Business had been very good at the deli lately and Gio was thinking about what to do next. Should he try to expand and hope that a second deli would do just as well, or save his extra money towards his ultimate goal - the largest sandwich shop with the longest condiment bar.

He was grateful that this was his biggest problem. Since he'd taken a break from women, he found that his life ran much smoother and he got a lot more done. He never really cared for one night stands and his last relationship ended really badly for him. It would take a special woman to break through the wall that now surrounded him. And he wasn't looking for one.

He looked around and decided he had done everything that needed to be done for the day and he would maybe get out a little earlier than usual. He could use the rest. He'd been working almost every waking hour since he'd sworn off women. He flipped off the light and set the alarm and locked up the building. He started walking towards his van when he heard a familiar voice call his name.

"Gio", he turned around and there she was, his fondest dream and worst nightmare all rolled up into one woman, Betty Suarez.

"Hey Suarez, how've you been?"

"I've been ok, I guess. Work is about the same. I love my apartment, although I had to let Amanda live with me for a while. That was stressful. Oh, and I had a crush on my neighbor and he totally didn't feel the same way about me." Betty admitted.

At this, Gio turned to look at her. "Why are you here, Suarez? Do you want me to make you feel better after another guy leaves you? Cause I've got to tell you, you've come to the wrong place."

"No, Gio, that's not why I'm here at all. I've been thinking about you a lot lately."

Gio just stared blankly at her.

Betty started figeting and swirling her hair nervously and said "Don't you have anything to say?"

"Not really"

"Why are you being so mean?"

At that remark, he started to lose his temper. "How dare you call me mean. You led me on, you dumped me, you broke my heart and you let me walk out of your life as if it meant nothing to you. Do you expect me to break into a song and dance because you have been thinking about me? You really think a lot about yourself, don't you?"

"Gio, no, that's not what I'm trying to say."

"Well then what exactly are you trying to say," Gio demanded.

At this point she was so frustrated and upset that her eyes started to fill with tears. She thought about leaving, but she realized on a certain level she deserved to feel this uncomfortable.

"I just wanted to tell you I was wrong," Betty said softly.

"Wrong about what?" Gio wanted to know.

"Wrong about everything concerning you."

"Go on." It was all he could do to keep the smirk off his face.

"I was wrong to think you were only around to annoy me and run down my boyfriend. I was wrong for telling you I'd go away with you and changing my mind at the last minute. I was wrong to think what I did wouldn't hurt you, and when you got back, I was wrong not to fight for you." Betty said this very quickly and took a deep breath when she was finished.

"And what good do you think fighting would have done?"

Betty sighed and said, "You know, I think I'll just go now."

"Bye Suarez, good to see you. Come by and buy a sandwich sometime." Gio said in a happy tone which was clearly forced.

Betty turned around and walked away. Gio started walking toward his van again and wondered if he had been too mean to her. Was there such as thing as being too mean to her after the way she treated him? He wasn't going to worry about that. He had moved on.

When he reached his van, he stuck his hand in his pocket to get his car keys and they weren't there. He had locked up the store with the extra set of keys he kept at the deli, which didn't have the keys to his apartment or his van.

"Damn," he thought. He didn't feel like walking all that way back but he had no choice.

He got about halfway back to the shop when he heard what sounded like sobbing. He looked down an alley between two buildings and about half way down he saw a girl sitting on the ground with her head in her hands, sobbing. He wondered if she was in trouble and started to walk toward her. Then he saw - it was Betty. He stopped short. If he went to comfort her he was in trouble and he knew it. She had always been able to make him forget all the bad things she'd done to him. He didn't understand it, but he knew it was true. He turned around and started back to the street but he stopped. He couldn't do it. He was a doomed man and he knew it. He walked up to her and said softly, "Are you ok, Betty?"

She looked up at him with a look of total despair. Her face was red and swollen and her hair was a mess. "No, I'm not ok. Just leave me alone."

"I don't think so. You don't have to stay with me, but you aren't going to sit in this alley with it getting dark. Come on."

"I can't go out on the street looking like this," Betty said.

"Well, I'm going back to my shop. I picked up the wrong set of keys. You can come and sit there for a little while until you get yourself together."

She got up and reluctantly walked with him, with her face looking at the sidewalk so no one could see her sadness.

When they reached the store, Gio opened the door and pointed her toward a table. He went into the back room to get the right set of keys and when he came back, Betty was sobbing again.

So much for his early evening to relax. He grabbed two bottles of water from the cooler and went to sit with her.

"What is wrong, Betty?" Gio sighed.

"I tried to tell you, but you wouldn't listen to me," Betty said through her tears.

"I promise I'll listen this time," Gio said in the kindest voice he could.

After composing herself for a minute, Betty started to talk. "Gio, during the past couple of months I've thought of you every day. At first I was feeling bad that I hurt you, but that started to change. I started to miss you. I didn't ever realize you were my best friend, the person I turned to the most and who I could always depend on. Then, as I thought about all the things I missed about you I realized I had made a terrible mistake with you. I love you and I want you back in my life." She rushed through the last part and looked at the table.

He sat there silently and thought about what she said. Finally, he spoke. "Betty, you meant the world to me. I would have done anything for you. You were my best friend, too and I loved you. I've spent the last couple of months getting used to the fact that I don't have that anymore. I mean, excuse me for not getting really excited to hear you say this. You totally treated me like crap and broke my heart."

"So there is no hope for us?" Betty asked sadly.

He thought about this for a minute. He finally looked at her and said.

"Betty, I will give you a chance if you want to try to win me back. I'll be open minded, but it's all up to you. You have to pursue me, you have to make me want to spend time with you. You have to convince me that you truly want me. You have to make me love you again."

"Oh Gio, thank you. All I want is a chance." Betty smiled.

"Do you want a ride home? It's getting dark and frankly, you're a mess," Gio asked.

"Thanks Gio, that would be great."

They walked in silence to the van and rode the couple of miles to her apartment without speaking.

He pulled over near her building and looked her in the eyes.

"I've got to warn you Suarez, I'm not easy. Especially where you're concerned. You've got your work cut out for you if you want to win me back." Gio informed her.

"That's ok, I'm willing to work. You're worth it." She gave him a shy smile and got out of the van.

Gio sat there for a moment before he drove off and wondered what the hell he'd done.