The Next Day-IRS Office

Even before she'd gotten out of the car, Annie's heart pounded beneath her chest. She had no idea what she was going to say, but Caroline was right. However, the idea of talking to Jimmy didn't make her feel any better or more confident. However, she had to do it if she wanted to keep her sanity.

Within minutes she'd made her way into the building and was standing in front of the receptionist. The woman, who looked like a reject from a sixties' television series, glanced at Annie through horn-rimmed glasses, making her feel even more uncomfortable. But there was no way that Annie was going to let a woman like that stand in the way of true love. It just wasn't going to happen. And she smiled at her sudden burst of confidence, wherever it had come from.

"May I help you?"

Annie wrinkled her nose at the annoying nasally voice of the receptionist. "Yeah, you can! You can get on your intercom and tell Jimmy Callaghan that he has a visitor!"

"And who can I-."

"Annie Spadaro."

"Right, Spadaro. You know I vaguely recall Mr. Callaghan telling us this morning to make sure he's not disturbed… by you or by anyone."

"Get him, now!"

"Do you have an appointment?"

"Well, no, but-."

"Then I insist on knowing the nature of your visit."

Annie reached into her purse and pulled out the letter. "All right if you're going to be that damn adamant about it, I'm here about this! Now let me see him!"

"Very well." She pushed the button and waited. "Mr. Callaghan, there's an Annie Spadaro here to see you."

"Damn it, I thought I told you to get rid of her if she showed up! I don't want to see her! Tell her to get out, now!"

Annie's heart clinched in her chest and she could see the receptionist trying to hide her smile. "Mr. Callaghan's very busy and doesn't want to be disturbed."

"I need to see him, now!" Annie cried. "It's urgent! Try again!"

The receptionist sighed and pushed the button for the intercom. "Very well. Mr. Callaghan, I'm sorry to bother you but Ms. Spadaro says it's urgent and is very adamant about seeing you and-."

"Damn it, Rita, do you want to lose your job? I already told you that I don't want to see Ms. Spadaro!"

Annie's eyes filled with tears. He had no idea how much he was hurting her. Or perhaps he did and he just didn't care. She was about to break down completely when Rita rose from her chair. "Ms. Spadaro, Mr. Callaghan doesn't wish to see you so you should probably-."

But Annie was already walking toward Jimmy's office door, ignoring the shouts of the demented Rita. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she could hear Rita frantically trying to reach Jimmy on the intercom, but she didn't care. Instead she stood in front of his office door and knocked loudly. "Jimmy, open up!"

"I'm very busy and I don't have time-."

With a surprising amount of force, she forced the door open, trying, trying not to let her heart flutter at the sight of him. Despite his stern glare, he looked absolutely wonderful. How had he become even more handsome in the days since their fight?

"Damn it, I said-."

"I don't care what you said, Jimmy! I need to talk to you!"

He pursed his lips and turned his face away from her. "I don't think we have anything to talk about so I need you to leave!"

The words hurt as though he had slapped her but she refused to break down in front of him. "No, I'm not leaving until you explain this!" When he turned around, she flashed the letter in front of his face.

"What's that?"

"What's this? What's this? This is a letter from the IRS, signed by you, saying that I owe $42,000 and demanding the money in full!"

"Ah. Well, then I suggest that you get out your checkbook!"

"Jimmy, you know I don't have this kind of money! You're the one who audited me for God's sake! You know everything about me! Well, my financial status anyway, and paying this is completely impossible!"

"Then you're in serious trouble, aren't you?"

"But I can't possibly-." She paused staring at the letter a bit closer. Something wasn't right. And then she knew… Wait a minute… This isn't even a real letter, is it? I don't owe all of this money! This was just a big set up! Damn you, Jimmy!"

"All right, fine! It was a ploy. You fell for it! Now will you do me the satisfaction of leaving?"

"Jimmy, please! Just let me say what I came to say and then I'll leave! I swear it! I'll never bother you again!"

When she could no longer hide her tears, she sniffled, somewhat relieved when he sighed deeply.

"Fine, just say what you have to say. You have five minutes."

"Five min-Jimmy… Okay, okay, look. I know you hate me and I don't blame you but if you'll just let me explain…"

He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I'm listening."

Daringly she walked further into the room until she was standing directly in front of him. And yet she made sure that she kept a reasonable distance between them. "I never meant for this to happen, any of it. I never meant for Charlie to give you the part in Cats, nor did I expect the casting crew to actually let you on the stage, but they did and-." Her voice was becoming harder and harder to control and her composure started to waver.

"Is that why you're here? So that you can tell me how horrible I was? Well, you've already made that point very clear, Annie Spadaro!"

"Jimmy, that's not what I meant!"

"Then what exactly did you mean?"

"Oh damn you, Jimmy, don't you get it?" She shouted. "I'm trying to tell you that I'm in love with you!"

The office fell silent and she looked away crying softly. She could feel him moving closer until the heat resonated from his body. But she didn't dare turn around. She couldn't. Instead she stared at his office door.

"Look, I know what you're going to say Jimmy, and you're right. I never meant for this to happen. I never meant… to find you so good looking or for you to be so sweet and loving and I… I couldn't help myself. It wasn't supposed to be this way, but once I started falling for you, I fell hard. I went from not caring about you at all to never want to be without you. And the last three weeks have been absolute hell without you. Don't you understand that? I just want to be with you all the time, to hold you and kiss you and… well; it doesn't matter anyway because I've ruined things forever. I-."

His hands were on her shoulders massaging gently and when she felt his warm lips on her neck she pulled away. "Jimmy, no… I can't…"

"Why?"

She turned around, her heart pained at the look on his face. "Because I-I hurt you, Jimmy. And I'm so sorry! I-I should leave."

"Annie-."

Before he could stop her, she ran out of the office and into the parking lot. She was almost to her car when she heard footsteps behind her and she turned, finding herself in his arms. His lips where on hers and the kisses were far beyond anything she could have ever imagined. She'd never been kissed by a man this way, ever.

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him as close as possible, wanting every inch of his lean body against hers. And then breathless, she drew back and stared into his eyes of blue, wanting so much to kiss him again. But it was when he pushed a fallen lock of hair from her eyes that she burst into tears.

He drew her close, holding her against him while she sobbed into his sweater vest. And even when her tears subsided, he never let go. He rubbed her back and her shoulders in an attempt to calm her shuddering body, but still she clung to him. "I'm so sorry, Jimmy! I didn't mean any of the hurtful things I said! You're wonderful and

I don't care if you work at the IRS or if you're not a professional dancer. As long as you're with me and want to be with me, nothing else matters. I love you, Jimmy Callaghan."

He smiled and gently tilted her face upward until their lips met. "I love you too, Annie. I love you so much."

She kissed him again, a tender, sweet kiss that she could feel throughout her body and then drew back, stroking his cheeks with her fingertips. "I don't want anything to ever come between us again. And that's why I've made a decision. A big one."

"What decision?"

"I'm quitting Cats."

His mouth fell open in horror. "Annie, no! You can't!"

"But I ruined it for you, Jimmy! You love it more than life, and I ruined it by playing a horrible trick on you! How can I expect you to come to see my shows when-."

"I'll be there for each and every one. Not because I want to see Cats. But because I want to see you."

"I don't know… Oh, this is so wrong, Jimmy! And I'm in enough trouble as it is so maybe it's for the best! I-."

His fingers covered her lips in an attempt to silence her. "Annie, you have to keep dancing! It's your dream and I won't be the one to shatter that dream. I had my dream come true, dancing on stage with the woman I love in the best musical around."

"No, it's not right!"

"But what would you do?"

"There are other shows on Broadway, Jimmy! There's Les Miz, A Chorus Line, Phantom of the Opera… I'll just audition until I land a role!"

"Annie, please don't give up your career for me! You haven't ruined the show for me at all. In fact, you've made it better. The show wouldn't be nearly as wonderful without you. You look so beautiful dancing on stage that you take my breath away."

"I love you." She breathed before giving him a long, slow kiss. When the kiss ended he grinned shyly. "Wow… that was…"

"Only the beginning. There's a lot more where that came from. A lot more."

He swallowed hard, clearly nervous about what was to come. But she would make sure that he was completely at ease… as soon as they arrived at her place. She took his hand and smiled. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"Well, I do owe a lot to the IRS, don't I? And what better way to pay my dues than in person? And then perhaps I can show you a few moves from Cats that weren't meant to be acted out on stage?"

She kissed his jawline letting her lips trail down to his neck and onto his collar bone and he gasped, obviously pleased with her performance thus far. "Um, where do these acts take place?"

"My bedroom…" She whispered seductively in his ear, before kissing him deeply.

Without taking his lips from hers, he pushed the intercom button. "Cancel my appointments. I need to leave."

The kisses resumed hot and passionate and Annie could hardly wait to return to her apartment. If she had known that being audited would have led to this she would have done it long before now. But there was no harm in making up for lost time.

THE END