Chapter 1 Fate? ~~One Week Later~~
Anna and Alissa are at the night club. Anna was at the bar writing a list for what she would have to get from the liquer company in the morning and Alissa, who was now an assistant manager, was having fun at the door playing bouncer. "Excuse me? Can I see your ID?" Alissa asked the guy who looked about 15 trying to walk in. The real bouncer just shook his head trying not to laugh at her trying to act tuff. "Your not 21, get the hell outta here!" She yelled and the young boy ran. "Lissy, man, go do your job." The bouncer said half lauging. Alissa smiled and walked up to the bar next to Anna. "Hey, Anna." She said sounding tired. "Lissy were you playing bouncer again?" Anna asked her not looking up from the shelf of liquer below the bar. "Yeah, it's fun." "Ugh, finally. I'm done for the night." Anna said standing and putting her list in a folder. "Is there anything you need me to do?" Alissa asked leaning on the bar. "Yeah, go see if that guy needs to be cut off." Anna said pointing to a guy leaning on a wall looking sick. "Alrightly."
Anna got a drink and sat down at a table in the back corner where it was a little quieter.
"Do you believe in fate?" Anna recognized the deep raspy voice right away. He walked around the table and sat across from her.
"Do you?" He said with an intense look.
"Maybe." She answered unsurely. "Do you?"
"I do now. I think fate brought us together."
She studied his face for a moment. His brown eyes were mezmorizing and his smile was sweet, yet sexy.
"Maybe, but what do you think it means?" She asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, fate might have brought us together. But you don't know why. Maybe to be friends or maybe one of us is supossed to help the other with something. What do you think it means us?"
"That we should dance." He said holding out his hand to her.
"I don't know." She said shyly looking away.
"Come on. Just a dance."
"Just a dance?" She said looking back to him.
"Yes." He said with a smile.
She lightly placed her hand in his and he led her to the dance floor.
Anna was dancing with AJ and having alot of fun. The looked perfect dancing together. Anna didn't want anything more than a dance so after two songs she walked off the dance floor and AJ fallowed behind her. She walked back to her table and picked up her drink. She finished it and then turned to AJ.
"I have to go now." She told him
"Realy? I thought maybe we could sit and have a drink together." He said sounding a little dissapointed.
"You said just a dance, remember?" Anna said giving him a sweet smile and walked away.
All AJ could do was watch her walk away. "So she wants to play hard to get." He thought to himself and went back to join his friends.
~~Later That Night~~
Anna was jumping up and down on the bleachers watching the football team run down the field Including her boyfriend, Rick who was running with the ball. He ran into the end zone scoring a touch down. As soon as he spiked the all a guy from the oposing team charged at him head first causing Rick to fly into the air flip and land right on his head.
"AAAHHHH!!!" Anna screamed jumping up in her bed sweating. "Anna!" Alissa yelled running into her room. "This is the first time I have had a dream about...that day in a year." Anna said crying. Alissa sat next to her on the bed and wrapped her arms around her. Alissa layed down with her and went back to her bed after Anna fell back asleep.
~~The Next Morning~~
Anna woke up and went for her morning run at the beach as she did every morning. When she got back the smell of fresh coffee lingured through the appartment and she knew Alissa was up. She poored some coffee in her mug and sat down at the table.
"Good mornin." Alissa said drying her hair with a towel and sitting across from Anna.
"So, I saw you dancing with AJ last night." Alissa said with a tell me more look.
"Yeah, it was fun."
"And? Are you going to see him again?"
"No, I doubt it. We just danced."
"Why not?" "Lissy, please don't you know why."
"Anna...it's been two years. The only way your heart will heal is if you open it again."
~~Two Weeks Later~~
Anna has been at the club in the office working on payroll all day. She hadn't thought about AJ that much. Only the next day when she told Alissa about seeing him. Anna didn't agree with her at all. She felt like her heart was taken from her. She didn't have a heart to open to a guy any more. It left with Rick.
At about 8 p.m. Anna finally finished payroll and went out to the bar.
"Here Brad, they'r finally finished."
She said handing Brad, the bartender the stack of checks.
"Thanks hun. I don't know why you insist on doing them yourself."
"It passes time."
"Comicosi?" "
"Yeah, thanks."
He made her comicosi and sat it down in front of where she sat at the bar. Seconds later she heard that same deep raspy voice from behind her.
"Hi, My name is AJ."
Anna turned around to face him. She couldn't help, but smile at his attempt to learn her name.
"Hi, AJ" She said and turned back around.
"You know usually one would tell thier name in return." He said sitting on a stool next to her at the bar.
"It's Anna." She said softly.
"Well, looks like I'm right on time to have a drink with you."
"Umm, actually.."
"Come on, Anna. Just one drink. I'd just like to talk and get to know you and if I annoy you and you end up not liking me, I'll leave you alone forever."
"Promise?" She said laughing a little. "Ok, AJ, but...I want you to know that I'm not interested in dating right now."
AJ thought to himself. He no longer knew if he was right about her playing hard to get.
"Ok, friends?" AJ said.
"Friends." She agreed with a smile.
They had a drink and talked for a while. AJ was shocked that she hadn't asked him any questions about his music.
"Umm, you know I'm a Backstreet Boy, right?" He asked.
"Yeah, I know."
"Realy? It's kinda wierd talking to someone who isn't drilling me about it."
"Well I want to get to know AJ. Not a Backtreet Boy."
AJ smiled to her and Alissa walked up to them. Anna itroduced them and they said hi.
"Anna are you ready to go? I'm dead tired." Alissa asked with a yawn.
"Yeah, I'm ready."
Alissa said bye to AJ and walked away.
"I'll walk you out."AJ offered as she stood up.
"It's ok, you don't have to."
"I don't mind. It just doesn't seem safe for two girls to walk through the dark parking lot alone."
They got to the car and Alissa was aleady sitting inside waiting for Anna.
"Brian is having a party tomorrow night. Do you wanna come?" AJ asked her standing next to the car.
"I don't know."
"You should it'll be fun and you can bring Alissa."
"Ok, maybe."
Anna got AJ's phone number and she got in the car.
