Okay, for those that have read my other story i'm sorry to jump onto another story when I have one last chapter to go, but needed to post this one and get it going :) Will promise to finish other story before continuing this one, it will only be short.

Arthur:

"Can I get you another one?"

With effort, I looked up into the pretty green eyes of the barmaid, whose hand was hovering uncertainly near my recently emptied glass. I shrugged.

"Sure. Why not."

Topping up my whisky, she bit her lip for a few moments before blurting out "Are you alright sir?"

I glanced up in surprise, unaware until this moment that bar staff cared about their customers lives. Probably a ploy to get their customers to drink more. Deciding to play along, I sat up straight and looked her directly in the eye.

"If you must know, I'm not."

"Oh?" She queried, her eyes soft. Dammit, she was a good actress.

"No. I'm confused."

"Confused about what?"

I still couldn't believe she was pretending she cared, and I somehow admitted why I was so miserable before I had realised what I'd said. "A girl."

"Ah. Thought it might be. A handsome gentleman like you would hardly be on your own." With a cheeky smile, the barmaid turned to go. Her words irked me, and I somehow felt the need to put her right.

"No. You don't...understand. What's your name?"

"Rose."

"Well Rose, I thought I loved her. But then we kissed and she's been avoiding me since. So I got the impression she didn't love me back and I'm trying to move on."

"Hmmm." She pondered. "Sounds complicated."

"It is." I muttered, downing my whisky and beckoning for another. She waved my summons away and took my glass from me.

"But I'm sure drowning your sorrows isn't going to help. You want to move on? Do it sober. There are plenty or beautiful women in this bar."

Sighing, I glanced around, none of them taking my fancy. I just kept seeing bits of Ari in them. Like one of them having her hair colour. Another her smile. Another her eyes. But like they were just crude copies and didn't quite catch the full beautiful effect. Didn't catch the glossy waves and hint of red that Ari's hair had, or the full lips and wide smile she threw my way each day, or the deep emotions that lurked in her eyes, and how the soft brown seemed to suck you in until you wanted to stay there, locked in her gaze, forever. Fuck. I was in love, and so not ready to move on.

"Screw this." I said, turning away.

The barmaid looked up from cleaning her glasses. "None of them appeal to you? You were staring for quite a while!"

"I was...looking. For something I can never have."

"Well, it strikes me that this girl doesn't want you. Have you tried talking to her about it?"

I shrugged moodily. "What do I say? That I think she's avoiding me? No way, I'd sound like an obsessed teenage girl! And I don't want to hear that she doesn't want me. Not after loving her for so long."

"Maybe you won't." She said softly.

"Oh, I will. She's too good for me."

Ariadne:

"He's way too good for me."

"Ari, you're a complete idiot."

"I know." I was sitting with my best friend Becky and contemplating my situation over stress-aiding food (i.e. chocolate cake and wine).

"He kissed you. You like him. What is complicated about that? Just tell him you like him, for Christ's sake, before I chuck myself out of a window or something!" Becky sighed dramatically and took a sip of wine.

"But what if he doesn't like me? After all, it was a distraction."

"A distraction for what?"

I pursed my lips. I so wished I could tell her about my job, but it was a recipe for disaster and Cobb would be furious.

"Just a job thing." I said quickly, and gulped some wine.

Becky narrowed her eyes. "Are you a spy or something?"

I laughed. "I wish! Then I'm sure I would be taught how to read body language and know what he really felt."

"Well he kissed you, whether it was for a distraction or not, so just enjoy the moment."

"No, I can't spend my days debating in my head whether he likes me or not, he's probably got loads of girls after him anyway. I need to move on."

"You're gonna let this guy go? Of course I can't judge, because you won't let me meet him or tell me his name!" She paused, glaring at me. "But if you've liked him for this long..."

"Exactly. I've wasted so much time confused over him that I haven't had a chance to meet other men. I think...I should date again."

Becky surveyed me dubiously. "Do you even know how to date?"

I sighed forlornly. "Not really."

"Well, my friend has recently met this new guy a few weeks back, and we were both going to go on this double date on saturday, but Ash is taking me out to this posh meal with his parents," She stopped to share a long-suffering look with me, we both knew his parents hated her, "So why don't I ask her to set you up with one of her guy friends and you go out with her instead?"

"Won't it be a bit awkward that I don't know anybody?"

"Oh I'm sure you'll get along fine. Relax, what could go wrong?"

We both smiled and leant back, sipping our wine like there were no worries going through our heads.

Arthur

"Why pink? I would happily take any other colour but pink."

Rose smiled and pinched my cheek. "Because pink suits you so!"

I ruffled her hair and pulled the offensive tie from my collar, wincing as I took in my new suit. I wasn't exactly a fan, but Rose loved it on me and insisted I wear it this saturday.

"So who's this double date with again?"

She shrugged. "No idea. My friend pulled out and set me up with her other friend and asked me to set her up with a guy I know."

"What's this girls name?"

"No idea."

"Well aren't you a bundle of information!"

Shoving me, she said "Why are you so interested?"

"She could be a total psycho for all I know. I'm only fearing your safety, my dear." I winked at her.

Snorting, she said "Yeah, it would be me protecting you! You're not exactly what I'd call macho, Arthur." Still sniggering, she picked up the pink tie and tied it back round my neck. "Now, you're going to wear this so we match, ok?"

Sighing, I turned away as she bustled off to get her outfit. I usually wouldn't care about clothes, but Rose seemed to be obsessed with them, always insisting me match, because it was 'cute'. The cuteness was starting to wear off, If I was honest to myself.

"Don't you dare, Arthur," I muttered to myself, glaring in the mirror. "You need to move on from Ari and go through with dating Rose. Stop. Whinging."

"Say something honey?" Rose popped back, pink shoes in hand. I averted my eyes from them, smiling innocently.

"Just saying how the tie is growing on me."

An enthusiastic smile lit her face, and she skipped (yes skipped) towards me.

We stood side by side in the mirror, her smile bright and mine clenched. Not that she seemed to notice.

"It's going to be so fun! What could go wrong?"

What indeed.