Intermission - Diana Black (Part 2).

“Well… Yes, that’s his last name, but… How do you know?” Maria asked, her smile growing by the second.

“...Short, wavy black hair, toned body, black-framed glasses,” Diana described him.

“Yep, that’s him.”

Diana sighed and rubbed her face again. “I swear the universe is putting him in front of me every chance it gets. The first time I saw him, I didn’t actually see him face to face. He went to stay at the hotel I work at with a girl. I didn’t think much of it. Just a couple wanting private time together, like a hundred others that go there. But then… he went there again with another girl. Then with two, then with three. Months later, he went with two OTHER girls, and after that with any combination of those five.”

“Milana, Grace, Sarah, Alice and Noelle, yes?”

Diana flinched. “You know them, too?”

“Of course. Their boyfriend makes them regulars at my shop,” Maria said easily.

“...So they are his girlfriends.” Diana smiled.

“You thought he was a womanizing bastard?” Maria asked teasingly.

“At first, yes. But when I saw them going together, it was clear they were all in on the arrangement.” Diana downed the last bit of her rusty nail, half-melted ice cubes still in there. “Last time I saw him, though… We met face to face. He went to the new hotel with all five girls. He got there before them, and when I saw him, I…”

Diana’s cheeks went red as she stared into her empty glass. Maria smirked. “I mean, he’s quite the looker, isn’t he?”

Diana scoffed. “Putting it mildly. God, I shouldn’t be attracted to a man that’s almost ten years younger than me!”

Maria crossed her arms, frowned and pouted. “Anything wrong with that? Huh?”

Diana rolled her eyes. “Oh, you know there is. Not legally, thankfully, but having a relationship with a young man has to be awkward.”

Maria leaned back and took another sip of her drink. She was still halfway through hers. “I admit, there are times when it is,” she said with a smile. “But every relationship has its challenges, right? Thomas is young, but he’s more open to talk than any other guy I’ve dated, and that’s already a huge improvement. If anything, he tries too hard at times, like he’s afraid he’ll do something wrong. He asks me if I’d like a certain thing, or if it would be okay to act a certain way. It’s good that he does, but I’m afraid he takes what I say too seriously.” Maria frowned. “Hm. Yeah, I’ll tell him that next time.”

Diana smiled. “At least you two are doing well.”

“Very much so,” Maria easily admitted. “I was worried at first, but it’s fun to be with him. He has a charm that makes me happy to listen to him. And he’s the best lover I’ve ever had.” She chuckled. “Ah, he’s Oliver’s best friend, by the way.”

Diana raised an eyebrow. “Really? The world really is small.”

“Or more of a case that he fell for me when he went to check on his friend’s new job.” Maria took a bigger swig of her drink before she turned to Diana with a devilish smile. “So? What are you planning to do about Oliver?”

“I…” She grimaced, crossed her arms and held herself. “When we met face to face, I’m sure I glared at him, just like I do everyone. I can’t keep a relationship for longer than a month. What hopes do I have with someone younger who already has five girls?”

“Hmm… How did he react?”

“Huh?”

“When you glared at him. How did he react?”

“He… seemed unfazed. Actually, he… was very polite, even smiled at me.” She bit her lip and threw her head back. “Dammit, I haven’t been able to get him out of my mind, Maria! I mean… Five girls? Unless he’s paying them, he has to be doing something right. And the way he looked at me…”

“You should ask him out,” Maria said bluntly. “His girlfriends let him see other girls, as far as I know. If my source is to be trusted, and my source is his best friend, they even encourage the idea.”

“But…”

“Diana, woman, I promise you, on all that is good and holy, it won’t be the same as the other guys, not Oliver. Besides, it’s high time that you focus on yourself. It’s easy to see how exhausted you are.”

“...The last thing I need right now is another heartbreak,” Diana said.

Maria sighed. “You know, when Oliver applied for the job at my shop, and even when he started working, he was a nervous mess. He would stammer all the time, he couldn’t look people in the eyes, he would barely say a word… He was a terrible waiter. And from what Thomas tells me, he used to be way worse. Kid couldn’t even speak a word.”

Diana’s jaw fell. Considering the ladies man he was, it would be hard to believe for anyone who didn’t know him well.

“What I’m saying is, if anyone understands how hard you have it, it’s him. Call me esoteric all you want, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that you keep running into him, or that he’s working at my shop. There’s something special about him, I can feel it.”

“Why didn’t you ask him out, then?” Diana asked with a small pout. Maria chuckled. Her friend was getting defensive.

“I thought about it at first, but like you, I was hesitant to ask out a younger man. Besides that, Oliver isn’t exactly my type.” She grinned. “I like them taller and bulkier. More importantly, though, I didn’t feel the spark.”

“...” Diana pursed her lips, which caused Maria to burst out laughing.

“You’ve always scoffed at the idea of ‘love at first sight’, but that you’re not fighting me on it now means you felt the spark! You did, didn’t you?”

Diana looked away, her face red as a tomato. God, she was so cute sometimes. “W-What would I do about his girlfriends?” she asked bashfully.

“That… I don’t know.” That point left Maria stumped. Even if those girls encouraged Oliver to see other women, and even if Diana was okay with sharing, the fact remained that those five girls were very special to Oliver. If Diana didn’t click with them, too, then…

The black-haired woman stared into her empty glass and moved it to have the now small, melting ice cubes click.

Neither Maria nor Diana said a thing for a long while. Red raised his head from the chair as if confused by the sudden silence, his ears high and his head tilting from one side to the other. Eventually, the dog moved from his seat to put his chin on Diana's lap, looking up at her with the sort of concern dogs seem to show when they feel someone is feeling down.

Diana smiled, stroked Red’s head and scratched around his neck.

“I’ve never been able to figure out how dating even works,” she said.

“It’s not like it’s a science,” Maria answered. “We’re all just winging it.”

Diana nodded. “But… I’d like to give it a shot.” She swallowed. “D-Do you think he’ll…” She was too embarrassed to finish that sentence, but Maria knew what she wanted to ask.

“Want me to hook you up?” The idea came to her just after she spoke those words, and she smirked. “Actually… How about we make it a double date?”

Diana blinked. “H-Huh?”

“You and Oliver, Me and Thomas. Oliver has gotten better at talking, but he’s still an anxious guy on top of being naturally quiet. And knowing you…”

Diana winced. “The way I am is not going to help, either.”

“Not until you two warm up to each other,” Maria nodded. “So bring me and Thomas along. We’ll bridge the gap between you two before smoothly making our exit to leave you to… you know, whatever you feel is right.”

“...” Again, Diana didn’t answer immediately, yet Maria could see in her eyes that she was racking her brain. Eventually, though, the woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Okay,” she said, gripping her glass tightly. “Okay.”

Maria smiled. Now all she had to do was make sure the date went perfectly. Because there was no doubt in her mind that Oliver would accept. Diana was too gorgeous for him not to. Then they’d meet, they’d click, and her friend would finally have someone truly special to her in her life. She could feel it in her very bones.

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