Springfield, June 1993.

Roger was sitting on the patio at the Country Club, waiting for his next meeting. He glanced at his watch, hoping that his prospective client would not be late. His schedule was simply hectic since he had decided to open a new branch in Springfield a few months ago.

He smoothed his gray silk suit with one hand while skimming trough his notes with the other. It would be quite a coup if he succeeded in becoming the sole computer supplier of Springfield's local television station, WSPR. He would then be able to use this as a solid recommendation for bigger clients, such as Lewis Oil and Spaulding Enterprises.

Not that he was in dire need of new business; the IT Company that he had founded six years ago in New York, BlueHorizon, was doing extremely well. In the last two years only, he had established two branches in Chicago and San Francisco. The demand for computers, whether personal or commercial, was on the rise, and Roger expected it to continue to grow for the next couple of decades. He had witnessed first-hand the incredible power of this new technology while working with the CIA, and had immediately been determined to benefit from its business potential. His gamble had paid off; his company was on its way of becoming a household name in the country. The only thing missing for him was to finally make it in his hometown, and that was what he intended to do in the next months, starting with WSPR. His vice-president was the one that had been scheduled to meet with the co-owner of the station, but at the last minute, Roger had decided to step in to ensure that BlueHorizon would close the deal. All he had to do now was to convince this Holly Lindsey person.

His mind drifted to Holly Norris, or his Holly as he still called her, as it never failed whenever he saw or heard that particular name. The one that got away, he thought with a bitter-sweet smile. He wondered if she had ever gotten back to town after studying in Geneva. She had never replied to any of his letters, even the ones he had sent directly to her school so that her father would not be able to intercept them. After a year, he had heard that she was engaged to some French young man studying engineering and he had finally given up. He had met the woman who would become his wife a couple of months later while visiting a friend at Cedars' hospital and the new couple had promptly moved to New York to start their new life.

Sweet nurse Peggy Fletcher! She had made him happy, at least for a while. He was afraid that the same could not be said about him. He was much too eager to make it in the business world and much too reckless to be a good and attentive husband. After one illicit business deal too many, Peggy finally had enough and filed for divorce. It was then that CIA agents had recruited him, having heard of him through their mutual shady contacts, and finally putting his ambition and intuition to better use. The Agency had inculcated him discipline and a sense of responsibility; it had made him into a more reliable man, a better man. Those had been harsh and lonely years, but he was still reaping the benefits from this experience.

Glancing at his watch again, Roger sighed and got up to inquire inside if his dinner date was not by any chance waiting for him at another table. The dining room being empty, he stopped by the bar on his way out to order a glass of red wine. While waiting for his drink, he felt more than he acknowledged a presence behind him, until he heard a silky female voice asking the Maître D' where she could find Mr. Jack Simpson's table. Jack Simpson being the name of his vice-president, Roger turned around to welcome the woman who he was supposed to meet; accidently brushed his arm against hers as he did so.

The static shock they felt upon touching made them both cry out in surprise, and it was not after a few seconds that Roger finally looked up to see Holly Lindsey. He blinked several times, unable to form one coherent thought, let alone sentence, while Holly, his Holly, was quickly turning a deep shade of crimson.

"Roger? Is that really you?" she finally asked, being the first to regain some of her composure.

"Yes! YOU're Holly Lindsey?" he finally managed to blurt out.

She only nodded, obviously still trying to make sense of what was happening. She then looked around, as if snapping back to reality, and said: "I'm here to meet somebody, but..."

"I'm the one you're supposed to meet with. Jack Simpson is the vice-president of my company, but I decided to come instead. This is incredible! I can't believe that it's really you!" Roger exclaimed enthusiastically, pure joy finally taking over all the others emotions conflicting in his heart.

He led her to their table outside and pulled a chair for her. "So you're the president of BlueHorizon?" Holly asked after being seated. "I didn't see your name in the proposal."

"Yes, I prefer to stay low-key. I really believe that it's a team effort, not a one-man show."

"Is that the truth or are you just saying that to impress a future client?" she asked.

Roger grinned and shook his head. "Can't put one pass you, can I?" He watched her for a few seconds, slightly dazzled by the sight of her, and then repeated: "I still can't believe it. How long has been? Twenty-two years?"

"Almost twenty-three. We're not getting any younger, I'm afraid," she said, glancing at his gray hair with an inscrutable expression. "Shall we get down to business?" she added coolly after a few seconds.

Roger nodded, too taken aback by her request to protest. He found it hard to believe that she had become so indifferent that she would not be interested in what he had been up to in the last twenty years. He could see that she was deadly serious, however, so he reluctantly opened his file and started to outline what BlueHorizon could do for WSPR.

As they discussed the proposal, Holly seemed to become more at ease, even allowing herself to smile at some of Roger's comments. As for him, he answered her questions concisely, but was finding it extremely hard to focus on the business at hand. Her face, her voice, and the way she moved; all of this was threatening to mesmerize him. He soon realized that the pretty and naive girl of his youth was no more; she had made way for this self-assured, witty and, in his eyes, devastatingly beautiful woman. Gone were the summer dresses and the freckled cheeks; her slender body was now clad in a classic dark business suit which only a pair of blood red pumps prevented from being too serious. Roger stared at her admiringly while she was studying his document. He was floored; there was no other accurate way to describe what he was feeling.

She raised her eyes to clarify a particular point when her attention was attracted by someone at the other end of the patio. "Excuse me," she told Roger before getting up.

His eyes followed her as she crossed the terrace to join a tall young man, who, upon seeing her, hugged her so hard that her feet left the grown. Her face was suddenly illuminated by a smile, causing Roger's breath to catch in his throat. The two exchanged a few words before Holly came back to her place.

"I am sorry, I had to talk to my son for a few seconds," Holly explained as she sat back down.

Roger's eyes immediately zeroed in on Holly's left hand, which was bare. "I figured you had been married, given your new name."

"Twice, actually. Ethan, my son, is from my first marriage with Ed Bauer."

"I see. Do you have other children?" Roger asked.

Holly only shook her head, obviously desirous to return to less personal territories, only this time, Roger would not give up so easily.

"I think I recall Ed Bauer. He's a doctor, right? When were you married to him?"

"We started dating right after I came back from college, in 1973," she said, averting her eyes. "And if you must know, we got a divorce some eight years later."

"So you've been in Springfield all this time," Roger said, looking intently into her eyes.

"Mostly, yes, but I returned in Switzerland for several years, which is where I met my second husband, Dietrich.

"Any third husband somewhere?"

"Oh no. Dietrich cured me of this ridiculous urge I had to tie the knot."

Roger laughed at her frown. "I didn't know you for a cynic!"

"Life will do that to you," she replied gravely.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that. Not that you asked, but I have a daughter myself, named Jessica. She's nineteen, which must be about your son's age, I would say?"

"Yes, he will turn twenty in December."

"Jessica's mother is Peggy Fletcher. Surely you remember Peggy? Anyway, Jess just enrolled at Springfield University and she's going to be living with me for as long as I stay here. Her mother is living in New York and has remarried several years ago."

Holly smiled at the proud father, but, to his disappointment, didn't offer any more information about her life. She looked at her watch and started gathering her papers.

"I wish I could stay and catch up," she said, clearly not meaning it, "but I have another appointment for which I'm already late. I have to say though that your offer is really interesting. I'll have to discuss it with my partner, but from the looks of things, I'd say that BlueHorizon is the best contender so far. We'll let you know this week."

"Okay. Jack will take the project back from now on. But you can call me for any questions that you might have."

"Excellent," Holly said.

He watched her walk away, wondering if their path would ever cross again. She had not shown any signs that she would like to see him again. Maybe it was better to let the sleeping dogs lie after all.