<div style="text-align: justify;"><div><hr style="height:2px; width:100%; border:0; color: silver;background:silver;"/></div><br/><span style="color: #FFFFBF">"You going out with him again?"</span> Daniel was replacing the paper cups on the desk with those from a large bag. Alannah was wiping tables, but now the blue dishrag stopped halfway on its journey across the dark wood. <span style="color: #4080FF">"There's no need to be so defensive, Dan,"</span> she said, just as defensively as she had accused him of being. Daniel gave her one of his looks. She hadn't met <span style="font-style: italic">one</span> who could look at her with so much 'are you kidding me?' in their stare. <span style="color: #4080FF">"I mean, it's been a week now. And ya've seen him almost every dee."</span> The blonde made a non-committal sort of sound as he stacked more paper cups on top of each other with perhaps a little too much force than what was required. It was true that Dimitri had been popping by the cafe almost every day. Sometimes for a cup of coffee(just black, thanks), other times just for the last couple of minutes of Alannah's shift. She had told him her schedule, changeable as it was, because it was the only way she could be sure of seeing him again. Once more, she wondered why he didn't have a phone, but she had never gotten around to asking. <br/><br/><span style="color: #FFFFBF">"It's just that..."</span> Daniel began as he crumpled the now empty plastic bag and stuffed it in the bin. <span style="color: #FFFFBF">"...it's your day off tomorrow. And we haven't done anything in forever."</span> He crossed his arms, clearly a bit uneasy. The blue dishrag stopped again. Alannah tucked her hair behind her ear. It was true, she hadn't spent much time on Daniel lately, and she felt a rush of guilt. She had just been so caught up in Dimitri and demigods and Dimitri and being a mermaid and Dimitri. It had been a week since Boston Harbor, and the nagging feeling that told her it was about time she got back there made it difficult to not just tell Daniel that she was far too busy for him. Instead, she told him as gently as she could that she had other plans tomorrow, unfortunately, and Daniel nodded. After an outburst a couple of years ago where she had slapped him, he had decided not to pry. <span style="color: #FFFFBF">"Just be careful,"</span> he told her instead. Daniel knew he was probably worrying needlessly. Alannah had never failed to get back just as whole and happy as she always was. <span style="color: #FFFFBF">"And please, call me when your date is over. Okay?"</span> Alannah rolled her eyes as she dumped the dirty water down the drain outside. <span style="color: #4080FF">"I will, <span style="font-style: italic">pa</span>,"</span> she added under her breath.<br/><br/>It was only the second day in that week Dimitri hadn't been around to pick her up - to be fair, it was pretty late - but she still knew exactly where she would find him. On the walk to Grover's Point from the train station, she could feel a wide grin spread uncontrollably across her face. The moon was slightly less full than it had been that fateful night a week ago, but that didn't stop her mind from wandering. Dimitri wasn't on the beach beneath the rickety metal staircase, but she wasn't worried. Instead, she did the fastest change to nothing she had ever done, almost flew down the stairs and plunged into the water as soon as it was deep enough. She couldn't help but utter a bubbly laugh, the euphoric mix of salt water streaming through her gills and the prospect of seeing Dimitri soon going straight to her head. She did a couple of leaps, whooping loudly, as she waited for him to show up.</div>