With a deep sigh, she slipped the golden key into the lock of her front door. It had been a rough day and she wanted nothing more than to hop into a hot bath and then drift off to a peaceful sleep.

She played the scene over in her head at least a hundred times that day: "You're fired Andrea!" he had shouted at her loud enough for each cubicle in the entire office to hear. Andrea could remember how her heart had dropped to floor and how crushed she felt. Why would he let her go after 4 years at his company? The whole thing didn't seem to make any sense at all.

Slowly, she creaked the door open a little to slip her key out. Then, when the key out of the lock and firmly clutched in her hand, she whacked the door open, almost in an act of rage. But as the door thumped loudly against the wall of her apartment, Andrea stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes opened wide and her jaw seemed to touch her toes. In front of her, on the dining room table was a vase, full of beautifully bloomed red roses.

Still stunned by what she saw, she walked over to the table. Her mind was racing. Who could have done this and why on Earth would they do this? And then, she saw a note that was placed lightly in the roses. Across it, the word, "Andy." She only knew of one person who called her Andy.

"Lance," she sighed, smiling. "How sweet."

She opened the note and read it, expecting to read a thoughtful, sympathetic note from her best friend, but was very surprised by what she found.

"Andy-
I know you're hurting right now. But don't worry too much about it. Someone loves you no matter what happens to you or what you do. It is my hope that a simple dozen red rose will cheer you up and allow you to find some peace.
-Your Secret Admirer"

Andrea was shocked at this point. Lance was her best friend and would never, ever write something like this to her. But who would? An ex-coworker, maybe? No, someone else, but who?

"Lance, whoever did it was very smart," Andrea said over lunch the next day with Lance. Usually, Lance was out of town on the road, but this week they had a break, and, like most breaks, the two of them made sure they could hang out together.

Lance held the card that had been found with he flowers in his hand, examining it. "What do you mean they were 'very smart?'"

"Hello, copying my keys?" she said, jangling the keys in front of Lance faces. "That's brilliant."

Lance sighed in disbelief. "You actually think the guy, or...uh...person for that matter, copied your keys?"

She nodded happily. "Of course."

Lance smirked. "You've thought into this way too much."

Andrea disregarded that comment. "So whoever did it must have had access to my keys at least once, right?" She thought it over for a minute, becoming silent in her thoughts.

Lance put the card face-up on the table and then went to eating.

"Austin," she suddenly blurted out. Lance was startled by her outburst and spit his food out on his plate so as not to choke on it.

"What?" he asked, gaping for air.

"Austin. Remember, my assistant?" A sad look washed over her face. "My ex-assisstant, I mean. He had access to my keys numerous times."

"But how do you explain the whole 'Andy' thing?" Lance countered.

"Well, that's obvious," she began to explain. "He knew that you were the only one who called me that, and so by writing that on the front, he knew it would throw me off."

"Yeah," Lance replied. "I could see that. But, what if it wasn't him. What if it were someone closer than a measly assistant?"

Andrea looked at Lance awkwardly. "Like who do you have in mind?"

"I don't know," he shook his head. "Just someone who is already a friend. Like one of the guys or something."

"You know more about this than you lead on!" she exclaimed. "One of them did do it, and you know who, don't you?"

"I didn't say that."

"Close enough," she said. "Who was it? Joey? Chris? JC? Justin....." She saw Lance's eyes close. "Justin?" she asked. "It was him!"

"Now, did I say 'yes' yet?" he asked her. "No, I didn't say anything."

"You don't have to," Andrea informed him. "I know you too well. You know, I should have known it was him this whole time. I've caught him looking down my shirt a few times."

Lance laughed. "Andy..."

"What? He's two year younger than me! He's nineteen. Justin is at his sexual peak and it just so happens that I am his interest."

Lance cracked up.

"What's so funny?" she asked him. "You don't think that Justin could be interested in an older woman."

"No," he said. "I know Justin could be interested in an older woman, just not..."

"Don't speak," she said cutting him off and then sighing loudly. "Well, I'm flattered, but I'll just have to tell him that it wouldn't work out between us."

He chuckled. "Oh, he'll be crushed..." Lance warned teasingly.

"I know, but I'll explain it to him. Hopefully, he'll understand." She picked up her fork and continued eating her pasta.

"But when will you tell him?" he continued to inquire.

"A secret admirer always strikes again," she said matter-of-factly and went back to her pasta.

"Thanks for lunch," Andrea said to Lance as they stopped in front of her apartment door.

"Anytime."

"Well," she motioned towards the door. "I'll see you later."

He nodded and started walking away, but he turned around after about five feet. The key was already in the lock but she hadn't turned it before he started speaking.

"Andy," he called.

She stopped unlocking the door and faced him. "Yeah?"

"How can you be so sure it's Justin?" He could hardly hide his feelings for her anymore. He had loved her ever since he first laid eyes on her at the gas station. They were pumping gas next to each other and he knew just from that one moment, he love her for the rest of his life. It was not the most romantic place to find that special person, but it worked for him. No matter how naive she was about romance, he was 100% head-over-heel for this girl. It took all strength he had held inside of him not to confess his feelings for her right then and there. He wanted so badly to forget about what was "right" and just leap forward and kiss her. But he refrained and just asked his simple question.

"You have let me know that it's him," was all she said.

He nodded. "But what if it wasn't him?" he asked. "What if it were me? What would you do?"

Andrea laughed. "Lance, how can you ask a stupid question like that? You would never do anything like that; we're best friends."

"Well, there's my answer, I guess," he sighed. "I hope he doesn't fall to hard. Good-bye."

"Bye," she called at him as he walked away. Andrea turned the key around in the lock and opened the door. But what she saw took her breath away. There were now, not only a dozen red roses on the dining room table, but a dozen red roses on the coffee table in the living room too.

She walked inside, leaving the door open behind her. Andrea walked to the kitchen. On the counter, a dozen red roses. In her bathroom, a dozen red roses. On her bed a dozen red roses. In every room in her apartment, there were a dozen red roses.

But the roses that were on her bed caught her eye. Another letter with the word "Andy" across it. Justin struck back with a vengeance, she thought as she sat on her bed and picked up the letter. She read it carefully.

"You're not as smart as you think you are," was all it said. She was completely puzzled. It didn't make sense. She walked out of her room and down the narrow hallway out to the living room. Her eyes opened wide and she stiffened when she saw Lance standing in the doorway.

"You really aren't," he said.

"Aren't what?" she asked softly, obviously confused.

"As smart as you often think you are." He walked closer to her. "You aren't as mean, or strong, or even as pretty as you think you are sometimes. " He reached her and brought his hand to her face to wipe away a small tear that had found it's way onto her cheek. "But I see past all of that. That's why I love you."

"But," she squeaked. "How did you do this? I was with you the whole day," tears started steadily flowing down her cheeks.

"A master," he said. "Never reveals his secrets. And we always strike again, right?"

She smiled. And, without even thinking, kissed him, softly and passionately. When they released, she spoke again. "I'm not worth all this."

"You're right," Lance told her. "But I figured, if it doesn't work out, I will have only spent a little money on a few dozen red roses," he joked.

She giggled and kissed him again. She would never have to wonder where her flowers would come from again.

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