Tom and Sarah's Au Pair journey begins

"Are you sure you want to do it like this? It would be weird enough..."

Sarah hesitated and could see her husband's argument, though she had made up her mind that the purpose of the coin was to indulge in the fantasy she had. For safety sake, though, she had spent a few days thinking it over, or that is what she had told Tom anyway. Secretly, the idea of being in that situation, to be seduced and to have a relationship with her husband as someone else...that was alluring to her. She had spent hours during the day reading up on her romance novels, using the imagery to build up a fantasy world and to learn enough to make sure her idea was okay. Sarah knew life could not be completely like the pages of a Harlequin novel for lonesome women...but she could definitely make it work.

"We talked about it..." she began and Tom stopped her with a finger on her lips.

"It's not that, I'm down with your fantasy. I'm just saying why her?" He gestured to the woman sitting off to the side, sipping her coffee and rather oblivious to the surroundings, namely the men staring at her.

"What's wrong with Meredith?"

Tom's eyes widened a bit. "I don't know...the fact that she fucking hates me? She pulled a knife on me, remember?"

Sarah nodded. "I won't deny...okay, you're right...she hates you. I never knew why, the two of you are like the Alpha Male-Alpha Female in the city, no one doubts that. Still, she's actually not bad once you get to know her." Sarah felt a bit unsure but kept it buried down inside of her. "She's high-powered and not easily intimidated, gets along great with the female staff. Other men, well, she puts up with them. It's only you that she gets worked up about."

"No kidding, can't imagine what frigid bedsheets she must have." Sarah slapped down on the shoulder but just laughed and rolled her eyes. "Okay, but this is what you want? Are you sure?"

She nodded. "It'll be weird, I admit, and there's still a chance it might not work...but I want to try. Now that we have this chance, I want to see it through."

Tom felt the coin in his hand and then gave Sarah a lingering last kiss before she smiled and nodded to him. Tom closed his eyes and made the wish as they had worked out, feeling a bit downtrodden that this would mean he had to put with the one woman he wanted to kill more than anyone else in the world (And suspected she had similar feelings about him.) He opened his eyes and noticed several things. FIrst off, where Meredith's hands had been empty, there was now two rings on her hand, indicating that she was married. Secondly, where Sarah had stood, there was now no one around him. Of course there would not be a need for her yet, that would be later on, meaning she had been moved away and reality altered to fit her wish. Third, well, he already knew the purpose of the wish.

Tom sighed again before he turned the corner and walked over to the table where she sat, stirring the straw in her hand casually. "Hey, sorry I'm a bit late."

Meredith looked up at him with disinterested eyes. "Why do I even bother telling you what time if you just show up whenever?"

Tom counted to ten as he sat down across from her. Lord help me...