Artie always takes his lunch break at noontime. He had not made any plans for lunch today, so he just decided to hop on the subway, and see where he ends up.

As he gets on the red line at South Station, he still has no idea what he's doing. The train passes through the station, Downtown Crossing. He could've got off there and gotten coffee at a little café on the street, but he decides to keep going. He ends up getting off of the train at the next stop, Park Street. He then goes upstairs, and gets on the green line. He decides to head back to Newbury Street, and just grab a cup of coffee, and go check out a different art gallery. He stops at the first gallery he sees, which is the Barbara Krakow Gallery, where they were showing Kiki Smith's work.

He enters the building to find that it's mostly crafts, which isn't something that entirely interests Artie. He doesn't want to appear rude so he stays for a few minutes and looks at the different objects. He stands looking at what appears to be an awful looking tin ashtray. 'What is this garbage?' He thinks to himself. It looked like a soda can with the top cut off of it, and the edges were pulled outward.

Artie is almost ready to leave, when he hears a voice, "Shouldn't you be at work right now?"

Artie turns around quickly to see who had spoken to him. It was Arya.

"Shouldn't I say the same thing to you?"

"Yeah, well, I just needed a mental health day." She says with a smile.

"So of all the art galleries in all the world, you and I run into each other twice in 3 days. This must be fate." Artie says jokingly.

"Well, I wouldn't use the word fate. But it sure is swell."

"So listen, there's something I forgot to do before we separated the other day." Says Artie.

"Ok."

"I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me Friday night. We can go to that Starbucks again."

"And get one of those world famous, chocolate brownie things?"

"Certainly. And then after that, I was thinking that we could go to the ImprovBoston, a little comedy club up one of the side streets near the Starbucks." Says Artie.

"It sounds wonderful. Can we do it this Friday?" asks Arya excitedly.

"Absolutely! Do you want me to pick you up?"

"Well, you live in Saugus, and I live in Abington, so it would be pointless for you to battle the traffic in the city, just to come and get me and then have to drive back into town, and then bring me home again. So why don't I just meet you there?"

"Well, you put it like that, and how can I argue?" Says Artie.

"Excellent. So, I'll see you at work tomorrow then?"

" is unless you call in sick again." Artie says with a smile.

"Well, I can't promise anything." She smiles.

FRIDAY

Artie wakes up at about 5:30 am and cannot fall back asleep. How could he sleep? He has his first date ever, tonight. He gets up, takes his shower, shaves and gets ready for work. Every move he makes has a spark of energy in it.

He grabs the milk from the fridge and does a little goofy dance, while singing the words "I have a date tonight, with Arya," over and over again. He stops dead in his tracks when he spots himself in the mirror. 'I am such a retard!' He thinks. He then continues his foolish dance.

He looks back at the mirror again. He gets closer and closer to the mirror so he can get a closer look at his own face. He hates what he sees. He was told all of his life that he was an attractive man, but Artie could never see it. He thought he was an ugly man, and that no woman would ever want to go out with him. But for the first time in Artie's life, what he thought didn't matter. He realized that Arya had seen his face, and she still agreed to go out with him.

What a night this would be for Artie. This will truly be, a night that Artie would never forget.