When Wednesday made its appearance at my window in the form of sunlight, my mind was still a bit obscure from the events of the previous night. I slowly rose from the comfort of my bed, my body feeling heavier than usual as I stretched out my arms and legs; it was to be written and remembered: no more drinking.  I groaned as I made my way towards my vanity mirror and took a glance at my early morning appearance, the sight almost as ghastly as that of a ghost; my olive skin was deathly pale and the bags beneath my eyes were more prominent than ever with their dark hue. I reminded myself again, no more drinking.  I walked off to the master bathroom and began to spruce myself up a bit so that I wouldn’t look like a character from a horror film, although I was hung over and could have cared less about my appearance at the moment, mother always taught me, “if you feel like crap then that is the time you need to look your absolute best.” It was a lesson all three of us Martin girls learned well, because once you look good, you start to feel good.

By the time I was done fixing myself up, I was starting to feel much better but I was going to take a pain killer regardless once I got to the kitchen to  prevent any unwanted headaches. Today was about business, I was expected to meet with two professors from the university to discuss a rather unique opportunity. Professor Landon Wilson, the head of the university’s performing arts program, and Professor Ana Lockwood, one of the professors who work under Professor Wilson, were to meet me promptly at 11pm at Olly’s Fine Dining and Wine. I glanced over at the digital clock on the cable box in my room and found out that I had just enough time to dress up and head out the door to at least be at the restaurant five minutes earlier. I grabbed a white shirt that seemed to fit the summer breeze we’ve been experiencing in July, it was one of my favorites because it was casual enough to be worn with jeans but yet elegant because it held so much movement since the fabric was loose and though it had round neck, it had sleeves that went off the shoulder. I wore my favorite pair of jeans with a pair of flats and I was out the door within seconds, always remembering to have my keys and my bag at hand while I locked the door.

Arriving at the restaurant, I was instantly greeted by the pleasant appearance of Ana. She was a kind person who I had admired greatly when I first started working at the University, she was in her second year of being a professor at Ilemy at the time and she so graciously showed me around the University my first day. She was 40 years-old and was married to Stephen, a very famous producer for BBC, for fifteen years and have two very lovely children to show for it; Thomas and Katherine.

          “Mily!” Ana shouted delightedly, pulling me in a friendly embrace, “how has your vacation been? Sorry that we intruded on your free time for this meeting, it’s just that Stephen and I came up with a wonderful idea and I presented it to Wilson and he loved it!” She exclaimed animatedly as she took my hand and began to drag me into the restaurant not even letting me get a single word of greeting in. We sat down at our table that was by the window overlooking the pier where seagulls flew about the few who chose to dine on the dock. It was indeed the perfect day to be at Olly’s, the salty sea air that blew in through the window with the help of the pleasant wind was doing wonders for the adventurous soul, and one could help but want to be by the pier on such a lovely day.

Ana shifted around in her seat excitedly, it seemed the poor woman was ready to burst if Wilson didn’t get here any time soon. “So,” I stated, beginning to feel a bit anxious to what this great idea of hers was, “how are Stephen and the kids doing?” I questioned, trying to make light conversation to calm the anxiety that was growing in the pit of my stomach.

Ana smiled brightly, “Stephen is fine; he just flew back to London last night since they were going to start filming the pilot for a new show. The kids are being all kinds of crazy these days, Tommy just got his driver’s License and swears he is in one of those fast and furious movies, while Katie has taken a liking to some boy in the 8th grade who has trouble written all over his face.”

I chuckled lightly at her answer, “So I guess Tommy inherited your heavy foot and Katie inherited Stephen’s ideas of an adventurous romance.” Ana gasped in mock offense, placing a hand on her chest as she spoke, “I drive perfectly fine, thank you very much!”

       “If perfectly fine means Indy Race Car Driving then yes, you drive perfectly safe, please disregard how every passenger clutches on to their seat belts for dear life.” I retorted sarcastically. It was no secret, if you were willing to ride shot gun with Ana as the driver, you probably had a death wish.

By the time we finished our debate over who was the better driver, Landon appeared in his signature wool suit and bow tie; it was fairly evident that he had just finished a lecture since he still had on his thick-rimmed glasses. If I could compare Professor Landon Wilson to a fictional character, I would compare him to Indiana Jones, he was charming and quick witted which made you like him even more. He had salt and pepper hair that was more on the salty side since the man was nearing 60 years of age but still looked handsome as ever.  If he was handsome now, imagine how he looked when he was in his twenties; he must have given Harrison Ford great competition when it came to looks.