The Late Zone

Diane had a very high pressure job as an IT consultant. She had no time for a social life as it seemed to her that she was either working or exhausted. Her only passion at the moment were her clients' projects and these were beginning to be more of an obsession than a passion. When she found time to relax in her flat she liked nothing better than to listen to some classical music, sip a glass of wine and savour the aroma of her scented candles. She was beginning to feel that she was in a rut. Her life, although intellectually stimulating lacked passion and excitement and possibly even love.

Love however could wait. Her career was still a the most important aspect of her life. All she needed to do was to get things in perspective and to do that she needed some kind of social life. In her heart of hearts she new that it was not love that she was looking for but a no strings attachment to spice up her life. Perhaps even more than one no strings attachment she thought and smiled a conspiratorial smile to herself.

On a sudden impulse she reached for her lap top and was soon researching adult dating sites. After 5 minutes she homed in on the site that appealed to her the most and was happily writing her profile with a sense of anticipation that already was was lifting her spirits much more than the aroma of her candles ever succeeded in doing.

Within a few days messages started appearing in her account and as she sifted through them she began to feel as if she was spoiled for choice. "Decisions, decisions," she thought but the difference on this occasion was that they were very pleasant decisions. At work her colleagues were beginning to notice a certain spring in her step and a slightly devilish twinkle in her eyes.

The night of her first date had arrived and she nervously entered the dimly lit wine bar. She spotted him in a corner nervously toying with an almost empty wine glass. Seeing her approach he stood up smiled, extended a hand an introduced himself. She very much liked what she saw. Even the very discreet aroma of his aftershave appealed to her. This new phase of her life had got off to a very promising start indeed.