A set of dark brown eyes peered over the top edge of the latest copy of "The Coruscant Observer." Padmé was singing and Dormé couldn't recall the last time the young woman had sung, especially while reviewing senate reports.
The young handmaiden's face squinted in distaste as several slightly off-key notes fell on her ears. It was hard to tell what the song actually was due to Padmé's mumbling, but Dormé finally recognized the song as an old Naboo love ballad.
Her curiosity getting the best of her, the young woman put down her tabloid and peered at her employer.
Padmé felt the pair of eyes glaring at her and glanced up from her report. "What?"
The handmaiden's brow arched up as she speculated the cause of Padmé's good mood. "What is up with you tonight?"
"What do you mean?" Padmé innocently went back to entering statistics into her datapad.
"I mean, you don't usually sing while you're working. Did you get another letter from that shimona guy?"
"Yes." But that wasn't exactly what had cheered her up, and a small smile crossed Padmé's face as she recalled the events of the day. "I had tea with Obi-Wan today."
"Did you?" Dormé leaned forward, showing her undivided attention at this turn of events.
"He happened to be in the Senate building and we ran into one another. So I asked him to join me for tea." She stated matter-of-factly.
The handmaiden's head propped itself upon her hand as Padmé continued to pretend to work, casting her eyes up at the young woman and then back down to the datareader.
"And? What did you talk about?" She prompted her employer after a moment of silence.
"Just things. Politics mostly, and Anakin. I'd forgotten how wonderful his sense of humor is."
Once again, the senator's face took on a radiant glow, which Dormé found both alarming and quite interesting.
"That doesn't sound like much to get so excited about." She noted a bit cynically, testing her theory that there was more going on than the senator was willing to admit.
"I'm not excited." Padmé stated defensively. "I'm just pleased that we can be friends again."
"Mm hm." Dormé replied, not the least bit convinced.
"Stop it." Padmé gave up on her work and lay the datapad to the side on the sofa. "We're just friends. In fact, we're meeting for lunch tomorrow."
Dormé's face broke out in a wide grin, which was quickly attacked by the carefully aimed throw of a satin sofa pillow. "It's not like that! And besides, my heart belongs to somebody else."
"So he's written again?"
"Better than that. He wants to meet me." Padmé blushed slightly.
"When?"
"Tomorrow afternoon in the courtyard of the Coruscant Library."
Dormé regarded her friend carefully. She could sense the young woman's nervousness, but also her giddy anticipation. She just hoped that Padmé would be as happy with her faceless admirer as she obviously was with the Jedi Master. Perhaps the senator hadn't considered the fact that she could possibly be giving up an opportunity that would probably never become available again.
"And what about Obi-Wan?" She asked softly, carefully gauging the young woman's response.
Padmé mulled over the question in her mind before answering. What about him? He hadn't given her the time of day since her arrival to Coruscant, and that was two years ago. And then all of a sudden, he conveniently appears and wants to make amends? During the two times they've talked recently, he hadn't even brought up their past. Were they just supposed to forget it ever happened? Water under the bridge, so to speak?
A future with Obi-Wan was uncertain, to say the least. And besides, he hadn't made any effort to be anything more than charmingly friendly.
She was making the right decision. Her heart belonged to starsofshimona. Whoever he was. And the fact that she would be finding out his identity the next day was nerve-wracking to say the least.
"We're just friends." She finally answered. "He hasn't made any attempt to be otherwise."
And that's all she would say for now. She would enjoy the time she had gotten to share with Obi-Wan lately, and hope that it would erase the heartache and grief from the years past. Time spent with a new lover would probably erase the bad memories completely.
Things were definitely looking up. She couldn't wait until tomorrow.