I do not own any of this. Percy Jackson belongs to the beloved Uncle Rick and the storyline goes to the amazing Michelle Do for her play of the same name.

Stepping inside my first big project was a dream come true. Sure I had remodeled my dad's old home and I had designed my current home, but this was the first time I had put my degree to good use and created something that the public would be in. The lighting was perfect for the modern but inviting atmosphere. My whole goal with this place was to make a gathering place for both family and friends. Men could go back to the bar and grunt their responses, or they could bring their families for a nice dinner.

Immediately, I saw Juniper sitting at a table with her daughter, Lilly. I waved at her and she excitedly waved back. She gave me an encouraging thumbs up, indicating that the night was successful and there were raving reviews about the place.

Juniper and I met in college. We happened to be in an environmental science class together and we instantly connected. It was also a big plus that we were both from Manhattan. She had let me stay with her and her parents during breaks until my dad and I fixed our relationship. After that, we always were at one or the other's house. When she came back to her home during Christmas break, she started going to a local cafe, and that's where she met Grover.

I on the other hand, went out and built myself a home so that I could escape Manhattan every once in awhile so that I could think and create. During college, I had found that I did my best imagining and thinking outdoors. There was a big oak tree on campus that was my favorite spot, and if that happened to be taken, I reported to a small fountain out of the way of the quad.

After my house was built, I went back to dad's and he asked me to remodel our home. I couldn't bear thinking of changing the house that I had grown up in, but he insisted that I had a talent that needed worked. All during those times, I was still close with Juniper. I was her maid of honor in her wedding and I arranged her baby shower when she found out she was pregnant with Lilly. It was late in her pregnancy when she mentioned that Grover had been wanting to expand his bar, but they never had the gusto to proceed with the renovations. I immediately jumped at the opportunity to help my friends out and started giving Grover ideas right away.

I told them that I would work for little cost and would accept being Lilly's godmother as payment, but Juniper insisted that money was no problem, because her parents were supporting them wholeheartedly for giving them a grandchild.

I hadn't stepped foot inside the building since last week and that was when the handlers were still installing some kitchen appliances and the tables were still being varnished. But now, standing inside the finished product, the past five years were worth it.

Juniper gestured to the right and that's where I saw Grover standing in the corner talking to a customer. I handed my coat and hat over to the maitre'd and started to walk towards him. I wanted to stop and talk to him about the bar and what a success it was. How well it turned out and how proud I am that we could pull something like this off. He looked at me a little panicky, like he was caught in a trap, but I brushed it off as grand opening jitters.

As I approached, the customer that was previously talking to Grover must have sense his mood change, because he stiffened and turned to face me. That was when I knew why Grover looked so guilty. Everything that I had been running away from for the past five years had come crashing back around me. I was no longer the strong, independent architect. I was that stupid, love struck girl that had her heart broken. All of this came back to me when I laid eyes on Percy Jackson.

"Hello there, Percy."

I mean what else was I supposed to say? Hey there champ. Looking dapper as always. I see you like coming to the bar. No, that would not do. It gave me little satisfaction to see that he also appeared to be in the same dilemma that I was in. His mouth was slightly open in disbelief and his eyes looked shocked.

I hated to admit it, but he was still as handsome as ever. Five years really did a lot for him. His hair was still messy and unkempt and his eyes had that sweet but cocky glint to them. His eyes. I could remember a time where I could pass away an afternoon by just remembering their intensity and how they would look at me as if I were the entire world.

I was startled out of my reverie when I heard Percy clear his throat awkwardly.

"Yeah, Hi." He gave me an awkward smile and ran his hand through his hair. "So...Annabeth…...you come here often?"

If I wasn't still so shocked I would have thought that question was funny. Of course I didn't go there often, it was the grand re-opening. But of course, being the flustered, awkward, twit that I was, I retorted with, "No, you?"

As soon as those words left my mouth I felt like smacking my palm to my forehead. I was such a ditz.

Luckily, Grover broke the awkward conversation with a hearty laugh and a clap to both our shoulders.

"Well, it seems that you two have just spared me the introductions." With that both of us looked at Grover with different intensities. I look at him with mild irritation while Percy's look was one of betrayal. I suppose I would have looked at him the same way if I found out that my best friend had been in touch with my sort-of-ex-girlfriend for the past five years.

Grover must have misinterpreted our looks because he quickly excused himself to go and sit with his wife and daughter, leaving Percy and I to stand by ourselves in the middle of the room.

Percy broke the silence, "Would you like to get a table and get something to eat?"

What was I supposed to say? Sure, I had mostly gotten over our rather dramatic break up, but part of me was still seething about what he did to me.

Taking my silence as an answer his eyes seemed to dim a little and quickly added, "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to. Or you could sit at a table and I could sit at the bar. Because I didn't want to assume that you would want to eat with me-"

"Sure."

That response startled the both of us. Percy had that glint back in his eye and it made it impossible for me to turn him down. After all, it was just lunch and I was starving.

He ushered me over to a table near the back where the lighting was low and pulled out my chair for me. If it weren't for the circumstances that brought us apart I would have thought that his gestures were romantic and he was trying to woo me.

We ordered our drinks first and then the main course, I with a simple chicken parm dish while he got the meatloaf special. Afterwards came the awkward silence. I wish I could have known what he was thinking because if his expressions were anything to go by, he was having one of the most difficult inner turmoils I had ever seen. He would look like he would want to say something before his mind caught up to his actions and he would stop with wide eyes. He would then shrink back into his chair and look right and left as if debating with himself.

After our drinks came and the wait for our meals became more drawn out, I decided to take pity on him and start the conversation.

"So, I see your favorite color is still blue." Gesturing to his blue shirt and tie.

He gave me that cheeky grin that, though I hated to admit it, still made me go a little weak at the knees. "Yeah, there is something about the color blue. It's calming and inviting."

"Yes it is." There it was. That awkward silence was back. Finally he found something to say in between his inner arguement.

"And you….you finally left and went to school. Obviously it paid off if you designed Grover's new business."

"Um, yeah." I decided not to comment on how awkward he sounded. "I went to university after….a few days. There I met Juniper and we've been best friends since." I gave him a smile that was surprisingly less forced that I thought it would be. He gave me a hesitant one back and it gave me confidence to continue. "So, what have you been doing these past years?"

He looked around and took in the whole scene set before him. "Travelled mostly. Only to the places where there was an ocean and I could be outdoors. Scotland was particularly beautiful and then I settled down in England for a while."

That interested me. Here I thought he would be moping around trying to think about what he did wrong to me and waiting for me to get back. I was a little bit disappointed that he wasn't heartbroken over what had happened between us. But I resolutely said to myself that it was water under the bridge and I should let it go.

"That sounds amazing."

"It was. So what was-"

Before he could finish his thought, our food had arrived, but just as the waiter was just out of earshot and we had gotten our first bites in, he continued.

"So what was your favorite thing to do at University, other than learn architecture."

I must have made a funny face or noise, because his eyebrows rose and his eyes got wide at my expression. I started to talk about all of my experiences at Uni and was animatedly going through each semester until his ridiculous smile became so big that it brought me back to myself.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to babble on about uni."

"No need to apologize. I like hearing about something that you're passionate about."

And there it was again. The elephant in the room. The temperature around us seemed to drop ten degrees. Both of our expressions changed, his to realization at his statement and mine to an impassive mask. The entire time that we had been in each other's presence tonight, you could almost think that we could move on and be friends. But there was that uncomfortable knot in my stomach that I had had for the past five years that I could never quite get rid of.

Bringing myself back to the present and realizing that our past was never going to be water under the bridge until we fully discussed it with each other, I marched onward.

"Are you sure your wife won't mind that you're sitting here with me?"

It was harsh, I knew. But it needed to be addressed.

Percy looked as if I had just kicked his dog. His eyes got glassy and his brow furrowed.

"No, she won't mind." He got quiet all of a sudden.

Of course I took his low volume as guilt setting in that he was yet again cheating on his wife and I knew about it. "Oh, well, then your relationship must be a very trusting one if she doesn't care that you're having lunch with another woman."

I couldn't help but keep the accusation out of my voice. He looked pained, probably because the weight of what he put me and his wife through was finally being put out in the open. It serves him right for cheating on his wife and only dating me for money.

Before I could come up with another acidic but truthful barb he looked at me with one of the most open expressions I had ever seen on him. It stopped me in my tracks and made me swallow whatever horrible thing was about to spew from my mouth.

"She won't mind because she died five years ago."

R&R