Fatigues were so easy, so simple. Plus, Finn was used to them. No wardrobe clashes, just reach in a pull out a clean blue and grey patterned shirt, matching pants, army boots. No need to think.

Of course, he could have worn his formals stateside. It would have made a statement, made the girls notice him. One girl in particular. He'd dismissed the idea - the navy-blue jacket was restrictive and the shiny buttons screamed military.

Instead, Finn had rummaged through the small pile of casual clothes he kept on hand at the base and pulled out a new pair of dark jeans and a crisp white shirt.

He wiped away the sand from his eye. Well, there couldn't be any sand, he'd left the desert days ago, but it was a force of habit. He would swear on his honour there was sand everywhere like an amputee still feels pain in a leg that is no longer there.

That's it. Focus on the desert and the testimony he had to give Finn told himself. The sooner he got this over with, the sooner he could be back on a plane overseas. Far, far away from everything and everyone.

Stepping off the elevator, Finn was greeted by a young man practically encased in a solid wooden desk. The dark panelling repeated itself on the walls, complimenting the hunter green coloured furniture and lush potted plants. It all attempted to give the office an atmosphere of wealth and prestige. Yes, Emily would fit right in here.

Flashing him a smile, the receptionist greeted Finn, practically bouncing in his seat. "Can I help you?"

"Finn Wainwright. I have an appointment with Lance Simpson."

"Ah yes, Mr. Wainwright," he muttered checking the small tablet in his hand. "Mr. Simpson will be right out. Can I get you a coffee or tea while you wait?"

Finn shook his head and headed over to the set of matching plush leather couches separated by a low table littered with glossy magazines.

The hair at the base of his neck rubbed uncomfortably on the shirt's stiff collar as he sat down. Running his hands through his unruly hair, Finn reminded himself to put 'get a hair cut' on his to-do list. His last rotation had been six weeks and his normally chocolate brown mop was bleached at the tips by the harsh sun and starting to curl. The last time it was close to being this long, he had been a gangly teenager.

The thought made him frown. A trip down memory lane was never a good idea. Inevitably it would lead to thoughts of her.

She was here, somewhere. In this building. Finn could almost feel Emily. Instinctively he kept alert, his head swivelling towards movement in the corridor beyond the empty waiting room. Constantly looking for any signs of a petite woman with auburn hair.

Over the years he had kept close tabs on Emily Montgomery. Google was his friend, making it child's play to track her from university to law school to her current position with the law firm. 

He told himself looking Emily up online was idle curiosity or a recognizance mission to ensure he avoided the woman who had stomped on his heart. The heart which had been Emily's since the moment he first saw her.

Finn hefted the full crate of beer bottles on to the bar top. He wiped the sweat from his brow and pushed his disobedient hair away from his eyes. He had always been slightly envious of the fact his brother Simon managed a bar. When the opportunity presented itself to come and work for Simon for the summer while Finn tried to figure out what to do post high school, Finn had jumped at the chance.

But now Finn had been employed here for a few weeks, he had quickly realized it was actually a lot of hard work. Instead of sitting around, serving a beer or two and chatting with the locals, he was run off his feet, shuttling drinks between the bar and hungry customers. Unlike in the movies, the work did not end at serving drinks, it was all preparation and clean up. There was always something that needed lugging, filling, cleaning or tossing.

And the weather was not helping. As the cherry blossoms faded away and spring slipped into summer, the humidity and heat moved in. During the morning, the inside of the bar seemed to sweat itself, until the afternoon when the big wooden shutters could be flung open and the breeze from the river provided some relief. But not quite enough relief. Finn prayed for customers to come in for an excuse to hang out by the fresh air.

As if answering his thoughts, the front door creaked open and two girls walked in. One was a tall slim blonde, dressed in a tennis outfit of perfect white from her shoes to her headband. She entered the place like she owned it and didn't wait for Simon to show her to a table.

Hopping up on the tall chair by the window, the woman positioned herself facing the doorway as if posing so everyone who entered the bar would have a clear view of her. Her lips were immaculately adorned with bright pink lipstick, perfectly matching her nails. Her big blue eyes were rimmed with black, making them sparkle almost as brightly as the diamond studs decorating her ears.

The blonde was a vision of classic beauty, but Finn felt if he could wipe off the makeup and clothes, there would be nothing but a cold void left. As he turned away from her, Finn's gaze swept over her companion. And then returned to take in the vision of loveliness before him.

She was angled slightly away from him so he could not fully see her face, but her presence emanated across the room and straight towards him. Unlike her friend, she was rather plainly adorned in a simple flower-patterned sundress that accentuated her small form but didn't flaunt it. In contrast to the other girl's perfectly straightened hair that curled at the ends to frame her face, this girl's light brown...no red - Finn couldn't quite make up his mind – hair was pulled into a simple ponytail giving her an air of playfulness.

Then she turned to glance around the bar and when her eyes met Finn's it was if the sun had come out inside the building. Finn had never seen a woman as gorgeous as her before. Small nose, delicate lips, bright curious eyes all worked together to create perfection.

"You'll attract flies if you don't stop gaping," Simon whispered to him as he nudged him in the ribs. Finn swallowed and tried to find his voice.

"Who is that?"

Simon smiled down at the glass he was cleaning. "Ah, you have the pleasure of being in the grand Mary Montgomery's presence. I agree, the view is something to behold, but I assure you, in this case, blondes do not have more fun."

"What?" Finn was confused. It took a beat for his mind to catch up to the fact that Simon was referring to the wrong girl. "No, her."

Simon clapped Finn on the back. "Mom always did think you were going to be a smart one. That, little brother, is Emily Montgomery. Younger sister to Mary and one of the nicest people in this town. Maybe the nicest. Heart of gold that one."

"Emily." Finn tried her name out loud and decided he liked the way it sounded.

"Don't go getting too smitten Finn. They play in a very different circle than us. The Montgomerys are rich and I mean old school rich. Family crests, summer house up the coast, ancestors came over on the Mayflower rich."

Simon put the clean glass on the bar. "Mary likes to come down here to the docks every now and again, slumming it, when she needs an ego boost. She's back for the summer from her first year in university and I assure you, she's in need of some good slums."

Finn looked at his brother and wondered for a moment if there was a history between the two of them. Seeming to read his mind, Simon laughed. "Oh yeah, I tried, but she was having none of it. Now Emily on the other hand..." Finn felt a flash of anger towards his brother. "...she was always kind to me, offering a word of solace each time I struck out. Really, that girl is a true gem." Finn let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"Here," Simon shoved a few menus in his hands, "You go take their order."

Finn made his way across the bar slowly and cautiously. It was like his feet had forgotten the basic function of walking.

"About time," huffed the blonde.

"C'mon, Mary, don't be so cruel." Emily teased. She looked at his nametag and then at his face and smiled. It took Finn's breath away.

This girl was even more stunning up close, with porcelain skin and eyes the softest shade of grey making him ashamed to have ever admired her sister. All set off by her effervescent smile, hinting at secrets to be explored. He wanted to be the one to make her smile like that all the time. "Finn is here now. All's well."

The sound of his name on her lips struck a chord deep inside his chest. He was bewildered, he had never had such a visceral response to a woman before. He was so busy taking her all in he didn't notice she was now speaking to him.

"Sorry, what?"

"I asked, do you have any specials today?"

"Yes."

Silence stretched out between them. Emily reached out and took the menus from Finn's frozen hands.

"And the specials would be?" she prompted, sweetly.

"Oh, right." What were the specials? Finn's mind drew a complete blank. Not ten minutes before he had been writing them out in chalk on the board just inside the door.

"Today is a bacon cheeseburger and fries." Simon's voice came from behind him, as he placed two iced teas down on the table. "Of course, for you Emily, I can do frings."

"Frings?" Finn asked out loud.

"Yes, onion rings and french fries. It's Emily's creation."

"You get the best of both worlds that way," Emily informed him. She sat up a little straighter as if she was proud of the concept. "It's how I roll." She giggled.

"I'll have the cobb salad," interrupted Mary, shifting the attention to herself as she stuffed the menu into Simon's chest. Simon took the cue and turned towards her. Finn's attention never left Emily.

"Best of both worlds huh? I like it." Finn smiled back at her.

"So. Cheeseburger with frings it is, right?" asked Simon.

Emily nodded in agreement and took a sip of her iced tea.

"Excellent choice, as usual." He winked at her and walked away from the table, dragging Finn along with him.

Movement in the hallway leading into the offices brought Finn back to the present. He braced himself for impact.