She sat on the worn leather couch, studying one of his letters carefully. 'I'll see you soon, and I love you,' she read slowly. 'I can't wait for him to come home,' she thought. 'I haven't seen him for so long'
She thought of the last time they spent together, racing around at the county fair. He convinced her to go on the roller coaster with him, and she held his hands tight the whole way. She remembered screaming, "Johnny, I don't know why I let you talk me into these things!" She talked him into going on the carousel and the Ferris wheel with her, and they shared a special, romantic kiss as they were atop the wheel, looking over the fairgrounds. Afterwards, they split a bag of popcorn and a coke, and watched the people walk by. She couldn't remember when she had had more fun.
She snapped out of her romantic stupor, and shook her head. 'That was then,' she told herself. 'That was then and this is now.' She hadn't seen him in over 6 months, and in that time she had only received 2 letters and one phone call. Sometimes she questioned his faithfulness. She wondered if, with all those groupies, he was giving into temptation and getting right into bed with one or two of them. 'You're crazy, Lise,' she would tell herself. 'Johnny wouldn't do that to me, he LOVES me! He told me that in the last letter he sent me!' But she would doubt it, sometimes.

Backstage in Largo, Florida, Lise was on Johnny's mind. 'I really miss her, I can't wait to come home,' he thought wistfully. But now he had other things to do. He heard the crowd chanting, 'WE WANT GOO! WE WANT GOO!' and he, Robby, and Mike rushed onto the stage, screaming as well. They rocked the Sapphire, and every fan left satisfied. Every fan except a 28-year-old Kristin Marshall, who waited by the stage exit to see if she could catch a glimpse of Johnny.
"Dammit, Johnny, I have to work in 3 hours. Hurry up and get out here!" Kristin mumbled under her breath.
As if on command, Johnny cracked open the door and looked out. He then pushed it all the way open and started walking down the stairs. Kristin composed herself and started briskly walking towards him.
"Johnny!" she called out loudly. "Wait!"
He turned his head and stopped, shocked that this girl had waited 5 hours for the band to come out. 'Wow,' he thought. 'That's some serious devotion.'
Kristin reached Johnny, and she grabbed his elbow to keep him in place. She cleared her throat and introduced herself.
"My name is Kristin Marshall. I've been listening to you guys since your first album came out years ago, and you are my idol. I love the guitar solo in 'Naked'; you are a guitar god," she said.
She saw Johnny turning redder and redder with each compliment, until she stopped. Good, it had worked. She loved complimenting guys, and she loved making them feel good about themselves. It was then that they started to want to spend time with her, and be with her. Kristin smiled a small smile.
Johnny coughed nervously. "Well, thanks for the praise, Miss..uh..Marshall, but I have a wonderful girlfriend whom I love very much. I appreciate the fact that you've supported us all along, and I'm sure the rest of the guys would love you for it, too," he stuttered anxiously.
"I'm shocked, Johnny. I wasn't implying that you and I go out or anything! I just wanted to say that you were my idol and I love your music!" Kristin feigned hurt. "Well, I hope your girlfriend knows how lucky she is. Here's my number, if you're in town again, we'll go out for a casual meal. Nothing committed. I promise," Kristin said.
Johnny accepted the small torn piece of green paper that read Kristin's phone number in large block print on it. He shoved it in the back pocket of his leather pants, gave her a quick hug, and said his good-byes.
When Johnny left, Kristin did a small victory dance. Everything was going the way she wanted it to. As usual.

The next morning, on the bus to Orlando, Johnny woke up with a bitter memory of the last night fresh in his mind. He didn't want to like her, but he did. He didn't want to hurt Lise, but in a small corner of his mind, he did. He felt terrible about it, because she was a wonderful person to be with, and he loved her very much, but he thought that maybe he could have at least some fun on tour.
"Robby?" Johnny poked his head into Robby's bunk.
"What?" Robby answered sleepily.
"Can I talk to you?" Johnny asked.
"Shoot," Robby answered, rubbing his eyes.
"Okay, well, I met this woman last night..." Johnny started.
"YOU met a woman? You never meet women, Johnny. When did this start happening?" Robby laughed.
"Shut up. Anyways, I met this woman, Kristin something or other, Marshall, I think it was, and she fascinated me. She was beautiful, too. Long blonde hair, blue eyes, tall, everything wonderful. She gave me her phone number, too. I don't want to hurt Lise, but lately I've felt that there was something missing with our relationship. Do you know what I mean?"
Robby nodded and Johnny continued.
"I've only written Lise two letters during this tour, and I'm sure she's noticed that something is different between us. She's like that with things like this. But that's beside the point. Do you think that I should call Kristin? We're going to be in Orlando for a week, so we could do something, maybe. Please, give me your honest opinion. You know I'm not good with women, Johnny pleaded.
"Well, John old boy, I think you should call her. Check out your possibilities. If it doesn't work out, Lise doesn't have to know! If it does work out, you'll have to break it off with Lise...unless you want to keep a stagnant relationship," Robby answered thoughtfully.
"Huh? You're gonna break up with Lise?" Mike broke in. "When did this come about?"
"Long story short, Mike: I met a woman last night and Robby says I should call her, and if something works out, then I should break it off with Lise," Johnny said.
"Well, if you break up with her, can I date her?" Mike joked.
"Sure, Mike, have a day with Lise," Johnny said, faking anger.
"But seriously you guys, I'm going to call her. Right now," Johnny said.
"Go for it, dude. Hope it works," Robby answered.
Johnny picked up the phone on the bus and slowly dialed Kristin's number. The phone rang once, twice, and on the third ring, someone picked it up.
"Hello?" they said.
"Um, hi, is Kristin available?" Johnny asked apprehensively.
"Sure, just a sec," the voice answered.
Johnny heard the phone drop onto a table or the floor while the voice left to get Kristin. He waited and waited for what seemed like an eternity. Mike and Robby were looking on, both with anxious faces, wondering if anything was going to happen. Johnny took a deep breath when he heard footsteps at the other end of the phone.
"Hello?" Kristin said, sounding out of breath.
"Um, hi, this is Johnny Rzeznik," Johnny said, regretting it the instant it came out of his mouth. Stupid stupid stupid! he thought angrily.
"Oh! Hi! I didn't think you'd call," Kristin said brightly. "So, are you reconsidering my offer?"
"Actually, I am. I was wondering if you'd like to meet for dinner and a movie tonight?" Johnny offered.
"That sounds like a lot of fun; where do you want to meet?" Kristin asked.
"How about at the Moonlight Cafe, at 6?" Johnny suggested, because this was his favorite place to go when he was in Orlando. "And a movie, which one do you want to see?"
"The Moonlight sounds great; I don't care about the movie. Why don't we pick one when we get to the theater?" Kristin said.
"Sounds great! I'll see you at 6!" Johnny said happily and hung up the phone.
"Score, dude!" Mike said, and slapped Johnny on the back. "So, when ya gonna break it to Lise that she's old news?"
"Shit, Mike, that's gonna be so hard. Lise and I have had such great times together, I don't know if I want to end it just yet," Johnny said, and with that, he turned and left the room.
"He has some issues," muttered Robby, and buried himself under the covers in his bunk once again.

Johnny retreated to the solitude of the small kitchen on the bus and locked the door. 'I should have thought about this before I did it,' he reprimanded himself. 'Now I feel awful about going through with it, and I know it would kill Lise for me to break up with her. But I'll wait and see how things go tonight, and if they go well, then I break up with Lise. If they go badly, then I don't break up with Lise and never see Kristin again.' He sat in the small booth that served as the kitchen table and put his head in his hands.

At work that day, Lise had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had planted the seed of doubt in her brain about Johnny yesterday, and the plant was thriving. She had thoughts of him with other women, and she couldn't stop them however hard she tried. 'What if he's actually cheating?' she asked herself. 'If he is, I'll kick his ass so far into next week he won't even know what happened,' her brain answered. "But this is Johnny, the Johnny that I love, have fun with, and can talk to about anything," she said out loud.
Anita, the woman Lise shared a cubicle with, looked over and said, "Lise? Are you alright?"
With much trouble, Lise replied, "Yeah, Anita, I am, but thanks for asking."
"Sweetie, no you're not. What's wrong? Let me help," Anita said worriedly.
"Well.. alright," Lise broke down and started crying. Through her tears, she sniffled, "It's about Johnny, I think that he might be cheating on me."
"Oh, Lise, I'm so sorry! Tell me all about it," Anita said sympathetically.
As Lise launched into her story, Anita felt anger towards Johnny for making Lise feel so terrible about herself and their relationship. When Lise finished, Anita was red-faced with anger. She didn't know how a man that seemed so wonderful could do such a terrible thing to such a sweet girl. She knew what she wanted to do to him, all right, and hopefully he would stay out of her reach if he knew what was good for him.
"You know what you need, Lise?" Anita said, keeping the anger out of her voice.
"What?" Lise blubbered.
"You need to have a movie night, filled with thousands of luscious men that will take that slimeball off your mind," Anita responded. "And you're in luck, I just got screwed over too, so tonight is my sexy guy movie night. If you want to come over, it's fine with me."
"That sounds good," Lise said, wiping away tears. "What time do you want me to come over?"
"How about after work?" Anita suggested. "About 7?"
"Okay," Lise smiled.

Preparing himself for the date that night, Johnny stood in front of the mirror. He brushed his hair, shoved it behind his ears, and left. He walked up to the door of the cafi and to his surprise, Kristin was already there, sitting at a cozy table under the soft light of a lamp.
"Hi Kristin," Johnny said, hoping that his nervousness didnt show through.
"Hey," Kristin answered, absorbed in the menu.
Johnny sat down, picked up the menu (even though he didn't have to anymore; he always ordered the same thing at this place and they knew him by name) and pretended to study it. A waiter stopped at their table and realized that it was Johnny that he was waiting on.
"Oh, hello, John," he said in recognition. "The usual, fettuccine alfredo and a Heineken?"
Johnny blushed when he said that, afraid that Kristin might think him weird for having a beer with a fancy entrie. He looked at her and she smiled.
"Sure," Johnny replied easily, after he saw how Kristin would react.
"And for you, miss?" the waiter asked. He had never seen Johnny bring a date here; in fact, he had never seen him with the rest of the band, either. He had just thought that a, he didn't get along with the rest of the band, or b, he just liked to be alone most of the time. (He later found out that the latter was true; that he just liked to come here, be alone, and think.)
"I'll have what he's having, except instead of a Heineken, I'll have a Shirley Temple," Kristen giggled at her drink choice. "I haven't had one since I was about six years old, so it might be fun to have one again!"
"Certainly," the waiter agreed, and left.
There was a long, awkward silence after the waiter left, in which Johnny and Kristin nervously looked around the restaurant, trying to avoid direct eye contact.
"So...what's your girlfriend's name?" Kristin finally asked shyly. She didn't know what was wrong with herself, she usually had no problems in situations like these. She thought it probably just freaked her out to be out with the lead singer of the Goo Goo Dolls.
"Lise, her name is Lise," Johnny said quickly. 'God, I hate stuff like this. I don't know why I let Robby talk me into this! But she's really nice, and pretty. I think I might actually like her,' he thought.
"What does she look like?" Kristin asked, feeling a bit better about starting the conversation off now.
"She's about 5'3", has brown hair with red streaks, and gorgeous green eyes. Lise is really pretty," Johnny said, immediately regretting it. 'She's gonna think that I'm saying that she isn't pretty. Why do I always fuck these things up?'
"Oh," Kristin answered. A long pause followed. "So, what do you like to do when you're not on tour?" Even though she already knew, she just wanted to talk to him.
"I do what normal people do; I see movies, listen to music, write music, lots of stuff," Johnny said. "How about yourself? Not when you're not on tour, I mean, but what do you like to do?"
Kristin laughed now, a soft little laugh that made Johnny's skin tingle. "You're so precious," she said. "Anyway, I like to go out with my friends, shop, see movies, basically anything."
"Sounds like fun," Johnny replied.
"I'm sorry this is so weird, I usually talk a blue streak, but I guess tonight is different. Tonight I think I'm nervous because I'm actually out with my idol, and I don't want to sound stupid. Too late!" Kristin stuttered nervously.
"Oh, you don't sound stupid! You sound relaxed! I know that I sound stupid, I'm not good with women. You don't want to hear about some of my worse dates. They were so embarrassing that I've tried to erase them from my memory," Johnny said, feeling more relaxed.
"Oh, it would lighten the mood! Tell me about them," Kristin asked, hoping he would. She wanted to make this better than any failed date, much better.
"Are you absolutely sure you want to hear how pathetic I am?" he asked, incredulous.
"Yes! I mean, you're not pathetic! But I want to hear about some of the dates; I hope this one isn't added to the list some day," Kristin said quickly.
"Well, there was my first date with Lise, in which I succeeded in spilling my Coke on her, and then she tripped over my feet, and then when I was taking her home, my car broke down, so we had to walk the last 15 miles. Every time I went out with Marci, I said something that really offended her, and then she wouldn't speak to me the rest of the night. Sometimes I wondered why she kept going out with me, if I offended her so much. One time when I went out with Kaia, I tripped on my way back from the bathroom and spilled her dinner on her lap. That was also the night that I had toilet paper sticking out of the back of my pants all night and Kaia didn't tell me because she thought it was funny. And then, when I went out with Amelia, she talked non stop about stuff I didn't know about, so all I could do was smile and nod and hope that I didn't look like a complete ass," Johnny said, wincing at each bad memory. "Has that satisfied your need to laugh at me, or do you want to hear more?"
Kristin threw her head back and laughed, this time loudly. She laughed, hard, for at least 5 minutes, and couldn't bring herself to speak. 'I hope he doesn't hate me for laughing at this, but it's so funny! He's just a klutz, but he's obviously very embarrassed by it!' she thought.
Finally, she composed herself and answered, "Oh, you're just a little bit clumsy! That's not too bad. I'm sorry that all of those dates were bad; I hope that you have more fun and memorable ones in the future!"
"I'm already having a fun one," he said softly, wondering if she would pick up on it. She did, and blushed a faint pink. The color rose up from her cheeks to her forehead, and her eyes looked away from Johnny. 'She looks so pretty,' Johnny thought wistfully. "That's so sweet of you to say that," Kristin almost whispered. She reached across the table, took Johnny's hands, and held them tightly. They sat in silence, holding hands, until their meal arrived 10 minutes later. The steaming plates broke the silence, and the two began eating.
"I love pasta," Kristin said. "Sometimes I wish I could visit Italy to see what the actual Italian pasta would taste like."
"It's delicious; I wish that American chefs could prepare the pasta as well as Italian chefs," Johnny replied, feeling stupid because he couldn't find anything better to say.
"Yeah," Kristin's voice trailed off into silence. They sat staring at their cleaned plates for what seemed like a year, until their waiter returned with their check. He set it down on the table, took their plates, and walked off without a word.
Kristin reached for the check, and Johnny shook his head at her. "I'll get it," he offered. "Don't you worry about it."
"No, no, since this isn't an actual date, we should each pay half," she insisted. "Remember? You have a girlfriend."
'She got me there,' Johnny thought. 'God, I totally forgot about Lise. I was having so much fun with Kristin that I totally forgot about Lise.' Johnny smiled, somewhat embarrassed that Kristin had had to remind him that he had a girlfriend, and said, "You're right. What's the total?"
"$25.76," she answered. "So, half of that would be $12.88. Plus a tip, what's 15% of $25.76?"
"Let me just whip out my calculator that I carry around," Johnny joked.
"Oh, be quiet, you," Kristin said, and stuck her tongue out at him. "I think it would be about $4, but we might want to give a little bit more because he was a nice guy and brought our food quickly. How about $7?"
"Whatever you think, I don't really know much about restaurants and tipping and stuff. That and talking to women are my 2 problem areas," Johnny said, semi-serious.
Kristin smiled and reached into her purse. She took out a ten-dollar bill, two one-dollar bills, and a handful of change. She counted three quarters, a dime, and three pennies, and laid it on the table. Johnny reached into his pocket and felt around for his pocket. 'Not in this one,' he thought, and reached into his left pocket. He found his wallet, and took out the same amount of money that Kristin had so carefully counted out. He then took out $7 for the tip and laid it on the table. He quickly rose from the table and took Kristin's right hand to help her up from the seat. She looked up at him, smiled, and stood up. They walked out by the front door, where their waiter was standing, and Johnny smiled and said, "Have a nice night!"
There was a slight breeze on 4th street, and Johnny saw Kristin shiver. "Are you cold?" he asked.
"Oh, I'll be okay, don't worry," she answered quickly, shivering again.
"Here, wear my jacket," Johnny offered. He took it off and carefully placed it across her small shoulders. She smiled in gratitude and pulled it tightly around her. Johnny saw this as the perfect opportunity to get a little bit closer to her. He walked a little closer to her and slid his right arm around her waist. She gasped, almost inaudibly, shocked because he was flirting so much with her and he had a girlfriend! 'Things must not be going well between him and Lise,' she thought smugly. Kristin smiled and snuggled close to Johnny's warm body as they walked down 4th.
The movie theater was on 4th and Lorraine, just 3 blocks down from the restaurant. When they arrived, they found it was almost empty. The titles on the marquee were fading, and the building looked more rundown than it had been when Johnny had been here last. The employee uniforms looked yellowed and aged, as if they had been used since the beginning of time. Johnny could smell the buttery popcorn from outside the theater, and he felt himself salivating. He had always had a weakness for movie popcorn, and he felt a craving coming on.
"What do you want to see?" he asked Kristin, who was gazing about the theater, seemingly drinking it in with her eyes.
"How about a romantic comedy?" she asked. "I've heard that 'Notting Hill' is good."
"Sure, that sounds great," Johnny answered warmly, and stepped up to the ticket window. "Two for the 8:00 showing of 'Notting Hill', please."
"$14.50," the ticket-seller mumbled. Johnny pulled some money out of his wallet and handed it to the employee. "50 cents is your change, the movie is on your left. Enjoy your show," the employee said, and shoved the tickets at Johnny.
"Thanks," Johnny and Kristin replied in unison. They laughed. They walked into the theater, which seemed even more beat up than the outside of the building. The carpet was threadbare, and the paint was peeling off the walls. The uniforms in here were different from the ones outside, as if the theater had run out of money and had to buy cheaper, different uniforms for the rest of the employees.
"Do you want to get some popcorn or something to drink?" Johnny asked Kristin.
She shrugged and said, "It doesn't really matter to me. If you want some, go ahead."
"Yeah. I think I'll go ahead and get some popcorn. I'm addicted to that stuff, it's terrible!" Johnny said, laughing at himself.
"He's just so precious," Kristin thought. "I can't believe that all this is happening, that I'm actually out with him." She smiled and looked directly into Johnny's eyes for a moment, and then glanced away. 'Wow, his eyes are so intense. I can't believe I never noticed them before. They pull me in.'
Johnny caught Kristin's eyes and breathed deeply. 'They're so gorgeous! Her eyes look even better on a person as gorgeous as she is,' he thought. 'But I don't really have a snowball's chance in hell with her. Plus, I have a girlfriend! Why can't I grasp that?' he asked himself desperately. 'Because you're falling in love with this woman,' his brain answered matter-of-factly.
"Johnny? Johnny, wake up!" Kristin said loudly, snapping her fingers in front of his face.
Johnny shook out of his dreamlike state and apologized for being so distant. Kristin accepted the apology, and soon they were at the front of the concession line. "One large popcorn with butter and a Coke, please, Johnny said to the employee.
"What size drink would you like? Child, small, medium, large, or value? With a value drink you can get your choice of candy," the person asked doggedly.
"I think I'll have a large, please," Johnny said politely, and pulled his wallet out of his pocket.
"That'll be $8.75," the employee said. Johnny handed over the money, and the employee took it. "Thank you, and enj--wait, aren't you whats-his-name from the Goo Goo Dolls?"
Johnny sighed and said resignedly, "Yeah, I'm John Rzeznik."
"Ohmygosh, I can't believe it! No one cool ever comes in on my shift!" the woman exclaimed. "Can I have your autograph? My daughter loves your music. She owns all of your albums, from The Goo Goo Dolls to Dizzy up the Girl."
Johnny turned to Kristin in shock. "Wow," he whispered. "I haven't met too many people who've been fans from the beginning." To the woman, he said, "Sure! I always have time for my fans" and smiled. He took a piece of paper out of his pocket and the pen on the concession counter and began writing. "What's your daughter's name?" he asked the woman.
"Alexis," she answered. "Alexis Adams."
"Thanks," Johnny said, and continued writing. He wrote for almost 10 minutes, until Kristin reminded him that there were people behind him and that the movie would be starting if he didn't hurry up. He apologized, and signed the paper. It read, "Dear Alexis, Wow! I honestly can't think of a person that's been a fan from the beginning! Too bad I didn't get to meet you in person, maybe next time we're in town you can come to our show and meet us. I'll let you know. Thanks for your continuing support; thanks, God bless, and much love from me and the rest of the band! Love always, John Rzeznik."
"Thank you so much!" the woman exclaimed.
"No problem," Johnny answered, and he took his popcorn and drink to the theater, with Kristin trailing behind.

They picked seats near the back, so they could talk if they wanted without disturbing other patrons of the theater. They moved in towards the center of their row, Johnny on the right, Kristin on the left. The floor was sticky with dried soda, and they smelled stale popcorn all around them. As soon as they settled in, the theater darkened and the previews began. Johnny put the popcorn in between them so Kristin could reach it if she wanted, and stared blankly at the movie screen.
'Should I put my arm around her?' he wondered. 'Should I do it now, or wait? If I did it now, would I be considered too forward? I think I'll wait, probably just till a little while into the movie.' He sat back in his seat, took a swig of the Coke. and offered Kristin some. She declined, and he put it back in the cup holder in front of them. They saw 4 previews, each longer than the last, until finally the movie started. The theater darkened noticeably more, and the two loosened up considerably.
The movie started, and Johnny finally decided to put his arm around Kristin's shoulders. He felt her body move when he did that and he thought, 'Oh no, what if she didn't want me to do that? I don't want to be rude and stuff.'
Kristin felt his gentle touch on her shoulders and she relaxed. 'I can't believe it, I think I'm falling in love and it's only been one day. He's such a sweetheart, and he's so much fun to be with.' She leaned on his shoulder and lightly kissed his neck.
Johnny felt her soft lips caress his neck and he shivered. He tightened his arm around her and pulled her closer. They watched the movie about halfway through until they realized that it kind of stunk. They stood quietly and left the theater, grateful for a second time that they had sat in the back of the theater.
They burst out the front doors of the theater into the fresh, cool air of the night. Johnny was about to suggest driving down to the beach, when he realized that neither had a car. 'Damn it,' he thought. 'Well, walking would be more romantic.'
'Do you want to walk down to the beach?' he asked quietly. He wasn't sure that Kristin heard him, because she didn't answer right away. He couldn't believe himself, he had a girlfriend and he was messing around with another girl. He felt as if this could be love. 'She could be my soul mate,' Johnny realized.
The two stood in silence for a moment until Kristin spoke.
"That sounds wonderful," she replied just as softly. She reached for Johnny's hand, and, upon finding that it was cold, she took it upon herself to warm it up. She grasped his hand in both of hers and squeezed tightly to warm him up. He gently removed his hand from hers and turned to face her. He lifted his hand and lightly ran it across her cheek, giving her shivers down her spine. He then placed his arm around her waist, drew her close to him, and started walking.
It seemed as if they had walked miles in silence when they reached the beach. Johnny guided her to a semi-secluded spot near some driftwood where they could sit and be alone. He figured that they really didn't need to move away from people, since it was getting later by the moment, but it was always a good idea. He didn't want people coming to mob him right when he was about to kiss her. That would really put a damper on the mood.
He sat down near the right end of the driftwood, inviting Kristin to sit next to him. She accepted, and sat rigidly, as if she was nervous. He felt nervous energy radiating off her body, and he moved closer to her to help her loosen up. She, in turn, moved further away. They kept this routine up until Kristin was almost falling off of the driftwood. Finally, Johnny asked her what was wrong.
"You have a girlfriend, Johnny," Kristin said sadly. "I know that I've had fun tonight, and I hope that you have too. But I really don't want to jeopardize what could be a wonderful friendship, and whats more, a wonderful relationship with Lise, from this one night. I don't want to let our feelings take flight and control our actions right now. It's better if we just cool it."
"No, Kristin, that's not what either of us want. Trust me, things weren't going well with Lise lately. The last time I saw her, I found that she had been sleeping with somebody behind my back. I waited to break up with her because I wondered if she would change. I don't want to wait any more, now that I've found a girl like you that likes me for me, not because I'm famous. We seem to have some sort of connection, you and I do, and I'm not ready to give that up right now," Johnny said firmly.
"Johnny, are you absolutely sure that you want to give up on this relationship with Lise? I mean, we've only gone out once, and you're convinced that we're soul mates. It sounds like a little something is missing here. I like you a lot too, but I think I'd at least need a second or third date to figure out what I want out of this. I'm very confused about all of this now, and I really need to sort things out. If you could just wait until we've gone out one or two more times, then I would be satisfied. If, after two more dates, you still want to break up with Lise, then I'm all for it. If you're happy, I'm happy," Kristin replied.
"Well, I guess that would be okay. You're right about the soul mate thing. I honestly think we have some sort of connection, and I don't know why. But if you want me to wait, that's what I'll do," Johnny gave in. "But I really like you too, and I don't want to let an opportunity like this slip through my fingers. You're a great person, and I really enjoy being with you."
"Thanks for the compliment," Kristin said bashfully, blushing slightly.
They sat in silence for awhile, enjoying the sunset over the ocean. The sky turned all sorts of colors, from pink to purple to orange, in a matter of minutes. It was very romantic for Johnny and Kristin; Johnny moved close to Kristin and just wrapped his arms around her. They sat like that for what seemed like forever, just holding each other.
"Oh, shit," Johnny mumbled.
"What?" Kristin asked.
"I have practice in.." Johnny looked at his watch, "..10 minutes. Mike and Robby are gonna be pissed."
"Well, do you want to walk back to where you're staying, or do you want to forget about it?"
"I think I'd better go back. I'm really sorry about this. Can I call you tomorrow?"
"Of course you can. Would I say no to you, Johnny?"
Johnny smiled. He stood up and brought Kristin with him. They moved towards the road slowly, and finally they got to a pace that was comfortable for them to walk at. They still had their arms around each other, and they were getting some strange looks from passers-by on the sidewalks. They didn't care, though. They were a couple who believed they were falling in love and they cared only about each other at the moment.
They reached the tour bus and stopped in front of it. Immediately, one of the shades flew up and a pair of faces appeared at the window.
"Robby and Mike," Johnny muttered. "I should have known." He leaned in and kissed Kristin smack dab on the lips. At first, she was startled, but she returned the kiss with full force. She didn't care who was watching, and neither did he. Eventually they stopped, and when they did, both were smiling.
"I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" Johnny promised as he watched her walk away.
"I'll be home," Kristin smiled.

In the bus, Mike and Robby tried to look as if they hadn't been watching. Mike picked up the latest issue of Rolling Stone, and Robby took out his bass and quietly started practicing. Johnny walked aboard with a dreamy smile on his face, hardly noticing them at all.
"So, dude, how did it go?" Mike asked.
"She's great," Johnny answered, unwilling to tell them more. "We're going out again tomorrow night."
"Score!" Robby shouted.
Johnny shook his head and blushed. "So, are we actually gonna practice tonight? We've got that show Thursday, remember. Do we wanna do the set list now, or later?"
"Later, fuck practicing tonight. I don't feel like it," Robby said, casually pushing his bass away.
"Yeah, fuck it. We can work on it tomorrow or something. I'm tired, I'm going to sleep," Mike agreed. He closed the magazine and retreated to his bunk.
Robby did the same, and shut the curtain around his bed, leaving Johnny alone in the main area. He lounged on the couch, thinking. 'Should I call Lise now, or should I actually wait until Kristin and I go on one or two more dates?' he wondered. 'I know I promised Kristin, but I really think she's right for me. I don't want to lose her trust, though. I should probably try to keep the promise until we've gone on at least one more date.'
Johnny picked up the magazine that Mike had left and started reading. He came to an article on himself, and began laughing so hard that he couldn't stop. "Since when was I a woman?" he asked himself, still laughing. His laughter grew in volume until Mike stumbled out into the main area, looking grumpy.
"What the hell is so funny?" Mike asked sleepily.
"Oh, just reading this article on me. Apparently I had some sort of sex change when I was 19 and never told anyone," Johnny laughed. "And listen to this, I've also been married 5 times, each to one of my cousins, and they've all produced children. What kind of shithead dreams these things up?"
Mike grabbed the magazine. "Is there anything in there about me?" he asked. Flipping through the pages, he found an article on the entire band. "Says here that I'm gay. Damn, nothing interesting."
Johnny laughed even harder, cussing loudly because he couldn't stop. This brought Robby out of his bunk. Robby gave Johnny the evil eye for waking him.
"What the fuck are you laughing about?" Robby growled. Robby was never one for being woken out of a deep sleep. If he didn't wake himself up, he was pissed for the whole day.
"Read some of these, you'll laugh your ass off," Johnny said, covering his mouth to try to keep from laughing.
"What? Mike's gay? And I'm his partner? When did this happen? Mike, have you been taking advantage of me in my sleep again?" Robby joked.
Mike hung his head in mock shame. "Sorry, Robby, but you're just so goddamn sexy that I can't help myself! And I know that when you're awake, you wouldn't consent, so I had to do this while you were asleep," he said, feigning longing. "Dammit, Robby, if you would just consent now, we wouldn't have to hide it anymore. You know you want it."
The group laughed then, a loud, hearty laugh that usually followed a good joke.
"God, Mike, you're a riot!" Johnny exclaimed. "You should be a comedian if this band thing doesn't pan out. What do you think, Mike's-sex-toy...uh, I mean, Robby?"
"Bite me, Johnny," Robby said.
"He wants it, Mike. Go for it!" Johnny laughed, and ran for his bunk before Robby lunged at him and beat the shit outta him.
Once he reached his bunk, he pulled the curtain shut and taped a 'Do Not Disturb' sign that he had stolen from some hotel on the curtain. "Hopefully Robby won't barge in if he thinks I'm jacking off or something," Johnny laughed to himself. He leaned back onto his pillow and reached under the mattress for his songbook. He always wrote little bits of songs or poetry that he thought of during the day in there. He reached on the windowsill for a pen and came up empty-handed. 'Shit,' he thought. 'If I can't find one under my mattress, I'm gonna have to brave the Robby-wrath.' He furiously searched all over his bunk, and finally found a pen. 'Thank God,' Johnny sighed with relief. He opened the book and flipped through his illegible scrawls. He had some things dating back to before "Hold Me Up" had come out, and some things from just the day before. He began writing slowly and picked up the pace as ideas began to race into his head. He wrote and wrote for some time, until the bus was silent. He stopped suddenly and shook out his hand. He looked at the finished product and half-smiled. It wasn't wonderful, but it would do. It was titled simply "The Girl."
Johnny felt satisfied with the poem and made a promise to himself to re-copy it in the morning. He gently put the book and pen back under his mattress, covered himself up with his blanket, and promptly fell asleep.

The next morning, Kristin awoke to her roommate Katie shaking her.
"Dammit, Kristin, wake up," Katie said, her voice rising on each syllable. She kept shaking Kristin's shoulders until Kristin groaned at her.
"What time is it?" Kristin moaned sleepily.
"It's almost 10, lazy butt! You've got a phone call, and I think he really wants to talk to you," Katie said.
This really woke Kristin up. "He?" she inquired eagerly.
"Yeah, I think it's your date from last night. By the way, how did that go?" Katie asked, her voice brimming with curiosity.
"Can I talk to him first and then tell you?"
"Sure, here's the phone."
"You had the phone here all the time? I must sound really desperate!"
"Don't worry, I covered the mouthpiece up."
"I really like him though and I don't want him to get scared off."
"Well, take the goddamn phone and talk!"
Kristin complied. She composed herself and said, "'Lo?"
"Hi, Kristin, it's Johnny. Did you sleep well?" he joked.
"Actually, I did," she grinned. "Did you?"
"I had sweet dreams, and yes, I slept well," Johnny said. "The reason I called is because I want to know if you want to go out tonight."
"Of course! I'd love to," Kristin said, trying to hold her eagerness in. It didn't work.
Katie's eyes lit up like a jack-o-lantern when she heard that. 'Wow, she's going out with JOHNNY RZEZNIK!' she thought, awestruck. 'I can't believe it.'
While Katie sat, dazed, Kristin was finishing up her plans for the evening.
"Bye, Johnny," Kristin said sweetly and hung up the phone. As soon as she hung up, she jumped out of bed. "YES!" she screamed. She began to dance around the apartment happily, while Katie looked on, laughing.
"Girl, you are so lucky. I hope you realize it!" Katie exclaimed.
?God, Katie, sometimes I just can?t believe that all this is happening!!! I want to pinch myself to make sure I?m not dreaming!? Kristin replied, equally excited. She walked over to her closet to pick out an outfit for that night. ?What should I wear, Katie??
?Um? how about? those cute black capri pants with the flowers embroidered on the cuffs and that periwinkle tank top with the butterfly by the left strap?? Katie suggested thoughtfully.
?What shoes? I don?t think I have anything that really looks phenomenal with those pants; do you?? Kristin fretted.
?Chill out, chica, you still have forever until your date actually starts!! And yes, I think I have some shoes that you can borrow, don?t worry,? Katie laughed. ?Let me go through my closet and see.?
Kristin waited impatiently on her bed while Katie dug through the mountain of shoes on the bottom of her closet. She tapped her foot loudly, getting faster and faster until Katie triumphantly held a pair of shoes above her head.
?Found ?em!? she exclaimed. Her prize was a pair of suede black Mary Jane style flats with a daisy by the buckle on each shoe. They looked almost brand new and Katie prided herself on being able to keep her shoes beautiful for years. ?Feel free to borrow them if you want?if you don?t like these, I think I have another pair that would go good.?
?Don?t you have a pair of strappy sandals?? Kristin asked, remembering a pair of shoes that she had seen in that pile awhile ago.
?Yep, it?ll take me a minute to find them though. Hang on?? Katie said, as she buried herself in her closet again. She tossed out pair after pair of shoes, some she hadn?t worn since she was a teenager, until she found the pair Kristin was talking about. They were platform sandals with criss-crossed thin black straps, and Kristin?s eyes lit up when she saw them.
?Those are PERFECT!? Kristin exclaimed happily. ?Thank you soooo much, Katie! These are gonna go great with my outfit!?
?Wait, chica, did I say you could borrow these?? Katie said in a mock-serious tone. She saw Kristin?s face fall and said quickly, ?Joking, just joking! Of course you can wear them. I hope you have a blast on your date tonight, too. Just don?t start getting ready now!? She smiled and left Kristin to get dressed.
?I?m so happy that he called me!? Kristin thought gleefully. ?I can?t wait for tonight!?

Back at home in Buffalo, Lise was just waking up. She had fallen asleep during ?Good Will Hunting? at Anita?s house and Anita didn?t want to wake her. When she opened her eyes, she looked around and saw an unfamiliar setting. ?Where am I?? she asked herself. ?Oh, I must have fallen asleep at Anita?s. What time is it? Oh shit! I?m late for work!? She rushed to get dressed and ran out to her car to speed to work. ?I bet I look like hell,? she thought. ?I?m wearing the same clothes as I was yesterday?people will wonder.? That brought memories of the previous day at work and her thoughts of Johnny, and tears sprung to her eyes. She wondered how he was screwing her over and what little groupie he was having fun with now as tears streamed down her face. ?WHY?? she screamed in the confines of her car. ?I loved you, Johnny! And now you go and do this to me!? She cried until she reached her parking spot at work, and then she sat in her Honda Civic and cried until she could cry no more tears. She blew her nose, wiped her eyes, and hoped her eyes weren?t too puffy and red. She walked into the building and felt eyes on her from every angle. She didn?t care. ?I know I look horrible, and I have good reason to,? Lise thought angrily. ?If only they knew the half of it.? She marched into her cubicle with an angry expression on her face.
?Look who?s awake!? Anita smiled. ?Did the sleep make you feel any better??
?No,? Lise growled. ?Why didn?t you wake me up??
?I figured you needed the sleep. Plus you looked so peaceful, I didn?t want to disturb you,? Anita said.
?Well, I?m late! It?s 10:30! My ass is gonna be out that door so fast that your head will spin. I don?t have anything left,? Lise sniffled. ?I?ve lost the one thing that mattered most to me, and now I?m going to lose my job.?
?Oh, no you won?t, Lise. Mac won?t do that to you,? Anita assured her. Mac was their nickname for their boss, Ryan MacMillan. ?I promise. And if he does--? Anita was interrupted by someone knocking on their cubicle wall. ?Come in!?
Ryan MacMillan thundered into their cubicle, knocking over two chairs on his way over to Lise?s desk. He was a huge man who filled every room with his presence. He frightened even the bravest of people and made the weak ones soil themselves in fear. ?Who do you think you are, parading in here at 10:30? This is a grown up job, not a little teenager hobby. If this happens one more time, I?ll fire you so fast that you won?t even know what happened!? he semi-yelled. ?Now back to work!?
He walked right back out as if nothing had happened and Lise started all-out bawling. ?See?? she said through her tears. ?He will too!?
Anita had nothing to do but try to silently console her friend by putting her arm around Lise?s shoulder while she cried. She lightly patted her friend?s back and said, ?Honey, don?t worry. It?ll be alright. Everything will set itself straight in due time, I promise you.? She hoped.

In Largo, Kristin and Johnny were both getting ready for the date that would change both of their lives. In fact, it would change everyone?s lives.
Kristin had begun to freak out about the coming night and the thrill of seeing Johnny again. ?What if he?s changed his mind? What if he doesn?t like me anymore?? she fretted. ?He can?t have done that, just last night he was declaring his unrequited love,? she answered herself. ?Things like that just don?t go away.? She pulled out the outfit that she and Katie had chosen earlier that day and looked it over. ?Gorgeous,? she muttered. ?Now all I have to do is get dressed and do my hair and makeup.? She did the former, and went out to have her hair and makeup done. In 2 hours, she returned to her apartment to wait for 7:00 to come. ?Only half an hour,? she said. ?Which means I had better get going! It takes me quite awhile to get to the beach, and I don?t want to make him wait!? She pulled Katie?s sandals on, grabbed her purse, and sped off in her blue Nissan Sentra.
Johnny had spent most of the day practicing for the show on Thursday, and when 6:45 rolled around, he brushed his hair and teeth and walked across the street to the beach. There he sat on a log, waiting for Kristin. ?She?s so wonderful,? he thought dreamily. A happy expression came over his face and his mind clouded with thoughts of Kristin. She arrived 5 minutes after he got there and walked over to where he was sitting. There seemed to be a fog about him and she just wanted to look at him. ?He?s so adorable,? she thought happily, and slowly sat down next to him, trying not to disturb his daydream.
?Huh? What?? Johnny said, shaking himself out of a dream world.
?Oh! Sorry, I didn?t mean to be rude,? he apologized.
?Oh, don?t worry about it, you weren?t being rude. I was just thinking about you,? Kristin smiled and blushed. ?He?s so precious, I love him! Whoa, I can?t believe it, I think I do love him,? she thought, shocked. ?It?s only been 2 days, and I think I?m in love!?
?What?s on your mind?? he asked.
?Guess,? she teased.
?I think I know, but me and Pippi Longstocking? What would the children look like?? Johnny joked.
Kristin laughed gently; she had watched ?Animaniacs? once or twice and seen Pinky and the Brain. ?You?re so cute,? she said. ?But really, guess what I was thinking about.?
?I don?t know what you were thinking, but I was thinking about how much I like you and how beautiful you are,? Johnny said softly as he moved closer to her. He put his arm around her and kissed her softly on the cheek. Kristin leaned in towards him and wrapped her arms around his waist in a big hug.
?I was thinking the exact same thing,? she whispered in his ear. ?I love you.? She lightly kissed his earlobe, making him shudder with excitement.
?I love you too,? he answered, looking in her emerald green eyes with love. They sat in silence, each silently rejoicing that the other loved them, with their arms around each other.
?This is so romantic,? Kristin thought, drunk with happiness. ?It?s just like him to pick some place secluded and wonderfully romantic.?
?I feel so complete,? Johnny thought. ?She must be my soul mate. I?ve never felt anything like this before, and I don?t think I?ll ever feel it again. I love her so much and I don?t want to let her go.? He pulled her closer and held her tighter. ?This is all I need,? he thought, contented.
The two sat in silence, gazing at the quickly setting sun and the rising silver moon. Kristin leaned her head on Johnny?s shoulder and he stroked her hair. It felt so right to both of them to be together that they never wanted to leave. After what only felt like a minute, the moon was predominant in the sky and both of their stomachs were grumbling. Johnny looked at his watch and saw that it was almost 9:00. He turned to Kristin, whose head was still resting on his shoulder, and he kissed her hair.
?Kristin? It?s 9:00, are you hungry?? he asked softly, in case she was asleep. No answer. ?Kristin? Kristin, sweetie, are you awake?? Nothing. He didn?t want to wake her. ?I?ll live; I can eat something when I get back on the bus,? he thought. He sat in silence while Kristin slept, watching her chest rise and fall with her breath. ?She?s so beautiful,? he thought.
Half an hour later, Kristin woke up. Johnny turned to her, said, ?Well, hello, sleepyhead!? and kissed her cheek.
?I?m sorry I fell asleep,? Kristin apologized.
?Don?t worry about it, I?m sure you were tired and you look so beautiful when you sleep.?
At this, Kristin blushed. ?Thanks,? she giggled. ?I?m hungry, are you??
?Famished. It?s almost 10, what do you think will be open this time of night??
?10:00? Jeez! I didn?t know I slept for that long! I?m really sorry!?
?Don?t worry about it! How does Wendy?s sound to you??
?Delicious.?
The two got up and slowly walked hand in hand to Kristin?s car, where they proceeded to go to the nearest Wendy?s. They walked in and felt the cool air rush upon them. The bells tied to the door jingled when the door shut and the few people who were in the restaurant turned to look. None gasped or looked shocked, or even looked as if they knew who Johnny was. ?Good,? he thought. ?That incident at the movie theater was kind of embarrassing.? They walked up to the counter and began ordering.
?Go ahead,? Johnny said to Kristin. ?I still have to think.?
Kristin?s laughter tinkled like bells throughout the restaurant. ?You act like it?s a fancy restaurant!? she said, laughing. ?But okay. I?ll have a cheeseburger, hold the tomatoes and mayo, and a Coke�.?
?I?ll have a baked potato with bacon bits, cheese, butter, and sour cream, and a cup of coffee,? Johnny said.
?Your number is 17, your order will be out in a few minutes,? the person behind the counter said, bored.
They walked over to the condiment counter and Kristin filled her cup with Coke�. Johnny looked for the coffee machine, and upon trying to fill his cup, he found that it was empty.
?Crap! I need my coffee! I haven?t had any caffeine forever!? Johnny muttered. He walked up to the counter and said as politely as he could, ?Excuse me, but your coffee machine seems to be empty.?
?Well, you?ll have to wait until the coffee finishes brewing before you can have some,? the employee retorted. ?Which will be?.12 minutes and 34 seconds from now.?
?Damn!? Johnny thought. ?Well, can I just have a cup for some water until there?s coffee??
?Use your coffee cup,? the employee said, almost rudely.
Johnny complied, not because he wanted to, but because he was dying of dehydration. He quickly filled his cup and drank thirstily, spilling droplets of water on himself. 'Oops,' he thought. 'Oh well, it's just a shirt.' He walked over to where Kristin had settled and sat next to her. "No coffee," he said.
"That sucks," she answered. She slipped her hand in his and laced their fingers together. Her gentle touch sent shivers down Johnny's spine. He gripped her hand tightly and ran his right hand through her hair. He kissed her firmly on the lips and she kissed him back with full force. Gently, he removed his hand from hers and wrapped his arms around her small body, feeling its warmth. Removing his lips from hers, he whispered in her ear, "I love you." Upon feeling his hot breath on her face, she shuddered.
"Number 17!" a voice called out, ruining the moment. Reluctantly, Johnny pulled himself away from Kristin and said, "Be right back, love. I'm sure you want to eat." She smiled and nodded.

More to come!

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