To Chance Meetings [attn: Dan]

Lynne finished blow drying the manager's client's hair and set down the dryer, picking up some texturizing taffy. Emulsifying it in her hands first, Lynne applied it to the woman's hair and primped until the look was finished. "Good, yeah?"

"Lovely," said the woman dully.

If there was one thing Lynne hated about her job, it was the clients. She hadn't any clients of her own, since she still didn't have a chair of her own, but all the manager's clients - whom Lynne was charged with shampooing and styling after the cuts, colors, and highlights had been done by the manager himself - were stuck up bitches. Half the time, if they bothered to leave a tip, it was a snarky remark about something Lynne was wearing or had said. She couldn't wait to get her own chair; her own clients. To hell with the snotty women who thought themselves too good to deign to speak with the shampoo girl if she tried to strike up friendly conversation. When she got her own chair, she'd fill it with interesting people of all different ages and ethnicities. That'd teach her manager. She was better than this. She knew she was.

"Right, well...Tricia will ring you up in the front at reception. Have a beautiful day," Lynne chirped the scripted send-off although she would've rather stabbed herself in the eye with a pair of shears than wish this woman a beautiful anything.

The woman gave Lynne a tight-lipped and forced smile before walking off. Once again, no tip and no 'thank you.'

"Fucking hate this place..." Lynne muttered to herself as she grabbed the broom and began to sweep up after the haircut her manager had been too lazy to take care of on his own. She looked up at the clock. It was a few minutes past twelve-thirty; she wondered if Dan was still coming. And, well, if he wasn't...if she could get ahold of Owen to set a lunch date at the last minute, so as not to be forced to eat alone in the staff room. The staff room was even more bleak than the salon floor, because for every time someone wanted to complain on the floor...they bitched twice as much behind the closed door of the staff room, to anyone and everyone who was in there, regardless of whether or not the person wanted to hear.

"Shit, shit, shit, bollocks..." Dan muttered under his breath as he was waiting for the man in front of him to hurry up with his purchases. Dan could be patient, but this man was ridiculous. He had five types of slacks on the counter, eight shirts, twelve neckties, a pair of shoes and the man was paying for it in cash... counting the total out bill by bill. They weren't high numbered bills either.

He looked at his watch, non discreetly. It was almost ten minutes past twelve-thirty and he hated knowing that he was keeping Lynne waiting from their luncheon. A date? Nah, not a date. It was a bit too early to be a date? Dan just thought they were friends, so it wasn't too pressured.

The man finally finished counting to four hundred fifty pounds and Daniel took the cash quickly not bothering to check the amount, almost threw all the items in one giant bag and sprinted from behind the register. "Taking my break, be back in an hour as usual, might be a few minutes late, I'll take the risk, bye!"

Dan was nearly speeding, down the road - he had been unexpectedly called into work and it was almost on the whole other side of town where Lynne worked. Of course, ever light turned red before he could go. Typical. He blew his breath out harshly as he was finally able to make that right turn.

He maneuvered his BMW smoothly into the car park at the salon, leaving the keys in the car and rushed into the building.

"I'M HERE!" He gasped. He was holding his breath the second half of the way. Looking at the clock on the wall it was only twelve forty-five to his surprise. Upon seeing Lynne, he smiled. "Ready?"

Lynne swept the hair into a dustbin and dumped it, heading out toward the reception desk, behind which was the door to the staff room were, it appeared, Lynne would be spending her lunch, after all.

The front door of the salon banged loudly against the wall as it was thrown open.

"I'M HERE!"

Lynne jumped slightly and looked to the source of the sound. Dan was here.

"Oi!" the receptionist shouted, knitting her brow.

Lynne bit her bottom lip against a giggle as Dan spotted her and smiled.

"Ready?"

"Is 'e with you, then?" the receptionist asked, looking over at Lynne, peeved as per usual with anything and everything having to do with Lynne in general.

"Yes," she said to Dan before turning to look at the receptionist. "And yes. I'm going to lunch. I'll be back--"

"In sixty minutes, yeah," she said.

"Right, yeah..." Lynne replied awkwardly. She'd have snapped at the girl, only he was the manager's daughter. It would've been a bad business move to do so. Taking a deep breath and turning to face Dan, raising herself onto her tip-toes, eyes wide with a sorry; I know she's a complete ass, can you believe I have to answer to her?! look on her face before smiling and dropping back down to flat-foot. "Shall we, then?" she asked, practically skipping up to him, beyond elated to get out of this pretentious playground for an hour.

Dan made a sympathetic nod to answer Lynne's sorry for her ugly 'boss'.

"Shall we, then?"

"After you," Like a gentleman, Dan opened the door for Lynne and followed her out. He look a peek at that girl at the register and she sneered at him. 'Note to self, save Lynne from work when possible...' he thought as he started up the engine.

"So.. where would you like to go?" Dan asked, turning left. "There's a little underground, yet really good deli a little bit away from here... yet not long enough to not get you back in time?" He looked over at Lynne. She looked extremely nice today and wondered how the hell she kept that pretty smile on her face considering where she worked looked like, well, hell.

Dan held the door for Lynne and for a moment, she just looked at him, surprised that apparently Owen wasn't the only gentleman in Wales. Maybe they were all polite and she just hadn't noticed? Maybe it was just American men who were inconsiderate jerks. She followed him out and when he approached his BMW, Lynne's jaw went slack. "You're kidding; that's yours?" she asked. "I am in the entirely wrong career...this is a really hot ride!" she exclaimed, all too excited to get inside. She'd never been in a BMW and in the States, they were practically creme de la creme.

"There's a little underground, yet really good deli a little bit away from here... yet not long enough to not get you back in time?"

Lynne looked back at him. "Honestly...this is going to sound a bit pathetic, but I don't get out much. Haven't really got any friends here other than my roommate and Owen," she replied casually, albeit sheepishly. "So, if I don't work at the place, I probably haven't been there," she joked, smirking back at him. "So...you pick. If it's good food and it's not terribly expensive, sign me up," she added. "But tips are shit today, so I'm a bit short on cash, bear in mind," she finished.

"So...you pick. If it's good food and it's not terribly expensive, sign me up," she added. "But tips are shit today, so I'm a bit short on cash, bear in mind," she finished.

"Little deli, here we come," Dan picked up speed as he drove north. They soon reached the small little shop in an older looking building. Appearances were never justified, Dan always thought as he held the rather heavy wooden door open for Lynne.

It was a self seating place so he picked a table near the windows, so if all else failed, they could comment on the passing pedestrians. What great tactics he had.

A waitress came to the table and handed them their menus, Dan setting his down without having to look at what he wanted; he always got the same thing out of habit.

"So," he started. "Do you like going to concerts?"

Lynne looked over the menu for a moment before a particular sandwich caught her eye. Familiar and delicious; she'd go with ham and cheese.

"So," he started. "Do you like going to concerts?"

As she set down the menu, Lynne looked up at Dan. She smiled. "Love to," she replied. "Why? Are there any good local acts around here? Small-town bands are my favorite. The ones that play their music the way they want to play it; before corporate big wigs get in there and meddle with the sound until it's nearly unrecognizable," she added.

Dan nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean." The waitress came back and took their order and was off again to get their drinks. "There's are a few really good local groups, some of my mates are in them they play over at this club called the Sets, you should come sometime. It's down by where I work, Jaymes' Wearhouse, about on the opposite side of town where your salon is." The waitress came back with his ice tea and he began to put the fixings into it: sugar and a bit of lemon juice.

"It's a great place to just get out there and have a good time, loosen up," Dan continued, stirring the drink with the long tea spoon. It clanked against the glass as he did so. "You could bring your friend along, to."

"There's are a few really good local groups, some of my mates are in them they play over at this club called the Sets, you should come sometime.

Lynne looked back at him and listened as he explained further, but that bit had stood out at her. Dan was inviting her out somewhere. Casually, from the sound of it. And they had something in common. Suddenly, she wanted to cry out of sheer joy.

Granted, it was fantastic that Owen invited her to lunch and dinner the previous day and she'd loved it that he'd spent the night and planned on coming to see her at the bar later, but he was Owen. They had some sort of thing going. Whether Dan was just being nice or was interested in Lynne otherwise, she didn't know, but what mattered was, they weren't currently involved and he was still asking her to go out somewhere. It had literally been half a decade since she'd been invited out, just for fun. It didn't hurt that Dan seemed to have similar interests.

It struck her, in that moment, that all of a sudden, she knew a lot more about Dan than she did Owen. It made her smile falter slightly. Dan and Lynne had talked a grand total of thirty minutes, tops, and she knew where he worked, what he did for fun, and some of his interests. She'd slept with Owen - twice - and still the only real thing she knew about him was that he'd been hurt by a woman named Katie. He'd never even specified if Katie had left or died.

Pushing the thoughts away, Lynne focused back in on Dan.

"It's a great place to just get out there and have a good time, loosen up. You could bring your friend along, too."

Somehow, Lynne didn't think Owen would be up for it. But she was. She definitely was. Music was a passion of Lynne's. "Yeah, that actually sounds really good. It's been forever since I've heard a good homegrown band. I dunno if my friend'll be interested, but I could ask. I'm definitely down, though, that's for sure," she said sincerely.

All the while while he was talking, Dan noticed a sudden mood change in his new friend. She was smiling a really genuine smile. Of course, it wasn't like she was faking it before, but there was a certain something about this one, that made him feel like he was doing something right. He looked into her eyes - they were singing a happy song, but they were full of worry and disappointment. They suddenly lit up, meaning what they were saying and it made Daniel smile. Daniel Johansson, you've done it.

That was around the time the batty old waitress came back with their food. It smelled delicious. He began to dig into his food, he was starving. Like any other guy, Dan didn't really care if he got messy with food in front of a girl - to an extent. It's not like he would go primal, but when a guy's hungry he's hungry.

"Don't they have the best chips?" Dan asked, picking up one of the curly french fries and munching.

"Don't they have the best chips?"

Lynne was in the process of swallowing a bite of her sandwich when Dan asked and she shrugged. "I dunno...haven't tried them. I'm not a big fan of fries," she said. "That's chips, here, right? French fries?" she asked a little sheepishly.

"How'd your training end up going, anyway?" she asked, keen on avoiding any uncomfortable or awkward pauses.

"How'd your training end up going, anyway?"

Dan shrugged. "I was actually planning to do a bit more today before my helluva great boss decided to call me in, hence me being late picking you up." He rolled his eyes a bit. Mr. Schnieder always called at the best times.

He liked talking with Lynne, there were very few awkward moments he like someone to keep up pace. Dan was one of those who if one got him started talking, he wouldn't really shut up. It embarassed him a lot when out with other girls, they were so quiet...

"And yes, fries here are called chips," Dan added. "So where did you used to live? I have a sister in America, she says it's very busy and loud. Then again, she lives in New York..." he shrugged. Actually she lived in the upper part of the state and has told Dan the people there are a bunch of pompous arses, but he didn't mention that.

"I was actually planning to do a bit more today before my helluva great boss decided to call me in, hence me being late picking you up."

Lynne took a sip of her soda and rolled her eyes. "Ugh, I hate that," she empathized. "Don't worry about it. I'm sorry you didn't get to do more training, though. You could always train at night, though, couldn't you? When it's not so damn hot?"

"And yes, fries here are called chips," Dan added. "So where did you used to live? I have a sister in America, she says it's very busy and loud. Then again, she lives in New York..."

Lynne nodded and took a mental note. French fries = chips. Chips = ...? "So then what are potato chips, here?" she asked, blushing a little and laughing. Four years in Cardiff and she still didn't know her slang. She really did need to get out more, it was becoming glaringly obvious to her. "And I lived a few places...mainly the Tri-State area - Connecticut, New York... It's really busy and loud." Lynne paused as she took another bite of her sandwich and held a hand over her mouth to hide the half-chewed food as she added, "and rude." She winked at the irony of her addition to the sentence as she spoke with a full mouth.

"So then what are potato chips, here?"

"Crisps," Dan said, as he took another chip to the mouth.

"And I lived a few places...mainly the Tri-State area - Connecticut, New York... It's really busy and loud." Lynne paused as she took another bite of her sandwich and held a hand over her mouth to hide the half-chewed food as she added, "and rude." She winked at the irony of her addition to the sentence as she spoke with a full mouth.

Dan threw his head back and laughed, nearly choking on the french fry. "Sorry, that was amusing," he said, composing himself. "You know all the girls I knew in my life were all, prim and proper. It's why i decided to come back here and settle. I don't mesh well together with the 'upper class' twits."

Suddenly stopping with his sandwich halfway to his mouth, he regretted saying that last line. He disliked people knowing he was that inheritance of a... billionaire and it made people weird after he told them. He'd learned that the hard way, twice.

He tried to change the subject as quickly as possible, but couldn't think of anything like he did earlier (he was on a roll) so he just staffed his face a bit more, until the weird feeling went away.

"You know all the girls I knew in my life were all, prim and proper. It's why i decided to come back here and settle. I don't mesh well together with the 'upper class' twits."

Lynne raised her eyebrows and when Dan pretty much froze, sandwich halfway to his mouth, she laughed. "You all right, there, chief?" she joked. "I hope you don't think I take offense to that...I'm pretty much the opposite of an upperclass twit, or at least I like to think so," she added with a grin.

She took another bite of her sandwich and then set it down, slouching in her chair and groaning. "I ate too much too fast," she mumbled after swallowing. "I'm full...it's been forever since I've eaten really good food and then, boom, three meals of it in the past two days. Takes a toll. I'm gonna have to run six hundred miles to work off the fat ass I'm gonna get by the end of this week at this rate," she grumped as she sat up again.

"I hope you don't think I take offense to that...I'm pretty much the opposite of an upperclass twit, or at least I like to think so,"

Dan let out a small sigh. "I was hoping you wouldn't, since you scream nothing of a twit to me. You're too nice for that." He grinned.

"I'm full...it's been forever since I've eaten really good food and then, boom, three meals of it in the past two days. Takes a toll. I'm gonna have to run six hundred miles to work off the fat ass I'm gonna get by the end of this week at this rate,"

Shaking his head, Dan smirked. "I think six hundred miles is a little extreme. Maybe... three," he said, hoping this time she wouldn't take offense since it was more than one.

He called the waitress over and asked for the check, hoping Lynne wouldn't mind if he paid for it. It was the gentleman thing to do after all. But it wasn't a date so he didn't have to, he wanted to.

"Hey," he said, looking at this watch. "We only took forty minutes to eat. Have a bit of time to kill before we both have to be back..."

"I was hoping you wouldn't, since you scream nothing of a twit to me. You're too nice for that."

Lynne laughed a little and blushed again, crinkling her nose. "You don't know me very well, yet; you'll learn," she replied, giggling.

"I think six hundred miles is a little extreme. Maybe... three,"

"I suppose," she replied. Oh, my God, am I actually getting a fat ass?! I'm walking home to change after work...screw the cab... she thought to herself. "I live to exaggerate, though. Can't help myself, sometimes," she added.

Dan called for the check and it looked as though he was going to pay it. "You know, you don't have to do that," she told him. She didn't want him to think she expected him to do so, after all. "And, what do you suggest we do to kill the remaining twenty, then? Any ideas?"

"I live to exaggerate, though. Can't help myself, sometimes,"

Shit! Dan thought. "Well I always run three so that number is just what always comes up," he laughed, nervously.

"You know, you don't have to do that,"

Daniel shook his head no. "No, it's fine dear, I don't mind." He signed the receipt, nodding at the old lady. She better be thankful he was a good tipper.

"And, what do you suggest we do to kill the remaining twenty, then? Any ideas?"

Dan was thoughtful as he thought of a good place to go. "I do," Standing up and pulling his keys out of his pocket, he reached for her hand. "Hope you don't mind a drive."

"Well I always run three so that number is just what always comes up,"

He was backpedalling now, which either meant he didn't want her to be offended that he thought she could use the three mile run or that he hadn't meant her to take it that way. Lynne made a mental note to shut out the lights before disrobing in front of Owen again until she could get some time to hit the gym, just in case.

"You always run three miles? Like...all the time? That's crazy, my legs would fall off," she joked.

"No, it's fine dear, I don't mind."

Lynne blushed a little and looked down. Pet names, huh? she thought, amused.

Dan stood, took his keys out of his pocket and reached for her hand. Lynne hesitated for a moment before taking it, deciding that, really, even if she was official with Owen, letting Dan take her hand to lead her out was probably not 'cheating' material. Since she wasn't official with Owen, she decided it definitely was not.

"Hope you don't mind a drive."

"So long as you get me back to Hell on time, I don't," she joked.

The BMW had a great sound system, as the radio blared the rock station. Not just any rock station, classic rock was the way to go. Dan knew exactly where he was going and he was excited because he hadn't been there for awhile himself so this was as great as a time of any. The drive was a bit silent, other than Dan's occasional singing, which he knew he wasn't good at.

"So, you haven't requested to turn the station," he joked. "I guess that's a good thing?"

For a moment, Dan thought about Lynne. She seemed to have a lot in common with him. He wondered what she thought of him. The thought of her friend, Owen, crossed his mind. Were they just friends or something more? At any rate, Dan was glad he had a friend to talk to.

"Okay, we're here," Dan parked the car and got out of the driver's side.

Before them was a small white building. It looked as if it were some sort of studio at one point. Motioning for Lynne for follow, he walked inside and entered the second room to the left. Inside was wall to wall and ceiling grey blankness. The floor was shiny wood, as if it were waxed recently. He waited for Lynne to come all the way in before going in small division of the room and flipped the switch. The walls and ceiling suddenly displayed beautiful scenery of what was the hills of Scotland.

Dan came out and smiled. He threw a couple of pillows near the middle of the room by Lynne's feet and sat on one himself.

"I go here sometimes to just think or draw or just to escape life," he mused, looking across the room. "It's fun, especially in the winter, you can go to the beach."

He sat there still staring. No matter how many times he saw it, it was still so exciting. He was glad to show someone else.

"If you ever feel the need to just escape, come down here. No one else will bother you." He smiled and sat back watching the 'sky'.

Lynne felt oddly prestigious, riding in style; Dan's sound system blaring the best kind of music there was. She found herself closing her eyes as she listened for a few minutes, just taking it in. She hardly had time to lie back in bed and listen to her favorite CDs, anymore, and it was nice to hear it again.

"So, you haven't requested to turn the station," he joked. "I guess that's a good thing?"

She looked over at him and smiled. "Well, I wouldn't ask you to, anyway; driver picks the music. But, no, this is my favorite station, totally," she told him, grinning.

They really did have, as it seemed, a lot in common. Lynne looked out the window thoughtfully.

A few minutes later, Dan had parked the car and was leading her inside a building. When he flipped the switch, Lynne was awestruck by the artwork on the walls and ceiling.

"Wow..." she breathed, staring all around, trying to take it all in.

"I go here sometimes to just think or draw or just to escape life," he mused, looking across the room. "It's fun, especially in the winter, you can go to the beach."

Lynne nodded, still looking around the room. Dan had put a pillow down at her feet and taken a seat beside her, but she was too busy trying to see everything there was to see.

"If you ever feel the need to just escape, come down here. No one else will bother you."

That time, his voice had broken her from her trance and she looked down at him. "Oh, no...this is yours. I couldn't," she insisted. "But it really is beautiful..." she added.

Dan looked at his watch. "Well sorry this is o short, but like I said if you ever need to get away..." Unlocking the car doors of his BMW with his keypad he started on their way back so he could get her to work on time.

He stopped in front of the door. "I'll call you sometime when they're playing a gig at the Sets." He gave her a piece of paper with his number on it. With smile and a nod, he was off.

"Well sorry this is o short, but like I said if you ever need to get away..."

Lynne looked down at her watch. Yeah, they needed to get going if she wanted to get back to work on time. She hoped there would be no traffic. "Thanks," she replied. "This was fun."

When they reached the salon, Dan gave her a slip of paper with his number on it.

"I'll call you sometime when they're playing a gig at the Sets."

"Okay, yeah sounds good," Lynne replied, returning his smile. She'd put the number in her phone and text him so he'd have hers, since he hadn't thought to ask for it. "Thanks again for lunch, Dan. See you," she said.

He nodded and then he was off.

Lynne turned back to face the salon and let out a sigh. "Back into the pit..." she said softly before pushing open the door and making her way back inside.