"Shine bright like a diamond, shine bright like a diamond" Shauna sang softly as she tidied up the matchmaking shop Friday afternoon.

Serena had to run errands so she had enlisted her friend to help her close up for the day. Shauna too agreed since today she had visited yet another museum, this one about aeronautics.

As she swept the floor, Shauna continued singing to herself while wondering where Dawn was planning to take her to tonight.

The girls hadn't been able to hang out too much during the weeknights but they had promised to make it up to Shauna over the weekend. The fortune teller was more than thrilled at the prospect of going out on the town.

"find light in a beutiful sea, i choose to be happy" Shauna sang, twirling with the broom. "you and i, you and i, we're like diamonds in the sky"

As the young woman continued, her voice got increasingly louder and her motions wilder as she used the broom for her dance partner, swinging her arms up in the air and spinning around the shop. She was so focused in her personal performance of the famous Rihanna song that she failed to hear the ding coming from the shop bell.

"you're a shooting star i see, A vison of ectasy" she sang, holding the broom close to her now like a microphone and closing her eyes. "when you hold me, i'm alive, we're like diamonds in the...-oh my gosh!"

Her eyes shot open as she twirled right into a hard wall of something that wasn't a wall.

Shauna knew without a doubt that her pale face was now a deep crimson color as she took several hurried steps back and realized she had collided into a young man. Her embarrassment intense.

"I am so incredibly sorry sir," she said in a rush, praying with all her might that he hadn't noticed her little show.

"The Sound of Music, huh? Don't stop on my account," he said as his mouth turned upward.

Please let me keel over and die now, Shauna wished, wondering if it were possible for her head to explode from the increased temperature that boiled the blood in her face.

Deciding that the best way to get over this little scene would be, to put on a professional air, Shauna stood straight, held the broom firmly by her side, smoothed down her shirt and fixed her features into what she hoped was a business-like manner as she smiled.

"May I help you sir?"

This was her first client and she would not let her friend down. Although it would've been nice if Serena had warned her that people actually did come into the shop near closing time.

The young man ran a hand through his dark hair and pulled off the reflective shades that covered nearly half his face as he came closer to Shauna and looked down at her.

"You can sing and dance for me again," he said in a sultry voice, raising one eyebrow. "Can I request the song?"

Shauna's eyes widened in shock as she took a step back, then blinked. "Gary Oak?"

"Oh, so you already know who I am? That makes things easier," he said with the exact grin Shauna had seen him flashing at the other women in the collage of photos from the magazine she read.

Now that the good-looking young man had transformed into Gary Oak, Shauna decided he was no longer attractive.

"I just saw the article on you and Ash Ketchum in the Vanville Vanity," she explained, not attempting to keep the disgust she felt for him from dripping in her voice.

Why on earth was this perverted man here in Serena's shop? Why couldn't it be the sweet Ash Ketchum instead?

He took a step closer towards Shauna, the cocky grin still plastered to his sun-tanned face and Shauna had to wonder why any woman would fall for such a blatant playboy's behaviour.

"I'm famous like that," he replied coolly then cocked his head. "So. You're not Serena ."

"How do you know that?" Shauna wondered. Was Gary Oak already a client of Serena's?

"Because I had a few business classes with Serena in college. I decided to look her up while I was in town," he replied. "So, you gonna tell me who you are or should I just call you Little Maria?"

Shauna could sense the arrogance laced within his words and the confidence radiating from his grin. Now she knew why women fell for him. They mistook the arrogance for playful flirting and that was a mistake Gary preyed on. But lucky for Shauna, she wasn't a fortune teller for nothing. Reading people was her specialty and it was proving to be useful just now.

Shauna crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "No. I don't think I'm going to tell you who I am and no you may not call me Little Maria."

Shauna walked behind the counter and rested the broom against the wall. "Are you interested in making an appointment for Serena's Matchmaking Service?"

Gary put his arms on the counter and leaned forward with a sideways smile. "Like I told you, I'm just here to visit Serena. Besides, like Gary Oak needs a matchmaking service? Ha. Little Maria, I can get several women at the snap of my fingers." He snapped. "You want to be one of them?"

Shauna grit her teeth together. "I am not one of those gold digging trashy pitiful excuses for women that I've heard sniff around your nasty heels waiting for you to drop some disgusting scraps."

She smirked in satisfaction as she saw Gary was taken aback by her aggressive words.

Oh yes, I know all about you Mr. Greasy Oak, she thought. I don't care even if you are an old college classmate of Serena's.

Wait a minute.

Shauna stared at Gary as though he had just now materialized out of thin air.
Old college classmate...meaning someone from Serena's past. And though Shauna didn't know him personally, she had read an article on the man only yesterday and seen several pictures of him yet failed to recognize him when he had entered because of his sunglasses and tan.

A disguise.

Ohmygosh.

"What? No more spiteful words of jealousy Little Maria? Or maybe you have to sing your next lines in that awful tone-deaf voice," Gary said breaking Shauna out of her thoughts.

The fortune teller narrowed her dark eyes and deepened the frown already on her face. If Gary Oak was the mystery man, then Shuana had to prevent him from meeting Serena at all costs, even if it meant putting her reputation as a genuine fortune-teller on the line.

Shauna knew what she had to do. Her mission in Vanville was now clear. Forget museums. She had to protect Serena.

"Jealous of what exactly, you perverted playboy?"

Gary held a hand over his heart and feigned distress. "You wound me mademoiselle with such harsh words."

"Yet you don't deny their validity."

The man leaned forward again. "Playboy I'll accept. Pervert is not a word one uses to describe Gary Oak."

"What are you, three? Stop referring to yourself in third person," Shauna said with a scoff, picking up the broom once more. "Look I don't care if you're Gary Oak. If you're a playboy or a pervert or both, you are not welcome here."

She came out from behind the counter and stood in front of the man who had now turned to face her. Straightening up in all her five-feet-four-inches, she knew that she could not look the least bit intimidating, to the nearly six-foot tall man yet she had to try for Serena's sake.

Shauna pointed towards the door with the broom. "There's the way out."

"Don't you know to treat your customers with respect?"

"You've already made it clear that you're not a customer."

"Maybe I could be."

"If you're a perverted player, then certainly not. Serena's service is to help people find true love, not one-night stands."

"You'd better learn to stop assuming things about people Little Maria," Gary said and Shauna noted a touch of anger in his previously teasing voice.

Shauna crossed her arms. "The name is not Little Maria."

"You know what? I don't care what your name is. I'm wasting my precious time with someone who is obviously the cleaning woman who isn't worth anyone's time," Gary retorted, eyeing the broom.

"Oh so you think you're all high and mighty do you? Just cause you're grand daddy's all rich and famous you think it's okay to trample over the little people?" Shauna spat out fiercely.

Gary raised an eyebrow and frowned, crossing his own arms. "Wow. You are one crazy chick. What nonsense are you going on about?"

"Look playboy. Just like you don't have time to deal with me, I don't have time nor would I ever make time, to deal with you," the young woman said heatedly. She stomped over to the front of the store and swung the door wide open. "So let's just have you leave. Now."

Gary marched over and bent forward until his green eyes bore straight into Shauna's dark ones. Both pairs were flaming intensely and both stanchly refusing to give into defeat at the expense of pride.

I will not lose to this man, Shauna thought. I will protect Serena.

If she could, she'd whack him with the broom to really scare him off but then, the fact remained that he really was still rich and famous and could probably use his connections to harm Serena and her business which is exactly what Shauna was trying to prevent.

She glared back at Gary whose face was slowly turning red from his own anger. Neither said a word as they carried on a silent staring contest.
Finally, Gary stood straight, shot one last dark look at Shauna before walking out of the shop without another word.

"I won," Shauna whispered to herself and smiled victoriously, pumping a fist in the air. She let go of the door handle, letting the door shut with a slight click and nodded in self-assurance.

She had done it. She had chased away Gary Oak and Serena was safe. The world of love could now breathe a sigh of relief.

Good riddance, she thought smugly as she resumed her sweeping.

"now watch me whip, now watch me nae nae"