To Love & New Beginnings

Gary Hobson never expected to be transported to 1946 River Run, Ohio. He never expected to meet Jeff Metcalf, his mirror image, nor for Jeff to be sent to the future. But mostly, Gary never expected to fall hopelessly in love with Ginger Szabo, Jeff's girl. But he did. Now back in Chicago in his own time period, Gary is nursing a broken heart. Destiny dealt him a cruel blow- to give love and then to snatch it away. Trying to pick up the pieces of his life, Gary resigned himself to a life void of love. His destiny, it seemed, was tied to tomorrow's newspaper today and saving lives. Not love. However, Gary was about to discover that true love would enter his life. A routine save introduces Gary to his love. His destiny would be linked to an unexpected member of the Metcalf family.

This story is the sequel to Mirror Image. The title was inspired by the toast that Gary made to Ginger during their magical night at the Roadhouse. Special thanks to Jennifer at the Homefrontstories list who suggested the idea of Jeff and Ginger's lookalike granddaughter. Her suggestion has, hopefully, enabled me to weave an interesting saga.

Jennifer Szabo Metcalf, Virginia Chandler, Adam Torrance, and Megan Connor are my creations. All other characters belong to their creators. No copyright infringement intended. No profit is being made.

Author: Tracy Diane Miller

Chapter One

Several weeks had passed since Gary returned from his adventure in River Run. Unfortunately, time had not healed his pain. Every morning, he received tomorrow's paper and fulfilled his life saving ritual. Every night, he returned home to a cold and empty loft. Before bed, he stared at the bracelet he had lovingly given to Ginger, the now chilling inscription having the opposite effect of burning a hole directly to his soul: "With your lips to mine, a rhapsody divine. You make my heart sing."

Why don't you throw that thing away? Don't you know that it destroys more of you every time you look at it? The inner voice questioned.

But Gary couldn't throw the bracelet away. Seeing the bracelet every night was his self-imposed punishment for stupidly surrendering his heart.

Even sleeping became a painful endeavor. A recurring dream tormented his fragile psyche. In his dream, he saw Ginger the night he gave her the bracelet at the Roadhouse. They danced to the Gershwin song. But when the song ended, Ginger walked away into Jeff's waiting arms. Gary awoke in a cold sweat.

Marissa, as always, continued to be a great friend. Gary knew that she wanted to help him, but he couldn't let her in. He didn't think that he could survive her eternal optimism assuring him "that everything would be okay. Just have faith." Faith was something he didn't have. Just pain.

Marissa told him about Jeff's experiences in Chicago. How Jeff had been taken hostage in a bank by a bomb toting terrorist and how he had almost died in an abandoned building collapse. She had asked for Crumb's help, and miraculously, Crumb had been able to save Jeff's life minutes before the structure collapsed.

A few days ago, Gary had also been questioned by the police as to how he knew about the terrorist in the first place. In typical Gary fashion, he maintained that he got these "feelings." "The guy's a nut case" Gary heard one of the officers say as he left the police station. Nut case. They were right. He was a nut case. A crazy nut who had stupidly allowed his heart to replace his common sense.

"Meow." Thump.

"I'm coming. I'm coming."

Gary wasn't anxious to start this day. It was Valentine's Day. When he was married, he loved Valentine's Day. He enjoyed thinking up little romantic surprises for Marcia. At the time, he thought that she enjoyed his surprises too. He would leave romantic poems that he had written for her in her brief case so she would have something special to look at when the frustrations of the law overwhelmed her or he would call her at work to sing love songs. Looking back on those years, Gary realized that his romantic surprises didn't excite Marcia. She wanted a grizzly bear not a teddy bear. Gary's docile demeanor didn't exactly complement Marcia shark like style. He learned that lesson the hard way.

"Meow."

"Hang on, will ya!"

Gary opened the front door. He found the cat in its usual position sitting on top of the paper.

"Happy Valentine's Day." Gary moved the cat off of the paper. The cat sat out in the hallway for a moment. " You bring me anything else besides for this?" Gary asked waving the paper in the air. He remembered a Valentine's Day a few years ago when he had received a strange floral arrangement. Marissa and Erica had no idea who had sent him the gift. Gary thought at the time that maybe the cat had sent the gift until he dismissed this notion as absurd.

"Meow." The cat ran into Gary's apartment.

Gary closed the door and began scanning the headlines. Great slip and fall, fight at a department store over a bathing suit, some bad chicken served at a restaurant (this story sent shivers through him as he recalled a similar incident when Marcia was engaged to Pritchard). All the stories were not occurring until later in the day. However, Gary's eyes spied one story that was happening at 8:00 a.m., a mere hour from now. Gary read the story: "A young actress was injured on a sound stage when an over head light fell on her. The actress is a cast member of the new and unnamed romantic comedy that was filming a special Valentine's Day episode. She was taken to Columbia General Hospital in serious condition. Her name is being withheld until family members can be notified."

"An actress. Great." Gary said. He remembered the last time he had to save an actress from a falling light. On that occasion, he ended up in a Shakespearean play with Crumb! Romantic comedies were so lame. What happened to the quality television programming that used to exist on Saturday nights? Gary mumbled to himself. A save is a save regardless of the potential victim's profession, the inner voice reminded.

Gary quickly showered and dressed. Jotting down the studio's address and grabbing his leather jacket, he left the loft.

"Good morning, Marissa."

"Good morning, Gary. Happy Valentine's Day."

"Same to you." Gary replied.

Marissa was sitting at one of the tables in the bar drinking orange juice. "What's in the paper today?"

"The usual- slip and fall, fight at a department store, bad chicken at a restaurant. Oh yeah, I have to prevent a falling light on a set from injuring an actress. Anyway, I got to run. Talk to you later." Gary said before hurrying out the front door.

Marissa sighed. Gary was putting up such a brave front for her benefit. But she knew that he was still hurting. She hadn't been able to get him to confide in her about Ginger. When she asked him about his time in River Run, he jokingly said that "the past is a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there." Marissa vowed to somehow find a way to help her troubled friend.

Gary finally arrived at the front door to the studio. The morning traffic had been unusually heavy forcing his cab to stall several times. He didn't have much time.

Gary gave the security guard a lie about being an extra and was surprisingly admitted on the set. He checked the paper. Gary looked up in time to see the light dangling precariously from the ceiling. A young actress stood directly below the light, her back towards Gary.

"Hey! Get out of the way!" Gary yelled. He pushed the young actress aside as the light came crashing below. Both Gary and the young actress landed face down on the floor.

"Are you okay?" Gary asked helping the young actress off of the floor. Both were initially speechless. The strawberry blonde hair and the face were unmistakable.

"Oh my God. You look just like…." The young actress said as she saw the face of her rescuer.

Gary was in shock. Spooked, he managed to say, "I-I'm glad you're okay" before rushing towards the door.

"Wait." The young actress called to the departing stranger.

"Jennifer, are you okay?" The director asked.

"Fine." But Jennifer Szabo Metcalf wasn't fine. She had received the shock of her life from the hero who had just saved her. The hero was the mirror image of her grandfather as a young man.

Outside the studio, Gary had yet to recover from the shock of seeing the young actress. "Ginger. It couldn't be." He whispered.

Chapter Two

Outside the studio, Gary couldn't stop shaking. He willed his body to calm down, but that didn't seem to work. Calm down. Deep breath. You're okay. But was he? Was he okay? Or, had the stress of the past few weeks finally driven him over the edge. Would every young woman he rescued from now on have Ginger's face?

Or, maybe……no, it couldn't be, could it? What if the cat had somehow transported Ginger to the future to be with him? Gary felt his heart racing just considering the possibility. It wouldn't be that far fetched. After almost five years, Gary learned to expect anything from his feline friend. Ginger knew that he was from Chicago, but she didn't know anything else about him. She didn't know where he lived. She would have had a difficult time finding him. Maybe that's why the paper arranged for him to rescue her- so they could find each other again!

A hopeful smile crossed Gary's face. At that moment, he felt happier than he had felt in weeks. However, his bliss was fleeting when the wisdom of his inner voice intruded upon his tranquillity. This is why you get yourself into trouble, Hobson. You don't use your head. Didn't Ginger tell you that she and Jeff have a bond, that they are connected? Wasn't Jeff returned to the past so he could be reunited with his soul mate? Of course he was! The inner voice's arguments were persuasive.

But what if Ginger had been sent to the future so they could have one last chance to talk? Gary challenged his subconscious. He never got the chance to really talk with her after she found out the truth about him. She had returned his bracelet and left the attic. Thereafter, he had that confrontation with Hank in the living room before he left the Metcalf house. Jeff had found him in the park and they were able to clear the air. But the last time he saw Ginger was at the house. He never got the chance to say a proper goodbye. If Ginger's time in Chicago was to be limited just as his time in River Run had been limited, Gary wanted these moments with her. He could live a life time on a few stolen moments.

"Hobson." Gary's reverie was broken by the sound of a familiar voice. He turned around and saw Crumb approaching.

Oh Boy.

"Hobson, what are you doing here?" Crumb asked suspiciously. Crumb was surprised to see Gary standing by the studio door.

"I-I was….I needed to…I….what are you doing here, Crumb? Don't tell me that you resumed your acting career."

"Geez, no. I was hired as backup security by the studio. There are a lot of nuts out there, Hobson. The studio wanted to make sure that some whacko fan didn't harm the actors during the live taping." Crumb explained. "Now, it's your turn. You never told me why you are here."

"I was…..trying to get tickets to see a taping." Gary lied. He rubbed his hand across the back of his neck.

"Really." Crumb said. After years as a cop, Crumb could read people very well. From Gary's nervous demeanor, Crumb knew that he was hiding something.

Just then, the director came outside the studio. He was on his way to grab a bagel. Spotting Gary, the director said "That was great what you did in there. If you hadn't arrived when you did, we could have lost one of our most promising cast members. Thank you." The director said, extending his hand to Gary.

"You're welcome." Gary replied, accepting the handshake.

The director disappeared down the street to a deli.

"Here to get tickets for the show, huh?"

"Well, if you must know, I have this friend who worked on the construction of the set. He was concerned that something might be wrong with the over head lights. He couldn't come down here so as a friend, I came down to check things out. One of the lights fell from the ceiling." Gary said.

"So, who did you save?" Crumb inquired.

"A young actress. A very pretty strawberry blonde." Gary responded. He blushed slightly.

Crumb laughed.

"What's so funny?" Gary asked defensively.

"You. You're acting like a schoolboy. You like her, don't you?" Crumb teased.

"No. No, I don't like her." Gary protested. "I don't even know who she is." Gary lied.

"I could get you back inside to meet her." Crumb offered.

Gary's heart raced. He wanted to go back inside. He wanted that more than anything. But, a sudden wave of panic gripped him. He didn't understand why, but he was scared. He couldn't go back inside. Not now.

"I-I can't. I have to….," Gary looked at his watch, "I'm late for an appointment." Gary said, hurrying down the street.

A few seconds later, Jennifer came outside the studio. She saw her departing hero make his way down the street.

"Excuse me. Do you know that guy? He saved my life earlier and I never got the chance to thank him." Jennifer asked Crumb.

"His name is Gary Hobson. He owns a bar called McGinty's." Crumb said before going inside the studio.

"Gary Hobson." Jennifer repeated. "Well, Gary Hobson, it looks like I will be seeing you at McGinty's." Jennifer said to herself. Jennifer planned to go to McGinty's today after filming was completed. It wasn't just because Gary resembled the grandfather she adored or even that he had saved her life. There was something more. Something she didn't understand. Jennifer felt a powerful connection to Gary. The moment she looked into those beautiful mud green eyes, feelings were triggered. Feelings that scared and excited her at the same time.

Chapter Three

Lost in his thoughts, Gary headed back to McGinty's. This day had been a difficult one for him. He couldn't get Ginger out of his mind. And seeing that actress whom he still believed was Ginger hadn't helped matters. Consequently, he spent most of the day dealing with a myriad of feelings: hope, confusion, anxiety, and fear. These feelings caused him to become distracted as he went through his saves. Distraction was something he couldn't afford. For a guy who gets tomorrow's newspaper today and who is given the responsibility of preventing serious injury or saving lives, distraction could be deadly. He needed to remain focused. Otherwise, he could be putting his life or the lives of others in serious jeopardy.

Somehow he managed to complete his saves. But it hadn't been easy. He almost didn't make it in time to prevent the slip and fall. And dealing with that chef in the restaurant who was about to serve bad chicken was another challenge. God, chefs could be so temperamental. The guy nearly had him arrested. He definitely wasn't in the mood to spend a night or more in jail for being a public disturbance. However, what Gary went through preventing the fight in the department store could have been a sitcom. Except for him, it was no laughing matter. He located the two women in a tug of war over the most hideous looking bathing suit he had ever seen. The colors on the bathing suit looked as if they had been haphazardly thrown onto the fabric. The result: a design which appeared like something Picasso created while on Prozac!

Further, the bathing suit was about two sizes too small for both women with their ample figures. Gary tried to convince the women that an article of clothing wasn't worth possible injury. He grabbed hold of the bathing suit. Soon he found himself a human wishbone as the women yanked him back and forth trying to retrieve the bathing suit. After several minutes of this torture, one woman decided that she didn't want the bathing suit. She found him more desirable. Oh Boy. He barely made it out of there in one piece. As it were the aggressive woman rewarded him with a pinch on the backside.

Thank God, he was finally home. As Gary walked into McGinty's, all he wanted was a hot shower. He also wanted to sleep. He prayed that his subconscious would allow him the rest without nightmares.

As he walked towards the office, a familiar voice called his name.

"Gary."

Gary turned around to find Marcia. Great. He definitely didn't feel like dealing with his ex-wife. Not today.

"What are you doing here, Marcia?" Gary said in an extremely unfriendly tone. "Did you come here to tell me that you are getting married again?" Gary added sarcastically.

"Of course not. Can we talk somewhere privately?" Marcia asked.

Reluctantly, Gary ushered Marcia into the office. He closed the door behind them.

"What do you want, Marcia?" Gary sat down at the desk. Marcia stood facing him a short distance away.

Marcia was confused. A few weeks ago, Gary had been nice to her. Why was he so hostile now?

"You hadn't called me about the trust. You had been eager to get the wheels in motion. We need to sit down and discuss the terms. I also need your signature on some paperwork." Marcia explained.

"The trust?" Gary asked. A blank expression crossed his face.

"The trust you wanted to set up for Virginia's children." Marcia reminded.

Great. Must be another one of Jeff Metcalf's legacies. Gary wryly thought. Yesterday, he found cowboy attire, two diamond bracelets, and a gold pocket watch in the closet in his loft. Apparently, Jeff's use of the paper hadn't been as noble as he had been lead to believe.

Further, whomever this Virginia woman was she must have been important to Jeff for him to have wanted to leave money for her children. Suddenly, Gary became very angry. Jeff probably was involved with this woman. Yet, he told Ginger how much he missed her when he was trapped in the future. Funny how Jeff never mentioned Virginia. How convenient that he left out the tidbit about dating another woman!

Marcia noticed Gary's far away expression. "Gary?"

"Yeah? Sure, the trust …paperwork. Just mail me whatever you need me to sign." Gary instructed.

"We really need to sit down in my office to discuss the particulars." Marcia emphasized.

Gary saw the game that Marcia was playing and he didn't like it. Marcia may be a star litigator, but he wasn't about to become one of her pawns.

"You can bring the papers and we'll talk here." Gary said adamantly.

"Whatever works best for you, Gary." Marcia said walking towards the door. "By the way, Happy Valentine's Day. Do you know that I saved all those poems you had written for me? Sometimes, I look at….."

Gary rose from the chair and walked over to where Marcia was standing.

"What is this, Marcia? What kind of game are you playing?" Gary asked angrily.

"I'm not playing a game, Gary. If you give me a chance…"

"Like you gave me a chance? Do you have any idea how much I loved you? I planned a wonderful surprise for our anniversary. Well, I guess I was the one who got the surprise, huh? Locks changed and a suitcase tossed in my face. Tell me Marcia, what did I do so terrible to deserve that? I never knew. You wouldn't even talk to me and try to work out our problems. So don't talk to me now about giving you a chance." Gary seethed. Five years of pent up emotions had boiled to the surface. Coupled with his heartache over Ginger, Gary was a time bomb. Intense pain had set off the bomb.

"Gary."

"I shouldn't blame you. I was the fool. All the signs were there, but I missed them. Every time I brought up starting a family, you'd give me some excuse. First, you wanted to wait until you got through law school. Next, you wanted to wait until you got the job at the law firm. Then, you wanted to wait until you made partner. But the truth is that you never wanted children, at least not with me."

"Gary, I was a different person then. We both were. I've changed."

"Well, I have too. Now, are we finished?" Gary demanded.

Marcia conceded that she lost this battle. But the stakes were just raised. She hadn't become one of the best lawyers in Chicago by giving up on a tough fight.

"Yes, Gary. We're finished." Marcia said walking towards the door. "Gary, I'm sorry." She added before leaving.

Sighing, Gary sat back down at the desk. He closed his eyes.

"Gary Hobson?"

Gary opened his eyes. Jennifer stood in the doorway. Their eyes locked. Gary tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come. Silence. Time stood still.

Chapter Four

"Gary Hobson?" Jennifer repeated as she entered the office. The uncertainty in the woman's voice as she said his name finally registered with Gary that she couldn't be Ginger. But who was she?

"Ye-Yes, I-I'm Gary." Gary stuttered.

Gary rose from his seat and walked over to where Jennifer was standing. He shook her hand. The electrical current both of them felt was incredible.

Jennifer smiled. This man was adorable-his mud green eyes with their bewildered expression and the stuttering. She didn't know why he was so nervous, but she found this trait endearing. He seemed very shy. Grandmom had told her that one of the things she loved about Granddad was his shyness. She always said that he was like this wonderful little boy in a man's body.

This Gary Hobson is definitely someone special. He's a keeper. You should ask him out on a date, Jennifer's inner voice encouraged.

Jennifer tried to ignore her subconscious. She didn't want Gary to think that she was too forward. She didn't want to scare him off. Besides, a guy like this must have someone already, Jennifer reasoned.

"I'm Jennifer Metcalf. I wanted to thank you for saving my life this morning."

"You're wel…Metcalf?"

"Yes. Are you a sports fan, Mr. Hobson?"

"It's Gary."

"Are you a sports fan, Gary?"

"Yes."

"Then you must have heard of my grandfather, Jeff Metcalf. He was a right fielder with the Cleveland Indians and the greatest baseball player who ever lived." Jennifer beamed.

Oh boy. This woman was Jeff's granddaughter.

"Yes. I've heard of your grandfather. He definitely was a star baseball player." Gary replied simply. "And your grandmother?" Gary probed.

"Virginia Szabo Metcalf. Grandmom always went by the name Ginger. She thought it sounded more colorful. Grandmom wanted to be an actress. She ended up as a radio personality. She was the Lemo Tomato Juice Girl before she got her own cooking show on television." Jennifer said proudly.

Gary smiled. Suddenly, a realization hit him, followed by enormous fear. Was Ginger still alive? Gary knew that Jeff and Ginger would be in their 70's now. As much as it hurt him to know that they had been together, the thought that she could be dead tore him apart. The vibrant, beautiful young woman he had spent time with only a few weeks ago, she couldn't be dead. Please God, let her still be alive, Gary prayed.

Jennifer saw Gary's distressed expression. "Is something wrong, Gary?"

"No. I'm fine." Gary lied. "Tell me more about your grandparents."

"They are wonderful. They have been married for over fifty years and they still kiss and hold hands like teenagers. They have a real storybook marriage. To have that kind of long lasting love is rare these days. And you wouldn't believe how active they both still are. Granddad stop playing professional baseball years ago, but he loves coaching little league. And the children love him. Grandmom teaches cooking classes part time at the community college."

Thank God, she's still alive!

"How long have you been in Chicago?" Gary asked.

" I arrived a little over a week ago. Before then, I was in LA auditioning. I was promised a small role in a movie, but I learned that the director was more interested in getting me on the casting couch than in front of the camera. Grandmom said that the same thing happened to her once. She and Granddad won a dance contest and a screen test in Hollywood. They didn't win a movie role, but Grandmom decided to stay on in Hollywood hoping to get her big break. Granddad was livid. Anyway, Grandmom tells this story how she was offered the lead in a movie, but it turned out to be phony baloney because when she and the director were rehearsing a scene, he ended up touching her on an inappropriate part of her body. Grandmom rammed her knee into his….well, let's just say he got the point that she wasn't that kind of girl." Jennifer laughed.

Jennifer couldn't understand why she was telling Gary so much about her family, but she felt so comfortable talking with him. It just felt right.

The young woman in front of him amazed Gary. The animated style in which she spoke, waving her hands to make a point, and how she slurred her words- it was Ginger all over again. The attraction Gary felt towards Jennifer was undeniable. What was happening to him? Maybe he was feeling this way because he knew that she was a part of Ginger. Or, maybe because there was something else about this woman…something unique and wonderful.

"I'm sorry to talk so much. It's a bad habit, I guess." Jennifer apologized.

"No, no don't apologize. I like hearing you talk. I mean, what you are saying is interesting." Gary corrected himself. "What about your parents?"

"My Dad's name is Jeff, too. But their name is about the only thing that he and Granddad share. Dad is a lawyer. He can be very uptight sometimes. You know how lawyers are."

"Only too well." Gary said.

"My mom, Jessica, is a doctor. My parents hate it that I am an actress. They keep asking me when I'm going to get a real profession and stop playing around. The only people I can talk to about my acting are my grandparents and my aunt Marissa."

Gary knew that Marissa would be touched. Jeff had named his daughter after her. She must have meant a lot to him during the brief time he spent in Chicago.

"And what does your Aunt Marissa do?"

"She's a psychologist. She's also a great listener and the best friend anyone could have."

Just like her namesake, Gary thought to himself.

"I'm sorry, I never offered you anything. Would you like some coffee?" Gary belatedly asked.

"No, thank you. I should be leaving." Jennifer said. "I was wondering, would you like to have dinner sometimes? I mean, I figured that my life is at least worth a good meal, my treat." Jennifer laughed.

"That's nice of you, but I really shouldn't." Gary said.

"Oh. It is just dinner. I'm sure your wife or girlfriend wouldn't mind." Jennifer replied.

"I'm not involved with anyone. "

"Really?" Jennifer hoped that Gary couldn't hear the excitement in her voice. "Then why can't we go out to dinner?" Jennifer asked.

I just don't think that it is a good idea." Gary insisted.

I see." Jennifer said disappointedly. "Well, thanks again for helping me." Jennifer kissed Gary lightly on the cheek. A chill ran through his body.

"Maybe I'll see you again, Gary."

"Maybe."

Jennifer left the office.

Gary walked back over to the desk and sat down. He wasn't sure what just happened, but he knew that seeing Jennifer again would only cause him more heartache. She wasn't Ginger and he couldn't be sure that he wouldn't be using her as a substitute for Ginger. She deserved better than that. He deserved better than that. But still, Gary wondered what reason the paper would have for bringing Jennifer into his life.

Jennifer paused briefly outside McGinty's. She had never felt like this before about any man. She looked at the bar, a determined expression crossing her face. "We will see each other again, Gary. Count on it. I'm not giving up on you so easily." Smiling, Jennifer walked down the street. In her mind, was brewing a plan for capturing Gary's heart.

Chapter Five

The hot shower had not relaxed Gary as much as he had hoped. And forget about sleeping. Gary tried lying down on the bed and closing his eyes, but his mind was too cluttered. Consequently, slumber refused to visit.

Gary sat up on the bed. He spied the bracelet on the nightstand. He reached over, grabbed the bracelet, and once again read the now painful inscription: "With your lips mine, a rhapsody divine. You make my heart sing." Gary sighed. Why couldn't he get Ginger out of his mind or from his heart?

Seeing Marcia only made his heartache over Ginger more poignant. Marcia was a tangible reminder of his failure as a husband. Gary hadn't planned for the confrontation with her down stairs. Things just spiraled out of control. But it felt good to finally tell her how much she had hurt him. He needed that closure.

If it weren't for Jeff, he would have never had to see Marcia again. He could sever all ties to his ex-wife. Of all the lawyers in Chicago, what possessed Jeff to choose Marcia? And this Virginia woman, how could Jeff have even looked at another woman when he knew that Ginger loved him back home? Jeff didn't deserve Ginger's love. Gary felt very angry towards Jeff. Jeff wanted everyone to believe that he was this innocent, lost lamb trapped in the brutal future when all along he was this Casanova who had adapted quite well to the duplicity of the 21st century.

And then there was Jennifer. God, why couldn't he stop thinking about her? Much as he tried to convince himself that any attraction he felt towards Jennifer was because of her resemblance to Ginger, Gary couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else about her that had him so enchanted. Nor could he shake the feeling that the paper had brought them together for a reason.

"Gary?" The knock on the door and the sound of Marissa's voice jolted him from his thoughts.

Gary proceeded to the door. He opened it and found Marissa standing there with a serious expression on her face.

"Gary, we need to talk." Marissa said entering the loft. She walked over and sat down on the couch.

Gary closed the door. "Marissa, I really don't feel like talking right now."

"Well, we are going to talk." Marissa's tone was uncharacteristically forceful. "I didn't want to pressure you when you first came back. I knew that you needed time. But, you've had enough time, Gary. You can't expect to heal until you get these feelings out."

Gary sat down next to Marissa on the couch. "I appreciate your concern, Marissa. But I'm fine."

"You're not fine, Gary. I've known you long enough to know that you are hurting. You opened up your heart and it got trampled upon," Marissa paused briefly before continuing, " I know about Ginger."

Gary hadn't told Marissa about Ginger so hearing Marissa say her name shocked him. However, Gary suspected that Jeff told her about Ginger along with his suspicions that Gary had fallen in love with his fiancée.

"I suppose that you are going to tell me to have faith. That things happen for a reason." Gary said skeptically.

"They do." Marissa replied.

"Then tell me Marissa, why Jeff is able to have a girl like Ginger when he didn't respect their love enough not to become involved with another woman while he was here and Ginger was waiting for him back home? You know who I had to deal with today? Marcia. It seems that Jeff wasn't just using the paper to save lives. It seems that he made money off the paper and decided to give that money to his girlfriend. Some woman named Virginia. Planned to set up a trust for her children. Probably felt guilty for cheating on Ginger and figured that he could pay the woman off which would make it easier when he ended their relationship." Gary accused.

"Jeff felt guilty, but not for the reasons you are thinking. When he first got the paper, he was scared. He was scared after all the stories you told him about your experiences. He didn't think that he could handle the responsibility. So he misused the paper. He went to the racetrack and won a lot of money. Later, he read in the paper that a car hit Virginia's daughter. He knew that he could have prevented that accident. The guilt almost destroyed him. But he more than made up for his mistake. He saved those hostages in the bank and that teen from the building collapse. Jeff felt that the money from the race track wasn't really his and that it could be used to benefit Virginia's children." Marissa explained.

A silence.

"The problem here isn't Jeff Metcalf. The problem is Gary Hobson. I know that Marcia hurt you. I know that Ginger hurt you. But moping around feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to do anything but make you feel more miserable. There's a reason why this all happened. You don't have to know why. You just have to learn from the experience and move on. If you shut out love because you are afraid of being hurt or if you continue to hold on to the memory of a woman you can't have, then you'll miss out when that special woman enters your life. Because I know that she is out there for you, Gary."

Another silence.

"I met their granddaughter today, Marissa."

"Whose granddaughter?"

"Jeff and Ginger's. Her name is Jennifer. She's an actress. The paper had me save her from a falling overhead light in the studio. She stopped here to thank me. She is so much like Ginger. But there's something else about her. She is so…." Gary stopped mid-sentence. He really couldn't find the right words to describe Jennifer.

"Does she know what happened between you and her grandparents?"

"They never told her about me. They probably wanted to forget about me after all the trouble I caused." Gary said sadly.

"I'm sure that's not true, Gary. It was probably because they didn't know how to tell her that there was a guy from the future who got stuck in the past. And that guy looked exactly like her grandfather." A thought occurred to Marissa. "Did Jeff and Ginger even know that you made it back home?"

"I don't know. Maybe not. The last time I saw Jeff was in a park. Jeff's brother wasn't too happy with me for pretending to be Jeff while Jeff was here. He wanted me out of the house and out of their lives. So I left. Jeff found me in the park. Jeff wanted me to return to his house. He said that he didn't want me to be alone. But after everything that happened, I knew that I couldn't stay in River Run. I decided to go someplace else to start over."

"Are you going to tell Jennifer the truth?" Marissa asked.

"No. Besides, I don't plan to see her again."

"Why not? If you like her, you should give things a chance." Marissa encouraged.

"Who says I like her?" Gary asked defensively.

"Gary."

"Well, even if I did like her a little bit, how could I be sure that I wasn't with her just because she looks like Ginger? How would I know whether I cared about her just for herself?" Gary asked.

"Your heart will know." Marissa replied sagely. Marissa rose from the couch. "I should be going." Marissa walked towards the door.

"Trust your heart, Gary." Marissa said before leaving.

That night, Gary had an incredible dream, a dream that was even more telling of the future than tomorrow's newspaper today.

Chapter Six

The Purl Roadhouse had been transformed into a romantic fantasyland. All the tables had been removed except for one small table in the center. A white linen tablecloth with small red hearts covered the table. An ice bucket with champagne sat on the table along with a single, red rose.

Gary looked elegant in his tuxedo. Soon, Ginger entered the Roadhouse. They danced to Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue." But when the song ended, Ginger walked towards the door instead of back to the table with Gary.

"Don't go." Gary cried out desperately.

"I have to." Ginger responded. Ginger left the Roadhouse, but she returned a few minutes later with another young woman who was her mirror image.

"Gary, this is Jennifer, my granddaughter." Ginger told a shocked Gary.

"But you can't have a granddaughter. You are still young." Gary replied.

Ginger laughed. "Gary, Jennifer is your destiny. You need to let me go. You need to open up your heart to love and new beginnings."

"Good morning, Chicago. It's 6:30 and…." Gary's hand silenced the radio.

"A dream. It was just a dream." Gary mumbled to himself.

"Meow." Thump.

Gary's heart was racing as he threw off the bed covers and proceeded to the door.

Gary opened the door. As expected, the cat was sitting on top of the paper.

"I don't get it. I feed you. I put a roof over your head and you're still messing up my life. Why did you send me to the past? And why bring Jennifer into my life? What are you trying to do to me, huh?"

"Meow."

The cat just stared back at Gary. A few moments later, the cat jumped off the paper and ran into Gary's apartment.

Gary shook his head. He bent over, picked up the paper, and closed the door.

The phone rang. Gary decided to let the answering machine pick up.

"Hello, Gary. It's Marcia." The early morning caller announced. " Sorry to call so early. But I guess if you aren't picking up, you are already out. I just wanted to apologize again for yesterday. I was hoping that we could be friends. Anyway, if you had some time today, I wanted to stop over to bring those papers about the trust. Call me."

"Friends? Is she kidding?" Gary said to the cat.

"Meow."

"What am I talking to you for? Okay, let's see," Gary opened the paper and began scanning the headlines, "Little Girl Falls Down Sewer." Gary read the article. It seemed that the child fell head first down a sewer. The child, 8, was trying to catch her doll which had also fallen down the sewer. Great. He had to prevent the doll from falling down the sewer or else he would be sewer exploring himself for the child. The story wasn't occurring until 3:00 p.m. At least he had most of the day before he had to deal with this story.

Gary flipped through the pages. Could it be? With the exception of that one story, would he actually have most of the day off?

His question was answered in the negative when he found a story on page 10 requiring his attention: "Fire Ends Fashion Show." Gary read the story: "Shortly before noon, a fire broke out in the Grand Ballroom of the Chicago Hilton Hotel. The fire occurred during a fashion show. The runway models were unveiling the spring line of a promising new designer. An investigation is currently under way. However, preliminary reports suggest that the fire may have started because of faulty electrical outlets, which caused sparks to catch on to the curtains on the stage. Several models suffered burns and smoke inhalation."

Gary remembered another occasion when he had to prevent models from being injured by a fire. During that time, estranged spouses Francesca and Addison Preston, founders of Donna Romantica Lingerie, were putting on rival fashion shows when a fire broke out. Gary was able to put out the fire. Little Henry Paget experienced his first taste of puppy love with Dominique Preston. Gary, however, experienced the lunacy of Dominique's feuding parents. At least, he received a thank you kiss from the grateful lingerie model he had saved.

"One of the few people who knew how to say thank you." Gary recalled, a rare smile crossing his face.

"Meow."

"What?"

"Well, I guess I should get this over with. Gary picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Hello. This is Gary Hobson. I would like to speak to Marcia Roberts, please."

Marissa, as usual, was busy in the office dealing with paper work. Marissa's value as a friend was undeniable. But Gary often took for granted her value as a partner. Marissa handled vendor, customer, and employee problems while Gary was out saving lives. Largely because of Marissa's efforts, McGinty's continued as a thriving business.

"Good morning, Marissa." Gary greeted as he entered the office.

"Good morning, Gary. What's in the paper today?"

"I have to prevent a fire at a fashion show and a child from falling down a sewer. Fortunately, the first story doesn't occur until almost noon so I have some time. I asked Marcia over this morning. The sooner I get this trust thing taken care of, the sooner I can have Marcia out of my life for good."

Gary spent the next few hours helping Marissa with the paper work. It actually felt good for Gary to focus his attention on mundane details because that kept his mind off Ginger….and Jennifer.

Gary and Marissa's concentration was interrupted by a knock on the office door.

"Gary." Marcia stood in the doorway.

"If you'll excuse me, I have something to take care of in the bar." Marissa said before leaving the office.

"I'm glad that you called. After yesterday, I wasn't sure that…"

"Did you bring the papers?" Gary asked. He had to deal with Marcia because of this trust. But nothing said that he had to be nice to her.

"Yes." Marcia replied.

Marcia spent the next hour explaining the terms of the trust. She told Gary that as he requested the donor's identity would remain anonymous.

Gary wasn't really paying attention. He just wanted his business with Marcia to be concluded.

"Any questions? Gary?"

"Huh? No. Where do I sign?"

Marcia showed Gary where his signature was required.

There was a knock on the office door. Both Gary and Marcia looked up from the papers. A deliveryman stood in the doorway with a huge bouquet of red roses. Gary walked over to the door.

"Gary Hobson. Sign here please."

After signing for the flowers, Gary took the bouquet over to the desk. Removing the card from the envelope, he read the note silently: " Dear Gary. Since you wouldn't allow me to thank your kindness with dinner, I was hoping that these flowers would brighten your day. Thank you for being such a wonderful person. Love, Jennifer."

Gary smiled.

"From an admirer?"

Gary put the card back in its envelope.

"Anything else?" Gary asked.

"No, that's everything." Marcia tried to maintain an unconcerned façade, but inside she was seething. How dare some woman send her husband flowers! Your ex-husband, the inner voice reminded. Not for long, Marcia vowed.

"I'll talk to you soon." Marcia said as she was leaving. She meant for her statement to alert Gary to the fact that he wasn't finished with her yet.

Marcia left the office.

Gary stared at the roses. For a moment, he considered going down to the studio and thanking Jennifer personally. But he quickly dismissed the idea. "I can't do this. I can't see her again." Gary told himself.

Don't forget the paper, the inner voice urged. Gary rushed out of the office and the bar.

The consultation with Marcia and slow traffic caused Gary to arrive at the Chicago Hilton Hotel with only a few minutes to spare. He quickly located the Grand Ballroom and hurried as fast as he could. Out of breath, Gary made it to the Grand Ballroom. The fashion show had already begun. Gary saw several models on the runway. He also saw a spark ignite the curtain. Chaos ensued as the flames traveled up the curtain and the models scurried to get out of the way. A tall brunette model lies dangerously close to the curtain. She had fallen during the panic. Gary rushed to save her. Grabbing a nearby fire extinguisher, he put out the fire. Gary helped the model off of the floor.

"Are you okay?" Gary asked the tall brunette.

"I'm fine. Gary, thank God. Thank you for saving me. I was hoping to see you again, but not under these circumstances. I didn't like how we left things between us. We should talk. There's a restaurant in the hotel. We can talk over lunch." Virginia Chandler insisted, grabbing Gary by the arm.

"But. I…" was all a dumbfounded Gary was able to say as the woman dragged him out of the ballroom. He had no idea who this woman was but she obviously knew him.

Chapter Seven

Gary sat across the table from the tall brunette. Her intense gaze made him feel as though she were undressing him with her eyes. Suddenly, Gary felt very warm as he shifted uncomfortably in the chair. Oh Boy. How did he always manage to find himself in these situations? Gary made a mental note: He needed to have a long discussion with the cat. The feline's sense of humor in having the paper send him on these kinds of saves wasn't funny. Not funny at all.

Virginia sipped her mineral water. "That was a close call for me in there. You seem to always come to my family's rescue. The boys told me what you did for Jake. How did you know?"

Wait a minute….the boys? Suddenly, Gary realized who this woman was- she must be Virginia. Jeff's Virginia, the woman for whom Jeff wanted to establish the trust . Thanks a lot Jeff Metcalf, Gary thought to himself. How was he going to get out of this mess?

"I just happened to be in the right place at the right time." Gary said, responding to Virginia's question.

"You know Jake and Clayton keep asking about you. They want you to come back over to the house and play more computer games with them. And Linda has been home from the hospital for a few weeks. Her leg is nearly healed. I expect that she'll be back playing baseball very soon with her brothers."

"That's great." Gary said. He willed his brain to think of an excuse so that he could make a quick exit. "Listen, I need to…."

"I've been thinking a lot about you, Gary. I'm sorry for coming on so strong when you had dinner at my house. It's just that you were so good to the boys. I know that they miss their father. You also have to know that I find you very attractive. I guess I went too far. But when you returned my kiss, I thought, I hoped, that maybe you might be interested too."

So Jeff had kissed this woman. Must have been something he "forgot" to tell Marissa when he decided to play Santa Claus with his financial windfall!

"Listen, Virginia. You are a beautiful woman, but things wouldn't work between us. I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, but I don't think that we should see each other anymore." Gary didn't want to hurt Virginia's feelings. But he also didn't want to be trapped into a relationship with a woman with whom he had no interest.

"Are you involved with some one else?" Virginia probed. "Is it Marcia?"

"Howzat?"

"I didn't realize that she was your ex-wife. When she told me, I couldn't believe it. I mean, what are the odds that my lawyer would be the ex-wife of a man whom I….," Virginia paused before continuing, "are you and Marcia thinking about getting back together?"

"No."

"Well, are you seeing anyone else?" Virginia repeated.

"No. It's just that…."

"That's good. I mean, maybe we can get to know each other. Take things slowly. I can be a fun person when you get to know me." Virginia said, laughing.

A silence.

"Listen, Virginia…."

"At least promise me that you'll come over the house again soon for dinner. I know that the children would love to see you." Virginia said.

Now what? He didn't want to hurt the children. Apparently, Jeff had bonded with them. He didn't want the children to think that he was a jerk by refusing to see them.

"Sure. Dinner sometimes." Gary replied hesitantly.

"Great. How about tomorrow night?"

"Tomorrow night? W-Well, I…" Gary shifted uncomfortably in the chair. He rubbed his hand along the back of his neck.

Just then Jennifer walked into the restaurant with some of her fellow cast members. She spotted Gary at the table with a very attractive brunette. Her heart sank.

Chapter Eight

The sight of Gary having lunch with the attractive brunette paralyzed Jennifer's steps. An array of emotions consumed her- jealousy, anger, upset, and fear. She knew that she had no right to feel this way. It wasn't as if Gary were cheating on her. He had the right to have lunch with whomever he wanted. But that was her brain talking. Her heart refused to be that logical.

You aren't just going to give up, are you? You aren't going to just let this woman have Gary? Jennifer's inner voice asked.

The inner voice was right. She wasn't a quitter. She had Szabo-Metcalf blood in her veins. Grandmom hadn't become the Lemo Tomato Juice Girl and parlayed her radio stint into a successful television career by being a quitter. Granddad hadn't survived a broken leg, which almost destroyed his baseball career only to re-emerge as one of the most valued players with the Cleveland Indians by being a quitter. She certainly wasn't a quitter, not when she had left River Run and traveled across the country to pursue her acting dream without her parents' financial support. No she wasn't going to give up. No way. She couldn't explain it, but somehow she knew that she and Gary could have something special. But she had to be willing to fight for it.

"Jennifer, are you okay?" Adam Torrance asked upon noticing Jennifer's distressed expression. Adam was the leading man on the show. He was a very handsome man with his dark hair, eyes like black opals, and a megawatt smile. But more importantly, he was a sensitive guy who remained unaffected by the lavish attention women showered upon him because of his looks. Secretly, Adam liked Jennifer.

"Yes. I'm fine."

"Do you want to go someplace else?" Adam asked.

"No. No, this place is perfect. It has everything I want." Jennifer replied, looking in Gary's direction as she spoke.

"I still don't understand why we couldn't pick a place to eat that was closer to the studio." Megan whined. Fiery, impulsive, and spoiled, Megan Connor considered herself the "star" of the show. She believed that the world revolved around her and that every man she met was hopelessly in love with her.

"Because we weren't in the mood for hot dogs." Adam said.

The waiter arrived and directed the actors to their table.

"Actually, I thought that we could sit over there." Jennifer requested, indicating a table which was a short distance from Gary's table. A large, potted palm tree separated the two tables. Surprisingly, even with the plant, Jennifer realized that from this vantagepoint she could see and hear Gary's conversation without him noticing her.

"Very well, Madam." The waiter escorted the group to the table. Ten minutes later, he returned with a pitcher of ice water and took their lunch orders. Jennifer and Megan selected chef salads while Adam chose a steak sandwich. Adam requested that the waiter leave the pitcher on the table.

A short while later, the waiter returned with their meal.

Jennifer noticed that Gary didn't seem very happy with his luncheon companion. Several times, he shifted uncomfortably in the chair. He kept rubbing his hand across the back of his neck. The attractive brunette placed her hand over Gary's. He quickly slid his hand from underneath her grasp.

He's just shy. I'll get him out of that, Virginia said to herself.

"So Gary, I've been doing all of the talking. I really don't know too much about you. What do you do?" Virginia asked.

"What do I do?" Gary repeated.

I get tomorrow's newspaper today and I'm out saving lives, the inner voice said jokingly.

Do you really want this woman to know that much about you, Hobson? The inner voice asked in serious tone.

You got a better idea? Gary challenged his subconscious.

"I own a bar, McGinty's. Actually, I co-own the bar with my friend, Marissa Clark."

Gary's friend has the same name as her aunt. How come he didn't mention that? Jennifer wondered.

"Bar owner. Funny, I can't imagine you owning a bar. With a face like yours, you could be an actor." Virginia cooed.

Gary blushed.

Oh brother! What kind of line was that? Jennifer thought to herself. It took every ounce of self-restraint for Jennifer not to march right over to Gary's table with the pitcher of ice water and dump it over the woman's head. She clearly needed to be cooled off. But Jennifer didn't want to embarrass Gary or herself.

"I see why you wanted to sit here. The view is much nicer." Megan said, observing Gary. Jennifer knew that Megan was referring to Gary.

Great. Now Megan was looking at Gary.

Jennifer decided to ignore Megan's comment. She needed to formulate a game plan. If she waited for Gary to make the first move, she'd be waiting forever. Maybe she could go over to McGinty's and talk to Gary's friend. It couldn't hurt to learn everything she could about him.

"I hope that the ratings for the show are good. It would be great to have a hit." Adam said. He was unaware of the drama unfolding with Jennifer.

"Yes. A hit. That would be great." Jennifer responded absent-mindedly.

"I know that you like baseball, Gary. Do you like any other sports?" Virginia probed.

"Hockey." Gary replied.

"Wow. What a coincidence. I love hockey and so do the boys. Linda is starting to get into the game, too. Actually, I have some tickets to a hockey match. Would you like to go with us?"

"Thanks for the invitation. But I have a very busy schedule. I don't know if I would have time to…"

"It would be wonderful going to a hockey game. You, me, the boys, and Linda. I think hockey games are much more fun when a whole family attends." Virginia said.

Oh boy. Virginia really wasn't listening to anything he was saying. How could he make her understand that he didn't want to spend any time with her without hurting her feelings?

That woman has some nerve! Jennifer seethed. She's acting like Gary is the father of her children with her talk of family outings. Why doesn't Gary tell her to take a flying leap?

Because he is a kind man. He doesn't want to hurt the woman's feelings, the inner voice explained.

But that woman is such a parasite! Jennifer argued. Sadly, women like this never go out of style. Grandmom told her about Caroline Hailey and how the Hailey woman had pursued Granddad when he and Grandmom were having problems in their relationship. Caroline envisioned Granddad as a successful baseball player and was eager to get her claws into him. Caroline lusted after Granddad's money (or what she perceived of him having a lot of money).

But this woman just lusted after Gary.

Virginia began blinking her left eye.

"Is something wrong?" Gary asked.

"I think I have something in my eye. Could you help me please?" Virginia purred.

Gary rose from his chair and walked over to Virginia. He gently placed his finger over her eyelid. "I don't see anything."

Give me a break. Come on, Gary, the "I-Have-Something-In-My-Eye-And-I-Need-A-Man-To-Get-It-Out" is a seduction trick, Jennifer thought to herself.

Gary continued looking into Virginia's eye while she blinked. After a few minutes, Virginia said, "I got it. Thank you, Gary." Virginia planted a kiss squarely on Gary's lips.

"Y-You're we-welcome." Gary stuttered.

"I hope that I didn't embarrass you." Virginia said.

"No…no…no….you didn't embarrass me." Gary stammered.

Jennifer's hand reached for the pitcher of water.

"Here, let me get that for you." Adam offered. "You really haven't touched your lunch. Are you sure that you're okay?"

"I'm sure. I just wasn't hungry." Jennifer replied. She drank from her glass of water even though thirst wasn't exactly her intention when she reached for the pitcher.

Just seeing that woman's slimy lips on Gary made Jennifer sick to her stomach. Poor Gary also looked a bit queasy.

For the next hour, Jennifer watched and listened as Gary continued to squirm through Virginia's advances.

"We should be getting back to the studio." Adam suggested.

"That's right. We'll be shooting most of my scenes this afternoon." Megan reminded.

"Jennifer?"

"The studio. Yeah, right. Work. We should be going." Jennifer agreed.

After Adam paid the check, the three actors rose from their chairs and headed for the door. Jennifer stole one last glance at Gary. Her heart raced.

Taping wasn't expected to last that much longer today. Then she could go over to McGinty's. If this Marissa Clark cared about Gary the way Jennifer hoped, she would be a great ally to have.

That woman may believe that she got to third base with Gary, but no one knew baseball like a Metcalf. Jennifer had all the tenacity to hit a home run in the game of love.

Chapter Nine

Walking towards McGinty's, Jennifer wondered whether talking to Marissa was such a good idea. What was she going to say? "Hi, my name is Jennifer Metcalf and I hear that you are Gary's friend. Could you tell me anything about him that would help me win his heart?" Or, how about "Hello, I'm Jennifer Metcalf. Gary saved my life and ever since then I can't get him out of my mind. Since you are his friend, maybe you could give me a clue as to how I could get him to ask me out on a date?"

Maybe, she could lie. Or, better yet, she could use a mental reservation. Jennifer smiled. The Metcalf mental reservations were legendary. And Granddad held the record for weaving the most creative mental reservations. Grandmom used to say that Granddad would have been in a world of trouble many times if he hadn't used mental reservations. Of course, those puppy dog eyes and that little boy charm didn't hurt either.

Dad hated that Granddad told her about mental reservations. He always called them a fancy word for lying. Right. Like what Dad did sometimes for his clients was the pinnacle of honesty.

Deep breath. Okay, think mental reservation Jennifer willed her brain. Perhaps inspiration would come once she began talking to Marissa. After all, she was an actor. She was trained to think on her feet.

Jennifer opened the front door to McGinty's. There weren't any customers. Jennifer looked at her watch- 5:30p.m. Maybe, it was still early. Jennifer saw a female bartender behind the bar stocking glasses.

"Excuse me. I'm looking for Marissa Clark." Jennifer asked the bartender.

Marissa was leaving the office just in time to hear Jennifer say her name.

"I'm Marissa Clark."

"Jennifer Metcalf." Jennifer said, extending her hand to Marissa. Marissa accepted Jennifer's handshake. The handshake was firm, but also warm and sincere. Marissa didn't need to see to know that this young woman had inherited Jeff's goodness. Immediately, Marissa sensed that Jennifer was the woman for Gary. She was the woman who would finally love and appreciate him unconditionally.

Marissa and Jennifer sat down at a table.

"How can I help you, Ms. Metcalf?"

"It's Jennifer."

"How could I help you, Jennifer?"

"Ms. Clark."

"It's Marissa."

"Marissa, I hear that you are a friend of Gary Hobson. He saved my life and I wanted to…" Jennifer stopped mid-sentence. She was struggling. Instantly, she felt comfortable around Marissa. She didn't want to lie nor did she want to rely on a mental reservation. Suddenly, the words wouldn't come. What now?

"Yes. Gary mentioned you." Marissa offered, smiling.

"He did?" Jennifer asked hopefully. Gary had mentioned her to his friend. That was a good sign.

"Yes."

"Gary seems like such a great guy. I mean, to go out of his way to help a stranger. Not too many people would do that."" Jennifer said. ""How long have you known him?"

"Gary is a terrific guy and he has such a big heart. I've known him for almost six years. We worked together at a brokerage firm. I was a receptionist. Gary was a stockbroker. Most of the stockbrokers wouldn't even say good morning. To them, the receptionist wasn't worth their respect. But Gary was different. He'd always stop by the front desk to talk with me even when he didn't have any phone messages. He wanted to know how I was doing. And whenever he'd run outside for a snack, he always check first to see whether I wanted anything. Gary cared about people not status. To him, no one was more important than anyone else because of their education or their job. Over the years, our friendship has grown. We have been through a lot together. "

"I can imagine Gary being easy to talk to. That is, when he talks at all. He seems so shy." Jennifer said, laughing.

"Gary is very shy, but that is partly because of some of the things that has happened to him. He's scared of rejection." Marissa paused before continuing. She wasn't sure whether she should be telling Jennifer this much about Gary's private life, but somehow she trusted Jennifer. "Gary was married. His ex-wife didn't treat him very well. I know that he still blames himself for the breakup of the marriage."

"Gary was married? I can't believe that a woman would let a guy like him go. Not when he is so…." Jennifer felt her cheeks getting warm. Her palms were sweaty. She was glad that Marissa couldn't see her embarrassment. She felt like such a schoolgirl. God, Gary Hobson, what have you done to me?

"Marcia didn't deserve a guy like Gary. But what I can't forgive her the most for is that she made Gary believe that there was something wrong with him. That he didn't deserve love." Marissa said.

Even though she didn't know Marcia, from what Marissa just told her, Jennifer hated Marcia. She hated all the pain and sadness that Marcia must have caused Gary. The thought of Gary brokenhearted devastated Jennifer. If anyone deserved happiness and love, it was Gary.

"Gary is lucky to have a friend like you." Jennifer said.

"Thank you. But we are lucky to have each other." Marissa replied. "So, tell me about yourself?"

"Well, I'm an only child. I'm from River Run, Ohio. I came to Chicago for an acting job. My parents hate it that I'm an actress. They want me to have a "real" profession. But for as long as I could remember, I dreamed of becoming an actress. Dad's a lawyer and I think that he wished that I followed in his footsteps. I can just see the shingle 'Metcalf and Metcalf, Attorneys At Law'. I don't know, maybe he's right. I mean, acting is such an uncertain profession. Maybe, I should do something with more job security. At the very least, I'd make my Dad really happy." Jennifer said sighing.

"Jennifer, life is uncertain. There are no guarantees. But the worse thing we can do is to give up on a dream just to please someone else. I'm sure that your father loves you and wouldn't want you to be unhappy which you would be if you gave up your dream."

"You sound just like my Granddad."

"Well, your grandfather is a very smart man."

"Have you ever heard of him, Jeff Metcalf? He was a baseball player with the Cleveland Indians. Correction, he was the best baseball player the Cleveland Indians ever had. He's also the best grandfather a girl could have. " Jennifer beamed.

Marissa smiled. Clearly, Jennifer loved Jeff a great deal. But Marissa couldn't imagine Jeff as an old man. In her mind, Jeff was the young man whom she had cradled in her arms a few weeks ago when he cried over the little girl's car accident, the young man who wasn't ready for the bomb toting terrorist, the young man who nearly died in that bank and the building collapse, the young man who feared that he had lost the love of his life to Gary.

"Yes. I've heard of your grandfather. He was a great baseball player and he sounds like a special man."

"He is. He and Grandmom have been married for over fifty years and their love is still so strong. I hope that I can find love like that."

"I know you will."

"You are so easy to talk to, just like my aunt. Her name is Marissa too."

"Really? You have an aunt named Marissa?" Marissa's eyes glisten. She was overwhelmed with emotion. Jeff had named his daughter after her.

"Yes. She's a psychologist and my best friend."

Marissa smiled.

"Jennifer, I hope that you don't think that I am prying, but how do you feel about Gary?"

"I care about him. I care about him a lot. But he doesn't seem to like me. I mean, I asked him to dinner to thank him for saving my life, but he turned me down. He told me that he wasn't involved with anyone, but I saw him having lunch with another woman. I sent him roses to say thank you. I don't know, maybe I'm not his type." Jennifer lamented.

"If you care about Gary, then don't give up on him. Make him see that you are the woman for him. Gary's heart has been broken more times than anyone should have to endure. He is scared. But just sitting here with you and talking, I know that you will be good for him. And I will do anything I can to help him see that." Marissa vowed.

"Thank you, Marissa."

Just then, the front door swung open. Gary entered the bar, a tired and frustrated expression on his face. Gary froze when he saw Jennifer talking to Marissa.

"What are you doing here?" Gary said to Jennifer. His tone was surprisingly unfriendly.