"Damn phone", Dawn said to herself as she put down the glass cleaner she was using to clean the windows.
This was the third time the phone had rang in the past fifteen minutes, she was sick of people calling trying to sell her things she didn’t need.
"Hello?" she said, irritated.
"Dawn?" said a familiar voice on the other end. She knew the voice, she just couldn’t place it.
"Yes? Who is this?" she asked.
"What, you don’t recognize my voice? It’s only been three years since we spoke last", the voice said sarcastically. Not in the mood to play games, especially with someone who called HER, she was just about to tell him off when she suddenly realized who the voice belonged to.
"Omigod, Alex??!"
"I was starting to get a complex thinking you didn’t remember me!"
"Where are you?? What are you doing?" Dawn asked, she didn’t know why she just asked that, that was stupid, she knew what he was doing. He was a member of one of the most popular bands in the world right now. She was surprised he still remembered her. "OK, let me rephrase that", Dawn said, " HOW are you?"
"I’m fine", AJ said. "How are you?”
“Oh, I’m alright,” he answered. “So, what are you doing these days? Are you still singing?"
He hoped that she would say yes, he loved her voice and always had. It was part of the reason he had decided to contact her after all this time. His group was going into the studio to record another album and they needed backup singers. He immediately thought of Dawn.
"No, I didn’t think my singing career was going to go anywhere. I WAS going to college for Law. I’m not enrolled right now, I decided to take a little time off", she answered. "Anthony and I are still together", she added.
"Yeah, your mother told me that you two lived together when I called her for your number", he said with obvious disappointment in his voice.
He would be willing to bet all the money he had that Anthony had something to do with why Dawn wasn’t singing anymore. Anthony had some kind of hold over Dawn, AJ couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he didn't like Anthony at all. Dawn could do so much better, she deserved to be treated so much better...
Trying desperately to avoid the subject, at least for now, he asked, "what are you doing today, say about 1:00? Will you meet me for lunch?"
Dawn looked at the clock, it was 11:30. It sure was like AJ to give her that small amount of time to make any kind of decision and get herself dressed.
"Um,sure?" she answered, with uncertainty in her voice.
Had she thought about it any longer, she would have said no. She knew Anthony was not going to like this.
‘Who cares, she thought to herself, ‘I haven’t seen AJ in ages and I’ll be home before Anthony gets home from work’, she told herself.
"Good, that’s the answer I was looking for", AJ replied. "Actually, why don’t you come to my place, it will be impossible for us to have a peaceful lunch if we go out in public", he said.
"Alright, just give me directions to your house and I'll be there around 1:00", Dawn replied. AJ gave her instructions to his house and Dawn went to get dressed.
She was excited to be seeing AJ again, giddy even, she didn't know why. She loved Anthony, why was she acting like this about another man? Especially AJ, who she had known all through Junior High and High school. They were so close at one time.
‘What happened?’ she thought to herself.
She couldn't remember. All she knew was that he left school when the Backstreet Boys started to take off and she started dating Anthony, probably about the same time. They just lost touch, she guessed. It was a shame, she really liked AJ, she liked the way he treated her, the gentle way he spoke to her and how concerned he was when he knew something was bothering her. She loved the way he made her laugh. He was so goofy sometimes. He seemed to know exactly what she needed.
‘Why didn't I ever date AJ? She asked herself. She still couldn't come up with an answer. "Things would have worked out perfectly with both of us being so into music", she said to herself.
She didn't let herself get swept away in the 'what ifs' of life, that was the past and her future was with Anthony. ‘He needs me and I need him’ she told herself, ‘he loves me. HE'S my future’, she told herself as she put on her makeup.
“Besides, AJ and I are too different", she said aloud. It almost sounded like she was trying to convince herself.
She winced as she swiped some powder across her cheek, accidentally pressing a little too hard on her swollen cheek. There was still a slight black and blue mark there where Anthony had hit her a few days earlier because they had gotten into an argument about him drinking too much. It could barely be seen, makeup hid it completely. She was used to it by now. She sometimes amazed herself how well she covered up the bruises she got from Anthony.
“Besides, AJ and I are too different", she said aloud. It almost sounded like she was trying to convince herself. Dawn sat silently for a moment, thinking back on all the great times they had together.
“Okay, enough,” she shook off her memories as she got up and grabbed her purse and car keys. “That was a long time ago, a lot has changed.”
She was right, a lot had changed, but time and distance only strengthened the closeness they once shared. Soon, she would learn that. Soon, her and AJ would both learn that.
Little did either of them know how this innocent meeting, as well as the next few months would change the rest of their lives.....

Chapter 2
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