Book One: Panacea (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Two

Diana lets out a heavy breath as she drops onto a bar stool. She looks completely out of place for this sort of bar. It's a college bar. And she's dressed for a nice dinner. A nice dress. Nice shoes. She went all out for this dinner. And it will now go to waste. Now she needs a drink. She needs to just stop and take a moment to herself. The bartender approaches where she sits.

"What can I get you?" the bartender asks her, Diana takes a deep breath and then nods.

"I'll take the strongest drink you have, and also a wine spritzer on the side in case I don't like it" she answers, he raises an eyebrow but doesn't question her. "No, wait" she stops him. "Just a beer. Whatever's on tap." He pours her beer then sets the pint on the bar in front of her. Diana takes a sip but spits it back into the glass. She shakes her head. "Nope, gross" she sets the drink on the bar and wipes her mouth on the back of her jacket sleeve before she shrugs out of her jacket, her necklace swinging slightly against her chest, catching the light in the bar.

"Are you alright down there?" She turns as she sets her jacket over the back of the chair she's sat on. Alaric Saltzman sits three stools down from her. She notices his messy, brownish hair and grey-blue eyes, he's handsome, in a completely different way to Derek, and yeah, she checks him out.

"I don't usually drink beer" She admits. "And well, I spent a year in Athens, their ouzo is better" she taps her nails on the side of the glass of beer and pushes the glass further away from her. He smiles and his eyes brighten. She glances at his drink. "What are you drinking?" She asks him.

"Scotch." Alaric scoots over to the stool next to Diana. He holds out his hand to her. "Alaric" she raises an eyebrow. "Family name" he offers in explanation to her unasked question, everyone thinks the same way about his name. She takes his hand and smiles.

"Diana" She introduces herself softly. His fingers warm in hers. Something passing between them. She releases his hand and sets it on the bar.

"Want one?" He asks her as he nods to his glass. She nods back and he signals the bartender. "It must have been difficult, coming back from Greece," He tells her. "I would have stayed" he admits, she nods.

"Tell me about it. I cried the entire way home." She tells him with a smirk. The bartender sets up their round of drinks. Diana sips her scotch and enjoys the warm feeling she gets as the drink rolls across her tongue. She licks her lips as she pulls the glass away. He watches her. "Do you go to Whitmore?" She asks as she set the glass down and turns back to him. He shakes his head.

"No, I'm about to start a teaching job." he then smirks. "You thought I was a student?" he asks, she shrugs.

"It's really dark in here" she teases. "And my eyesight's not all that great" he laughs and she smiles at him. The jukebox plays Happiness by the Fray. Diana glances at the jukebox and smiles softly. "God, I love this song." She admits.

"B26." Alaric states, she looks at him, realizes that he is the one that put it on the jukebox. The two of them share a look. He glances at his glass and then back at her. "What's your major?" He asks her, she realizes he thinks she's in college and goes with it.

"Oh..urm...I'm leaning toward English." She admits. "What are you teaching?"

"History" He answers.

"Is that something you always wanted to do?" she asks. "Teach history?" he shrugs a little and then shakes his head.

"No" he admits. "Just the way life turned out for me" he takes a breath and shifts in his seat a little. "What's your plan?" he enquires. "After college? What will you do with your English major?"

"I want to be a writer" she answers. "Journalism preferably. I mean...I write a little now but..." Alaric motions to the bartender and he brings another round. "So far it's mostly personal" She shrugs a little. "Just for me"

"I'm impressed." She frowns at him.

"Why?" she asks him. The bartender refills their glasses and they both take a sip. Feeling relaxed and friendly they nudge a little closer to each other.

"I tried writing but I didn't get very far. You're lucky. If you're writing for yourself, it's pure passion." She thinks about it, she's inspired by his insight. "Maybe you'd let me read something of yours."

"Yeah? You'd really want to?" She asks him.

"Yeah." He assures her. "You're smart. You've traveled. You have great taste in music." She laughs softly. "I'd like to know more about you." He admits. She searches his eyes.

"Yeah" she breaths. "I'd like to know more about you too" His eyes search hers as he leans closer, judging her reaction but she doesn't pull away. He brushes his lips over hers, her eyes falling closed. They kiss slowly, lightly. She's never been kissed like this before. Not by anyone. Not even Derek.

............

Moments later, in the bar bathroom, Alaric hoists Diana onto the sink and she wraps her legs around his waist. She tastes the scotch on his lips. This kiss is fiercer than their first. Like the damn busts open. Their bodies press against each other and their chemistry is undeniable. She accidentally leans back and turns on the water. She pulls back and glances at the tap, Alaric chuckles as she turns it off before she turns back to him. Then their lips find each other again. Slowly and lightly kissing. Alaric pulls away from Diana and looks at her. Studies her. She leans in and kisses him pulling him closer to her by his belt, her fingers unbuckling the item. His hand finds her thigh and travels up and under the bottom of her dress.