Lizzy was in the kitchen making her hot tea that she always drank before bed when there was a knock at the door. She was planning on ignoring it until she remembered Rainer was in town and there was a chance his flight might have been cancelled.

She closed her robe as she walked to the front door, and as she looked through the peephole she caught her breath when she saw Brian standing there.

Could she pretend that she hadn't heard the knock? Would he buy that?

He knocked again, louder and more insistent.

She slowly opened the door, and as she did Brian's gaze swept over her taking in her appearance. She pulled the belt around her waist tighter as if it would protect her somehow.

"May I come in for a minute?"

"It's late Brian, and I was just getting ready for bed." She motioned over her shoulder.

"Please Elizabeth, it will only take a moment. I just want to ask you a question." He stepped forward, forcing Lizzy to take a step back, and before she knew it he was closing the door behind him. 

She felt as if he took up all of the space in her tiny little living room, and she was finding it hard to breathe. "I was just making myself some tea would you like a cup?" she asked, moving towards the kitchen.  She was hoping to put her small kitchen table between them and busy her hands.

"Tea sounds fine," he said as he followed her into the kitchen

She watched as he reached up and undid his tie. When he started to unbutton his top button her mouth went dry. If just the sight of his bare neck made her weak at the knees she hated to think of what the rest of him would do.

He sat in one of her chairs, leaning back, his legs stretched out in front of him.  He was not afraid to claim his space in the world, but then he never had been.

She turned away as she started to make the tea.

"Your brother said something that bothered me." At the sound of his gruff voice she turned to look at him, giving him a small smile.

"I didn't think anything bothered you, Brian."

"There is plenty that bothers me, Elizabeth." Something about the tone in his voice made her meet his eyes, and she was shocked to see the openness there, it looked a lot like pain.

"Well, I wouldn't let Rainer get to you.  He moves at such a fast pace he sometimes forgets what he is saying."

"He seemed to know exactly what he was saying, and he seemed to mean every word."

Lizzy just shrugged.

Brian continued, ignoring her shrug. "He said that someone had made you feel like you were not pretty."

Lizzy sat down the tea pot a little harder then she had intended.

"Was that me? Did I make you feel that way?"

When Lizzy didn't respond he stood up and moved to stand behind her.  She could feel him as he invaded her personal space. His smell and heat enveloped her, making her hands tremble.

"Elizabeth, did I make you feel that way?"

She just shrugged again, afraid to speak. Unable to lie but also unable to tell the truth.

He spun her around and lifted her chin so that she was forced to meet his eyes. When he saw the look there he cursed softly. He leaned his forehead against hers. "You are beautiful Elizabeth. You always have been, and I'm so deeply sorry if I ever made you feel otherwise."

He slowly kissed her forehead, her closed eyes, her cheek; Lizzy held her breath. His lips were very gentle as he followed her chin line.

"I should have kept my distance eight years ago. I should have never become involved with you. I knew it would only hurt you in the end,,but there was no way-,"

Lizzy pushed him away, as she felt heat rush up her neck.  So he was sorry their relationship had happened. He regretted it.  She may have felt pain but, even knowing how it had ended, she would do it all again because he had been the only man she had ever loved, would ever love. To hear him say it should have never happened was like a punch to the gut. Not that she would ever let him know that. She would not let him reject her again.

"Elizabeth, listen to me I'm-"

"No, Brian. It was years ago, and it doesn't matter anymore.  Seeing you again, seeing your ability to turn your charm on and off at the snap of your fingers has shown me what you already knew all those years ago and I didn't. It was always meant to be a summer romance. A romance best left in the past."

She pushed past him, making a straight line for her front door. Brian was having none of it. He grabbed her and pulled her to him.

"Tonight, when you walked in that restaurant, you were the most beautiful woman there, and when you walked towards me I was so proud to know that every man in the place knew that you were meeting me."

Lizzy's heart did a little flip at his declaration, and his nearness was definitely not helping her resolve.

When his lips grabbed hers in a fierce kiss that punctuated what he said her knees gave out and she fell against him. Lizzy felt herself giving in, but as he went to deepen the kiss she wrenched her mouth away.

"Do you feel better now Brian? Do you feel like you have corrected your mistake?" She took advantage of his shock and pushed backwards out of his arms. "One complement and a kiss fixes everything, absolves you of any guilt that you felt or still feel. Well you can go home this evening and rest easy knowing that you have done your best to try to bolster my failing self-image." She marched to the door and pulled it open.

It took all she had to look him square in the eye. "It's fine Brian. Believe it or not life has gone on for me despite that fact that you think I am still lost in the past mooning after you like I did all those years ago.  I will admit that seeing you this week was a shock, and it has made old feelings resurface that I have not felt in years, but I find myself quickly recovering."

She saw his mask drop back in to place, closing his face to any emotion. She really had to learn to do that she thought offhandedly.

"If you really want me to work with your mother, if you are sincere in that, then we need to forget the past once and for all.  It's the only way that this can work for all involved.  Believe it or not I can be professional, and I never mix my business life with my personal life."

Lizzy ran out of steam.  She almost believed every word that came out of her mouth.

Brian was watching her closely, his face was not betraying any thought or feeling. Finally, he gave a short nod and brushed past her into the hall.

Lizzy held perfectly still, the last thing she wanted to do was show any weakness by jerking away from the brief contact as he towered over her.

"Goodbye Elizabeth," he said and then he was gone.

She slowly closed the door on his retreating back and slumped against it.

At least she finally got her goodbye. At that thought she gave a little laugh that ended on a sob. She might die an old lonely woman, but at least she had her pride. She didn't know how long she sat there with silent tears running down her cheeks before she finally crawled into bed only to cry herself to sleep.