Clara awoke to the sound of a shrill alarm, the taste of peanut butter in her mouth, and the smell of Alex who was sleeping right beside her. She breathed in that smell as the previous night played over in her head. The park. The swings. The revelations. The feeling. She looked at her cell phone. The first things she saw were the two missed calls from Mr. Blake and the time. It was 8:06 and she was late.

"SHIT!" She exclaimed. Clara hopped off the couch and scrambled to get ready. She spotted Alex wake up with a start and look around in confusion.

"What? What's going on?" His voice was gruff with sleep.

"I'm late and probably fired." Clara threw on her work clothes while grabbing a protein shake out of her refrigerator.

By the time Alex got off the couch, she was putting her shoes on and spritzing on perfume. She was ready to exit the apartment when Alex put his hand on her shoulder.

"Is it okay if I see you again tonight? I'd really like to talk about those 101 places to go over dinner."

He smiled at her and Clara gazed back at him. He had taken off his shirt during the night and kept his jeans on. His overcoat, bowtie, and boots were lying in a heap by Clara's feet. She reached down to pick them up and then handed them to him. "Sure. I would enjoy that. If I get fired today, you're paying." She opened her door and walked out of her apartment, leaning against the door after she locked it. She sighed and smiled before running out of the building to reach the coffee shop. Clara burst into the shop, sweaty and out of breath, into the face of Mr. Blake. He was standing with his arms crossed and his foot was tapping on the ground like a father waiting for his daughter after curfew.

"Clara." He said curtly.

"H-hello, Mr. Blake! How are you this fine morning?" She smiled sheepishly at him.

"I was fine until I discovered you weren't at work, and then when I called you, you neglected to answer your cellular device. Clara, your behavior as of late has been nothing short of unprofessional and erratic. I'm going to have to let you go."

"I'm so sorry Mr. Blake. I understand." She was surprised at how relieved she felt.

"Looks like we won't ever have that dinner now." Mr. Blake said bitterly as Clara handed him her smock, hat, and nametag.

"Yeah, it's a real shame." Clara said, trying not to sound too happy. She walked out of the shop with Mr. Blake trailing close behind her.

"You had a good career here. I don't understand why you would throw it all away for some boy." Mr. Blake had strange mix of anger and sadness on his face, with a little bit of lust thrown in. Clara just laughed and thought, 'A career? As a barista? Wow, I sure dodged a bullet.' As Clara walked away, she decided that it was okay to be defiant, so she stopped walking, turned to face Mr. Blake, and shouted, "You are so creepy. You're in like your mid-forties hitting on a girl in her twenties? I'm so glad we never had that dinner because I have a nasty feeling of where you would've wanted it to go." Mr. Blake stood there with his mouth agape as she smiled her biggest possible smile for him before heading in the direction of Nordstrom. Her pocket buzzed. It was a text from Alex.

How did it go?

She giggled because this meant he had to pay for dinner tonight.

I got fired! I'm ordering the most expensive thing on the menu :)

Hey you have time for travelling now!

Clara put her phone away as she walked into the department store. She shopped around for a while, ending up buying a leather jacket, a sequined dress with a peter-pan collar, and a red satchel bag. She then went to get some books she had been meaning to get. While Clara was picking up her books, she spotted a book entitled How to do Europe: A Savvy Tourist's Guide and decided to get that as well. She went to the attached coffee shop and read the book while she sipped on her café au lait. Once she was finished, Clara walked out of the bookstore and headed in the direction of her apartment. She was half expecting Alex to be reclining on her couch, but alas, he was not there. But right at that moment he called her, almost as if he knew Clara was thinking of him. She answered the phone.

"Hey! How's it going?"

"Pretty good, yourself? Well, you did get fired today." There was fake sympathy in his voice.

"Yeah. I never really liked that job anyway, I mean, you met Mr. Blake." She didn't want to think for another minute about her old life, all she wanted to think about was packing and airplanes and old landmarks and culture and Alex.

"Yeah, he was a Class-A jerk. So about dinner tonight, I can pick you up at 7 o'clock if that's okay?

"Yeah! Seven's perfect. I have all the time in the world." She laughed. "Where are you taking me?"

"Ahhhh, that's a secret, my dear." She could practically see the smirk on his face as he said that.

"Oh, okay. That's fine. I was just wondering what I should wear, that's all." She had moved to her bedroom now and was scanning her closet.

"It's a place that is unique, so wear something appropriate for a time passed." He hung up the phone before she could say anything. Clara stared at her phone for a full minute after Alex had ended the call. Clara was pacing now. What could he possibly have planned for tonight? Our first date was playing on a swingset and telling each other our personal 'I wish I had…' stories. Honestly, what's more unique than that? She selected a 50's-inspired black halter dress and black t-strap heels. Once she was fully ready, she daintily sat on her couch to await his arrival.