Second Chances

“Oh my God. That was the best concert ever.” Randy gushed, waiting in line for her chance to get AJ’s autograph.

“I have to admit, it was very good. What’s that guy’s name again? The one with the blondish hair? He’s got an incredible voice.” And an incredible everything else from what Jennifer could see.

“Brian. Yeah, he can sing, but not as well as my AJ.”

“If you say so. Look, I’m gonna go get some fresh air, ok?”

“Ok, hopefully I won’t be too much longer.”

Jennifer walked outside and crossed the street to sit on one of the park benches close by. Brian had seen her leave the concert and followed her outside. He wanted to get nearer, needing a closer look. After all, he’d never seen Jenn and Jennifer in the same place at the same time. They could well be one and the same.

Jennifer was paying no attention to what was going on around her, writing something in a small notebook.

“I need your help, Jenn.” he said, running up to her and sitting beside her on the bench.

She looked up, startled.

Part of Brian still hoped that this was one great big joke. But there was absolutely no recognition in her eyes. None at all.

Dear God, she was Jenn----but she wasn’t. Her eyes were the same violet blue, her nose the same perfect shape. Her hair was shorter, though, and the lines around her eyes and mouth were less pronounced. She looked younger. About five years younger, he’d guess. Exactly five years younger…..

“Excuse me?”

Talking to her like this….This wasn’t the way they’d met. Jenn had told him they’d first met at the Hard Rock Café. He was probably messing things up royally, but now that he was here, now that he was face-to-face with Jennifer, he didn’t want to leave.

He was fascinated. This was Jenn he was talking to. But she was a younger Jenn. A Jenn without that weary desperation in her eyes.

“I was being followed by a really obsessive fan,” he fabricated, praying that God would forgive him for lying. “She was screaming and crying and grabbing at me. I saw you sitting over here all alone, and I thought maybe you wouldn’t mind helping me out by pretending to be, you know, my girlfriend or something, so this girl will leave me alone….?”

“Is she still around?”

Brian turned to look. “I…..don’t know.” He hated lying like this. He was amazed that he could come up with a story so quickly with those violet eyes gazing at him. But there was no way he could tell her the truth.

“Well, just in case she’s still watching…” Jennifer leaned forward and kissed him.

On the mouth.

Brian was caught so off guard, he could do nothing but laugh.

She laughed too.

“Maybe we better do that again,” she suggested, her grin widening. “Make sure this fan---whoever she is---really gets the message.”

Jennifer started to lean forward again, and whether she was only teasing or not, Brian would never know, because temporary insanity overcame him and he leaned forward, too, closing the gap between them.

And then he was kissing her again. Not a swift gentle brushing of lips like the last kiss, but a longer, deeper kiss. Brian felt a jolt of disbelief as her tongue swept into his mouth. Not disbelief that she would kiss him that way, but that he would kiss her back, and most of all, that he wanted the kiss to go on and on and on.

Forever.

It had to be insanity----he’d never do something like kiss a total stranger without having first lost his mind. Except she wasn’t a total stranger. She was so much like Jenn. But this Jenn still remembered how to smile and laugh.

“Well,” Jennifer breathed as she pulled back. “That was pretty damn territorial. I think if the fan who was following you was watching that, she’s probably convinced that you’re not single…and are you, by any chance, single?”

Her eyes were filled with heat. Brian had seen traces of the same fire in Jenn’s eyes, but Jenn was quick to try to hide it, while Jennifer had no qualms against letting him see her attraction.

He cleared his throat as he straightened up. “Yeah,” he said, having some trouble catching his breath. “I’m single.”

Jenn had told him that the physical attraction between them had been instant when they met. She hadn’t been kidding.

“Do you have a name?” she asked.

“Brian Littrell,” he told her.

Jennifer held out her hand. “Pleased to meet you, Brian Littrell. I’m Jennifer Townsend.”

next chapter