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Her ass hurt. God, her ass hurt. Her legs were tired, her feet were tired, but her ass hurt. The short walk to the bathroom to take care of morning business was interesting and she found herself sitting on the toilet for longer than usual, not out of necessity but simply because the pain from walking and standing all night had temporarily abated. Walking to the sink, she was glad she made the correct decision the night before and worn sensible shoes.

She made her way to the kitchen, her butt muscles finally starting to loosen, and opened the cabinets to find the same minimal food she'd had the day before...and the day before that...and the day before that. Giving a sigh, she realized she was going to have to go the store and buy some food...moving like she was three times her age. She braved her way back to the bathroom, removing her clothes and letting them lay on the floor, not wanting to bend over and exacerbate the situation.

In the shower she followed her normal routine, adding extra care to ensure all traces of sand from the beach washed out. It took longer than usual but she found everything finally starting to feel almost normal again. When she was finished cleaning herself, she turned her rump to the shower, turned up the hot water, and just let the heat seep into her body. She stayed that way until the water started to turn cool and climbed out.

Clothes on and sitting on the edge of her bed, she belatedly realized she forgot to add conditioner and her tail was a mass of limp hair. She brushed it as best she could but eventually gave up. Luckily for her, her tail in this condition simply looked like an unfocused appendage, the black and white blending with no real distinction. She'd seen other skunks ridiculed for have the same hair situation because it had made them look like they were about to spray, even though they never did. Still, it was another thing she would make sure to add to her list to pick up.

Walking out the door somewhat less awkwardly than when she'd awakened, she eschewed the bus for simply trying to exercise the stiffness out of her body. She counted it a win when she noticed most people didn't seem to care with whom they shared the sidewalk and only a pair of wallabies moved to the other side of the road, though, she hoped, they had a legitimate reason to do so since they used the crosswalk.

It took her about a half hour to reach the store she preferred to shop, even though there were a number of others along the way. She was hungry but the walk had been feeling good and the day was beautiful. About the only thing she would have changed was for her to be in the country than the city. Here there was opportunity but she wanted to move to a small town like the one she'd grown up in, without her mother, of course.

"Hello!" said the Korean...species she'd never been able to identify and didn't have the guts to ask. It was his upbeat mood which had attracted her the first time she came in here and kept her coming back. It was nice to feel welcome despite her species.

"Hello, Mr. Kim. How are you?"

"Good." He said, bobbing his head and smiling. He would have continued the conversation had a customer not walked up to check out just then.

Sylvie took a basket and began making her way around the store. She knew she had thirty dollars to spend and that would pretty much leave her in the same position as yesterday but she would have something to eat for the rest of the week. Despite what others might think, she kept away from the cookies, though the special edition Oreos on display seemed especially tasty. The fruits and veggies we where her preference lay. The only problem here was the good, fresh stuff would quickly put her over budget. The bread, however, that she could take part in and placed two loaves beside the cauliflower and broccoli. A no-name brand of puffed rice cereal went in next and she walked to the back to get the milk.

"- is not what I told him to do!" someone was saying emphatically into their phone. The size and shape seemed familiar but the voice wasn't quite right. Still....

"Misti?" Sylvie said, hoping she wasn't making a mistake. The mouse turned around and seemed just as surprised to see her, maybe more so judging by the scowl that quickly disappeared.

"Oh, hey, Sylvie!" she said, sounding just as she had the past times they'd talked and Sylvie chalked up what she thought she heard to apprehension about being wrong. "I'll call y'all back," she spoke into her phone and thumbed it off. "What are you doing here?"

Given the basket in her hand Sylvie thought it should be obvious but Misti was likely just being conversational, especially given her predisposition to it. "Just getting some food for the week. You?"

Misti seemed to a little confused at the question then quickly reached out and snatched a jar of gefilte fish. "Same."

"Oh, I didn't know you were Jewish."

"Huh?" Misti was obviously confused and Sylvie pointed to the jar. "Oh, no. I just happen to like," she paused to read the label, "gef-lite fish."

"You mean gefilte fish?"

Misti's eyebrows went up momentarily. "Oh, yes. Gefilte fish. My family used to call it gef-lite fish when I was growing up. Daddy didn't read too well." She gave a nervous laugh.

Sylvie smiled. Why am I so suspicious? she thought. What does it matter what she's doing or why she's here? At that point she felt she was bordering on being rude and decided to remove herself from the situation.

"Well, alright. I'll see you tonight, then?"

"Yes. I'll be there." Misti appeared relieved Sylvie had stopped her questioning which only served make Sylvie feel she'd been all the more rude. If she was interrupting something, it wouldn't do to apologize at the moment and she smiled before walking past and turning down the next aisle.

By the time she got to Mr. Kim and was waiting for him to help the lemur in front of her, she remembered she'd forgotten the milk and debated about going back for it. A quick look behind her showed two other customers in line and she really didn't feel like having to wait all over again. Besides, she still had to get conditioner for her tail and she could always pick up milk at the same time. Watching Mr. Kim give the customer her money, Sylvie placed her basket on the counter.

From nowhere came a smaller, feminine version of Mr. Kim and began shouting at him. He began shouting back at her while checking out Sylvie and the other...person began gesticulating wildly. Absent the movement, Sylvie knew enough of languages to know they could have been having a perfectly happy conversation in their native dialect - German always sounded harsh, no matter what was being said, and French could sound so romantic while calling you a whore. The whole situation was making her uncomfortable, however, and she was glad when he scanned her last loaf of bread.

"$24.52," he told her, all sweet and happy like she was used to seeing him, before shouting something back at the woman. Sylvie eagerly handed over the twenty and a handful of singles while mentally trying to figure out where to eat on the remaining five dollars and change so she could save the extra money.

"Thank you," Mr. Kim said, smiling, and bobbing in head in thanks. He was still being yelled at but had apparently tuned out the other person. She smiled in response and took her two bags.

Grateful to be back outside in the relative quiet, Sylvie gave a breath of relief and began the trek home.

"Sylvie!" someone called from behind her and she closed her eyes, hoping it wasn't someone who would somehow prolong her time spent near the store. "Sylvie, wait!"

She turned and saw Misti running up to her.

"You wanna get something to eat?" the mouse said with a hopeful look on her face. "My treat."

"Um, sure." She didn't want to appear needy or unfriendly and, for what it was worth, she did like Misti. "What did you have in mind?"

"What sounds good?"

"Anything at the moment," she said, feeling her stomach rumbling.

"I know of a great little place. Just let me get my car. I'll be right back."

"Alright," she said to the back of the already retreating mouse. Looking around, she saw the day was still as lovely as it had been, though the apparent argument in the store left her shaken with memories from when she was very young.

I wonder what she drives, she thought, trying to put the past few minutes out of her mind. Given her accent, a raised pickup wouldn't be unfitting, except with reclining male mudflaps, instead. This brought a smile to her face. Or a Jeep. She could easily play Daisy on Dukes of Hazzard. Given they were in the city, this seemed the more likely possibility. What she wasn't prepared for, however, was the dark blue, mid-size BMW convertible coming from around the side of the building.

Perhaps you need to rethink this stripping thing, a voice in her head said and she shoved it aside as Misti stopped in front of her. Opening the door, she saw Misti push something on the dash and watched as the push out on the seat moved remotely to accommodate her tail. She makes good tips, the voice quipped again and she forced a smile through it.

"Nice car," she said, easing herself into the seat. It formed to her body and she wondered if being held by a lover could possibly be more comfortable.

"This little thing?" She waited until Sylvie had buckled herself in then floored the gas.

Many laws were broken, Sylvie was sure, but it was the most exhilarating five minutes she'd ever experienced until Misti merged onto the highway and into traffic.

"Do you live near there?" the mouse said as she passed a semi. "The store, I mean."

"Not really. I just always had good luck shopping there."

Misti nodded. "You might want to find a different place in the future."

Sylvie didn't know what to think. Surely Misti wasn't threatening her...was she?

"Um, why would that be?"

"Mr. Kim's wife isn't too happy with him," Misti said.

"You speak Korean?"

"Don't need to speak Korean to understand that, Sylvie." She looked over and smiled. "No, I heard she found out about his mistress and you know Korean women can be a bit spiteful."

As a matter of fact, no, Sylvie hadn't known that but, of course, her mother had made sure she'd stayed away from as many people as possible as she grew up. Moving to the city had been a shock of sorts, having Ms. Xi as a landlady had been doubly so. She wondered how Misti knew this.

"How about you? You live around here?"

"Over in Malton," Misti said. "Not much there so I come here to shop. Ain't from around here, originally, though. Born in Georgia, grew up in West Virginia. Family just kept moving north as Daddy found jobs available to him. Finally settled down in Greensberg when I was in high school and Daddy had heart attack."

"I'm sorry," Sylvie said, partly because she was and because she felt something needed to be said.

"Oh, don't be. He recovered just fine and is still working."

Feeling the car accelerate, Sylvie watched as Misti squeezed into a space in front of a box truck and they were out of the city.

"Misti, where are we going?"

"Lunch, I thought." A panic look appeared on her face. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did you have other plans? I can turn around." Almost immediately she began looking around for a spot to do so.

"No, it's not that. I just thought-- I didn't know where we were going."

"Oh, that? I know a neat little place in Faris."

"Faris? That's over an hour away."

Misti laughed. "An hour? Maybe as you drive." She grinned at Sylvie and pressed down on the accelerator again.

Sylvie had never seen _Thelma and Louise_but knew it had something to do with two women doing something wild and driving. In the future, if anyone asked, that would be how she would explain the next thirty minutes. At no point was she scared, precisely, and Misti clearly knew the car and its limitations but Sylvie wouldn't swear that she hadn't seen the speed reach three digits at least a couple times. It was easy to see how the mouse had so little fear when it came to the stage.

Faris was a small town of a few hundred people along a tributary to the bay. Small houses, small streets, but it wasn't that which slowed Misti down. There was something about the town, some essence it exuded, that Sylvie could pick up on. It wasn't oppressive just...a certain way and a feeling like it had been that for decades.

Pulling up in front of a nondescript green building, Misti shut off the car and looked at Sylvie with a smile. "We're here."

The skunk opened the door and stretched her legs, not entirely surprised at how much tension she was feeling in them. She looked around and saw a few people, mostly older, sitting on benches outside of various buildings but there was little traffic. Even the noise seemed to be honouring the same subdued feeling Sylvie was experiencing and she couldn't say she was entirely comfortable with the village.

"You like pasta?" Misti asked, making Sylvie jump a little.

"Very much," she said, joining the mouse on the sidewalk, ascending the steps. "I could do for a plate of spaghetti right now." Misti suddenly stopped and stared at her for a moment in a way that Sylvie felt was un-Misti-like. Then, just as quick, the bubbly Misti returned.

"Do you trust me, Sylvie?"'

"Um, sure? Shouldn't I?"

"We'll see. Let me do the ordering." She gave a smile and a bob then skipped up the next couple of steps. Sylvie took her time and tried to figure out what had just happened.

Inside the restaurant seemed like any other restaurant but, again, the odd feeling of Faris persisted. Music - opera, she decided - was playing loud enough to be discerned as music but was indistinct otherwise. She followed Misti to a table, a hostess obviously not being necessary, and took a seat where indicated.

"I'll be right back," Misti said. "I'm going to give them our order and use the restroom."

Sylvie nodded and watched as Misti vanished around a partition. Her eyes began wandering around the rest of the dining room - at the decorations, the tablecloths, the plants, the colours - and suddenly she realized why everything felt a bit off - everything here seemed to be at least four decades old. She was certain many of the items had to be newer than that but they were copies of items from before she was born. It was an interesting discovery which was interrupted by someone arguing further in the restaurant. She hoped Misti would return soon.

Not a minute later the mouse did just that. She seemed to be a bit exasperated but, and Sylvie could attest, there were those times in the bathroom....

"Food will be out in just a minute," Misti said.

"How did you ever find a place like this? It's like stepping into the past."

Misti shrugged. "I used to have a boyfriend and we came here a few times. I fell in the love with the place and out of love with him."

"Oh," Sylvie felt she'd trod in uncomfortable territory. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Misti laughed. "If I didn't want you to know I wouldn't have said anything. Besides, we need something to talk about."

Sylvie felt the floor drop out from under her.

"Guys or gals?" Misti said.

"Um, guys?" She was guessing at what Misti was asking but wasn't certain.

"Oh, good. That'll give us some common ground." She laughed then sobered. "I mean, not that there would have been anything _wrong_if you liked girls. It's just that we can share information about something more than just general relationship things, you know? Talk like girls can talk to each other. So?"

Sylvie liked Misti, she really did, but it was dizzying trying to keep up with her. "So...?"

"Have a boyfriend?"

Now it was Sylvie's turn to laugh and, oh, it felt good to do so. And, by doing so, the mood seemed to lighten entirely and lunch took on a different feel.

"No boyfriend."

"Significant other?"

"Not that either." Sylvie took a breath, searching for what she wanted to say. "Let's call my current relationship status nonexistent."

Misti looked shocked. "You can't be serious."

"Um, Misti, in case you haven't noticed, I'm a skunk."

"And what does that have to do with anything?"

Given how beautiful Misti was, and her positive personality, Sylvie felt bad about having to explain that not everyone in this world was as attractive as the mouse.

"Darlin', you ain't got nothing to worry about you being a skunk. Just because others might shy away from you that don't mean you ain't pretty. If anything, the way you look just makes them more uncomfortable with themselves."

With that one comment, as with Tiffany, Sylvie found herself immediately thinking of her friend in completely different terms.

"Thank you."

Misti shrugged and waved a hand. "It's the truth. Some people are just jerks - you can't let them dictate how you live your life."

Like your mother, she thought. "What about you?"

"Well, I-- Oh, here comes the food."

Sylvie turned to see a tall, handsome rat with black, slicked-back hair carrying two plates. The long-sleeved shirt hid the obvious muscles underneath and he had a face which could put his age anywhere between twenty and forty. Putting their plates down on the table, he smiled at Sylvie and leaned over to whisper something in Misti's ear. The mouse looked perturbed by whatever she was being told.

"Tell him I'm at lunch with a friend and will speak with him later." The server bowed in response and smiled once more at Sylvie before leaving.

"Problem?" she said, taking the napkin and placing it on her lap.

"Nothing I haven't dealt with a hundred times before." Misti seemed to realize she was scowling and shook her head, a smile quickly replacing her expression. "Ain't nothing to worry about." She picked up her fork and pointed at Sylvie's plate. "Tell me what you think."

Sylvie looked down at her plate and two things immediately struck her as unexpected. The first was the fact that whatever it was appeared to be a scoop or a slice of SpaghettiOs. Second was the fact that there was very little sauce, and that only serving to accentuate a piece of green leaf decoration (maybe). She wasn't exactly disappointed with what she had but certainly confused. Looking over at Misti, the mouse seemed to be enjoying her serving. Shrugging inwardly, she stabbed her fork in the mound and put it in her mouth to see what it was all about.

As soon as the food hit her tongue she knew she'd made a grave mistake with her assumption. She'd once heard foodgasm mentioned on a show and laughed with the audience. She wasn't laughing now. The explosion of flavour from the unseen, but obviously included, spices very nearly made her eyes roll back in ecstasy. A second bite, digging a bit deeper, found the cheese, which was unlike anything she'd ever had before and she couldn't swear she didn't audibly moan.

It wasn't just the taste which overwhelmed her, though. While the presentation might be a little lacking, the quality certainly was not. She was familiar with a wide variety of pasta from a number of companies, more because of what was on sale or she had coupons for. This, however, was entirely different. The texture of the rings was such that if the cooking directions said to boil six to nine minutes, whomever did this knew to remove them at _exactly_seven minutes and thirty-two seconds - not a moment sooner or later. It was also obvious that the only thing about the noodles which might have come from a box were their constituent ingredients as these were homemade. In all, Sylvie had a very strong suspicion that if she were to walk into the kitchen right now, she would bet she would find an old Italian woman, her grey hair tied up in a tight bun, who didn't speak a lick of English, hunched over a table creating some other masterpiece.

"So, I take it you like it?" Misti said, having seen Sylvie go back for a third bite.

The skunk just nodded, not wanting to interrupt her relishing of the dish. She was experiencing the paradox of want to eat it all, now, to take in all the deliciousness versus rationing her portion to allow the experience last as long as possible. She decided on the latter course of action after realizing she might be acting a bit rude.

"It's amazing," she told Misti, swallowing her food. "I've never had anything like it before."

Misti nodded. "Kinda like going to McDonald's for a cheeseburger then going to someplace who knows that they're doing."

Sylvie agreed, though this was worlds away from a cheap cheeseburger. "What is it?"

"Palermo-style baked anelletti, though, like most Italian food, it has it's own personal enhancements."

"I wouldn't have thought there would be many Italian restaurants in West Virginia."

"West Virginia?" Misti looked genuinely puzzled.

"I'm sorry," Sylvie said. "I thought you said you grew up in West Virginia."

"Oh," Misti said. "Yes, West Virginia. I was just a girl there, though." Sylvie found the statement a bit odd but didn't comment on it. Didn't have time, actually, as Misti quickly added, "It was my ex. He was an Italian food connoisseur. This was my favourite restaurant, though."

"Sounds like he could have been part of the mob," Sylvie laughed and noticed Misti only began laughing a second later and it was a bit forced.

"So, what do you think of High Tails?" Misti asked.

"It's only been a couple nights but, from what I've seen, it's great. The food is excellent - not quite like this - but it's clean and Firgil seems to know what he's doing. Everyone's nice--" She had to check that thought. "Well, most everyone, but I can deal with Synthia."

"Don't worry about her," Misti said, waving her fork. "She can be a bitch but she's generally harmless."

"We can all be a bitch, sometimes," Sylvie chuckled, "but she seems to have an actual problem with me."

"It's all of us she had a problem with, not just you. She's been that way ever since I've known her."

"How long have you worked at High Tails?"

Misti bit her lip as she thought. "Five years? Maybe six? I don't keep track. It wasn't open for long, I don't think. Firgil hired me in the winter and I haven't looked back since."

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you.... I mean, why do you--"

"Dance?" Misti said playfully. "Strip?" she said suggestively.

"Yes."

Misti shrugged. "I don't care."

Sylvie stopped the bite midway to her mouth. "You don't care?"

"That's the 'how do I dance', assuming you meant by bringing myself to do it. If you're asking how I dance the way I do, it's because I just let my body do what it wants with the music."

"Including with a stick pony?" Sylvie said with a smile.

"Especially with a stick pony! Nine volts, eight settings, optional "saddle", an AC adapter for those _really_long rides...." Misti rolled her eyes in ecstasy as she said this and reached to touch the skunk's hand. "Oh, Sylvie, you haven't lived if you have ridden one!"

Sylvie felt her mouth hanging agape and was glad she'd swallowed her previous bite. She had simply meant a prop and now Misti was describing something else. Why would she say something so....

Then she noticed the sly smile on the mouse's face and knew she'd been had.

"You're evil," she said, laughing.

Misti laughed along with her. "You don't know the half of it. It does sound intriguing, though, doesn't it?"

Sylvie felt her ears blush and she downed the last bite of her anelletti to hide her embarrassment.

"How about you? How come you don't dance?"

Sylvie choked as she swallowed and had to take a drink. "Misti, I'm a--"

"Skunk, yes, but that can't be the reason. There are skunk dancers out there."

"It's...difficult," she said. She liked Misti but how could she tell someone she'd known for such a short time that she loved dancing - _actual_dancing - in elementary school? For most of a year, she'd used the money her mother gave her for lunch to pay for after-school classes the music teacher had offered...and she was good. When Sylvie was offered the lead in a Christmas program she was sure her mother would be excited for her and proud of her finally.

That was back before she knew her mother would never approve of anything about her.

True to form, her mother not only pulled her from the dance classes - despite the teacher offering to pay back the money _and_train Sylvie at no cost - but threatened to sue the music teacher, harassed the school enough to get the poor woman fired, and filed the paperwork so Sylvie would only receive the mandated state-minimum free lunch.

It was only the second time in her life, until that point, her mother had hurt her so severely...and it wouldn't be the last. Sylvie had never forgotten her mother would rather expend her energy into making her daughter miserable than taking simple joy in her being alive.

"Family?" Misti said, breaking Sylvie from her recollection.

"Huh?"

"Sorry. I've seen that look before. It's family, ain't it?" Misti saw the look her face and continued. "In my case, it's because_of my family I started dancing. I was raised...." She gave a pensive gaze past Sylvie. "It don't matter what I was raised except to say there wasn't much freedom in what we could do or where we could go while growing up. I guess my dancing is all this repressed energy finally coming out." She smiled and leaned towards Sylvie. "I have _a lot of repressed energy."

This caused the skunk to smile and feel a bit better about being evasive. She noticed the mouse looking past her again and watched the smile disappear.

"Fuck," she heard Misti say almost inaudibly. She looked back to Sylvie so fast the skunk felt herself flinch. "They ain't brought our dessert, yet. I'm gonna go see someone about that," she said with a smile, standing up.

Sylvie tried to figure out what was going on and, hearing a quiet, but heated, discussion going on somewhere behind her didn't help. Lunch had been wonderful and Misti was nice but an odd feeling seemed to permeate the situation. It was like something was trying to break out but, if it did, it wouldn't be...bad, per se, just terribly unexpected. Sylvie hadn't felt anything like this before and decided to wait it out.

When Misti flopped herself in the seat across from her, Sylvie did jump.

"They ain't been around to collect the dishes, yet?" Misti said before anything could be asked. "Bastards." She snapped her fingers at someone and jabbed at the table before smiling and looking back to Sylvie. "Dessert will be out in a minute."

Before that, however, the handsome rat was at their table, looking contrite and obviously trying not to make eye contact with Misti. Making contact with Sylvie, on the other hand, didn't seem to be an issue. But, keeping with the feeling she was having, the smile on his face said there was fun to be had but something about his eyes made her feel cold. As she reflected on this, she belatedly realized Misti had asked her a question and was waiting for an answer.

"I'm sorry. I missed what you asked."

"That's okay. Ain't your fault." She glared at the rat and he quickly retreated with their dishes. "I was asking if you were having a good time."

"It's nice getting to know someone else," she said truthfully. She didn't say anything about the odd feeling, however. "I don't have many friends in the city." After a moment she added, "At all, actually." She felt bad about introducing melancholy to an otherwise enjoyable lunch.

Misti reached across and placed her hand on Sylvie's. "Don't worry, darlin'. I know just how you feel. You don't need to ever worry about anything with me."

Again, the pervasive feeling of something being just a bit off flowed through her but there was a sincerity in Misti's eyes that Sylvie had no doubts about what the mouse was saying. She could feel the emotion welling up inside that someone, another someone, wanted to be her friend despite her species.

"Ooh!" Misti said, releasing Sylvie, leaving all semblance of sobriety behind. "Here comes dessert!"

While Sylvie hadn't been able to immediately tell the difference between SpaghettiO's and anelletti, she was very familiar with the dessert. What surprised her about it, however, was the fact she could smell_the wine it had been made with before they were even placed in front of her. The wine notwithstanding, she knew these would be different from any other cannoli she'd ever eaten and could _feel her mouth watering.

"These are--"

"Cannoli," Sylvie blurted. Misti didn't take offense at the interruption and, instead, smiled at Sylvie's enthusiasm.

"You're familiar with them, then?" The rat placed the plate on the table and scurried away under Misti's withering look.

"The concept, yes, but I'm sure not like these." Picking up one, she inhaled the sweet aroma of the wine, ricotta, and chocolate and knew she was experiencing another level of dining.

"Well, what you waitin' for?" Misti asked, biting into her cannoli like it was any common food.

If the anelletti was levels above anything she'd had before, the cannoli was equally above that. The filling could only be homemade and she wouldn't have been surprised to find out the cheese itself was also. The shell was literally and figuratively intoxicating and balanced precisely with the miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips and she didn't hesitate to consume it. The second cannoli was the same bliss except, this time, the filling was sweetened with pistachios and she wanted to cry.

"I take it you liked 'em?" Misti said unnecessarily.

Sylvie didn't want to open her mouth to answer, lest the taste lingering dissipate too quickly, and she just nodded in answer.

Smiling, Misti waved and held up two fingers to someone beyond Sylvie. "Give me a minute to finish mine and we can take off."

Sylvie would never leave if she had her choice but, looking at the clock, saw they'd been here for almost an hour. Afternoon was intruding and it was apparent Misti had other things she needed to take care of.

"I can leave the tip," Sylvie said, pulling her remaining money from her pocket. "Or, maybe, part of it. I can pay you back after work."

"Darlin', I said this was my treat and I meant it. Put your money away." Yes, she had, and Sylvie wasn't going to argue, but she would have felt awkward if she hadn't at least offered.

"Thank you."

"It's nothing. It's been a while since I went to lunch with a friend."

Sylvie laughed. "With your personality I would think you'd have friends lined up to go out with you."

"Who knows?" Misti said with eyes wide. "Maybe this fun exterior masks something dark and sinister." She waggled her fingers for emphasis. Sylvie laughed simply because of the absurdity of the answer and Misti joined in, though seeming to watch Sylvie carefully.

"Maybe it does but it does one well to have a varied selection of friends."

"Thank you for saying so," Misti replied, her mouth full from shoving the rest of cannoli in it. "Ready?"

Sylvie nodded and they rose from the table. The rat was already on his way to the table and Misti led Sylvie in the opposite direction. Again, the strange feeling of the place pressed upon her but she didn't allow it to affect her emotions. The fact of the matter was that she'd just had an exquisite lunch with a new friend and no amount of odd feeling was going to change how happy she was and how her fortunes had turned in only a few days.

Stopping by a counter manned by a large and stern looking bear, Misti took receipt of two nondescript boxes, handing the smaller one to Sylvie.

"For later," she said, leading the way out of the building.

"And for you as well, it seems."

"Yes," Misti said after a slight pause. Again, the timing seemed a bit off but she was fishing her keys out of her pocket so perhaps she was feeling as full as Sylvie. "You want me to put the top up?"

"Are you going to be driving the same way back home?"

"You can guarantee it," Misti said, flashing a toothy smile.

"Then let's feel the wind in our hair."

The sun and the breeze and the company and the speed fueled Sylvie's contentment and, as with the previous outing with Tiffany, she hoped it would last a bit longer. Unlike Tiffany, however, Misti kept her foot to the floor and they were back in town before Sylvie was ready, though the drive had been exhilarating.

"Here you go, darlin'," Misti said, pulling up in front of Sylvie's apartment.

Sylvie opened the door and reached in the backseat for her groceries she'd bought hours ago. Her selections still seemed good but she knew there was no way she would be able to make anything approaching the same quality of food she'd eaten with Misti.

"Thanks, again, Misti. I had a really good time."

The mouse seemed genuinely touched. "Me, too. Do it again sometime?"

"You can bet on it."

"Excellent. Well, I gotta go. See you at work tonight!" Her hand was still in the air, waving goodbye, as the tires chirped and she shot off down the road.

Sylvie reached for her keys, switching the box from one hand to the other, when she realized she didn't know what was inside. Placing the bags on the ground, she opened the lid and saw two cannolis, like the ones she'd eaten at the restaurant, carefully wrapped. She smiled at the mouse's thoughtfulness and picked up her bags, replaying the lunch in her head.

It was when she closed the door behind her that she realized that she hadn't seen Misti pay. A little chill passed through her when she realized she also hadn't told Misti where she lived.