morning. It sure sounds like one."

  "I'm very good thank you Ben. Sara, however, leaves little to be desired today."

  "Thanks a lot Steph."

  Though no one was watching, a look of concern crossed Ben's face.

  "Is this true Sara?" After a second of thought, he smiled. "Date turn bad last night? I told you it would."

  "I should have listened, you always do look out for my best interest."

  "Yes I do."

  "What was that?"

  "Oh, nothing. Stephanie, anything good in the paper today?"

  She pointed at a paragraph on the back page, more for her benefit than for Ben's.

  "Some guy in L.A. got arrested for possession of narcotics while serving on a jury."

  "You're kidding me."

  "Yeah, it says they found him lighting up a joint in the bathroom during a court recess. They gave him forty hours of community service as punishment."

  "Some people are idiots."

  "I had to put up with the king of them last night."

  "Geez Sara, did you're date really go that horribly?"

  "All that and quite a bit more," Sara glanced at her watch, "I'd tell you all about it but it's going to have to wait until later. I have to get ready for work."

  "Don't let her tell you, it's really not worth the time."

  "Thanks Steph, I always know I can count on you for moral support." Sara promptly stood up and a dull wave of nausea passed through her, almost knocking her to the ground.

  Stephanie took note and quickly put down her paper.

  "Are you okay Sara?"

  Ben got to his feet and blindly put out his arms for support.

  "I got you ... where are you?"

  Not paying attention to either of them, Sara braced herself against her chair and blinked till her head was clear.

  "I just got up too fast I guess. I'm okay now though. Whew." She smiled. "I'll go home now. I'll see you guys later."

  Ben listened to her walk away and took off his sunglasses, they had a tendency to pinch his nose at times.

  "I hope she's okay, maybe last night took something out of her."

  Stephanie wasn't listening.

  "I think I'll go with her." She got up and plodded after her friend. Ben, left alone with his hot chocolate and what smelled like half a plate of biscotti cookies, sighed. He wished he could go after them himself, but was afraid he couldn't find his way after them and, moreover, that his deed would go unnoticed.

  He sighed again as he sipped from his mug. He heard that Sara had such beautiful eyes.

-     -     -

  "I had too much coffee this morning." Sara was struggling with a pair of tan khakis as Stephanie sat very still in a chair on the other side of the room.

  "You had too much coffee, I think I drank half of Columbia. Oh my stomach." She winced as it cramped and wrapped itself in knots.

  Sara looked at her own stomach in the mirror, patting at her front.

  "Am I getting fat?"

  "What are you kidding me? You've looked the same since high school, I never see you eat more than two slices of bread before you say you get full and you jog a couple of times a week!"

  "Well, I do get full. It doesn't take much to fill me up. It's just that the buttons on these things won't close as easily as they usually do. Damn it!"

  "I'm sure it's nothing, they probably shrank in the wash or something. Do you have any antacid?"

  "I guess I'll have to untuck my shirt today. This is a fine how-do-you-do. This is probably that blind date's fault."

  "How?"

  "I don't know but I'm sure he's linked to it somehow. I hate men; you can't live with them, you can't stuff them down the garbage disposal."

  "What do tight pants and bad dates have anything to do with each other?"

  "I'm just ranting again. Things have not truly gone well for me."

  "You've had a couple of good boyfriends. What about David?"

  "He eventually left me for a 5' 8" cheerleader."

  "John?"

  "Currently in prison for auto theft."

  "Ooo," Stephanie grimaced in sympathy and a little bit of pain. "Frank?"

  Sara turned with a sarcastic smile.

  "He wasn't so bad, but he left me because he wanted to go 'find himself.' Last I heard he was wandering around Texas somewhere. I think his sister said he was trying to walk back to California. Still, I don't care to see Frank again."

  "That's understandable. Gee, I guess you really do suck at dating."

  "Ha ... ha ... ha." Sara fumbled about for her pair of black pumps, she finally located them under her bed. "I guess with this blind date out of the way I can set my sights back on that guy in the furniture department. Even if he can't set his sights on me."

  "That's the spirit Sara." Stephanie burped and then raised her hand in cheer, "just jump back in the game, no time outs necessary."

  Sara was wrestling madly with her shoes. With a firm stomp, she shoved both heels in and stood up. They weren't comfortable, but she didn't have time to worry about them.

  "All right, I'm leaving. You're welcome to stay, just don't puke or anything."

  "You'll be okay?"

  "Yeah, thanks Steph."

  "I didn't do anything for you. You're a good spirited person remember? Everything will work out for the best."

  "I wouldn't mind you saying that if I knew you didn't mean it so sarcastically."

  "Get out of here, I've got to go myself."

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