Discovered by Kim Black

Diana demanded, her voice going up a whole octave at the mention of Adam, as I knew she would be mad. What friend would want to watch their best friend go through all of that heartache all over again?
    “He was waiting for me outside the restaurant,” I started, staring at my hands as I recalled the pained look on his face both before I slapped him and especially after. “He wants me back D ., he said there was more to the story and seemed so damn sincere…” I sighed. “I don’t know what to do or what to believe.”
    Diana stood there with a horrified look plastered on her face. She looked sick even as I went on to tell her everything he said and how I slapped him. When I finished, I looked up to find Diana had shed silent tears, making me stand to my feet and run over to her to offer comfort.
    “Hey don’t c ry… one conversation doesn’t change anything. Just because he said there is more to the story doesn’t quite mean that I will get back with him. Plus I have this thing with Julien and it’s amazing, terrifying and yet wonderful. I have to see that through,” I said while hugging her.
    Ok , I wasn’t exactly sure I wanted to see it through with Julien. What I wanted was sex… just sex, nothing more! A confused woman should never commit to anything or get pulled into a web of crazy when she herself had her own cob webs to deal with but I knew that reassuring Diana would ease her worrying and it did. Her stiffened body began to relax, allowing me to continue.
    “ You don’t have to worry about me. As soon as I speak to Adam and hear what he has to say, I’ll be able to fully move on with no regr….”
    Diana cut me off, “Speak to Adam? Em you can’t!” she urged as she pulled away from me, her crystal blue eyes were wide and showing nothing but fear.
    I stared at her, confused as to why she seemed this scared at the prospect of me speaking to Adam. She was behaving as if the man had been abusive to me. It didn’t make sense. She mirrored her ghostlike look she’d had when she came by my house a little over a year ago to tell me of Adam’s affairs. Was she reliving the moment? As hard as it was for me to hear the sordid details from her that day, I imagined it wasn’t easy for her to be the one to tell me, but she was as loyal as they come and felt it was her duty to tell me about Adam, even if it nearly killed me.
    “D ., I know you think I can’t handle speaking to him, but I can. Don’t worry, ok?”
    She nodded her head but didn’t seem convinced. I gave her another hug, “Ok, enough worrying… I’ve got to get ready for work.”
    I pulled away and ga ve her a smile but she, although she tried, couldn’t reciprocate.

Chapter Eight
    “Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself”
    ~ Kahlil Gibran ~
    EMILY
    “Emily, I need you to chop up these scallions for the soup special,” Thomas ordered. This was the tenth time Thomas had approached me today and I was beginning to lose my patience. Just ignore him Em! He just wants you to react and lose your job. Don’t punch him in the face! I tried my hardest to reason with myself but from time to time I felt my hands ball up into a fist at my sides. There was obviously a mystical force keeping me from assaulting the man.
    “Yes,” I simply replied before I turned to walk away from the annoying man when he cleared his throat. I turned around to face hi m, my hands still balled into fists.
    “Aren’t you forgetting something Emily?” he asked with the most ridiculous smirk on his face. “Yes, what?” he continued.
    He stood at about six foot three in his pristine white chef’s uniform. The man had no real muscle or definition to him. He was puny, weak and I knew I could take him but I had my future to think about. Despite my knowing how satisfying it would be to finally give him all he deserved, I had to go against everything that was brewing within me. Through a clenched jaw, I responded, “Yes Chef…” and spun around and