CHAPTER TWELVE

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Stingers!

Rio couldn't flip to the next channel quickly enough before he caught sight of him. Although it was a Saturday Night Live rerun from earlier that year when the Stingers were on the show, the last thing he needed was a reminder of the man who took Jerrica away from him.

It had been several weeks since his encounter with her and Riot at the Independence Day concert, but the pain was still fresh in his heart. Rio blamed himself for how things ended up with her and knew the only way he could truly move on was to leave town. So he did. He moved to the Pacific Northwest to work for a major software company. While he enjoyed his job and often stayed late at the office to keep his mind off the past, there was no denying that his life was empty and he missed the one person he let get away.

He had started to date again, mainly women he met at the company or at company events, but no one piqued his interest beyond a first date. That night's date was no different. Her name was Bridget, a new graduate from the local university. She was a charming and intelligent young woman, but the chemistry just wasn't there, at least not like it was with Jem. So after meeting for dinner and drinks in town, Rio called it a night and went home as Bridget stayed out to meet up with friends at a club. Maybe he'd call her again. Maybe he wouldn't.

Determined not to let thoughts of her flood his mind as they frequently did, Rio put in an old Sherlock Holmes movie in his VCR. He then went to his kitchen to make himself a drink. This had become a late night time ritual for him. It was his way of helping him fall asleep without letting his mind wander back to Los Angeles.

As he stood in front of his liquor cabinet with a glass full of ice, he scanned the options for that night's bedtime drink. Nothing stood out. Perhaps his choices had gotten too mundane that it was time for a visit to the local liquor store around the corner from his apartment. As he reached for a bottle of Jack Daniel's, there was a knock at the door. "Well who could that be?" he thought to himself. The only person who came to mind was Bridget. Maybe she had had too much fun at the club and was looking for a late cap with him. It certainly wasn't something he was opposed to as it had been several months since he had been with anyone.

He got to the door and quickly looked out the peep hole. Stunned, he flung the door wide open. "What are you doing here?" he demanded to know.

"Jerrica needs your help." It was Riot.