<span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Ravi;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 10pt;">There might have been a <em>little</em> bit of over preparing. Just a tad. With the fact that she had cleared her whole schedule for the day, taking a vacation day from work, putting off her research and waking up early to give the house one last, thorough cleaning. And if she had spent hours in the new bedroom for Ardy fretting over if she would like the simple bed they had picked up from iKea the other day, and arranging paint samples across a dresser to show that if she wanted to her friend could make the room a bit her own, well that was just being a good land lady. Wasn't it? She told herself it was, even as she made breakfast for Colin and shared that time with him. He had a court date and some stuff going on at the firm, so there would be little chance of seeing him before late tonight, if then. Sometimes that happened. But he had kissed her goodbye and told her to have fun and breathe. Bethany had been proud of the fact that she had half tartly told him she would. <br/><br/>Left alone she had gone to the salon to get her hair done, a fresh cut and styled, followed up by a trip to get her nails done. And a bit of window shopping to find the right outfit. Because nothing had seemed right to have a 'girls' night with Ardy. All of her clothing was rather classical and elegant, focused on the picture of respectable. Well there were a few pieces of more teasing clothing but those never left the house, and it had rather dismayed her to realize that at the age of twenty five she didn't really have anything youthful in her wardrobe save a sundress or two. Normally she was very careful with money, for all that Colin never brought it up. The fact that she had spent so much in one day might have bothered her if she hadn't thought it necessary. Or rather, bothered her more, because it did worry her some.<br/><br/>There was of course the fact that he would likely approve of the dress (http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc77/hyperdrive_photo/MAY%202012/1197-TEAL-AMAZON-1.jpg) she had finally settled on, a bright lovely teal that held nothing in common with the white, cream, grey or black dressed hanging up in her closet at home. It was flirty, floating and made her feel incredibly feminine. She had paired it with a pair of cream wedges that seemed to go well, her undergarments by necessity matching the shoes over the dress, though she did have earrings that had stones nearly perfect a match. Makeup only took maybe half an hour, and then there was the worrying she had over done it, before reassuring herself it was just how most girls got dressed up before a big night out with friends. Or a friend. <br/><br/>In nerves she almost was late going out the door, though deviation from the carefully laid plan was not encouraged when there was still traffic to encounter. Her obsessive attention to detail in planning paid off though, for she made it to Ardelia's apartment exactly five minutes before they were suppose to meet. The neighborhood gave her pause, wondering how safe her friend could have been here even without the rent issues. But what was to say the pristine high end of town was any safer? She had certainly found out the truth of that lie. Shoving such thoughts away Bethany forced herself out of the little coup she drove, and up the stairs, finding the apartment in question without too much difficulty. She knocked, lightly, hoping her being on time wasn't a negative thing. Hoping Ardy would like the whole outfit. Hoping Colin would too when she got home. Hoping... so many things. <br/><br/>Now if only she could breathe. </span></span>