Stressed, flustered but still beautiful.

Piya arrives on time for our lunch, dropping her handbag in the spare chair beside us. As she sits down she leans in and kisses me before immediately starting to vent.

"Arrgh this thesis is driving me mental! I feel like I have been pulling my hair out all day." Piya's hair is of course perfectly in place with not a strand out of place. Every single time I have seen her she's managed to make herself look beautiful effortlessly. Today is no exception.

"Just sit here and relax for a moment and take your mind off it for now," I say hoping to calm and soothe her the best I can. "Can I get you something to eat perhaps?"

"Oh God yes! I need something hot inside me right away," Piya says.

"Well, I am sitting right here if that's what you have in mind," I say with a big grin.

"Not that wise-ass!" Piya says, slapping out at me. At least I have made her laugh at least. "Can you order me some of those little burgers, the sliders?"

I head to the bar and place Piya and my order and come back with a glass of white wine for her and a pint for me.

"Thank you, sweetie," she tells me, kissing me again and taking my hand as she now feels ready to relax. "I just really need a break from all the work piling up. It will be worth it in the end when I get my PhD, of course, but its just hard at times."

"Well about that, I say, outlining what I have planned for us on our first official date, "how about I take you away for the night? Nowhere too far, but close. Somewhere where no one will bother us and we can just spend some time together, the two of us."

"That sounds wonderful but when?"

I can see Piya is open to the idea of escaping for the night.

"How about I collect you Thursday morning and I have us back Friday afternoon in time for my work?"

"Sure! I'd love that," Piya's giant smile is matched by my own. "I can take an early weekend and just catch up on the weekend while you work. No pool parties for a while."

Lunch is brought to us then and I give Piya a brief list of what she needs to bring. Herself, a swimsuit and something to wear boating. Intrigued by the boating part she presses me for more information as we eat but my lips remain sealed to maintain the surprise I have planned.

"Aor will tell me what you have planned," Piya reasons.

"Aor doesn't know," I counter.

"Yui will tell me then. Yui doesn't hide things from me."

"Yui won't tell you this one."

"So she does know!" Piya exclaims having deduced who else is in cahoots with me about the top secret date.

"Yui knows but she wants it to be a surprise too."

"I know you jackhammered her last night!" Piya's eyes sparkle with glee I **** on the nachos I'd ordered. I wash the offending morsel down with a sip of my beer.

"You girls have been talking already this morning I see."

"Oh yes. Actually, it was Aor who suggested the jackhammer to Yui."

"Really?" I ask surprised.

"Well, she actually said she bets you fuck like a jackhammer and I told Yui that was an actual position when she asked what Aor meant," Piya laughs at poor sweat innocent Yui. "I guess the girl did her research."

"She sure did. Notes and everything."

"Awww that's my Yui. Anyway, I have to get back to my study and you have your workshop. Thank you for getting me out of the lab. I really needed the cheering up and I'm looking forward to Thursday, whatever it is."

Piya and I hug long and tightly before a final kiss goodbye as we both leave the tavern. Her back towards the science department and me towards the commerce and economics buildings.