Deciding that perhaps a walk would help clear her head, she locked the apartment and took off, soon finding herself at the park, where she noticed a couple throwing a Frisbee back and forth. Upon closer inspection, she saw that the young woman was her cousin, Kitty Howard.

Five years Anne's junior, Kitty was petite with blonde hair and big blue eyes. Anne had always tried her best to keep Henry as far away from Kitty as possible. She surmised the handsome young man with short dark blond hair and clear blue eyes to be her latest conquest.

"Anne!" Her cousin had seen her and was running toward her. "Want to play Frisbee with us?"

"I might as well. I need something to take my mind off things."

"Oh?"

"I saw Henry and Jane in the supermarket this morning." Anne gave a scornful snort. "She looks like she's about to squirt a watermelon."

Kitty giggled. "This is Tom Culpepper."

"How do you do." Tom's voice was as smooth as silk as he extended his hand to Anne, and she noticed he had the cutest little dimple in his chin.

"Nice to meet you." She shook his proffered hand. She stayed at the park until it began to get dark, then bid her cousin good-bye and walked back to the apartment, where she found her answering machine blinking again and pushed the 'replay' button.

"Anne? Hi, um, this is Louis Bourbon. I, um, I just wanted to tell you I had a really nice time last night and, um, I hope we can get together again soon. OK, bye."

The poor man sounded so nervous she wished she could somehow transport herself through the telephone line and give him a reassuring hug.

The following Monday morning, she groaned as she slunk into work, barely making it on time. Someone had to clean aquariums, she knew, yet there were so much many glamorous jobs in the world to do.

"Hi, Anne!"

Anne glanced up to see her co-worker, Anna Cleven, smiling at her. Anne and Anna were about the same age and were both divorcees, but that was where the similarities ended. Although not unattractive, Anna was plain and rather ordinary-looking, having none of Anne's charm or mystique. In addition, she was a bit timid and self-conscious. Once at a company party, Henry had referred to her as a 'Flanders mare', although she'd actually been born in Dusseldorf. She'd married an American soldier who'd been stationed in Germany; he'd brought her back to the United States and, upon their divorce several years later, she'd reclaimed her maiden name.

"Did you have a nice weekend?" asked Anna.

"It was all right. You?"

"It was very nice, thank you. I played cards with Charles Brandon and beat him for the first time."

Anne didn't say anything. Charles Brandon was Henry's best friend. Anne had always born a strong enmity toward one him. During Henry's long, messy divorce from his first wife, Catalina, Charles had sided with Catalina completely, referring to Anne as a 'whore' and a 'home wrecker.' Anne had come to resent the close friendship he and Henry shared.

Now that she'd been the one betrayed and abandoned, Anne understood exactly how Catalina had felt. She'd begun to feel deep regret for the pain she'd caused the older woman and her teenage daughter, Maria, and had even considered reaching out to them in friendship but, fearing rejection, had hesitated.

Somehow, she got through the rest of that day and the following two. Wednesday evening, she received another telephone call from Louis. "How are you?" she asked him.

"I'm fine. How 'bout you?"

"I'm OK. It's good to hear from you again."

"It's great to hear your voice again, too. Listen, my Uncle Philippe is holding a fais do-do this coming Sunday afternoon, and I'd love it if you could go with me."

"That sounds really nice, Louis. Of course I'll go." Anne had heard of the Cajun dance parties but had never attended one.

"Great! I'll pick you up at twelve thirty, then."

"Sounds good!" She gave him directions to her apartment, then said good-bye.

The following morning, she was even humming to herself as she went into work. "Something must have happened to make you happy," Anna guessed.

"I met this really nice guy last weekend, and he's taking me to a dance on Sunday," Anne told her.

"That is good! I am happy for you." Anna smiled. "Maybe we both have a second chance at love!"

"Maybe so." Not even the mention of Charles Brandon could dim her good mood this morning.