Sitting back in her seat, taking another sip of her Starbucks coffee, Diane returned her attention to her convention notebook. Skim reading the pages, her eyes flicked over the lines of text without taking in their content. Lost in a world of her own, she ignored the mass of humanity that buzzed purposefully around her.
"What am I doing here?" She thought as she watched people scurrying to register for the conference and check in at the hotel front desk.
Pausing only to take another mouthful of coffee, Diane turned the page then reached for her bag. Seconds later, the filter tip of a cigarette between her lips, she flicked open her lighter and brought the flame towards the end of her cigarette. She inhaled deeply before expelling the smoke from her lungs with a sigh. She hoped that since she was at a child's pastors' convention that she would not get many stares for being a sinful "smoker". Diane, who was a hair stylist by trade, was there with a group of women from her church that volunteered to work with kids in their Methodist Church. She kept telling the others that this was not her crowd and that she felt a little unworthy of attending a conference like this. The ladies assured her that this was for all people who helped out and not just a bunch of pastor's and their stuffy wives.
Diane, who was 37, was beautiful both inside and out and she was usually the life of the party with her friends. Everyone loved her from kids to adults. She was divorced and had a beautiful 8-year-old daughter she was raising on her own since her ass on an ex skipped town. She was beautiful in a very sensual way. She did not need to wear much make up because her natural features were more than enough. She had sultry blue eyes and long honey hair that hung down below her shoulders. Diane stood at 5'5" and still had the tight body of the gymnast she was in her youth.
A voice intruded itself into her awareness. "Diane?" it said, "Diane Moore? Is that you?"
Puzzled, Diane looked up. A woman, about the same age as herself, stood at the other side of the coffee table. Her friendly smile and her deep, hazel eyes shone out from an attractive yet strangely familiar face framed with shoulder length auburn hair.
"I'm sorry," said Diane with a smile, trying to collect her thoughts and figure out where she knew this person.
"It's me, Audrey Steele," said the smiling woman, "We were at St. Joan's together back in high school."
"Audrey, of course," said Diane warmly, "I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you. It has been what? 20 years nearly?"
Audrey shrugged. "Well, it has been at least 15 years since we last saw each other so that's understandable, she said. "You haven't changed a bit," she added. "Mind if I join you?"
"Be my guest," replied Diane, closing her notebook and putting it in her bag. "What brings you here?" she asked.
"Work," replied Audrey with a shrug. "I work for an accounting firm," she said, "I'm here for a couple of days doing an audit. What about you?"
"I am here for a conference," said Diane, "It is a children's pastor's conference. This is where the convention is and where I'm staying while I'm in town."
"Wild Diane Moore is now a pastor?" enquired Audrey with a shocked laugh.
Diane shrugged. "Not exactly, I help out with the children in our church on Sunday's" she replied. "I am actually a stylist for a salon in Austin, TX."
"You do not look like most of these women around here," said Audrey, smiling sweetly. "You are beautiful girl! Seems like even more so than you were in high school."
"Great jean pool I guess," replied Diane with a wink, "C' est la vie!" answering with a smile of her own. "You look very good yourself Audrey!"
"Thank you," Audrey blushed, "I torture myself on an elliptical machine 5 hours a week. May I sit down with you?"
Diane nodded and Audrey sat down in the chair next to Diane. They drank coffee and chatted, filling each other in about the events of the last 15 years. Diane learnt that Audrey herself was divorced and she was raising two teenaged boys. She had been divorced for three years and had not dated much because she had lost over 80 pounds in the last 2 years.
"80 pounds!" Diane said amazed, "I am totally impressed Audrey! I am sure you have guys hitting on you left and right now."
"Thank you Diane," Audrey blushed again, "But hardly."
"So you and Craig never did tie the knot then?" Audrey enquired regarding the boy that Diane had dated for 3 years in high school.
"No," replied Diane, "it finally fizzled out once I left for college. We're still very good friends and our paths still cross a couple of times a year." She smiled, wickedly. "He's married now and lives in Lubbock, but we still rekindle occasionally."
"Some things never change," laughed Audrey. "I was always slightly envious of you when we were at St. Joan's," she added.
"Oh," said Diane, raising an eyebrow enquiringly, "Why?"
"Well, it was just the way that you were sot hot and confidant and seemed you never used to give a crap about anything," said Audrey. "You did what you liked with who you liked and didn't
give a care about what other people thought. Your exploits were legendary and I wanted to be more like you." She shrugged regretfully, "I was always the quiet shy one and would never do anything that I thought my mom and dad would disapprove of," she said.
Diane laughed. "The ironic thing is that I was jealous at how determined and dedicated you were in school and athletics. I used to be amazed at what a great basketball player you were Audrey."
"Thanks Diane," said Audrey, "I loved to play and it helped me pay for college with a scholarship."
"Really?" asked Diane, her surprise clearly evident, "That is so cool!"
"Oh yes," replied Audrey, "I even kept it going for about six months professionally in Europe until I met my ex-husband in Greece."
"Greece huh?" Diane smiled, "I though all women basketball players ended up being gay."
"Not all," Audrey smiled bashfully, "Some of us did not play for the same team. Although, I cannot say that I never did have a few flings."
