She could barely contain her excitement.  Walking to the front windows, she peered through the darkening yard in hopes of finding her walking up to the door.  Seeing nothing, Cherleen heaved a heavy sigh and walked back to the front foyer.

"Ahjumma. Are you sure you sent the invitation?"

"Yes, misses."

"Are you sure it said to arrive an hour earlier?"

"That I don't know, misses. You only told me to deliver the invitation."

Cherleen stopped short. That's right, she had personally written the invitation herself after getting Mommy and Daddy's approval.  Biting her lip, she again moved to the large open window to peer into emptiness.  Had she mistaken the time on the invitation? She was sure she had wrote on the invitation to arrive an hour earlier.  Being fashionable late is one thing, but this...?  Dipping her head in determination, Cherleen reached out for the Iphone in her pocket.  She tapped nervously on the wall as the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Unni? Where are you? You were supposed to arrive an hour ago!"

"Sorry Cherleen, I got tied up. I'm on my way."

"Hurry. Dinner's going to start soon."

"Ok. I'll get there as soon as I can."

With a satisfied smile, Cherleen slipped her phone back into her pocket, and headed toward the entertainment room.  Unni always kept her word.

____________________

Victoria pulled her jacket closer to her body in the brisk wind.  She should have walked, instead of riding her bike...but then she would have been even more tardy.  At least there were warm fires and scrumptious food waiting for her ahead.  Thinking of that, Victoria pedaled faster.  Using all her strength she zipped down the wavy path to the stately home below.  Headlights flashed suddenly into view.  Victoria swerved to her right, but the speed of the bike caused her to lose control.  Her bike went tumbling off the path and right into the waiting pond below.

As her feet sunk into the watery darkness she heard a car door slam.  Just great.  She spent a month's paycheck to buy new boots and new slacks...now it's all gone down the drain.  Frustrated, Victoria turned toward the approaching figure.

"Are you OK?"

Still stuck in the watery pit, Victoria peered up at the unregonizable male voice, only to be blinded by bright headlights.  Further aggravated, she bitingly exclaimed; "No."

A second later, a hand reached out to grab her arm.  She could feel his strength as he pulled the bike from the waters while he lifted her up onto the pathway.  Using the headlights, Victoria bent over to look at the damage.  The black suede boots were ruined. Her grey slacks were tainted brown from the dirty water, but at least were washable.  The biggest problem was that she now looked unpresentable for dinner.  Heaving a sigh, Victoria lifted her right foot to pull off her boots.

The girl's reaction caught him off guard.  Normally such an event would trigger blasphemy from a girl's mouth, if not a slap on the face. Intrigued, he watched quietly as she lifted her foot to pull her wet boots off.  As soon as he saw her socked foot, he knew she was a dancer. Yet unlike many female dancers he's met, the young girl possessed a womanly figure, endowed in all the right places. Now if only he could see her face properly. He moved closer.

"Don't bother."

He stopped in his tracks. "I'm sorry Miss. I was looking at my phone and didn't see you coming down the bike path..."

"It's fine. Like I said, don't bother. I'm late." Having put her wet boots back on, the girl hopped back onto her bike.

"Wait. Can't I give you a ride?"

She turned toward him and coolly replied: "I said; it's fine."

And with a last sigh the girl rode off. At least he finally saw her eyes...large, luminous dark pools that he knew he was going to be seeing again soon.