Reception

Past loves are tricky things especially when you part as friends. Joey Buchanan couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face as he watched her flit around the room. She'd always had boundless energy. It has been one of the first things he'd noticed about her—how she never seemed to sit still…not even for a moment.

She glanced up, catching him staring at her. He smiled and waved at her quickly, ashamed at having been caught so quickly. She started walking towards him quickly and he felt his heart beat faster. He was marrying Aubrey and yet Kelly still managed to get to him.

She approached him with a smile. "Jessica is supposed to call me and let me know what she wants to do about the florist. She's running late…something about her assistant getting the flu or something…I don't know."

Joey continued to smile at her, amused by her frantic mood.

She held out of her cell. "Can you keep this for a few minutes and if Jessica calls just ask her if she wants the bouquets we planned or if she wants to go with the wildflowers? I've got to go try and find the caterer and my reception is crap out back."

He nodded, still smiling. "Bouquet or wildflowers," he repeated. "I got it."

Kelly turned, trotting off quickly. "Thanks," she called back to him.

Watching her walk away, he sighed. He'd let her walk away from him far too many times.

Chapter 2

Pushing open the back door, Kelly took a deep breath of fresh air. She didn't have time to fall apart—not tonight. Seeing Joey again had been wonderful in many ways, she'd missed him in ways she couldn't adequately describe, but being near him and yet unable to touch him and be with him was making her crazy—but she couldn't let him see that.

She paused for a moment, leaning back against the cool brick of the building. It was still February, and the chill in the air made her shiver slightly. Glancing around for the catering van, she frowned. Nothing was going right tonight.

Joey jumped slightly as the phone began to vibrate. The up tempo dance music made him smile. "Classic Kelly," he muttered, pushing the button and bringing the phone to his ear.

"Hello," he said, covering his other ear with one hand to block out the hustle and bustle in the room.

"Kelly?" Kevin was certain he'd heard a voice, but static overwhelmed the connection. "Kelly is that you?"

Joey pulled the phone away from his ear, glancing down at the screen. Restricted. "Figures," he sighed. "Hello," he said again. "Can you hear me?" He began to walk from the room, happy to see the signal was improving with his movement.

"Look, Kelly, we've got a really bad connection," Kevin continued. "I'm not sure if you can hear me or not, but I just wanted to call and check in. I'll try back later. I hope you've come to your senses and told my brother how you really feel."

The click of the call ending came across loud and clear as had the last few sentences. He stood holding the phone in his hand. What had Kevin meant by her real feelings? What wasn't Kelly telling him?

"No," Kelly said, walking back into the crowded room. Her eyes automatically scanned for Joey. He was the first thing that came to her mind every morning and the last thing she thought of every night as she drifted off to sleep…when she slept…which wasn't very often lately. "I don't know anything about the Banks-McCain wedding. I don't know who you need to speak with."

She sighed as the man picked up a large box of wedding favors and left the room.

"Sorry," she muttered to Joey. "So, uh..did the florist call?"

"No, she didn't." He hesitated a moment. This certainly wasn't the best time in the world to bring something like this up, but if not now, when? "But you did get a call."

"Oh really? Did they leave a message? I'll call them back." She was only half listening at this point. Her mind was already on the next problem she needed to tackle. "Why isn't that florist calling me back?" she muttered under her breath.

"It was Kevin," Joey said casually, curious as to what her reaction would be.

Her eyes snapped to attention. "What did he say?"

"It was a really bad connection. He thought I was you." Joey watched as the color drained from her face.

"What did he say?" she repeated. Her stomach dropped. Kevin was one of the few people who knew how she truly felt about Joey. She felt pretty confident that he wouldn't tell Joey, but if he'd thought he was talking to her…there was no telling what he might have said…and what Joey might have heard.

"Listen, Kel. Can we talk?"

"Talk?" Her mouth was so dry she could barely get one word out, and now Joey wanted to talk? About what? What had Kevin said to him? How much did he know?

"Look, Joey," she nervously chattered, "I'm really, really swamped right now. I've got to talk to the caterer and make sure she's got enough help to get everything set up and I've got to get in touch with the florists. I got a call earlier that the storms we had last week caused some water damage in one of the rooms we were planning to use for the reception, so I need to check on that. It's just really not a good time right now. Later, ok?" She smiled, walking away quickly before he could protest.

"Kel, I…" He allowed his voice to trail off as she faded from his view. Until now, he thought maybe he'd misunderstood..maybe Kevin had meant something else entirely but, after seeing her reaction, he knew there was something more to it. He had to talk to her…and it had to be tonight.

Chapter 3

He'd watched her flit about for hours. A few times he'd gotten close enough to say a few words, but each time she'd brushed him off—proclaiming how busy she was and how now just wasn't a good time. The room got more and more empty as the hours ticked by and soon she had to invent phone calls to avoid him. He sighed heavily, watching her move towards the door to make the next phone call that just couldn't wait. He'd been waiting for years…a little longer wouldn't kill him.

"Thanks," the guy yelled back at him, as he finished turning the last chair on the tabletop. "I appreciate the help."

"No problem," Joey called out as he watched him leave. It's not as if he had anything better to do. His eyes fell on Kelly as she walked back into the room.

"Sorry, Joey," she said hurriedly. "I've got to go get some decorations for the reception. Maybe we can talk some other time. I hate to keep you waiting." Inside her stomach was in knots. All night she'd wondered what he'd heard…what Kevin had said. She'd thought of calling Kevin, of asking him, but that seemed almost too rational. Maybe she was making too much of this?

She stood in the storage room, forcing herself to breathe deeply. The last thing she wanted was Joey's pity. She loved him, but she didn't want his obligatory feelings, and she certainly didn't want him to feel sorry for her. He was with Aubrey. He was going to marry her and that was that. She had to learn to live with it. She had to move on. A noise behind her made her turn quickly.

"You're gonna stop running away from me," Joey said, as he pushed the crate towards her and gently pushed down on her shoulders.

"Don't do that," she said, her voice trailing off as she watched the door shut. The crate she was now sitting on had been holding it open.

"Forget about the door," Joey said, his voice slightly more harsh than he'd intended. "I'll open the door just as soon as you actually talk to me."

"No you want," Kelly sighed. "It's locked. Neither of us is going anywhere tonight."

He pulled another crate in front of her and sat down himself. He wanted to get her alone to talk, but he hadn't planned on getting them both trapped in a storage room for the night.

"Look, I'm sorry," he sighed. "I didn't know. Someone will be here first thing in the morning to set up. I'm sure they'll find us."

Kelly sighed, turning her back to him so he wouldn't see just how nervous she truly was around him. "That doesn't really help us tonight now does it?"

Joey stared at her. "This isn't such a bad thing, you know?"

Quickly she turned, spinning around on her heel. "How do you figure that?"

"At least this way, we'll have a chance to talk." After following her around all evening, being shut down dozens of time, and finally resorting to trapping her in a room, this actually seemed like a small victory.

"In case you hadn't noticed," he smiled, "I've kind of been trying to talk to you tonight."

Kelly smiled in spite of herself. "I noticed." She softened. "I'm sorry…I've just…I've been really caught up in all this wedding stuff. I just want everything to be perfect for Jess."

"Right," Joey nodded. "Are you sure that's all it is?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Her heart was beating so fast she could hear it and she could feel her hands start to sweat. She silently cursed herself. She was a grown woman and she was reacting like a lovesick schoolgirl.

"I don't know," he said softly. "It almost seems like you've been avoiding me…like you didn't want to talk to me." He paused for a moment, looking into her eyes. "And then there was that phone call from Kevin where he thought he was talking to you."

Kelly's eyes darted back to his face. "What did Kevin say?" She forced her face to relax, realizing instantly how quickly she spoke and how obvious she was being.

"Well, nothing really. He just asked if you had talked to me about how you felt."

Kelly took a breath. It could have been worse. It was bad enough, but Kevin certainly could have said more. "Oh," she managed.

"What did he mean, Kel? What do you feel and what are you planning to talk to me about?"

There was nothing in her way now, no muffins to destroy, no martinis to choke on. There were no phone calls to fake and no conversations to distract her. She was here with him and he was looking at her with those eyes….God those eyes. If she let herself, she could look into them and remember everything. She could remember the way it was…the way it had been. She could forget everything else. The years they'd been apart. For a moment it was as if no time had passed.

"Kel," Joey spoke again, touching her arm softly. "Where'd you go? Did you want to talk to me about something? Is there something you want to tell me?"

This was it, she reasoned. This was her chance.

"Do you remember," she began, taking a deep breath to steady herself, "when I told you that I realized I still had feelings for someone from my past?"

Joey shook his head. Ten years ago, the news of Kelly and Kevin had made him furious, and yet a few weeks ago, the news of their reunion had made him happy.

"Right," he said, smiling. "You said you and Kevin were giving it another try. I think that's great."

"It was a lie," she replied quickly, afraid any hesitation would allow her mind to come up with another lie.

Joey stood there for a moment, confused. "What do you mean it was a lie? You and Kevin? You're not back together? It didn't work out?"

"It never started. Kevin and I….we were never…there was never another chance for us. The whole thing…it was a lie."

Joey shook his head. "But you said, you had someone else in your life…someone that you cared about…someone from your past." He stopped, looking up at her, his words resonating inside his own mind.

Kelly shook her head. "You," she said softly. "It's always been you. I love you, Joey. I never stopped. I don't think I ever will."

Moments had passed, though she wasn't sure how many. Joey stood, his back to her, his face turned to the door.

"Please say something," she softly whispered. "I know that I've been stupid and I know it was wrong to lie to you like that but I…"

"No," Joey turned around, sitting back down on the crate in front of her and reaching out to take her hands in his. "No," he said again. "The last thing you are is stupid. I'm the stupid one."

She blinked, commanding the tears to stay away, though she knew she was only postponing the inevitable. "You're not angry with me?"

He laughed a little. "Angry with you? No, I'm not angry with you? I'm angry with myself for not seeing this sooner, for being so stubborn and stupid, for refusing to acknowledge what I was feeling because of some sort of stupid pride."

"You mean you…" She couldn't bring herself to say the words until he did. She was so vulnerable in this moment. He could hurt her so deeply in an instant and yet somehow, she knew he wouldn't.

"I love you, Kelly Cramer. I've loved you from the moment I took you to the top of the Palace Roof. The only difference is that I love you more now. I'm just so sorry it's taken me so long to admit it."

The tears fell now, and she didn't even try to stop them. "What about Aubrey?" she asked, barely able to contain her joy.

"Aubrey can do whatever she wants. She can go back to Europe. She can stay here. She'll be fine, but I won't…not without you." Joey reached out, pulling her close to him and wrapping his arms around her.

She pulled back to look at him. "Do you have any idea how long I've waited to hear you say all this?"

Joey smiled at her. "I've always felt it and I'm saying it now. I love you, Kelly Cramer and I always will."

She smiled, leaning in to kiss him as she relaxed into his arms. The sound of keys in the door stopped them, as they both turned to see the custodian standing there.

"What in the world are you two doing in here?" he yelled.

Joey stood, helping Kelly to her feet. "Just waiting for you," he smiled, rushing past him as he tightly held Kelly's hands. "You're timing is perfect. We've got a lot to celebrate."

The End