The end of summer had brought the beginning of fall and this, in turn, brought the beginning of another school term. John was excited because he had signed up for a course at Penn. However, there was another matter that had to be attended to first. His sister was also excited that fall had come, for she would be returning to campus. She found her first summer home since starting college to be rather difficult. She was use to being independent and not having to mind her brother or her mother, whom she found overbearing at times. Now that the start of the school year had arrived, she would have her independence back and see all of the friends she made the previous year.

John, Hannah and Frances set off for Williamstown, Massachusetts where Frances would start her sophomore year at Williams College. Hannah could not understand why Frances had decided to attend a college so far away from Philadelphia when there were a number of excellent colleges in the area. She thought Frances' choice of college was one of the many impractical decisions her daughter made but she knew there was not much she could do about it. Frances was, after all, legally an adult capable of making her own decisions. Hannah didn't enjoy the five hour journeys to and from Williamstown the previous year and this time was no different. She hated being cramped up in an SUV for such a long period of time. They took turns driving, so she didn't have to drive for the full five hours (in fact, John did most of the driving). Still, she did not find it pleasant.

John, on the other hand, enjoyed the journeys. He enjoyed the scenic trail through Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts. It was a welcome diversion from the urban landscape of his life. He also found the small New England town of Williamstown to be charming. It reminded him of the small rural towns of his native England and thus, made him homesick.

The trio arrived on campus fairly early in the day and discovered that there were not yet many other families on campus. Frances was eager to see her new room, which was a single, and in her haste, left her brother and mother at the SUV. John, rolling his eyes at his sister's frivolousness, began to carry a massive box to her room. When he neared her floor, he heard his sister call out to a young man. Arriving through the entrance of her floor, he saw Frances run to man and hug him. The sight would not have been out of the ordinary, since she was prone to outbursts of ostentatious affection to her friends. However, upon looking at the scene, he discovered that his sister's friend was accompanied by the familiar faces of Edith and more importantly, Margaret.

It had been over a month since their last encounter and John thought he would not see Margaret anymore. During that time, he had sometimes regretted the way their encounters ended because he felt their mutual antagonism prevented him from getting to know her better. He wanted to better know the woman who was always defiant to him and never cowered in his presence. Now, he was presented with an opportunity to present himself in a better light. He paused and thought about what he should do next. He saw her in a pair of form fitting, hip hugger jeans that were torn at the left knee and a white t-shirt that was just tight enough to show the shape of her bosom. Her hair was worn in a tight ponytail that allowed him to focus more exclusively on the features of her face. Whatever she wore, he always found her to be beautiful and breathtaking, forcing him to focus only on her. Setting Frances' box to the side of the hallway, John walked towards Margaret, passing Frances and her friend along the way. Frances noticed her brother walking away from her room and was curious to see why. A small smile grew on her face when she discovered him walking towards her friend's cousin.

Margaret was getting ready to move some of her cousin's things into his room when she heard his familiar voice.

"Margaret? What a surprise."

The sound of his deep baritone made her heart jump to her throat. She didn't think they would meet again and yet they had, in the most unlikely of places. Then again, they always seemed to meet in the most unlikely places.

She set down the items and turned towards him noticing once more his handsome features, which made her face redden.

"John, it's a surprise to see you as well. What a small world. Just when I thought we would not meet again, we do. What are you doing here? Oh, and I hope you're not here to try and embarrass me again."

Her last statement felt like venom but he knew he deserved it. He wouldn't respond in kind this time, determined to move beyond insults. He paused, thinking of what to say next. John spoke, wanting to apologize for his behavior towards her in the past and to start anew.

"I'm here helping my sister get settled. I…I want to apologize for how I spoke to you the last time we met. I was unforgivably rude. I know I shouldn't have spoken to you in such an insolent manner. We haven't gotten off to the best of starts but perhaps we can start over and be friends"

Margaret was shocked by his olive branch offering. When she first heard him, she was prepared for more verbal warfare but John's words had taken her off guard. He wanted to be friends. Why did he want to be friends with her? It made no sense. She had been nothing but impudent to him yet he was still willing to be kind to her. The thought came to Margaret's mind that perhaps John was attracted to her and wanted her friendship in the hopes of eventually gaining a deeper relationship with her. She then thought about how ridiculous that was (why would he be remotely attracted to a woman who was so rude to him?) and concluded that he only wanted to be friends and bring an end to the dislike they seemed to hold for each other. He gazed at her, trying to gauge her reaction. Seeing his vibrant, blue eyes penetrate hers made Margaret feel a rush of heat flow through her body despite it being a cool, brisk day. "I…I…I suppose that could be possible." Pausing, she thought of what to say next. This was a rare occasion when she was left speechless. "But I've been so rude to you. Why would you want to befriend me?"

"I cannot deny your abrasiveness towards me but as I said before, most of it was deserved. I have to be honest and tell you that I haven't encountered many people who stand up to me. Not that I'm a jerk."

Margaret raised her eyebrow at his last comment but let him continue.

"It's just that you're different from a lot of people I meet and I would like the chance to get to know you better."

The earnestness of John's words and demeanor made Margaret finally put down her guard. He wanted to know her because she was independent and forthright. His words put him much higher in her esteem. Harry certainly did not care for her outspokenness. In fact, he lately seemed more repulsed by it than he used to be. As this thought was forming in Margaret's head, John noticed Harry walking towards her. John had noticed the man earlier when he first saw Margaret but hadn't given him any thought since he didn't know who he was. As Harry unexpectedly walked up to Margaret, he put his arm around her. This made her give him a hard glare from the side of her eyes while tightly folding her arms in front of her. He did not seem to notice however.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" he said.

Margaret rolled her eyes, sighed and reluctantly acquiesced to his request.

"John, this is Harry Lennox, a family friend. Harry, this is John Thornton."

Harry gave John a cold look and an icy hand shake. He noticed how they stared at each other intently and how they never took their eyes off of each other. Harry thought immediately that John was the reason for Margaret's recent avoidance of him. It never occurred to him that Margaret simply did not hold any amorous feelings for him anymore.

"Pleasure to meet you, John. As you can see, Margaret and I are here helping Edith's brother unpack his belongings. I suppose you're here doing something similar?"

John immediately sensed Harry's hostility and wondered if he was Margaret's boyfriend. He wasn't sure for although Harry seemed hostile and protective of Margaret, she did not seem appreciative of his guard and she only introduced him as a family friend. She appeared annoyed by his mere presence. The mixed signals made John decide that it was best to leave them alone for now.

"Yes, I'm here with my sister helping her unpack her belongings as well. It was nice to meet you, Harry. I suppose I should be helping my sister with the rest of her things. Margaret, it was a pleasure to see you again."

"Likewise" responded Margaret with a smile on her face. She was embarrassed by Harry's behavior towards John and was angry with him for interrupting their conversation. Before leaving her, John managed to sneak Margaret his business card which she tucked securely in her jeans' pocket. She watched him walk back towards his sister and mother regretting ever more Harry's abrupt reentry into her life. Margaret insisted on Harry coming with her outside the dorm so that they could speak privately. Finally reaching the manicured lawn of the dorm, Margaret unleashed her frustration onto Harry.

"What do you think you were doing in there?"

"I simply wanted to be introduced to your friend" he replied with a smirk.

"You smug, stupid bastard! Get that smirk off your face!"

"You're very testy today Margaret. In fact, you've been very irritable lately. Is something the matter?" said Harry with an eerie calm.

"Are you serious? The only thing that is wrong with me is you! I have tried so hard to be patient with you but it's become impossible. Why do you not understand that I will never be your girlfriend again? Harry, I stopped feeling any type of romantic feelings for you a long time ago. There really is no need for you to interrupt conversations I have with other men. It's just creepy, especially considering that we're not together."

"Do you like him?"

"Oh God! You really do not get it! Have you been listening to anything I said? We're not together anymore. You have no right to know about the feelings I have for anyone."

"Answer my question."

"I won't answer anything. You can't command me to do anything."

"Can you at least tell me as friend?"

"Harry, at this point, I don't even consider you a friend anymore. You have to be one of the most insufferable people I have ever met!" Margaret stormed off and went back into the dormitory, leaving Harry alone. She kicked up some grass while walking back to meet her cousins and called Harry all kinds of insulting names. This allowed her to blow off steam and to slowly calm down, which in turn made her think about Harry's question. She thought about why she had been so reluctant to answer his question. Did she like John? No, there is no way I like him. I hardly know him. I didn't answer Harry's question only because he had no right to know she thought to herself. The thought however, gave her little reassurance, which only troubled her.

When Margaret met with Edith, she had no idea that Edith or her younger brother, Rob, had been observing the unfolding scenario between her, John and Harry. Edith questioned Margaret on what had happened although she had a pretty good idea already.

"The guy in the park…John…you met him again. What a small world! It turns out that he's Rob's friend's older brother. What happened between you two? You seem to get along much better than the last time you met. No wonder you're not interested in Harry. You had your eye on John all along!" said Edith with an enormous smile. "Oh, I knew you had to like him!"

"Edith, stop. There is nothing going on between us. He simply apologized for how he treated me the last time we met and asked if we could be friendly with each other."

"It looked like more than that. He snuck you something. His business card with his cell number scribbled on it perhaps?"

Margaret sometimes wished her cousin wasn't so perceptive and observant. "You have to be one of the most nosey people I know."

"I wouldn't be your cousin if I wasn't."

"I'll tell you more when we get home. I don't want to discuss anymore with your future brother-in-law here" said Margaret noticing Harry's return.

"Fine, although it's going to be hard to wait so long."

Before returning to the task of helping Rob unpack, Margaret took the business card out of her pocket. On the front, she saw "Etna" next to the logo of the company, his name and the title of CEO underneath it. That would explain the 'people not standing up to him' comment. He must be use to people doing whatever he says she thought. She then looked on the back of the card and noticed that John's cell number was in fact scribbled on it. Edith was very perceptive indeed.

When John went back down the hall to his sister's room, he was greeted by inquiries from his sister who was impatient to know more about Margaret and what happened between them.

"John, who was that woman you were talking to?"

"I thought you were too busy with your friend to notice anything I did."

"Must you be such a smart ass all the time? Anyway, I already know. Rob told me."

"If you knew then why ask?"

"Because I wanted to see if you would tell me yourself. I have to say that I'm glad that you're finally talking to other women again. Plus, you couldn't have picked a nicer person or so says Rob. She's his cousin. I must say she's also very pretty. I hope you don't bore her to death though. You really must work on that if you're to have a chance with her or any woman."

John was slightly agitated that his sister was so concerned about his dating situation. Anxious to end the conversation he said "Shouldn't we finish unpacking your things?"

"I guess so. I just thought you would like a little more info about her."

After helping Frances unpack her things, John and Hannah both gave her a hug before telling her good bye and heading back to Philadelphia. Hannah was happy to be returning back so early for it was only 2 o'clock. They would get back home while it was still daylight.

Most of the drive home was passed in silence. John was lost in his thoughts about Margaret. He wondered if she thought him too forward by giving her his business card. Would she call him? He honestly wasn't sure for although she seemed friendlier to him this time, Margaret seemed to be the only woman who made him question himself. He didn't remember feeling like this with any other woman, Anne included. His natural confidence seemed to carry over into his relationships with women yet it seemed to disappear in Margaret's presence. This was partly due to the first encounter they had in the Starbucks where she had left him shocked and speechless. But even during his second and third meetings with her, he found himself thinking a bit harder about what to say and how to act. As he thought about their encounters on the drive home, he smiled. He was abruptly brought out of his reverie by his mother's voice.

"John, who was that woman you were speaking to today in Fran's dorm?"

John didn't realize that Hannah had been observing him in the dorm and thought of how he should mention Margaret. She certainly wasn't a girlfriend and she wasn't a friend either. "Oh, her name is Margaret. She's an acquaintance. I had seen her previously and wanted to say hello to her again."

"Fran thought you might be interested in her as more than an acquaintance."

"I hardly know her. Fran doesn't know what she's talking about."

"I suppose not. Fran was always one to jump to conclusions."

He was glad that he had been able to successfully divert his mother's attention from Margaret. He didn't want to talk to her about a woman who he barely knew himself or who he held rather complex feelings for. He didn't know, however, that Hannah had asked about Margaret because of another person.

"John, I know that your relationship with Anne has ended but I think she may want to get back together with you. She called me yesterday and told me that she tried calling you but that you didn't pick up or return her messages."

John sighed, annoyed that Anne was now going through his mother to get to him. "I didn't answer her calls because I have no desire to speak to her. She made it perfectly clear at our last dinner together that she had no real interest in me and that I was too 'grave and serious' for her liking."

"Don't you think you're being too hard on her? She's such a nice girl. She truly regrets breaking up with you, especially in the manner that she did."

"No, she regrets breaking up with my money."

"What do you mean? Do you mean she…" Hannah's voice trailed off when she realized the implication of John's words.

"I never told you this before but when Anne broke up with me she admitted that she was attracted to me because I am rich."

"I never suspected that from her. She always seemed so sweet. I guess we were all deceived by her."

"I guess we were."

They spent the rest of ride home in companionable silence. Hannah thought about what John told her. She had initially harbored hopes of John and Anne reuniting but when she heard about Anne's mercenary motivation, she realized that would never happen. She wanted her son to settle down and be happy but who would be the woman to make this possible? She glanced at her son, who seemed so lonely lately, hoping that this woman would come into his life soon.

When Margaret arrived home, she kept her promise to Edith to discuss more details about her encounter with John. This, in turn, prompted Edith to give her input about the situation.

"You're going to call him, right?"

"I don't know. I mean where would things go from there?"

"Well, that's the fun part. Seeing where things go. Oh, c'mon, you have nothing to lose."

"Except time and unmet expectations. I really don't have time to nurture a relationship right now."

"Margaret, you're making excuses. The man is a CEO of a major health insurance company and yet he's interested in you. If anyone should be complaining about not having enough time, it should be him!"

"What would we talk about? He's a CEO and I'm a social worker. I spend my days trying to save the world and he spends his making sure that you and I have higher health care premiums so that his company can make more profits. It wouldn't work."

"You're being ridiculous. You don't have to just discuss your jobs. There are a ton of things that you two could talk about and connect on. Look Margaret, I'm not saying it'll work out but it might. It can't hurt for you two to go out for coffee or lunch. Plus, he seems to have a genuine respect for you. How many guys want to date a woman because she told him off? The fact that he hasn't run away from you like a scared little mouse says something for him in my book. You've obviously made an impression on him and I think he's made one on you."

"I have to think about it."

"Don't think too hard or too long."

The next day, after much contemplation the night before, Margaret took the slightly crumpled business card off of her bed stand and proceeded to dial.