As always, reviews are appreciated!

I'm also open to suggestions for improvement. (What I've written is only the rough draft).

And now, the beginning of one of my favorite parts of this fic: the Dates!!

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Chapter Six

On a foggy autumn night, Tom sat uncomfortably in a Italian restaurant's booth, wondering how Carter had ever managed to talk him into going on a blind date. Sighing, he decided it was time to try conversation with the pretty brunette who sat across from him.

"So…. Scarlett," began Tom. "Uh, how do you know Carter?"

"Oh, he's been one of my best customers at my family's muffin shop," Scarlett answered cheerfully.

"Ah, so you work there?"

"Yep, and I love it! Muffin Mania is the most successful muffin shop in town!" Scarlett proclaimed. "It's the best, really it is. We have seventy-nine flavors!"

"Really. Fascinating."

"We have blueberry muffins and chocolate muffins and poppy seed muffins and apple muffins and…."

Fifteen minutes later, their date wasn't going any better.

"…and banana muffins and nut muffins and banana-nut muffins and… that's seventy-eight… what's the last one?" said Scarlett.

Tom held his head in his hands. "Oh, boy."

"That's it!" said Scarlett excitedly. "Boysenberry! Thanks!"

"Yeah, no problem," said Tom, wishing he could be anywhere but there.

"What have I been thinking? This whole time I've been talking about my business and I haven't asked you a thing about you!"

"Thanks, well I--"

"What's your favorite kind of muffin?"

"…….. check please."

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Unlike Tom's first blind date, Daria's date had started out rather pleasantly. It was an unusually warm day for November, and she and her curly haired date, Hans, walked along a shaded street after stopping by a local coffee shop.

"So you're from Gemany? Huh. That's kinda cool," said Daria as she sipped her mocha latte.

"Yes, I came here on the student exchange program," Hans said. "I met your friend Jane in my Advanced Sculpture class. She's nice. So are you."

"Oh! Um, thanks." Daria grinned. "You're OK too."

"Marry me."

"What?!"

"I love you. I've loved you since I first saw you. Let's go to Vegas. We can be married by sunset"

Daria stared at him, wide-eyed and speechless. "I…. I…. I….."

"Well?"

Suddenly she realized why this was happening. "You want your Green Card, don't you?"

"No…… yes."

"Auf Wiedersehen, Hans."

"Wait! Come back! I'd make a good husband! And I really do love you! Wait!"

After that, needless to say, it took an awful lot of convincing from both Jane and Taryn to get Daria to go on another date.