Part II

"I looked into your eyes,
and my world came tumbling down..."

The girl smiled at me and took my hand. "And your name is?"

I knew I'd be talking to her again so I had to pick something closer to home. "James," I said, hoping all the years of hearing my mom call me by my full name would pay off. "And you are...?"

"Athena, but most people call me Thene," she said. I raised my eyebrows.

"Really? How'd you end up with a name like that?"

"My dad was a Greek mythology professor. He wanted to give me a name that 'radiated strength, intelligence and beauty'. That's how he always put it." For a split second it seemed her eyes glossed over, but with a blink the tears I thought I'd seen were gone. "Plus I have grey eyes, and supposedly Athena did too," she explained.

"Are you from around here?"

"No, not really."

"Neither am I. What brings you here?" I asked.

Thene tilted her head slightly, a faint smile gracing her lips. "I needed a change of pace this weekend. How about you?"

I considered her and her answers. She was keeping a real air of mystery about herself - who knew if her name was really Athena? Not that I could criticize. I decided I'd just play the same game until she opened up. "Same here, life just got mundane. What's that you're reading?"

She folded the corner of the page she was on and closed the book, showing me the title - 'The Complete Works of Shakespeare'. I felt a chill go through me. That was just coincidence...right?

'None of this is coincidence,' the voice in my head answered.

"Can I buy you one of whatever you're drinking?" I asked lightly.

"You could if you really wanted, but ice water's free," she informed wryly.

"Well, can I get you anything other than water?" I asked, trying to save face. She smiled.

"No, thank you. I'm fine."

I looked into her eyes. They were grey, like she said, but there were shades of purple and blue swirled in too. It was like they were challenging me and inviting me all at once. "OK, now I'm stuck. I've introduced myself, I've met the girl, I've offered to buy the girl a drink. Now what?"

Thene smirked. "Something tells me you don't need my help," she said.

"And why is that?"

"Because your smile gives away the fact that you have done this many, many times."

"But I still need suggestions from you."

"Why?"

I flashed her what I considered my sexiest smile. "Because this is the first time I've ever seduced you," I told her. She smiled widely.

"Hmm, that's true...well, you DID forget the crucial complimenting of the girl."

"You're right, I did. Athena, has anyone ever told you you have beautiful eyes?"

"Yes, they have, but it never hurts to hear it again."

"No, no, I gotta be original...has anyone ever told you you hypnotized them from across the room just by reading a book?" I asked softly. She studied my face.

"No," she finally said. "No one. Has anyone ever told you they were waiting for you before they even knew you existed?"

It was about now that the rational side of me woke back up and made its presence known. I was standing really close to the edge. 'This is just a weekend to get away. This girl is nothing extraordinary - you've met prettier, nicer, more forward, more everything - and you LOVE JULIA!!!' a tiny frantic voice cried.

I might have loved Julia, but at that moment I couldn't even picture her face. In fact, as much as I hated to admit it, in the part of my mind that was in control - the part that craved living minute-to-minute and acting on impulse - I was already cheating on her. It was almost as if I had really become some guy named James, and all James could think about was Thene. She had already entranced me and I barely knew more than her name.

'AJ, this is exactly what people would expect you do, you idiot. It's fun to pretend, but in three days you go back to being AJ McLean, and all that entails. Walk away from this while you still can," my rationale tried to reason with me.

'That's a crock, it's already too late. Don't fight it,' that prophetic voice boomed.

"Would you like to go outside and make a snowman with me?" Thene asked suddenly, looking innocent and nothing at all like the girl who had just been coming on to me.

I knew if I left the bar with her that would be it, things would just landslide into the inevitable. I wish I could say I paused and really took things into consideration. I wish I could say it was even a decision, but it wasn't. There was only one place I wanted to be - wherever Thene was.

"I'd love to," I said, smiling, and arm in arm we left the bar.

"Cut it out," Thene complained as I walked by her snowman, dragging my fingers across its face. I had just pulled out an arm a second earlier.

"Cut what out? What are you talking about?" I asked innocently.

"I'm talking about doing this kind of stuff to my snowman," she said, taking a swipe at my snowman and knocking a chunk out of his stomach.

"Hey!" I protested. We had started building the same snowman, but we had too many creative differences so we set out making seperate ones instead. Somewhere along the way it had become a competition, which eventually led to us trying to destroy each other's creations.

To get back at Thene I chucked a handful of snow at her snowman. In return she threw a snowball at me.

"Oh no, now it's personal," I declared, throwing a snowball bak as she laughed. Pretty soon we had a full scale war going. Wherever she was from must get snow because she was much better at snowball fighting than me. In the end I was ducking behind my snowman (or what was left of him), for cover.

"Do you surrender?" she called. I got out from my hiding spot and looked at her.

"Is that my only choice?" I asked.

"No, you could not surrender and I can just keep pummeling you," she said, holding up a snowball menacingly.

"All right, all right," I conceded, holding my hands up. "I give."

"Good," she gloated, and chucked her snowball at my face anyway. I was shocked.

"What was that for?" I spluttered, wiping my face.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"You're a cheater; I don't play with cheaters," I stated, sticking my tongue out at her and walking away. I wasn't really mad, I knew she'd catch up. She did and soon we were walking side by side. I was starting to get cold and I really didn't know where I was walking to, but it was nice having her next to me.

"You don't play with cheaters?" she asked after a moment. I shook my head and she smiled. "I do. Cheaters are the most fun to play with," she said, looking at me. I held her gaze.

"And why is that?"

"Because you never know what you're going to get - they keep you on your toes," she said. I couldn't help grinning - the double meaning of it all certainly didn't pass me by. I wondered if something about me gave away the fact that there was someone else in my life. Then another thought crossed my mind. What if there was another person in hers, too?

"So what's your story?" I asked, changing the subject.

"What do you want to know?"

"Where you're from, what you do, what you love, anything. Everything."

"OK, well, I'm from Massachusetts. I go to Boston College, where I'm a liberal arts major. I love to read, write, draw, act...artsy stuff like that."

"Not ski?"

She laughed. "No, not at all. I hate skiing."

"Then why would you come to a ski lodge in the mountains?"

"I used to come here every year with my parents," she said, and it wasn't hard to pick up on the sadness that invaded her cheerful tone. I wanted to know what had suddenly upset her.

"So this is kinda like a weekend to reminisce?" I questioned. She sighed.

"In a way. A year ago on this weekend they were killed in a car accident. I came here to escape, I guess...and remember, too."

"I'm so sorry. If you want to be alone just say so, I'll completely understand," I told her, secretly hoping she wouldn't take me up on my offer.

"I think if it was anyone else I'd say I'd prefer to be by myself," Thene said. A moment later she swatted my arm. "So what's your deal, James - mystery man from nowhere, comes to Vermont to get away. What are you running from?"

"I'm not running," I answered automatically. Thene rasied her eyebrows.

"Ooo, touchy," she teased. I laughed her off.

"Nah, I'm just...I'm trying to break into show business and I have to travel a lot and I was...I felt like I was losing myself," I said. It wasn't really a lie, just a broader explanation of the truth.

"Did you find yourself yet?" she asked

"I found a lot more than that," I answered, walking closer to her. We continued to walk and talk. Thene talked a lot about her parents and her childhood. Those times I just listened without comment; I think that was what she needed.

After it had been quiet a few moments Thene checked her watch. "It's a lot later than I thought," she said. We slowed to a stop and faced each other. "This is when I leave to go to my room," she stated softly.

It was a lot more than that, this was it. Up until now it had all just been a lot of talk. This was the point where we'd say goodnight, maybe make plans to meet up the next day. This was when I'd smile and walk away.

"I'd really like it if you stayed with me tonight," I murmured. Thene looked into my eyes. My hand went to her face and as I touched her she closed her eyes. A moment later I was kissing her. She broke away first and I was afraid for split second she'd leave. Instead she took my hand, and together without another word we walked toward my room.