"Do my eyes deceive me? Can it be true?" asked an astonished AJ.

"Miracles have been known to happen," added Brian.

"I never thought it would finally happen," comment Howie.

"Apparently something has. It's about time, too," Kevin said, as they all watched Nick and some girl, a few tables away, absorbed in conversation. Nick was more animated than they had seen him in months.

"I hereby dub her Wonder Woman," Brian said.

"Leave him alone baby, just let him be. Don't spoil it by being brotherly and staring at him," Brian's fiancee purred.

"We're just bugging out. This is the first interest he's shown in a woman since, well, Lilia. This is phenomenal," he replied.

A few tables away, Nick was entranced by the mystery woman named Sasha Carlos, as he discovered as they talked. He also found out that she was a photographer and that she was a huge art fan and was delighted to hear about his sketches.

She did everything right. She smiled in all the right places, laughed, stayed serious and talked about herself, all as if on cue, all perfectly timed.

He was entranced by her. She was flawless. Natural, honest, funny, the list could go on. She had soft brown hair and beautiful hazel eyes, and a porcelain finish smile.

All the time they had spent talking, she had barely talked about herself. But she had, he knew that she was a photographer, but that she still seemed a mystery for all that she had said. He shrugged off his doubt, noting that this was the first time he'd felt confident around women in three months, relishing in her company.

"Okay, so why are they staring at me?" Sasha asked, speaking about their obvious spectators.

"Oh they're just being nosey. And over-protective. Big brother stuff, I guess," he answered, turning and shooting the rest of the Boys a nasty glare. They immediately looked away and resumed their conversation.

"That's kind of controlling. They don't tell you what to wear all the time, do they? That'd be even worse," she commented.

"Nah. There just looking out for me. Endearing, but annoying, to say the least," he replied.

"Bad experience?"

"You could say that."

"Ooh, I'm picking up some wounded soul vibes. Do tell," she pleaded.

"What's there to tell?"

"Start with everything."

"Are you sure you want to hear this?" he asked uncertainly.

"Oh yeah, I'm a sucker for tragedy. Now spill," she ordered.

"Let's see. I met her on a plane…"

* * * *

"This is horrible! I have never seen Genuine so empty. There is, like, 20 people here today," Jean-Claude complained.
v "I've noticed. It's that place across the street. That's Genuine, minus the bullet holes," Lilia responded bitterly.

"You really don't think that's why, do you?"

"I'm reaching, I know. But I'm worried about my place. It's been like this for a few weeks. Another few and it won't be worth it to open anymore," Lilia sighed.

"Last call soon?" he asked.

"Yup. Might as well close, we're not doing much business. I'll go clean the back room," she said and walked into the office and straightened it up. She returned ten minutes later to find the place empty, except for one person sitting in a far corner. She walked to the bar and found a note from Jean-Claude.

Hey Lil,

I had to jet, eternally regretful, but Casey called and she had to go to the airport to pick up her mother, so there was no one to look after my daughter.

Only one customer left and he paid his tab. See you tomorrow,

J.C.

She sighed and went about cleaning the bar. While she worked, she got the eerie feeling that she was feeling that she was being watched. She could remember the night where she had been held hostage in this very place and a flare of illogical paranoia overwhelmed her senses.

She walked carefully over to the only person left, an elderly man. He was not the typed they usually got in there, and she thought that it was weird. He seemed completely out of place, and she was scared by that fact.

"Sir, we're closing now," she said tentatively. He looked up at her inquisitively for a moment.

"Are you Lilia?" he asked. Her heart skipped a beat.

"We are closing now, sir, so if you wouldn't mind making your way to the door," she said again.

"Is your name Lilia?" he asked again. She began to tremble.

"I'm the owner of this establishment. The door is that way," she said poiting.

"Lilia. Are you Lilia?" he asked desperately.

"How do you know my name?" she whimpered.

"I knew it was you. I could just tell by the way you look and moved around the room. You are so much like here, yet so different. And then there's the name of this place. Genuine. She always said that she would want a place called Genuine," he said. Lilia grew scared.

"How do you know my name?" she demanded.

"I have searched for you everyday for twenty years," he answered. Her heart almost stopped beating.

"Lilia, I'm your father."

* * * *

"What did she say when she saw you there?" Sasha asked.

"She didn't."

"She didn't say anything? Nothing at all?"

"She didn't see me."

"What do you mean? She never knew that you were there? Not even once?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"She didn't want to see me, otherwise she wouldn't have left. I was there for her, that was all. She came out okay, but the funny thing was that they wouldn't disclose anything about her condition. They said that she was going to be okay, but they wouldn't say what had really happened to her. But she must have known I was there. I left something…well, that only I would leave for her," he said.

"Are you an idiot?" Sasha exclaimed.

"She didn't want to see me, so I wasn't going to force the issue. I knew she was going to be okay, that was all mattered."

"That is so sweet."

"Well, I try."

"What would you do if she ever came back to you?"

"I'd ask her why she left. It almost killed me for awhile, not knowing. There was a lot of self-doubt, constantly wondering what I had done. But I got over it, I guess. But I still feel like I deserve to know, you know?" he said, looking for understanding.

"Oh, yeah. I completely understand. If she were to come back to you and beg for you to get back with her, what would you do?"

"I'd see if there was anything left. I mean, at one point, I felt like I had felt my one true love, and then suddenly she was gone, without a word. They say you never forget your first love…I haven't been able to so far."

"Good answer."

"Now I get to ask the questions," he said.

"Okay shoot. You deserve it. We've been talking about you for three hours now. My turn to talk," she agreed.

"Why am I telling you all of this?"

"I'm an excellent listener. Plus you looked like you needed to get that off your chest. So, my newest friend, what can I tell you about me?"

"Start with everything," he answered. She smiled.

* * * *

"You're who?" Lilia demanded, shocked.

"I am your father Lilia," he answered again. She stood still for a few minutes, then spat in his face. She turned on her heel and marched off towards the counter.

"Lilia? What…what was that for?" he asked, clearly shaken. She spun around to face him.

"I have waited everyday of my life to meet you so I could spit in your face, tell you exactly what I think of you and leave you the same way you left my mother," she said, her cold words like daggers.

"I realize this must be a shock to you and overwhelming, but I really want us to talk. There is so much that I want to explain to you, to tell you, to find out about your life," he pleaded.

"Don't you get it? I've hated you for as long as I can remember! I want nothing to do with you. Now, please, get off my property," she spat out.

"I understand, Lilia. I really do," he said. He stood up and began to walk away when he stopped.

"She always said that she'd have a flower child, Lili-ah," he enunciated, emphasizing the 'Lily' part of her name. He turned and left. Lilia watched him leave, and all of her repressed anger and hatred exploded. She picked up an clean glass from the bar and flung it against the wall, and watched it explode, shattering on impact. She collapsed on the ground, and began to sob.