A Trip Down Memory Lane

Characters: Joy, Victoria, Melanie, and Brad(David Hyde Pierce)

Joy and Victoria were sitting down at the restaurant; Joy was sitting at one side of the table and Victoria the other. They were twirling their wrists spinning the contents of their drinks around the inside of their glass.

"Victoria, I thought half the point of moving to Cleveland were the men?" Joy exclaimed.

"It was, why?" Victoria replied.

"Because, it seems as if NO one is looking at us like when we first moved here. I don't feel that look of desire everywhere I go! Is that just me?" Joy whined. She looked into her drink then took a big sip. She always resulted in liquid therapy.

"No Joy, I've been feeling it too. Even though I am part of 'O-Hi! Ohio' I still feel the lack of appreciation in my work." Said Victoria as she gulped down the last of her drink and waved the waiter for refills. "You know, when Honor Saint Raven was single and desperate for a man…"

"I don't care what Honor Saint Raven was going to do," Joy cut in.

"You could learn a lot from Honor Saint Raven!" Victoria declared. The waiter came back to the table with the refills.

"Bloody hell," Joy exclaimed and she ducked under the table. Victoria glanced towards the door to see a man dressed in a suit with glasses.

"What's wrong with him?" Victoria exclaimed, checking him out. "He's not bad looking"

"NO! That's Brad! We dated all throughout high school and then lost touch when we went to different colleges" Joy whispered. She picked her head back up and turned her face away. "God I hope he doesn't recognize me!" She kept her face turned away.

"Joy?" Brad said as he walked over to the table where Joy and Victoria were sitting. "Joy is that you?" Joy turned around.

"Brad!" Joy exclaimed. She stood up and gave Brad a hug. "How are you?"

"Doing pretty well. How about yourself?" he asked

"Good, good. I didn't know you lived in Cleveland!" Joy said. She had a slight bit of hope that he hadn't, yet it was good to see him. She noticed a slight tingle in her heart as the idea rushed through her head. Did she still have feelings for him? "What brings you to Cleveland?"

"Well my parents just moved here and so I came along to help them settle in. I didn't know you lived in Cleveland!" Brad exclaimed. The two sat down at the table next to Victoria.

"It is really quite a long story, you probably don't have time for it," she said as she glanced over to Victoria.

"Actually, I am here for the next two weeks." Brad declared. "Why don't we get together for dinner tonight so we can catch up? Say seven?" He tilted his head and his eyes sparkled in the lights of the restaurant. Joy wandered if the twinkle was just her imagination. Before she knew it she was accepting his offer.

"I would love to," she said and smiled. What am I doing, she thought, I haven't talked to him since high school. We probably don't even get along anymore.

"Great! Where should I pick you up?" he asked. Joy got out a pen from her purse and wrote down the house address on a napkin and handed it to him.

"Here you go." Joy said as she handed him the napkin.

"See you tonight," Brad cooed.

"See you tonight," Joy replied. Her head tilted to the side as if her heart was melting for him. As he walked away she glanced back at Victoria.

"Oh My Gosh! You still love him!" Victoria teased.

"No I don't!" Joy exclaimed. "It has been too long. We probably don't have anything in common anymore. We both have lived separate lives for years now."

"Doesn't mean you still don't love him," Victoria said and she was right. Maybe she was falling in love with him all over again. Maybe she just hoped that she wouldn't fall in love.

Seven o'clock was approaching and Joy was getting ready to see Brad again. She had put on a very sleek green dress that hit just above her knees and flowed in the wind, and put on her good-luck-heels. She had no reason to wear them; she wasn't even dating the guy, yet she had a voice in the back of her head telling her to wear them. She went down stairs into the kitchen where Melanie was cooking dinner for the three girls that were staying behind.

"I thought that you didn't like the guy." Melanie said.

"And what makes you think I do?" Joy exclaimed. How could Melanie claim such a thing?

"You're wearing your good-luck-heels. I know those shoes from anywhere." Joy glanced down at her feet.

"Do you think that I am making a mistake? Going to dinner with him and all? I just don't want to make the wrong impression. I had completely forgot about the guy until today." Joy rambled.

"You look fantastic! Besides," Melanie began, "if you do end up liking him, at least you already know his background" and she was right. Just then the doorbell rang. Joy scrambled to the door and opened it to reveal Brad. He was wearing a black suit and a blue tie. She seemed to recall this tie because it made his eyes pop. Maybe that was why he wore that one, but maybe it was luck.

"Hello," Joy said shyly.

"Hi," Brad responded. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes," she said again, her voice just wasting away.

"Alright then, let's go," he said and took her by the arm. They walked out to the car, arm in arm. Joy glanced back to see Melanie in the window giving her the thumbs up. She smiled at this. Brad walked her over to the passenger side of the car and opened the door. She climbed into the car and he shut the door behind her. He is still a gentleman, she thought.

Over dinner they talked about the last twenty years and all of the events that they missed together. Joy felt her heart melting with every word he said, and she found herself falling head over heels for him, all over again. She chuckled at every little joke he made and smiled over every compliment. She was beginning to regret ever letting him go. They split the dessert as he fed her bites and she fed him. It was as if they were back in high school together.

After he paid, they walked to the car, this time hand in hand. As they drove home, they talked about getting together again and she reluctantly agreed. Her heart fell as they pulled into the driveway. The night was over and she had to wait to see him again. He parked the car and they unbuckled.

"I had a really good time tonight," he said.

"Me too," Joy cooed back. They leaned closer into one another. All of her old feelings for him rushed back into her. She felt all of the love that she had ever felt for him inside her, and then, they kissed. It was better than she remembered. The best part was that he kissed her back. They stayed in the car for a few minutes longer as they held each other close. When they pulled away, he stepped out of the car and let her out. Brad walked Joy up to the door.

"Do you have to leave now?" Joy asked

"No," he replied. "I can stay as long as you want." Joy pulled him over to the swing and they sat down. She leaned up against him as he held her close. It was a familiar feeling that she loved. She felt safe in his arms, like she never wanted him to go. She looked up to see his gorgeous eyes looking down at her. He bent down and kissed her.

"I love you," he said and kissed her again.

"I love you too," she returned.

TOO BE CONTINUED...