Anya's shift at the front desk ran right up to the start of the dating event, but Amelia assured her that no one would care if they were a little late. Still, Amelia came down five minutes before Anya was to get off with her coat so they could leave right away, the both of them passing the time playing games on a spare sheet of paper until the replacement showed up, allowing Anya to leave. It was a cold night and she almost went back for her gloves, but Amelia was already heading off and she was wearing a knee-length skirt so Anya couldn't really complain since she was more warmly dressed.

Amelia had tried to convince her to dress up more but Anya was so nervous about her body that she had never bought anything nicer than a skirt and fairly low-cut top that she never worked up the courage to wear. Every time she put it on, she felt like all her flaws were suddenly highly visible and she had to take it off. A ten minute walk brought them to the right place and they were directed to the back room when they inquired about the speed dating event. They were the only students. Anya wanted to step on Amelia's foot as an overly enthusiastic middle-aged woman rushed up to them.

"Welcome!" she greeted, shaking both their hands with gusto. "We're just getting started. Please, have a seat!"

They were directed to chairs, one line filling with people who apparently were to stay seated while the empty chairs were to hold people who moved. The woman who was apparently in charge gave a few more directions and the event started.

There were several old men and women hanging around at the bar, but they were both pleased to see Amelia's brother who Anya had only met once and only for the maybe half a minute he had popped in only to have Amelia chase him down the hall with a pillow. So she hadn't really met him. He and Amelia hugged each other and then he turned to hug Anya as well, much to her surprise.

"Hey girly-girls. What you two up to? Hoping to get laid, eh Em?" he teased, ruffling Amelia's hair much to her annoyance. She huffed off to the bathroom to fix her hair and Alfred turned his blue (very, very very blue eyes ) towards Anya and winked.

"Buy you a drink?"

As it turned out, Alfred was two years ahead of them and very willing to break a law or two and buy Anya a stiff drink. The two of them sat at a corner table to talk while Amelia flirted with any guy who approached, discussing this that and the other until they had run out of things to say. Alfred was an engineering student who was hoping to get a big internship in the summer with the hopes that it would help him get a job in the company when he graduated. It was in California of course, but he wasn't too concerned. Like Amelia, his parents seemed to be paying for his expenses and he had a part time job on the side. When Amelia got bored, Anya reluctantly left with her, Alfred's number saved to her phone with his promise to text the next day still echoing in her head.

He did keep his promise and by noon the next day, she had received several texts, ranging from a compliment on her hair and eyes to an invitation to dinner the next weekend. Amelia just laughed when she found out, saying Alfred was a "player" and he was just using her for sex.

"He'll use you and lose you, but I'll still be here," she assured Anya as she flopped onto the bed with her textbooks.

Despite Amelia's gloomy predictions, the next few dates went very, very well and no hint of sex was even seen, so with uplifted heart, Anya continued on, enjoying the nice meals, friendly boyfriend and the one time they went over to his place, his roommates were there. Ludwig was a nice enough guy, if quiet and taciturn, so he left them to the movie and cuddling while he worked in his room. Really, to her, the whole thing was heaven and when he took her out on Spring Break to let her shop wherever she wanted and footed the bills, that was when she realized he was a keeper. Money was no problem for him or his family, so it stood to reason that money should be of little consequence while around him.

Then again, she could get anything she wanted to with the right amount of money. During her last years of high school, she even worked a part-time job to help afford such niceties, though she resented working. It was so…. Beneath her. And now while in college, she had found another part-time job, though she hated it too. Then again, she figured it was human nature to want the rewards without the work.

That was before she met Alfred. Alfred who was older and very confident and good-looking and willing to spend lots of money on her. Alfred who didn't care that she was from Russia and stumbled on her English sometimes. Alfred who was sweet and stuttered when he wished her goodnight before kissing her cheek. So now, money without the work was well within her reach.