a/n: Wow! I'm totally overwhelmed by the number of reviews on the first two chapters! Thank you all so much! Hopefully, you'll continue to be happy with the story... :-)

"So this is awkward," Jessica stated bluntly, looking at Tommy's stark expression and eyes focused solely on Jude. "How do you two know each other?"

Tommy and Jude both shifted uncomfortably, unsure of how to answer her question. Tommy started, "Umm…we uh, used to work together."

"Right," Jude agreed quietly. "In Toronto. At the studio."

"Oh," Jessica replied, still blotting the coffee stain out of her jacket. "Was she an intern or something, Tom?"

"No," he replied quickly, his glance still set on Jude, but softening to reveal warmth instead of surprise. "She was one of my artists."

Jude nodded in agreement, turning her eyes away from Tommy to her feet below. She had dreamt of this moment happening—running into Tommy someday, seeing him up close again—but now that it was actually happening, the only thing she wanted to do was disappear.

"So," Rob started, looking between Tommy and Jessica, "are you two dating?"

"Engaged, actually," Jessica replied with a grin, holding up her hand to show them the large rock on her finger. Jude looked at it and abruptly felt as if she was going to be sick.

"And you two?" Jessica asked.

"Dating. For a year," Rob replied proudly, watching as Jude's gaze met Tommy's once more. "Jude? Shouldn't we get going?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I have to go," she responded quickly, her mind drifting back to reality and being late for work. "I'm sorry again about your coat. It was totally my fault, I wasn't paying attention."

"Clearly," Jessica agreed with a smirk.

"I can pay the dry cleaning bill if you want," Jude offered, feeling self-conscious as she sensed Tommy's eyes still on her.

"It's fine, I'll take care of it," Jessica replied. "I don't trust this coat in anyone else's hands."

"Okay," Jude said quietly. "I really am sorry."

"Let's just get our coffee, Tom. I have to go back to the apartment and change now," Jessica said, stepping forward and walking to the end of the line. She turned around as she realized he hadn't followed. "Are you coming?"

"Umm…yeah…." he replied vaguely, slowly starting to move towards the back of the line. "It was good to see you, Jude," he said quietly as he walked past her.

"You too," she replied softly, giving him a timid smile. He continued to walk towards Jessica but his eyes remained on Jude, until he reached the end of the line and turned back around to listen to Jessica rant about her coat.

Jude stood there for a few moments, just watching him in disbelief. Was that really him? After all this time?

Rob gently nudged her. "Earth to Jude…" he whispered into her ear. "We have to go."

"What? Oh, right, let's go," she replied, turning back around towards the door. As they made their way through the exit and into the rain, she turned around one last time. She met Tommy's gaze with a small grin before leaving the store.

---------------

"No, Sadie, I swear it was him," Jude said, recalling her eventful morning. She was lying down on her bed later that night with the phone at her ear. "It was like a total Twin Peaks experience."

"Have you even seen Twin Peaks, Jude?" Sadie questioned on the other end of the line.

"No," Jude said, sitting up, "but it was totally surreal. Like I was imagining the whole thing, but I wasn't."

"What did he look like?" Sadie asked.

"The same," Jude said with a sigh. "Same blue eyes, same perfect hair…he just looks a little older."

"Good older or wrinkly older?" Sadie asked.

Jude laughed lightly. "Good older."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Anyway, he was there with his fiancée, who was the one I spilled the coffee all over."

"His fiancée?" Sadie asked in disbelief. "Wow, never thought I'd see the day."

"I know," Jude agreed, standing up from her bed to stretch.

"What was she like?"

"It was hard to tell since she automatically hated me. You know, since I spilled my mocha all over her $800 coat."

"Yeah, I'd hate you for that too," Sadie agreed.

"It was the most bizarre experience. We literally stood there for at least 2 minutes just staring at each other. It was like the world stopped and we were the only two people there."

"Wow, that's so West Side Story," Sadie remarked as her sister laughed. "So, how did you leave things? Did you exchange numbers?"

"Nope. We just left."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I was running late and he was being pulled away by his fiancée, so I left. And that was it."

"Jude," Sadie started with a sigh, "you haven't seen the guy in five years and you don't even exchange numbers? What if you don't see him again for another five years?"

"So? It's not like I was overjoyed to see him. Don't you remember why it's been five years since I've seen or heard from him?" Jude questioned, bitterness evident in her voice.

"Oh come on, Jude," Sadie replied. "It was five years ago."

"And? What he did…the way he left…"

"I know," Sadie said comfortingly, "but you could've at least gotten his email address. It's been long enough."

"Sorry, Sades. I guess it's just not meant to be," Jude said.

Sadie sighed on the other end. "You're hopeless."

"Thanks," Jude replied sarcastically. "Anyway, how's Kwest?"

"Good," Sadie replied. "We're picking out our china pattern tomorrow."

"Ooo, thrilling," Jude said with a smirk.

"It's fun to register for wedding gifts, Jude, you'll see," Sadie countered. "It's like a shopping spree on your closest friends and family."

"Yeah, a shopping spree for china and bread makers? No thanks," Jude snorted.

"Someday, you will be getting married and you'll love it too," Sadie said knowingly.

"Okay…do you think they'll still have china in another 50 years when I get married?" Jude asked.

"Very funny," Sadie said. "I have to run. Kwest just got home—I have to show him the invitations."

"Okay, goodnight Sades," Jude replied.

"Night."

At that, Jude hung up the phone and got ready for bed. A few minutes later, she turned off the light and climbed into bed. She closed her eyes but couldn't sleep. She kept thinking about Tommy. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get his image out of her head. She had managed to go for five years with barely mentioning his name and then all of a sudden, there he was. Standing in front of her, with those eyes that still made her heart skip a beat.

She tossed and turned, finally glancing at her clock to read 1:28am. She huffed and quickly got out of bed, putting on sweats, grabbing her keys and taking off.

Walking around the city late at night wasn't something her mother approved of, but she couldn't love any time of day more than after hours. The streets were quiet, the air thick from the rain that had just stopped falling. She wandered aimlessly around the streets of the West Village, not knowing where she was going, but determined to work out all of the voices inside her head.

She thought about Rob's questions after they had left Starbucks, all about Tommy. She kept things vague, indicating that they had worked together and had been friends. She couldn't help but feel guilty—she loved Rob but why was she afraid to be honest with him about this? She was able to open up to him about almost everything else, but why was Tommy still a vaulted topic?

Walking block after block, she was brought back to the first few days after Tommy had disappeared and the anguish she had gone through. She had cried herself to sleep and had thrown herself into songwriting to ease her pain. But the pain only subsided over time and even now, five years later, she hated to admit that it still hurt.

Glancing down at her watch, she saw the time: 2:36am. Although she wasn't tired and now faced more questions than she had started with, she decided that it was too late to keep going, so she started to head back. Stopping at an intersection a block away from her apartment, she took a deep breath, inhaling the cool, damp air of the city. She scanned the area slowly, pausing for a moment to glance at the figures waiting on the opposite side of the street for the light to change.

As she waited, her eyes landed on one figure in particular standing across the street. She squinted her eyes to see more clearly, as the body shape looked oddly familiar.

It can't be, she thought.

The light turned and the people started to cross, but Jude remained glued to her corner. She watched as the figure stepped off the curb and walked towards her, his blue eyes focused on hers. A small grin appeared on his face as he crossed, while she sucked in a breath watching him come closer. He stepped onto the curb in front of her as they stood in silence, both rendered speechless at their encounter.

Out of the silence, they both went to speak at the same time, simultaneously saying quietly,

"Twice in one day."