Second Chances

Checking to make sure her keys were in her purse, Dr. Jennifer Townsend stepped out of the front door of her house, locking it behind her. Randy was staying with some friends for the weekend before school started, so Jennifer had the house all to herself.

The Labor Day party at the Hard Rock Café didn’t start until seven. She was more than an hour and a half early. She was planning to go to NASA, spend some time in the lab, go to the party, stay for an hour or so then leave.

Unless Brian Littrell showed up.

If he showed, without a date, she’d stay for dinner.

She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him since she’d met him at the concert. The kisses they had shared had been incredible. Especially that second kiss. She’d found out through a friend that Brian had been been invited to the party. But whether or not he was going to attend was still a mystery.

Suddenly, she felt a wave of fatigue hit her. She turned, heading for the convenience store on the corner and the self-serve coffee inside. She’d been up well until dawn the night before, working on her time-travel theories. She was close. She was so damned close, but it was still out of her grasp. She’d stayed awake until five-thirty, working the equations, again and again. She’d slept only two hours before she had to get up and go in to work.

She went toward the back of the store, where the brewed pots of coffee simmered on burners. She poured herself a large cup and then turned, searching for the correct-size lid.

“Hello, Jennifer.”

Jennifer nearly spilled the entire cup of coffee down the front of her dress. It was Brian Littrell.

“Remember me? I’m Brian…”

“Littrell,” she finished for him, setting her cup back on the counter and quickly taking the hand he extended. “Of course I remember you. I actually was just thinking about you.” She told him with a smile.

“You were?” His eyes lit up with genuine happiness.

Jennifer realized she was still holding his hand. He hadn’t tugged it free from her grasp. She held on even tighter, lacing their fingers together, feeling a surge of pleasure. God knows their attraction was mutual. The connection that flowed between them was hot enough to make her coffee seem tepid. But in addition to that, he honestly seemed to like her. As much as she liked him. And she did, she realized. She liked the sparkle in his smile and the amusement that danced in his eyes.

But tonight there was something else in his eyes as well. She could see a sadness that seemed to linger.

“Yeah,” she said. As she looked at him, he checked his watch. It was a sign that she was either boring him, or he needed to be somewhere. She couldn’t believe the first.

“I heard from a friend of mine that you were invited to a party being held at the Hard Rock tonight. I received an invitation myself through work.” She released his hand. “But obviously, you’re heading someplace else.” She stated looking at his tan leather jacket, jeans and t-shirt.

“No, I was planning to go to the Hard Rock, but not til a little later.” He leaned back against the coffee counter, as if he intended to stay for a while. So much for her second theory. “So, what are you doing here? Do you live nearby?”

“Just down the street,” she told him. “Are you meeting someone at the party?”

“Actually, I’m supposed to meet YOU there.”

Now, what the hell did he mean by that?

“Do you have plans for dinner?” She picked up her coffee and started toward the front of the store, hoping she sounded casual.

“Jennifer, would you mind pouring me a cup of coffee too?”

She looked at him, startled. For just a moment his voice had sounded slightly strained. But his smile was wide and relaxed.

“Of course,” she said, quickly pouring a cup. She put a lid on it as she cleared her throat. “About dinner…”

He looked at his watch again. “I’ve already ordered room service for tonight. I’d love for you to join me.”

She picked up both coffees. She wanted to get out of here and……

“Did you say ROOM service?”

Jennifer turned back to him. He took both cups of coffee from her, setting them back on the counter. God, she didn’t even think to ask if he wanted cream and sugar.

But cream and sugar wasn’t exactly what he wanted. It wasn’t even close. He stepped nearer to her and circled one hand around her back. His other hand went under her chin. He lowered his mouth down to her lips and…..

His kiss was sheer perfection. She hesitated in surprise for only the briefest of moments before she opened her mouth to him, deepening the kiss. He put his arms around her, pulling her even closer. His hands encountered the cool smoothness of her dress and the perfect softness of her body underneath.

His arousal was instant. He kissed her again, harder this time, pressing her back against the counter. There was no way she could have missed his physical response to her. She held him even closer, kissing him just as passionately, just as hungrily.

Dear God, she’d died and gone to heaven.

“Don’t tell me,” she said, trying to keep her voice sounding light. It wasn’t hard to do because she was breathless. “Someone’s following you again.”

Brian gazed down at her. “Actually, someone’s following YOU. Agents from a covert government organization called Merlin.”

Jennifer laughed. “Merlin, huh? Sounds pretty scary.”

“Oh, they’re very scary.” He glanced at his watch again, then picked up the coffee and started toward the front of the store.

Jennifer followed, taking out her wallet from her purse as he set the hot cups on the counter near the cash register.

“Anything else?” the clerk asked. He was about 17 years old and had straggly facial hair that was supposed to pass for a beard. Jennifer couldn’t remember ever being that young.

“No, that’s it, thanks.”

“A dollar eighty-nine.” The kid glanced up at Jennifer, and did a double take. “You again? What happened to your last cup? Drop it or something?”

“Excuse me?” Jennifer asked. Her again? She hadn’t been in here in days, and this wasn’t the same clerk who had waited on her.

“Yeah,” Brian said. “We had a little accident.” He handed the boy two dollars.

“A what?” Jennifer said. “Wait a minute, I’m paying for this.”

“You can pay me back,” Brian told her, taking the change, grabbing the coffee, and heading for the door. “Come on.”

Jennifer was confused. “But why did you say….”

Brian turned to face her. “Jennifer, I’ve got a suite at the Sheraton Hotel. Will you come and have dinner there with me?”

Jennifer was confused about quite a number of things, but this was not one of them. “Absolutely.”

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