Lance pulled into the driveway of the home he shared with his live-in girlfriend, Kimberly. He was humming the tune to one of his favorite Boyz to Men songs, and in a paticulary happy mood. He had gotten almost a week off early from the first leg of their No Strings Attached Tour due to a canceled show, giving him 3 full months of vacation to spend with the woman he loved. He turned off the ignition, and practically jumped out of the candy apple red Toyota 4 Runner, running up the driveway to the front door.

He fumbled with the small house key in the lack of light for a few minutes before he finally got the door unlocked and opened. He walked into the front room, setting his jacket down on the chair by the door, and headed up the stairs and then down the short hall to their bedroom. The door was half way open, so he pushed it lightly and peeked his head in saying, "Surprise, sweetie, I'm..." but he trailed off when he saw Kimberly in bed with another man. In their bed, his bed. "Home," he finished barely above a whisper.

"Oh my God, Lance!" Kimberley said in shock.

"I came home early to surprise you, but I guess the surprise is on me."

Kimberley turned to the 'other man,' whom Lance did not know, and said quietly, "I think you better go."

He grabbed his pants, quickly put them on, and rushed out of the room brushing past Lance who stood in a dazed chock as he went by.

She slipped back into her satin night gown, the one he had bought her for Christmas the year before, and had still never seen her wear it until just then. She walked over to her dresser, looking into the almost full-length mirror at her reflection. "I really am sorry about you having to find out like this, but it really was time you found out."

"How long have you been keeping this from me?"

"I met Jake right after you left on tour earlier this summer. What was I supposed to do, Lance? A girl gets awfully lonely all by herself on the long and cold nights. I had no one to comfort me, or keep me warm, and then I met Jake."

Jake. He cringed at the sound of the name. He had always disliked that name, but now it just made him sick to his stomach. "Why didn't you just tell me we weren't working out then? I loved you Kim, I thought you felt the same. I trusted you."

She rolled her eyes, making Lance's blood boil. He couldn't see past the sheer red of anger, as he clenched his teeth tightly, and mentally counted to ten. "Really, Lance, I can't believe you didn't see it coming."

By then he had had enough of her stupid games, he wouldn't let her out of his sight before he completely lost control. "Get out of my house, now."

"As you wish. I'll send someone to get the rest of my stuff later," she grabbed her purse from the dresser, and started for the bedroom door, but stopped when she was in front of where Lance stood. "I truly am sorry about all of this, Lance, and I will miss you."

"Just go, please."

But she wasn't finished, she reached up and kissed him gently on the lips. Pulling back, she looked into his watered, deep green eyes, with tears of her own. "Good bye."

She turned, walking past him, and disappeared into the dark hall. She listened to the soft padding of her feet down the stairs, and the click of the front door as she shut it behind her. The tears once brimming his eyes, splashed down his cheeks in a flood of sorrow. He sat down on the king size bed, resting his head in his hands. He then reached for his pocket, and pulled out a small, black velvet box. He opened the box with more tears as he peered down at the small gold ring, a large sparkling diamond centered on it.

Lance walked into the local club and headed straight for the bar. He wasn't normally the one to drown all his sorrows in alcohol, but it wasn't a normal thing for him to come home from being on tour to find his girlfriend in bed with another man. He sat down on one of the bar stools when the four barmaids climbed on top of the counter of the bar. If Lance had been a regular at the club he would have known this was a normal routine for the four girls, but this too was something new for him.

The music of Dream's smash hit "He Loves U Not" began to play as the 4 girls began to improvise some dance moves. They each had a microphone in one of their hands, and the tall strawberry blond of the group started to sing the first verse into hers, "You're pullin' petals off a flower tryin' to get your way. Keep pulling 'til it says what you want it to say. You can pick a field full of flowers, but he'd still be my baby."

The other 3 joined in to start the chorus, "You can pout your cherry lips, try to tempt him with a sweet kiss. You can flirt your pretty eyes. He ain't got his hands tied. No chains to unlock, he's into what he's got. He loves me, he loves you not."

The strawberry blonde and brunette with hazel eyes sang the next verse together, then all 4 of them finished the song with a few more choruses. They did a small performance of 4 more songs after that one, 2 of which Lance didn't recognize and a dance remix of Kandi's "Don't Think I'm Not" and SClub 7's "Dream Come True." By the time they had finished, and had hopped back of the bar returning to serving the customer's, Lance was completely mesmerized. The whole club, especially the guys, were going wild. The 4 girls could put on a damn good show, and sure as hell had the talent.

The one that had caught Lance's eye the most was the strawberry blonde. She seemed to be the lead singer and attitude of the group, and even though she wasn't the type of girl he was normally attracted to, she had caught his full attention throughout the performance and even afterward. After a couple minutes of waiting, she noticed he hadn't been served yet, so she made her way to where he sat at the bar.

Up close he could make out all the details of her beautiful features. She had brilliant hazel eyes, curly shoulder length strawberry hair, fair skin, and was a tall 5'8". She had the most friendly and welcoming smile he had seen in a while, lighting up her whole face and bringing a small twinkly to her hazel orbs, to top it off. "What can I get you to drink tonight?" she asked him.

Her question woke him up from his reverie, and he suddenly remembered exactly why he had been sitting there. The pain and anguish seemed to deepen, and alcohol seemed more desirable to him at that very moment. "I'll have just a beer," he said placing his order.

"Coming right up," she pulled out a shot glass from under the bar, placing it on the counter of the bar. She poured the beer into the glass, then set it in front of Lance. "There ya go."

Lance took the glass, and downed the liquid contents in a matter of seconds, ordering another as soon as he finished.

"Rough night?" she asked him.

"More like a train wreck," Lance answered after taking a sip of his beer. "Wanna share? I'm a good listener if that's what you need."

"I hate to lay out on a stranger, but someone to listen to me is exactly what I need," he paused, even though he really needed someone to talk to, talking about it was really painful. "I just got home this evening from being out of town for a couple of months, and when I got back to my house I found my live-in girlfriend in my own bed with another man."

She seemed shocked, her eyes widening. "Oh, God that has to be the worst I've heard so far."

Lance shook his head in agreement. "Sure feels like it."

"Well, look at this way, if she's gonna cheat on you like that, she's not worth you getting drunk over and doing something you might terribly regret later on. And plus, she obviously doesn't know what she's missing." She winked at him, and walked off to serve another customer, leaving him alone to think about what she had just said.

It had been precisely 2 hours later as Lance sat talking to the strawberry blonde, who had informed him that her name was Alicia. He now knew a lot about her, from how she had used to live in St. Louis since birth and had just moved to Orlando to attend college 2 years before, and various other things from her favorite color to favorite music group. He had taken her advice, and instead of drowning himself in alcohol, he had been getting to know Alicia a little better. Now, he decided, it was time to make a move.

"If you get off soon, or get a break, would you like to have a drink with me," he asked, his southern drawl and deep green puppy dog eyes making it unbearable for her to say anything besides yes.

"I think I have a well-deserved break coming up in about 10 minutes, so sure," she said, and leaned over the bar, to look him in those puppy dog eyes. "But only on one condition."

He raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

She touched his hand softly. "You save a dance just for me."

"Ok."

10 minutes later just as she had said, Alicia got a 30 minute break. Her and Lance sat together at a small table in the far corner of the club, both drinking only lightly, when a slow song started to play. Lance stood up from his chair, and offered his hand to her.

"May I have this dance?"

She smiled brightly, her hazel eyes lighting up, as she took his hand and answered, "I thought you'd never ask."

You set my soul at ease
Chased darkness out of view
Left your desperate spell on me
Say you feel it too
I know you do
I've got so much more to give
This can't die, I yearn to live
Pour yourself all over me
And I'll cherish every drop here on my knees

He lead her onto the dance floor, and turned back to face her. He placed his arms around her waist, as she snaked hers around his neck. She seemed to fit perfectly in his arms, even though she was only just a couple inches shorter than him. They swayed to the music, oblivious to anything around them except for each other.

I wanna love you forever
And this is all I'm asking of you
10,000 lifetimes together
Is that so much for you to do?
Cuz from the moment that I saw your face
And felt the fire in your sweet embrace
I swear I knew.
I'm gonna love you forever

My mind fails to understand
What my heart tells me to do
And I'd give up all I have just to be with you
And that would do
I've always been taught to win
And I never thought I'd fall
Be at the mercy of a man
I've never been
Now I only want to be right where you are.

Alicia was surprised at how close to home the song was hitting. She was falling, and hard, for a man she had just met only hours before, and who was undoubtedly on the rebound. She was setting herself up for a big fall, one her heart couldn't afford to make.

I wanna love you forever
And this is all I'm asking of you
10,000 lifetimes together
Is that so much for you to do?
Cuz from the moment that I saw your face
And felt the fire in your sweet embrace
I swear I knew.
I'm gonna love you forever

In my life I've learned that Heaven never waits
Let's take this now before it's gone like yesterday
Cuz when I'm with you there's nowhere else
That I would ever wanna be
I'm breathing for the next second I can feel you
Loving me...I'm gonna love

Lance looked down at Alicia and saw exactly what he had seen in Kimberly when he fell in love with her for the first time. He was scared because he was falling this fast and this hard for her so soon, the same as Alicia was feeling right then. But he remembered an old saying about not acting on what your mind thought was right, but what your heart did. And he was going to do just that.

I wanna love you forever
And this is all I'm asking of you
10,000 lifetimes together
Is that so much for you to do?
Cuz from the moment that I saw your face
And felt the fire in your sweet embrace
I swear I knew.
I'm gonna love you forever
Forever, ooh...

The two pulled away from each other, and as they both looked up, their eyes locked. Inside both their eyes was the same dreamy look, one neither would forget. Lance knew right then that this was the girl he had to go after, and wouldn't stop chasing until she felt the same about him. Though scared of another heartbreak, Alicia was feeling the same. she wanted him, and she just hoped he wanted her also. If she only knew.