�What�s your mother�s new number?�

A shrug.

�She just told you it, like, an hour ago.�

�Exactly. I�ve only had an hour to memorize it.�

Flora raised her eyebrows and popped a piece of gum into her mouth. �That�s the most ridiculous excuse I have ever heard.�

�It�s not my fault I have a bad memory.�

�I�m not going to be a happy woman when you start calling our children by the wrong names.�

Justin smiled. �I remember the important things.�

�So your mother�s telephone number isn�t important?�

�That�s definitely not what I meant.�

Her brow lowered and her lip twitched as she balled the gum wrapper between her thumb and index finger. �I bet you ten bucks you can�t remember our first date.�

�I remember every damn detail.� He swatted at a fly near his head.

�So tell me about it. Where did we go?�

�We were at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, on December sixteenth, and you were wearing the most outlandish piece of clothing to be wearing in Philly in December.�

She chuckled slightly. �I loved that dress.�

�It was strapless.�

�Yes, it was, until you bleached the hell out of it.�

�Which I apologized for again and again.�

�In very creative ways, which I appreciated. Go on with the date.�

�You were staring at this painting, I can�t remember which one. Stop looking at me like that. But you were completely still, and your arms were crossed over your chest, and you had goose bumps all over you.�

He paused and met her eyes with his. �I asked if you were cold and offered my jacket, and you said no with this tiny voice that was so intense that it took me aback. I asked you why you were shivering if you weren�t cold and you pointed to the painting.�

�Danseuse: Port de Bras. I love Degas.�

�I know you do. I looked at that painting with you for a while, then my legs started to hurt, so I asked you what was so special about it. You looked at me like I had just confessed murder to you or something.�

The left of his mouth tugged up and a smile found its way across its face. �You turned back to the painting and you had tears in your eyes and you said �The Impressionists' works are the most beautiful things I�ve ever seen. They just melt my heart.��

�Then we went to a caf� where I proceeded to tell you everything I knew about Degas, Monet, anyone I could think of.� She laughed.

�You were so passionate and so,� he searched his mind for an explanation, �for lack of a better word, beautiful, that I was completely intrigued. You were in my mind every second.�

Flora wet her lips and crawled across the floor to where Justin was leaning against the sofa. �I can�t believe you remember all that.� She crawled onto his lap and teased his lips with hers. Her hands slid around his sides and into the back pockets of his jeans. �Too bad.�

�Too bad, what?� Justin breathed, leaning forward in an attempt to capture her mouth with his. She pulled her head back just enough to stay out of reach.

She displayed his wallet and rose to her feet. �Too bad that was the first time we met, not our first date.�