Liz

Spring 2007

Some things you see coming. Liz spotted Lucky when she was just a teenager, nearly a baby, at least that is how it felt now, and she knew in the first instant- that was her man.

Till the day he wasn't anymore.

Some things you never see coming. That was how it was with Pete. He was a total surprise- an odd guy with an ironic sense of humor and hidden sweet side. He was the surprise of her life. Her never supposed to be... untilthe day he was.

Pete held her tight on his couch on the afternoon her divorce went through, while tears streaked down her face.

Her eyes were wide and filled with pain, but also hope. All she wanted was to feel whole again, and when her mouth opened and then met with his, she gave to him all she had. The kiss was desperate and needy and full of all she felt for him.

His hand slid over her back and down her body, slowly, treasuring every inch of her. Pete pulled back and whispered "We can wait."

"No more waiting," she breathed into his mouth as hers went to him again.

His moan lit a fire in her that she hadn't felt in a year. Or maybe that she hadn't felt ever because this thing between them was unlike any other love she had ever known.

She couldn't make sense out of why Pete made her smile, and why he thought she could save him, but she knew it was true. And she knew he could save her right back.

He stood and took her hand. Without anymore words they headed upstairs. In his room, he slowly undressed her.

Leaning his head against hers he whispered, in a shaky voice, "I have never ever been in this place before or done this... I have never made love to anyone... only had sex. But I want to make love to you, Elizabeth."

She worked on undressing him, her eyes locked on his, and said "Just as long as you know that your days of being a playboy with Patrick are long gone now. You are done with all the other women."

He smiled and asked "What other women?" His eyes took her in, with tears coming to them. "I don't remember any other women. I only remember you."

She pulled him down on the bed on top of her, his mouth kissing her neck.

"You don't have to promise me forever. Just love me right now, Pete. Only me."

He moved to look into her eyes. Tenderly he said, "Sorry, but I am pretty sure I am gonna love you forever. Only you."

When he kissed her, Liz started to think that idea just might work for her.

XXXXXXX

Fall 2007

The months went by and they became a real couple who fought, and teased, and developed a whole secret world of inside jokes and memories no one else could ever share.

Pete started to get to know Cameron and he even came to terms with Lucky. Though the idea that anyone had ever broken Elizabeth's heart would never sit well with him.

One autumn day, after she put Cameron to bed, Pete knocked on her door.

"Hey," she said with a easy smile when she saw him.

Immediately she wrapped her arms around his neck for kiss. She loved kissing this man, because in his kisses there was never any pretense, just love, and she could feel his whole heart when his lips were on hers.

When she eased away she said, "I didn't expect you to come by tonight. I thought you were working on your book."

He walked inside, carrying his brief case. With a huge smile he said, "I was. Until about twenty minutes ago."

He patted the briefcase. "It's done."

"Oh my gosh, let me see it!"

Pete gave her a nervous look. "It could be crap. In fact I think it is. No, I am sure it is. It ended up being a cheesy love story instead of a coming of age story where the protagonist confronts himself and man's inhumanity to man."

"I seriously doubt it is cheesy," she said as she pried the brief case out of his hand. "You hate that kind of stuff. Unless you became a Clay Aiken fan behind my back."

"Perish the thought," he said with a shudder.

He watched her as she sat on the couch and settled in to read All is Fair.

After the title page there was a dedication.

To Elizabeth

This story is for you. For making a fungus into a man and other miracles too numerous to mention. For showing me what the love of a good woman can do. There is no better woman than you.

The next page read

Chapter One

He never believed in love. To him, it was the same as magic- smoke and mirrors. Something only a sucker bought into.

In New York City, he found out on his first day of living there, there were plenty of suckers. One on every street corner, you could trip over them, and he did.

Coming up the stairs of his brownstone he grumbled about the subway, the street vendor, and the sticky sweet smell that permeated the city in late August. So caught up in his own malaise, his own general miserableness- for he was a very miserable man on most days, and liked it that way, thank you very much- he didn't even see her coming down the stairs.

With a bump, they smacked into each other.

No, it was not love at first sight. This isn't one of those stories. It was something else. Something about her that made her sneak into his mind that day, and stay around long after. Though he didn't want her there. For he was sure she would only cause him trouble in the end.

Those brown eyes are what probably did him in. Or her take no crap attitude. The sexy snark didn't hurt either.

"Do you think you could actually keep your eyes open when you are walking up the stairs?" she asked him, as she started to push past. "You think that would be a smart move or what buddy? Out of towners, God."

"I live here," his voice was indignant.

He had worked for years to be able to afford to move to New York and now that he was an actual resident of the city he expected to be treated as such.

"For like five minutes, I bet." She was already walking down the stairs. "You have that dazed look on your face. Where you from? Iowa?"

"Virginia," he said.

"Same thing!" she called back

"No, it really isn't."

Pausing she turned and looked back up at him. "If it is not New York, it's no where. And if you are going to make it here, then you need to learn the rules of the city. The first lesson is free. Keep your damn eyes open. To survive here you're gonna need a lot more than your pretty boy looks. A whole lot more, Virginia."

She gave him a dismissive wave and then disappeared down the rest of the flight of stairs.

He stood there, not believing in love or fate or even that there was any women in the world that were worth more than one night of his time. His lips pressed tight together.

She was just the type of woman who would annoy the hell out of him. And yet, though she was only gone for minute now, he missed her.

XXXX

Liz didn't look up from the manuscript for two hours. When she finally did, tears poured from her eyes, "It is a love story."

"Cheese to the hundred degree, right?" He had been pacing the room.

"No. It's sweet and funny and good, Pete. Sure it needs more work but you have something here. You are a writer, love."

"If I am, you made me one."

She smiled as he joined her on the couch. "You don't have to give me credit for everything good in your life."

"Why not?" Pete asked as his mouth came close to hers. "Whatever I am, you turned me into. You made me more than I ever really thought I could be."

"And you made me happier than I ever thought I would be again," she said.

Then he was kissing her, she was laying back on the couch, and soon he moaned the one word that sent shivers up and down her spine and then wrapped itself around her heart, "Elizabeth."

Next chapter- Lainey