Love's Got A Hold On My Heart (Revised)
Chapter 2
By: Jessica M. Moonflower
E-mail: salud731@earthlink.net
Rated: PG for cat fight

Timeline: Alternate Reality

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon 
as usual, unless Naoko is willing to 
give it to me for $20? No? Rats!

AN: Another revised chapter. In this 
chapter, I added a few more things.
Not much to change the entire story, 
but just a few things to make it
more interesting. Thanks so much to 
Mir (Amy) for helping me revise these 
chapters, giving me many WONDERFUL 
suggestions, and bettering certain 
parts of my dialogue! And please 
read any of Mirıs stories! Theyıre 
all great! ^_~


"Love, a simple word, yet full of abstract 
meanings..."
-Anonymous

------<--------<----@


  "This is a great review, Lawson. You always 
come through," beamed Mr. Erickson, smiling proudly 
as he looked up from the paper work he was reading.

  "Thank you, sir. I try my best to write the 
perfect review." Serena smiled with pleasure from 
her bossesı comment as she sat back on the 
comfortable seat cushion with grace and poise.

  Mr. Erickson was a short, slightly plump, 
fifty-year old businessman with silver white hair, 
a mustache, warm green eyes, and wrinkles around his 
face. He has a reputation of being strict with his 
employees, but kind-hearted at the same time. 
He expects the best from his staff and always 
encourages them to be the best they can be.

  As Serena turned to leave his office, Mr. 
Erickson called her back.

  "Serena, wait a minute. I want to talk to 
you."

  "What is it, sir?" she nervously asked, 
sitting back down.

  "I have a new assignment for you."

  "Really? What is it?" She leaned in closer 
with keen interest to hear what her new assignment 
could possibly be.

  "A new restaurant has just opened up on Fifth 
Avenue called The Rose Garden Cafe. Iıve heard that 
it's a very classy place with excellent food and 
service. I want you to go check it out and have a 
review ready by this Friday, alright?"

  "Of course, Mr. Erickson. I'll have that 
review typed up by this Friday. You can always 
count on me."

  "Good. You may leave."

  Closing the door to her bossesı office, Serena 
turned to see Raye Morrison walking towards her 
with a wave and a bright smile. 

  "Hey there, Raye!"

  "Hey Serena! So what have you and Mr. 
Erickson been talking about? You were in his office 
for quite a while."

  "Mr. Erickson was just giving me my next 
assignment, which is to review this new restaurant 
that has just opened up on Fifth Avenue called 
The Rose Garden Cafe."

  "Really? I heard that place is really 
expensive. Everything is very high class."

  "Well, I'm reviewing it tomorrow, so I'll 
tell you all about the place when I'm done."

  "Can't wait!"

  Raye Morrison was a long-haired, raven 
beauty, with violet eyes, and was a bit taller 
than Serena by an inch. Raye works for the 
advice column in "The New York Times." 
People wrote to her asking advice on love 
and relationships, but she sometimes 
reviewed movies as well. 

  Raye and Serena were now heading 
for Serena's office to have a more private 
girl chat without any distractions.    

  "So Serena, how did your date with 
David go last night?"

  "Why does everybody keep asking me 
that?! First Mina and Lita and now 
you. Why is everybody sticking 
their noses in my love life?! You know 
that none of the guys I date stay in my 
life for very long. I get tired of them 
easily."

  "Jeez, Serena, calm down! I was just 
curious, that's all. I thought that maybe 
somebody had caught your interest for a 
change. Your attitude towards men and love 
needs to change. You drop the guys you date 
like flies. So maybe Mina, Lita, and I get 
nosy sometimes, but we just want to know if 
youıve finally found a guy that actually makes 
you happy. We just want to see our friend 
in love and happy!"

  "David is definitely not my soul-mate 
if that's what you mean," she firmly 
stated, opening the door to her office.

  "Why not?" Raye gave an exasperated 
sigh while she took a seat on top of the oak 
wood desk.

  "David is so full of himself! He's 
practically in love with himself!"

  Serena paced back and forth in a mad 
fury in front of Raye, her heels roughly 
scraping against the plush white carpeting.

  "But he's cute!" she pointed out.

  "That's the problem, Raye! He KNOWS 
he is! He thinks that he's a god or something. 
Raye, all this guy cares about is his car, hair, 
his face, and himself. A guy like that can make 
any girl snore, at least girls with enough 
sense to see past the looks and realize he's 
nothing but a pretty boy pinhead."

  "Did he try to ask you out on another 
date?"

  "Yeah, he did. Of course I said, ŒThanks 
but no thanks.ı Also, I let him know what I 
really thought of him."

  Raye looked at her pacing friend in horror 
and dread.

  "Oh, Serena! You didn't use one of your 
critical lectures like, 'You're not my type, It 
would never work out because we're in two 
different worlds, Your brain resembles something 
like a fruitcake, You're boring, or It's not you 
it's me', lectures did you?"

  "Something like that."

  Raye just gawked at Serena.

  "What? He deserved it, alright? Someone 
needs to stick a pin in his oversized ego. If 
it gets any bigger, I swear his head will soon 
explode!"

  "So what did David say when you gave him 
one of your ever-so-famous lectures, which would 
make any guy run home crying?"

  "Actually, after I said all that, he really 
did start bawling like a baby, literally. He begged 
and pleaded with me to give him another chance and 
said that he would change. I still said no though."

  "I've got to tell you, Serena, as a bit of 
friendly advice...I mean, I don't wanna dictate how 
you should run your life or anything, but you've 
got to admit that David was an awfully nice guy 
to tell off like you did. Did you even think about 
his feelings when you launched off into one of your 
famous lectures? Guys have pride...delicate pride, 
and if you ever want to, you know, do the romantic 
mushy stuff with them, then you've got to baby 
their self-esteem until they're so enamored with 
you that that they'd do anything in the world to 
make you happy."

  "Someone needs to let him know that 
he's not God's gift to the world. Hopefully, my 
lecture has knocked some sense into that teeny
little brain of his."

  "That was way harsh, Sere. If I were a guy, 
I'd be afraid to ask you out on a date. The way 
you treat guys, I'm sorry to say, really bites. 
Why are you so cold-hearted to men? You're 
much sweeter to your friends than to the guys 
you date. Why?"

  "I don't know. All my life I've been 
dating the wrong guys, even now. I'm sick and 
tired of meeting a guy who turns out to be 
Mr. Wrong. Since it's the same thing now, I 
figured I might as well not get too attached 
to any guy. It would only lead my heart into 
disappointment if I did."

  "But Serena, what if you do find the right 
guy you've been looking for all your life? What 
are you going to do then, huh? Are you just
going to do the same thing you have been doing 
since college? Just not get attached and move on? 
Without love, a person's life is lonely and empty. 
Having someone to love and a person returning 
your love is an amazing experience! I can't explain 
the feeling, but I guarantee you, it's a wonderful 
feeling you can't live without."

  Serena stopped pacing and looked directly 
at Raye.

  "Raye, I doubt that there is someone out 
there for me."

  "There's always someone out there for 
everybody. You just need to find him. The right 
person just hasn't come to you yet. Youıve got to 
be patient and have faith."

  "Look Raye, I'm not searching for anyone. 
I don't need a guy to take care of me. I can take 
care of myself. Who says we have to be dependent 
on some guy?"

  "I'm not saying that you have to be dependent 
on any guy, all right? I'm just saying that it would 
be nice for you to have someone who makes you
feel special, that's all."

  "Critical Lawson can't get a date?" 
mocked someone from the office doorway.

  "Why don't you go back underneath the 
rock you crawled from, Valerie?" snarled 
Serena as she turned to the uninvited guest.

  "Ooh, that was harsh," she 
sarcastically replied as she strolled into 
Serena's office.

  Valerie Moore was a shoulder-length 
brunette with hazel eyes and a height of 5ı7." 
She interviewed celebrities and wrote articles 
on the latest fashion for "The New York Times." 
She was a very slim and sexy woman who was a year
older than Serena and Raye. Valerie had been 
Serena's arch nemesis ever since Serena started 
working for "The New York Times" a few years ago. 
She disliked and always despised the fact that the 
staff favored Serena more than her.

  Valerie took a seat on Serenaıs soft white 
couch next to the window and crossed her legs in a 
provocative way.    

  "What are you doing here, Valerie? Nobody 
invited you in!" snapped Raye, clenching her fists 
into a ball at her sides and showing her disgust at 
the way Valerie was sitting.

  ŒAs if I want to see this slutıs legs exposed 
in that EXTREMELY short business skirt. Itıs not 
even appropriate for workı, Raye thought bitterly.

  "Cool it, drama queen. I just happened to be 
passing by Serena's office and heard you talking 
about her pathetic little love life. And, don't you 
have anybody else to annoy? Your fiery temper is 
going to get you in a lot of hot water, so watch 
it little girl!"

  "LITTLE GIRL?! Why you witch! You want 
to see a TEMPER?! I'll give you a TEMPER!" Raye 
screamed as she lunged for Valerie's throat.

  "Raye, calm down. She isn't worth the 
energy," said Serena as she tried to hold back 
her seething friend and calm her down at the 
same time.

  "I'd be doing this world a favor by putting 
her out of her misery!" Raye yelled as she 
struggled to attack Valerie once more.

  "I guess I should thank you, Serena, for 
keeping that feisty friend of yours from laying 
a finger on me," sneered Valerie, clearly
unfazed by Rayeıs actions.

  "I'm only doing it so Raye won't get in 
major trouble with Mr. Erickson," she 
replied coldly.

  "Whatever. Anyway, both your jobs on this 
paper are really pathetic. I'm the one with the 
best job out of all you people in this paper combined.
I'm surprised that you don't get fat from all the 
food you eat just to do a review. Personally, I'd 
think all food critics would become major fatsos 
from eating all those fatty foods."

  "Oh, really? Personally, I'd think with a 
figure as skinny as yours and a pale complexion 
that looks almost unhealthy, people would think you
barely eat anything at all. Better yet, people would 
think that your clothes would start hanging from 
your body from lack of nutrition," Serena sneered 
back, giving her an icy glare.

  "I'M NOT ANOREXIC! How dare you! You're 
just jealous because you're not as gorgeous as I am!" 
exclaimed the steaming Valerie.

  "Gorgeous? You look more sickly looking than 
those super models on runways." She laughed 
bitterly.

  "I don't have to take this! Especially, from 
kids like you two!" yelled Valerie as she stormed 
out of the office and slammed the door behind 
her.

  "Wow, Serena! You really showed her," 
Raye cheered her friend.

  "I wasn't about to take her crap. 
Anyway, she insulted us," she proudly said.

  "At least you kept your temper in check. 
Me, I was ready to pound Valerie's face into the 
ground."

  "I wasn't going to just sit here and 
watch you pound Valerie into oblivion. You'd get 
in a heap of trouble with Mr. Erickson. Of 
course, I would have loved to have seen 
Valerie's oh-so-perfect face get a new 
make over."

  After that last comment, both Serena and 
Raye burst out laughing.

  They continued to talk for the next few 
minutes and then Raye had to leave Serena's 
office so both of them can get some work done 
before the day was over.


*~*~*~*~*~


  It was six oıclock in the afternoon, and Raye 
and Serena had just gotten off from work. As they 
waited outside the building for Mina and Lita, the 
sun began to sink below the city skyline casting 
colors of pink, orange, and gold across the sky.

  "Do you know what restaurant we're going 
to?" asked Raye, watching the sunset.

  "I think we're eating at The Garden Rivera. 
At least, that's what Lita told me," replied Serena, 
brushing a strand of hair away from her face.

  "Doesn't that restaurant have a huge garden 
off of its dining room?"

  "Not as huge as the garden at the restaurant 
I'm supposed to review tomorrow. I heard it has an 
absolutely amazing garden, mainly roses but with 
various other flowers as well. It's supposed to be 
very beautiful."

  "How do you know about the garden? You 
haven't even been there yet."

  "I have a friend named Kara who's friends 
with the restaurant's decorator, Clark Benson. 
He has been talking about the restaurant with 
her. She even went by the restaurant before to 
have a look around. Kara said the restaurant 
looks beautiful and elegant."

  "A garden full of sweet smelling flowers 
and having someone to share it with sounds 
romantic! It's perfect for a moonlit stroll 
around the gardens and gazing up at the stars."

  "She also said that around the garden 
there are tables set up outside of the restaurant 
with royal blue tablecloths, two candles with a 
garland of white roses and lilies surrounding them 
at the center, swan shaped napkins, and beautiful 
china plates and crystal wine glasses to complete 
the display. So you can either eat outside or inside."

  "Maybe Chad and I can eat there one of these 
days,² Raye said to herself, but was loud enough
for Serena to hear.

  "Let me do my review on the place first. It 
may look beautiful, but what if the food ends up 
tasting horrible?"

  "Come on, Serena. If the owner spent so much 
time getting the place all fancied up, I'm sure the 
food should taste good as well."

  "We'll see. Anyway, Kara met the owner. She 
said he's very nice, a gentleman, and very handsome."

  "Why Serena, are you actually interested in 
what the guy looks like?" teased Raye.

  "How many times do we have to go through 
this? I'm not even interested in any guy long enough 
to get through the first date. Besides, all the guys 
I date are very handsome, but end up not being 
my type. What the guy looks like doesn't matter 
anymore. As they say, looks can be deceiving."

  "Whatever you say, Serena."

  Finally, Mina's car pulled up in front of 
the building with Lita riding shotgun. Serena 
and Raye got in the backseat and all four girls 
headed out for The Garden Rivera where Amy 
would meet them there.

  "It's been a while since I last saw you, 
Raye," said Lita with a smile.

  "I know, but you've been busy planning 
to open your own franchise of restaurants. 
How's that going?"

  "Fine so far, but a little bit stressful. 
I have to figure out where the location of my 
second restaurant should be and sign a whole 
bunch of papers to confirm them. Then, I have 
to sign another batch of papers saying whether 
or not I want to expand my restaurant 
franchise abroad." (AN: I'm not sure how the 
whole process of opening a restaurant 
franchise is like, so just bear with me.)

  "Are you going to expand?" asked Serena.

  "Yeah, I think so. I really want people 
from all over to try my food."

  "It's a great opportunity, because people 
from all over would get a chance to taste the 
food of Lita James, master chef extrordinaire,"
beamed Mina.

  "I hope they'll like it," replied Lita, a 
little unsure.

  "Of course they will! You're a great cook! 
I bet, after one taste of your food they'll be 
begging for seconds!" said Serena with certainty.

  "Thanks guys. Youıre really giving me so 
much confidence."

  "No problem, Lita." Raye assured her with 
a smile.

  "Has anybody spoken to Amy much lately?" 
inquired Serena.

  "I spoke to her a few weeks ago," 
replied Mina.

  "So how are Amy and Greg doing?" 
questioned Lita.

  "She said they're doing fine."

  "I can't wait to see Amy! It's been 
a while since I last saw her, too," replied 
Raye excitedly.

  "Me too. I haven't spoken to her or 
seen her. I miss her so much!" exclaimed 
Serena, equally happy.

  "It will give us time to catch up," 
added Lita with a wink.

  "We're here!" Mina cheerfully 
exclaimed as she tried looking for a place 
to park.

  Every parking spot seemed to be filled 
with other cars. After driving around the 
block for twenty minutes in search for an 
empty space, Mina started feeling a bit 
frustrated, losing her cheerful attitude 
in the process.

  "Argh!!!!! IS THERE ANY PLACE TO 
PARK?????!!!!!!"

  "Mina, get a grip! Screaming is not 
going to get you a parking spot. Now just 
calm down and keep driving around until we 
find one. An empty spot is bound to be 
around here somewhere," Raye calmly 
stated.

  "There better be one," a grouchy 
Mina mumbled.

  After turning a corner, there was a 
vacant spot between a red and blue car.

  "Thereıs one." Serena pointed to it.

  "Better grab it, Mina, or else itıll 
take us another twenty minutes to find 
a place to park the car," urged Lita.

  Mina quickly drove to the empty 
spot before anybody else could grab it 
and parked the car.   

  All four girls got out of the car 
and strolled up the sidewalk towards the 
restaurant which was five blocks away 
from where they parked the car. It 
was a cool, spring night with a light 
breeze rustling the leaves on the trees. 
The stars were scattered across the 
velvet night sky making the sight 
spectacular.

  They reached the restaurant and 
went in to be greeted by the sounds of 
peopleıs lively chatter and the clinking 
of dishes and glasses as waiters carried 
customerıs orders, or bringing them back 
into the kitchen to be washed. Inside, a 
beautiful fountain of a swan that was 
skillfully sculpted, stood in the middle 
of the restaurantıs entrance way. The 
sound of the water gushing from the 
ivory fountain was soothing and relaxing 
to the ears. A crystal chandelier was 
hanging above the fountain with sparkling 
teardrops shining in the light. The gentle 
sounds of music could be heard all 
throughout the building as the orchestra 
played. The dining area was nicely 
decorated with finely painted murals of 
waterfalls and swans splashing in them. 
Each table was covered in velvet green 
table cloths with matching napkins, and 
a lovely centerpiece of white orchids 
completed the display.     

  The girls entered the dining area 
to search for Amy through the mass of 
people that were eating, dancing, or 
talking. It took them a while to find her 
in the crowd when they finally saw her 
sitting at a table near the window, 
sipping a glass of water.    

  "Hey Amy!" the four girls 
greeted in unison as they walked up 
to her table.

  "Hi! It's so good to see all of 
you!" Amy Bennet greeted them back as 
she got up to embrace each girl.

  Amy Bennet has short blue hair, 
baby blue eyes, and a height of 5ı6."
She was a doctor at St. Agnes 
Hospital and was married to Greg 
Bennet who was a heart surgeon 
at St. Agnes.

  After the girls' emotional 
hellos, they each settled down at the 
table.

  "So how have all of you been?" 
asked Amy as she took another sip of 
her water.

  "We've been better," replied 
Raye with a smile.

  "I'm working on opening my own 
franchise of restaurants in New York 
and elsewhere," said Lita excitedly.

  "That's great, Lita. I'm very 
happy for you. How's your job as a
teacher doing, Mina?"

  "Great! All my students respect 
me. They even said that they like me 
being a tad strict because I push 
them to work harder, help them to
aim higher, and encourage them to 
never settle for anything less than 
what they deserve," she replied 
smugly.

  "Sounds like you're a very 
good teacher to your students. I'm 
glad they work hard in your classes. 
How about you guys? Raye, Serena?"

  "Couldn't be better--watching 
movies, giving advice, I mean, who
could ask for more?"

  Raye leaned forward in her chair, 
her voice dropping to a whisper.

  "But, I'll tell you, some of the 
things that people write...scandal, 
scandal, ooh, it's wonderful." She 
giggled mischievously.

  "I can tell that you love your 
job and wouldnıt trade it for the
world."

  "Are you kidding, Amy? With 
the type of juicy letters I receive 
from people, who would?"

  "And you, Serena?"

  "I like being a food critic. 
Not only do I do reviews here in 
New York, but my boss gives me 
road trip assignments so I can 
review restaurants elsewhere. I 
get to try a variety of foods and 
see the world at the same time. 
I always wanted to travel and try 
new and exotic cuisines in the 
process,² she proudly replied.

  "You're so lucky to travel 
around the world while you review 
all the different types of cuisines 
in the process,² Amy beamed at her 
friend, eyes sparkling with 
excitement.

  "How about you, Amy? How have 
you been doing?" inquired Mina.

  "Being a doctor is very hard 
work, but I enjoy it immensely. I
like caring for people and working 
to keep them alive."

  "How's Greg?" queried Serena.

  "Greg is fine. I have something 
to tell you guys...²

  Amy paused for a moment to 
take a sip of water from her glass 
and then fidgeted in her chair 
before shyly announcing, ²I'm...pregnant." 

  "Congratulations Amy! That's 
wonderful! You're going to be a mommy!" 
Mina squealed with excitement as she 
hugged Amy.

  "Way to go, Ames!" Lita cheered 
slyly, causing her friend to blush a tomato 
red.

  "When did you find out?" asked Raye.

  "Yesterday," Amy replied, smiling 
warmly.

  "Does Greg know?" asked Serena.

  "Yes. He's very happy about becoming 
a father."

  "That's great, Amy. We're all very 
happy for you," Mina replied as the entire 
group of girls went over to hug Amy.

  "I'm really excited about becoming a 
mother." 

  Amyıs face radiated with happiness 
as she put a hand over her flat stomach 
with motherly affection.

  "I'm sure your parents are thrilled 
to be having a grandchild," Serena added 
with a smile.

  "Yes. They're very happy."

  "Well, this certainly calls for a 
celebration. Amy, we're going to pay for 
this dinner. It's on us," replied Lita.

  "Oh, no really. You don't have to pay 
for my meal. I can pay for my own really--"

  "But nothing! We're going to treat 
you to this dinner no matter how much 
you argue," Mina firmly declared.

  "Okay...if you...insist. But I still 
say it's not really necessary."

  "Come on, Ames. We want to treat you. 
We know we don't have to, but we're your 
friends and we want to," Serena replied, 
with a grin on her face.

  "Thanks guys. You really are the best 
friends a person can have."

  "No problem, Ames!" all four girls 
exclaimed in unison.

  "You ladies ready to order?" asked 
a waiter, dressed in a white button down 
shirt, over a silk black vest, and pants, 
catching the girls by surprise at his 
sudden appearance to their table. 

  "Yes, I think we are," answered 
Lita for the rest of the group.

  ³Would you ladies like to know 
tonightıs specials?² the waiter asked 
kindly.

  ³Sure!² Mina exclaimed.

  The waiter confidently named 
all the dishes in the restaurantıs 
specials, ranging from soups, salads, 
and different types of fish. After he 
took down all the girlsı orders and 
drinks, he left them to talk about 
other matters.

  "You won't believe what happened 
at work today," said Raye.

  "What?" inquired all the girls.

  "Remember that brat, Valerie? You 
know, the one Raye and I have been telling 
you guys about?" asked Serena.

  "Yeah, what about her?" queried Lita 
curiously.

  "Well, I was talking to Serena in her 
office when nosy Valerie waltzed right in."

  "Valerie started talking trash about 
Raye when she was trying to defend me from 
something that witch said to me."

  "She got me so mad! I was seeing red!"
Raye slammed her fist on the table, causing
some of the china, silverware, and glasses
to shake with the impact.    

  "Raye was almost going to choke 
Valerie to death if I hadn't stopped 
her."

  "Well, she deserved it!" snapped
Raye.

  "Wow! You guys told us that Valerie 
person was a real pain in the butt, but 
I didn't think she would be this bad," 
declared Mina in amazement.

  "Worse. Just because she's a year 
older than us she thinks she can boss us 
around." 

  "She's such a prima donna. She thinks 
everybody worships the ground she walks on."
Serena furiously twisted her napkin tightly 
in her hands.

  "But Serena took care of Valerie,"
Raye triumphantly declared, giving Serena
a thumbs up sign.

  "What did you do, Serena?" Lita asked, 
very interested.

  "She started to turn her criticism 
at me. So, naturally, I turned it against her."

  "She told Valerie that she looked more 
like a twig than the drop-dead gorgeous woman 
she pretended to be and that she was failing 
miserably if her goal in life was to be 
worshipped," Raye explained victoriously.

  "That was really mean...way to go, 
Serena! You go girl!" Lita cheered as she 
high-fived her friend from across the table.

  "That'll show her to never mess 
with you guys. Still, it would have been 
nice to see Raye giving that Valerie chick 
a black eye." Mina smiled mischievously.

  "I can't believe you did that!" was 
all Amy could say, shock clearly shown
on her face.

  "Come on, Ames! That Valerie slut 
deserved it," Lita said, trying to 
convince her friend.

  "Still, whether she deserved it 
or not, it's still wrong."

  "Youıre no fun, Ames." 
Mina pouted and sighed at her friendıs 
seriousness. 

  After a few minutes of just talking,
the same waiter that took their orders
appeared with their drinks. Serena had
a chardonnay, Raye a sauvignon blanc, 
Lita a blanc de blanc, Mina a sparkling 
glass of champagne, and Amy a hot
cup of mint tea. 

  "Did you guys hear about that new 
cafe that just opened on Fifth Avenue?" 
queried Lita, putting down her wine glass.

  "Yeah, we heard. Actually, Serena 
is doing a review on it tomorrow. Our 
boss assigned her to it today," Raye
replied.

  "I heard that place is really 
expensive," said Amy with wide eyes.

  "Well, I heard that the owner is 
super cute." Mina giggled with a glint 
in her eye.

  "Mina, you already have Andrew. 
Remember, blond hair, light brown eyes, 
and your HUSBAND!!!!!!!" exclaimed 
Serena, raising a questioning eyebrow.

  "I know that! I'm just wondering 
if it's true. I love Andrew with all my 
heart and soul. My heart belongs to 
him and I have his. Nobody can replace 
MY Andrew."

  "To tell you the truth, Iım
wondering if the owner is cute, too," 
admitted Lita.

  "I heard that the restaurant has a 
romantic atmosphere and good food," 
commented Raye.

  "We'll see about that. The 
whole point of being a food critic is 
to see how good their food tastes and 
how good and fast their services are. 
The atmosphere of the restaurant 
is the last thing we look at."

  "So Serena, what happens if the 
guy is cute? Are you going to date
him?" questioned Raye teasingly.

  "No! Raye, I already told you 
that no matter how cute he is, I'm 
not going to agree on a date with 
him immediately if he asks me, 
period. You know what? I'm through 
with guys. Yeah, from now on, any 
guy who asks me out on a date, I'm 
rejecting them flat out. I'm not 
going to bother anymore."

  "We're not going to argue with 
you, Serena." Mina gave her a defeated 
look.

  "Yeah, we're tired of trying to 
convince you otherwise. You do 
what you want to do," agreed Lita 
tiredly.

  "Good."

  Finally, all the girls' food arrived 
and they started eating and talking about 
their high school and college memories, the 
antics they pulled, old classmates, teachers, 
boys they used to date, and various other 
things. When they were finished eating, all 
the girls paid for their meals, except Amy, 
who still protested against them paying for 
her. Once outside, they hugged, said their 
good-byes, went into their own separate 
cars, and drove home.


To be continued...

*****************

Thatıs all for now! Hope
you liked the revision!
Ja ne minna! ^_~

Revised February 2001