Violet closed the door to the bookshop and locked it. The day was over and she was ready for a relaxing Friday evening at the cafe with a good book and a cappuccino. She walked down the street a couple blocks and entered the cafe. The bell jingled as she opened and shut the door and found her way to a high-top table in the corner of the building. She set her book on the table and looked around. No one looked familiar and no one looked as though they had even noticed her walk in. She shrugged and gave her order for a cappuccino with Irish cream then opened her book.<br/><br/>As Violet tried to read she couldn't keep her mind focused, instead she kept seeing a face. A charming, handsome face of a man whom she had never met before. She didn't know how his face was in her head but she had mixed feelings about it. Part of her hated him deep deep down and she could not figure out why. The other part wanted to meet him and love him as best she could. She sighed and tried to focus on her book and forget the face of the man.<br/><br/>-------------<br/><br/>Her sword plunged deep into the straw stuffed manikin as she practiced her footwork during practice. Vanessa drew the sword back out and sheathed it. She put her hands on her hips and looked rather confident with herself. Just a few more days before her voyage where their paths would most likely cross and she wanted to be ready for him. That man, that despicable man whose face would not get out of her head. All she could see of him was his menacing grin, the one that he would give her if he defeated her. Vanessa refused to let that happen.<br/><br/>She wiped the sweat off her brow and went to the baths longing for some peace and quiet. Of course the chances of that at the public bath house was very unlikely and she sighed. Of course when she got there almost the entire town was there, she removed her practice clothes and stepped into the warmth of water and laid her head back trying to forget the face.