She had no idea why she said yes. It was perhaps the dumbest thing she had ever agreed to do, and she regretted her acceptance of the invitation the moment the words fell from her lips. And there she suddenly was, sitting in the front seat of a car with a man, looking out across the skyline of Salzburg as Ann and her boyfriend did…whatever exactly they were doing in the backseat, occasionally bumping her seat in the process.

The day was quick at work, and she was simply minding her own business, when Ann told her she needed a girlfriend to accompany her to dinner with her boyfriend and his friend. She refused immediately, giving some excuse to why she couldn't, but ultimately she was bullied and guilted into saying yes. If anything she would get to go out to eat, which was a rare treat for her, she justified. But when her friend and boyfriend couldn't keep their hands to themselves, beginning with the appetizer, she knew she was in for a very uncomfortable evening indeed.

"So, you're from Salzburg?" Her companion, Jonas, tried his best to keep her distracted from the commotion behind them, clearly uncomfortable as well. She smiled the best she could and nodded.

"Kind of. I was brought up in the mountains, just there." She pointed in the direction of her mountain, easy to see from where they were parked. He looked at it and smiled, nodding in approval.

"I thought you seemed different than folks around here." He jumped, afraid he would offend her. "Not the bad kind of different, I assure you."

"Of course." She laughed a bit, and he seemed to relax. He was nice enough, she supposed. He had been very respectful of her all evening, and he had treated her like quite a lady, which was very lovely indeed. If anything, she didn't mind making a new friend that night. "Are you from here?"

"No, I'm from Munich."

"Germany?" Alarms went off in her brain, likely planted there by Georg, she mused as she shook it off.

"Yes. Though it isn't like it used to be. I much prefer the quieter life that Salzburg brings." She nodded, deciding not to breech any topic that could have been even close to political, just to be safe. It was difficult to know what the right or wrong thing was to say anymore. "Have you always been a dressmaker?"

"Maria used to be a nun." She jumped as Ann and her boyfriend were leaning over the backseat, presumably taking a breath.

"This is what you bring to the conversation?" Maria asked, her friend smiling brightly as she shrugged. She looked at Jonas, who's eyebrows were high upon his forehead. That was one reason she never brought up her past vocation, as it inevitably made someone uncomfortable. "I was not a nun, I was a postulant."

"What does that mean?"

"It means she didn't make the cut." She scoffed, turning to look at Ann in frustration. By that point Ann's boyfriend had begun to kiss her neck, and her eyes were closed in anticipation. Maria rolled her eyes at the sight and turned around to face forward.

"So…why didn't you make the cut?" She smiled at his question, as he seemed nervous about the subject.

"I was a bit too…undisciplined, I suppose." He chuckled a bit, clearly surprised. She supposed she likely came off as quite boring in comparison to who she once was. "That was years ago. I'd probably be really good at it now."

"You do strike me as quite a disciplined lady." She smiled, amused, but accepting of his words as a compliment. He really was quite sweet, after all.

There was a sudden ruffling, and she knew she heard the unbuckling of a belt. Her seat jolted forward as the occupants of the backseat readjusted, and she sighed in frustration. It was not exactly her idea of a fun time out. Suddenly, a gasp was heard, followed by soft moans. Eyes widened and mouth agape, she looked at Jonas, who shared a similar expression of complete shock. He pointed to her door, and she quickly nodded before they both rushed from the car to give the couple some privacy.

"Did they really think we needed to witness that?" She was appalled, joining her companion as they walked away from the car, coming to stand next to some trees in a grassy area.

"I'm not sure they were too concerned about us."

"Ann and I work together. I'm never going to be able to look her in the eye again." She ran a hand through her hair, calming herself from the complete surprise of her evening. "I barely know her."

"We both know her quite well now, I should think." They laughed for a moment, doing their best to turn the conversation from their own discomfort.

"In any case, it has been a lovely evening." He looked into her eyes, shrugging a bit.

"Maria…I think I need to be honest with you. I'm not an available man." She smiled, assuming he had been told that she was interested in a date with him, or perhaps was looking for far more than conversation. "I just think you have the right to know."

"Well, I'm emotionally unavailable myself, so it sounds like we're quite similar." He smiled, sighing a bit. She had a feeling there was more to the story. "So why are you here then?"

"I thought it would be good for me to try. You see, I'm in love with a woman who hardly knows I exist. And, about a month ago, she married another man."

"She doesn't know you love her?"

"I never told her. I was so afraid to ruin her life that I never said a word. And now here I am suffering about it. So, I'm absolutely unavailable." She smiled softly, taking his hand in her own between them, hoping to pass some comfort.

"The real reason I didn't become a nun is that I fell in love too. With the father of the children I was hired to be governess for over the summer. I was desperately in love, but he became engaged to marry another woman. My heart was more than shattered by it."

"So you understand more than I anticipated." She shrugged, not mentioning that Georg had in fact loved her in return, or their current relationship. There was no need when they only just met, after all.

"I suppose I don't want you to feel upset about being in love, even though it does feel hopeless at times. One thing I did learn as a postulant is that even when things seem hopeless, there is a bigger plan at work. And it's okay if you don't always know where you fit into the plan." He smiled, wrapping an arm around her as he noticed her shivering from the chill in the night air. She accepted the gesture, as there seemed to be nothing at all inappropriate about it. It felt a gesture of friendship, even though they hardly knew one another.

"You are quite extraordinary, you know." She smiled, shaking her head as she accepted his heat.

"And yet, here I am still heartbroken as well." They shared a smile, forming an unlikely kind of friendship, she supposed. She hadn't expected anything of the sort when she agreed to go out that evening, so it was quite a breath of fresh air.

"How long do you think they'll be?"

"The former postulant should know?" He laughed at the feigned offense upon her face, and she began to laugh as well.

"Of course not, I'm so sorry." He rubbed a hand up her arm. "But you're cold. Would you like my jacket?"

"That's very kind of you, but then you'll be cold."

"Nonsense, here." He shrugged his jacket off, moving to quickly toss it over her shoulders before she could refuse once again. She smiled at him, finding him to be quite kind as well, more proof that her evening was not at all what she had expected. He was a nice enough man, quite guarded as she was, so it took a moment for them to connect, but she did like him.

Though she wasn't lying when she said she was unavailable. The thought of being with any man who wasn't Georg felt like blasphemy, he had always owned her entire heart. Though she had to wonder, if that was the case, she wasn't sure why she couldn't bring herself to take the step and give him another chance. Certainly he had learned from their past, he had told her many times how regretful he was. But something was holding her back, and she couldn't for the life of her say exactly what it was. Perhaps fear of the past repeating itself, or the fear of truly giving herself to another, she wasn't certain.

"I'm sorry?" She jumped, embarrassed that she had become lost in her own head.

"Do you live near?"

"Yes, actually. I live right above the dress shop."

"May I walk you home? We don't need to wait around for this." She laughed, looking back toward the car. The windows were foggy, and it was rocking back and forth ever so slightly. She cringed, disgusted still that she was even near the sin taking place in that car.

"Yes, let's go." They stood, and he began to walk next to her as they headed toward the sidewalk. "Do you think they'll worry?"

"They won't even notice we're gone." They laughed as they walked toward her apartment, leaving half of their double date behind them. It was thankfully not a long walk, and they made it in no time.

"Do you live near as well?"

"Not quite, but I can just walk to take the bus."

"Oh, nonsense, at least call a cab. I have a phone you can use."

"It's really no trouble, I would hate to impose." She smiled as they walked up the stairs to her door, and she began fishing her key from the pocket she had sewn into her dress.

"It's no imposition…"

"Maria, I can't come in with you." He sounded serious, and she turned around to see his face as she shoved the key into the lock. "I'm sorry, I just…well, it feels improper."

"Well…can I call a cab for you, at least?"

"No, I don't mind the bus at all. Thank you for the offer. I've had a great time with you tonight, despite all the uncomfortable situations." She smiled, sharing a small laugh with him.

"Yes, I think next time we're dragged along, we'll at least know what to expect."

"Next time we'll go dancing. If we're emotionally unavailable, at the very least we can have a good time." She smiled, stepping closer to him as she removed his jacket, handing it back to him.

"I would like that very much." He smiled, and she leaned forward to press a kiss to his cheek. "Goodnight."