"This is weird right?" The ravened haired beauty with the porcelain colored skin and ruby red lips asked the older gentleman sitting across from her. "Of all the people that I thought that I would be having lunch with today, I would never have thought that it would end up being you. No offense of course." She added as a cursory while she studied him as she took a moment to drink some of the coffee that was placed before her.

"I'll concede that when I wandered into this place, you were the last person that I expected to see as well," he admitted over a light hearted chuckle.

"So, how are tricks, Mr. DeMartino?" Jane asked her former high school teacher.

"Silly rabbit, tricks are for kids." He quipped with a slow smile.

"Well I'm no kid," she stated with a matter of fact voice and raise to her chin, "but I do enjoy a good trick every now and then."

Am I really flirting with my former high school teacher? She thought with no small amount of amusement at this unexpected bit of fun.

"Don't we all," he was surprised at her teasing, but he also remembered that being young and beautiful afforded you all sorts of things that he hadn't the luxury of in his lifetime.

"Why Mr. DeMartino it sounds to me like you're into some rather ambiguous behavior…..behind closed doors of course." She smiled at him gauging his reaction.

"Closed, open…..whatever floats your boat, as they say," he replied in what he hoped was a noncommittal way.

She sat back in the booth and let out a genuine laugh. Most guys didn't really know how to handle her humor, but DeMartino had been very even handed with her. He handed scolded her like she was a child, but he hadn't made her feel like some sort of sexual deviant either. The waiter came then with pen in hand.

"What'll you have?"

"I will have the Chicken Cesar Salad with lemonade," she stated in a matter of fact voice, "and my friend here can have whatever he wants. It's my treat."

"In that case, I'll have the steak and eggs lunch special with the house beer."

They handed their menus back to the waitress and faced one another once again.

Jane noticed immediately that he was a lot more relaxed than she remembered. He had always seemed so high strung in school, but given who her classmates were and how demanding Ms. Li was, she could understand why. He had allowed the silver to almost completely take over head leaving only remnants of the black hair that had been so prominent before. She liked it. It seemed to bring his intelligence to the forefront by highlighting those eyes that use to bulge and twinge with such outrage at the mediocrity that his students displayed. Those eyes were fixed upon her, no doubt making an assessment much like she was doing.

"Do I pass inspection?" she asked feeling more emboldened by the moment.

"I was merely thinking that you seem to have grown into a lovely young woman. No doubt you have a score of suitors at your beck and call," his voice was deep and held her with its intonations of an intimacy that seemed to be flourishing between them.

"I wouldn't say scores and school keeps me really busy these days."

The waitress placed their drinks on the table and continued on.

"What are you working on?" he leaned in slightly and watched her as she spoke.

"I am working on a sculptural piece that is not being particularly cooperative with me."

A brief frown creased her forehead that he found all the more enticing on her.

"What seems to be giving you a problem?"

"I am currently unable to bend light to my own will." She sighed upon seeing that he actually wanted to hear more. Normally she would make a veiled hint about not wanting to discuss it and whoever the current guy was would take the hint and change the subject. "I want to do something that makes the final piece be a reveal within itself. I was hoping to use light as a sort of reflective reveal so that as you walked towards it each person would see something slightly different."

He sipped at his drink and was reflective for a moment before speaking. "Perhaps you are trying too hard. Take a moment to do something- anything else and then come back to it with a fresh set of eyes. It could mean all the difference in the world."

"I'm used to plowing my way through my blocks until something comes out," she mused aloud.

He shrugged his shoulders while still watching her. "Why not try something different?"

Why not indeed? She thought sipping at her drink while pondering the double entendre'.

Over the rest of their lunch Jane learned that Anthony had left Lawndale the year after she had graduated. He had taken a few night courses during his last year there and was now teaching at the local university and seemed to enjoy it. It would appear, at least to Jane that college life had helped him to reclaim the passion for teaching that he had when he chose the profession in the first place. He looked happy when he discussed his students. Anthony learned that Miss Lane was pursuing her Art with a passion that was reflected in her eyes whenever she spoke of her classes or assignments or art in general. They left after exchanging numbers and agreeing to get together again, even if it's only for another lunch, next time it would be his treat.