dithering

verb

1. be indecisive.

2. add white noise to (a digital recording) to reduce distortion of low-amplitude signals.

3. display or print (a colour image) in such a way that it appears to contain more colours than are really available.

OK, so Wednesday sucked. Like, donkey's eyeballs. Move along now. Bring on Thursday, or better yet – Friday. Let's just forget all that had even happened.

Let me explain. I was up very late last night reading material and making notes on my new night club and forgot that I had an early class in the morning – and a group meeting before my early class. So I dragged myself up at oh-dark-early and got to the university campus for this meeting before class. Yes. Before class. So early!

I missed breakfast and ran out of steam before my first Business Management class even ended. It dragged on and all I could do was drink water from the water bottle in my school bag to quench my hunger. As soon as the lecture ended I was up and out of the lecture theatre lickety-split. I raced – slowly – across campus to get something to eat and as I was entering my favourite campus cafe, I ran into Mr Anginelli. Again. I actually bumped into him in almost the same way as the first few times – at the entrance of a building.

He had banged into my right shoulder and I ended up dropping the phone in my hand and smashing the screen. Without even looking at who he had bumped into, he nearly growled at me to watch where I was going then stammered when he realised it was little-ol' me. He then asked me if I was OK. I was still picking up the glass that came off the screen of my phone. I hid the broken thing behind my back, waved him off and tried to step past him through the cafe doors to buy some eats. Hungry.

"Are you sure you're OK, Ms Twice?" He asked as he followed me into the cafe.

"I'm all good. Please don't worry." I smiled, you know, one of those strained smiles that you use when you don't really mean what you're saying. I think he finally got the message to leave me alone. Or so I thought.

"How about I buy you a meal? You're here for lu-lunch? Let me buy it for you – as an ah, an apology?" He was stammering, then rubbing the back of his head.

"N-no, its OK." Now I found myself stammering. The heck?

"I must insist." He turned to order off the coffee menu, then realised he didn't know what I liked. Or that I even liked coffee. He um'ed and ah'ed and finally turned to me.

"Would you like a coffee? Or perhaps a tea? Aah – Hot chocolate...?" It was really hard to get past the look on his face, like he was imploring me to give this chance to him to make things right.

"No, its OK. I'll just take a sandwich to go." By this time I was really embarrassed and red in the face. Everyone was staring at us, arguing about who was going to buy lunch for who. Then my tummy rumbled and I was mortified.

"Asparagus rolls, lemon berry tart. Warm water." I quickly blurted out what I had planned to buy and moved towards the edge of the counter where the checkout was. He ordered what I wanted, then waited with me. In silence.

While we waited. I felt my phone buzz, but the screen was broken so I didn't know what to do as I couldn't unlock it to answer the call. I had left the classroom before waiting for my escorting guard as I was so hungry. Neither Grant or Patricia were on campus with me today.

Now I realised that I was in a pickle. My team couldn't contact me and I wasn't where I was supposed to be. I took the food in the paper bag given by the cafe serving staff, threw a quick thank you to the awkward, handsome guy then tried to quickly leave.

And bumped straight into his sister, Molly Anginelli on my way out. She took one look at me, then her older brother who was following close behind and obviously trying to apologise again then screamed at the top of her lungs:

"Are you going out with my brother?" OK, so she didn't scream, per-se, but it was loud and sudden and everyone coming and going all turned to check out the latest juicy gossip.

Mortified once again.

"Nope. Gotta go." I mumbled and trotted back towards where I could see two of my security team searching the nearby area for their wayward little boss. I waved them hello, bundled myself up again – my coat was hanging half off my shoulders – then followed my security team towards the parking lot where my new Lexus was parked.

And promptly found the wing mirror on the front driver's side smashed off and hanging by a wire. Oh. My. Goodness gracious... I nearly blew a fuse.

Broken tummy, broken phone, broken car, broken and embarrassing people who harassed me while I was trying to fix the hole in my tummy.

I left my broken phone and broken car with Patricia to fix when I met her in the lobby of Liberty Building after eating lunch in the car. It was squished by the way. The lunch food, not the car.

I spent the afternoon trying to hide away from the bad stuff that was happening and wondered briefly if karma was an actual thing and if all of this was to balance the unbalances my rebirth had created.

When the largest high end clothing retail company in the country rang for me in the afternoon, I decided I'd better leave that phone call to Patricia, just in case they were about to cancel their multi-million dollar order. They didn't. Thank goodness.

I lay on my lounge settee, with cold sliced cucumbers on my eyes and my hands soaking cider vinegar and olive oil. I was in serious need of a pick-me-up. And a glass of wine but the dragon-lady assistant said I still had to study and wouldn't get me any.

As soon as a replacement for my phone arrived with Grant I got up off the settee and disposed of skin and eye care food stuffs. Then I went to the kitchen for a drink of lemon water – not wine – and sat at the breakfast bar while sorting out my new phone.

I plugged my old sim card into the appropriate new slot and turned it on and promptly received a million messages that nearly blew up the new phone. What felt like five minutes later they died down, and I was able to finally access my phone's messaging system. Missed calls from parents, texts from my security team, a hello and loving the new apartment from Sunny, and Patricia asking me where I was.

The last text message came from an unknown number.

[My apologies again for bumping in to you on the campus today. I hope you are well. Would you be interested in dinner Friday night? From Joe Anginelli]

Oh my goodness! My face flushed and I half squealed, jolting in my seat.

"What's wrong?" Grant asked as he read my message over my shoulder. I didn't even know he was there!

"No don't!" I cried, but it was too late.

"A date? With Mr Carrot-up-his... Mr Handsome... What was his name again?"

"Anginelli!" I blurted, then buried my face in my hands as I realised what the rotten study buddy had done. He'd tricked me into revealing who it was and how I felt about him. As Grant laughed at me and patted me on the head, I buried myself deeper into the kitchen bench top under my arms.

"When will this day end?" I wailed under my arms.

"Cheer up, Buttercup. Only eight hours to go and your Wednesdayitus will be cured." He handed me an apple from the fruit bowl, patted me on the head again and took his school bag to the kitchen table and set about his studying.

I waited until my face was back to its normal shade and followed my best friend to the table to join him in study.

Dinner two hours later was an order of pizza from a nearby pizza place that had good reviews online. By this stage I was over trying to do anything, let alone study college grade material that I needed to remember. My brain was mush.

After kicking the peoples out of the apartment and tidying up the kitchen, I took that much awaited glass of wine up stairs, took a shower, got into my new silk lounge wear and sat at my window overstuffed occasional chair, and thought about everything. Well, actually I thought about the text, really. I mean who wouldn't.

Handsome guy asks you our on a date but it conflicts with... everything, what would you do? And do I even like the guy anyway? He's pushy, grouchy, narcissistic, mean, unapologetic until he apologises, then he sends out of season flowers related to asparagus... Asparagus! I ordered asparagus rolls today, right in front of him. Oh my goodness! No wonder he asked me out via text. And how did he get my number anyway? Waiting online anxiously...

[Lily Twice: How did you get this number, please.] I decided just to ask him and sent him a reply. I then cringed wondering if I came across as somewhat snotty. I quickly typed out another text, but he replied before I could correct myself.

[Joe Anginelli: I got it off my sister, Molly. Sorry if she embarrassed you today.]

[Lily Twice: OK. Sorry, I can't do dinner Friday night. I have an appointment already.] I sent back, then added his number to my contacts list under 'Mr Carrot'. I giggled and crossed that out and typed 'Mr Asparagus'.

I sighed. I wasn't really ready for dating or a relationship or anything. My last boyfriend in my last life, was a nightmare set up by an evil wicked step sister. He even tried to kidnap me and ran me over with my own car, killing me. I mean, who wouldn't be jaded after an experience like that.

I just wasn't sure if it was in me to give that whole dating thing a go. And then there was too much going on in my life – I was just too busy. Anyway, Mr Anginelli was inspecting my building. Well, not inspecting it as that is the council's job, but I needed to keep client – service professionalism... Didn't I? And anyway, he was only asking me out for dinner, maybe it isn't even a date...

Who was I kidding. He admitted when he was wrong, apologising for bumping into me. He sent me flowers to congratulate me on my fashion show. He was committed to family, his sister was really important to him, even if he doesn't always understand her very well. He also needed to save her, and maybe I could help with that if she gets hurt again.

And he sent me flowers.... I groaned and sent him a quick text, turned off my new phone, switched off the lights and climbed into bed.

[Lily Twice: I have a coffee house opening this Friday night. Why don't you join me? 7pm at Crystal Coffee House at Liberty Building. See you then.]