1 The Day I met her

Hello, my name is Andrew Langley or Andy for short, I am a 32 year old pastry chef that is a bakery shop owner, I live in New York City, it's beautiful here. Being a small hometown kid from Maine, I never thought I'd be where I am today. Selling pastries in such a city, but today I ran into a woman I thought I'd never see again after 12 years. This is the story of how I lost the love of my life.

*Flash Back* Fall 1999

Well let us start from the beginning shall we, I'm originally from Freeport, Maine. The town known for L.L Bean and the Desert Of Maine, I've lived there my entire life from birth until I left for culinary school in the fall of 2003.

You see I left because of two things, my controlling mother and losing the only girl that I ever loved, it all started when I first started high school I was 15 at the time and excited to start school with my little brother Robert. I was an average looking kid, I had shoulder length brown hair, wearing a black t-shirt and black jeans and with leather boots.

With our father being the head basketball coach at the school, I knew we would be known as coach kids and be expected to join the the team. Robert joined the junior varsity team, but I however loved to cook ever since I was 10 years old, I would mostly make sweet treats and pastries with my mother before she got her job at the law firm or grandmother Edith's bakery shop before she passed two years ago.

I would make sweet treats for my kindergarten through middle school classes, I mean they got really popular that kids would buy my treats in school for snacks.

So when I made my schedule for Freeport High School at the end of my sophomore school year, I defiantly had to put Culinary Arts, as I wanted to go to a Culinary College after high school.

Of course I got bullied for it, cause apparently cooking is not a masculine thing to do, and only women are seen making cakes and cupcakes. But I didn't care I love to cook those types of deserts and it's what I wanted to do for my career.

Around this time is where I met 15 year old Jessica Standford, she was the new girl to our school, she had long red hair and was wearing a lilac sweater with blue jeans and white sneakers. She was carrying a blue backpack, and had on light makeup with a gold locket around her neck, I though she looked beautiful, then any girl in this school. I had math class with her, to which she also sat next to me.

I did introduce myself to her, she gave me a shy hello and we got to know each other, she is from Hartford, CT. Her father had to move here for new job offer with the L.L. Bean company. She was sad to leave her friends behind, but she had never been to a new city so for her it was a new adventure. I liked her optimism, but if it was me I don't think could ever leave my friends behind.

We learned that we had all but one class together, we had English, Science, and math together. But where I had culinary class, she had gym with my father as her teacher.

We also had lunch together so that was a plus, so when the bell rang I took her on a small tour around the school, met up with my buddy Eric Anderson who was a goth kid, with long black hair, a mesh black top with a black shirt to cover the middle of the shirt so he doesn't get in trouble with dress code, black jeans with leather combat boots.

He was a freshmen like me, and we've known each other since kindergarten. He had stood up for me from being bullied and I have done the same from him all through our time in middle school.

Eric and Jessica became fast friends, which honestly made me happy. Cause I knew if you couldn't be friends with Eric then, I couldn't be friends with you. We all walked to English class, talking about our favorite bands, when Eric had to go to his Science class.

We told him we would see him at lunch, as Jess and I kept the conversation going. Jessica walked up to get her textbook, as I took my seat at the back of the classroom. The teacher had her sit in front of me, we talked until the bell rang.

Our teacher Mrs. Holland, had Jessica get up and introduce herself to the class, as she always does with new students. Once that was done, she had us read 'Romeo and Juliet' in class and a month from now we would be putting it on as a play for our school, for our open house in September.

Our parts in the play would be determined on Monday of next week with an audition with the theater teacher, Mr. James, I didn't like doing plays as I had A bit of stage fright, but maybe I could work on sets or something. I had learned that Jess was the same as me, she hated performing in front of people, and much preferred to do behind the scenes stuff.

Lucky for me Mrs. Holland, started to pass around a sign-up sheet, for volunteers for set designers and stage hands for the play. When it came to me I signed up for set design and I passed it to Jessica to which she signed up for costume design, she passed it to the person in front of her.

After reading the play, our assignment was to write a tv pilot for a modern adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, we could work alone or in a two person group. So Jess and I teamed up, and Mrs. Holland gave us the rest of the class period to start our assignment.

we got to work on it and we wrote ours as a crime drama, where Romeo and Juliet are young private investigators, working for their families agencies, and dirty handed tactics between the competitive agencies is what got them killed, of course we add how they fell in love to the pilot, but I wanted it to be more detailed and wrote the entire episodes of the show and how it would play out, between the two love birds.

The bell rang before I was half-way done with it, and now it was time for lunch. Jess and I went to go meet Eric so we all could walk to lunch together, as he was waiting for us. One of the football jocks, I believe his name was Josh Dunn knocks his binder out of Eric's arm and called him a freak.

Eric rolled his eyes, as Josh gets high fives from his buddies. We help Eric pick up his things and head towards the cafeteria, once we got there we went through the line and Eric and I, got pizza and fries with soda's. While Jessica got a garden salad with a water, we go take a seat in the middle of the cafeteria, we talk about our classes and what we did for summer.

But while Eric was telling a hilarious story about, his uncle trying to take him fishing. Out of the corner of my eye I can see Cassie Daniels, the school president and the most popular girl in school, and Vice president Katie Greer her best friend, making their way over to our table.

I'm guessing they were coming to welcome Jessica to the school, when they got to our table, Cassie flips her golden blonde hair and says to us,

"Hello, Jessica. Welcome to Freeport High school, I am your Class president Cassie Daniels and this is my vice president Katie Greer. On behalf of Principal Madeline Winters, we welcome you to our school and hope these losers haven't ruined your day."

Jessica takes a sip of her water, then says to the both of them with a southern tone that had a tinge of anger,

"Well the only losers I see, are in front of me. These guys I'm sitting beside are my friends Eric and Andrew, so maybe next time how about show respect everyone and not just the new person. But thank you for the welcome, though I'm sure I will like it here."

Jessica gave her a sweet smile, Cassie huffs and walks away from our table, with Katie shot Jessica a dirty look before following behind Cassie back to their table across the room.

Eric and I just stared at Jess as we just watch her make enemies, with the most popular girls in school. She gave us a look that says "What was I not supposed to do that.", but we had a good laugh about what happened, we picked up where our conversation left off before Cassie came over, and then the end of lunch bell rings.

Jessica and I make our way to Science with Mr. Hardin, while Eric heads toward Art class, with Ms. Carter. We head to the second floor to get to class, I go take my seat while Jessica goes to get her textbook, she got to choose where she sat, so she sat to the left of me.

Class went by smoothly with only a worksheet on frog dissection, because Monday we would be doing just that. We left the classroom and met up with Eric to hang for a but, in the halls while walking to our next classes.

We part ways when I headed to Culinary arts with Mrs. Green, and Jessica and Eric head for gym. But before we split ways, Jessica gave me her number to call her about the project for English and also to chat after school.

I gave her my number, and we say our goodbyes as I make my way toward my class. The last few hours of school pass by with a wedding cake project I had to turn in on Monday since it was a weekend project. When the last bell of the day rings, I headed out the door to my locker and to grab my backpack.

I see Eric and Jessica make their way over to me, and we chat next to my locker, while I wait for my little brother Robert so we can go meet my dad for a ride home.

I see my brother come down the hall with Cassie Daniels hanging off his arm, she sees us and rolls her eyes at us before kissing my brother on the cheek and walking toward the front entrance of the school.

I didn't wanna ask what my brother was doing with her so I let it go, I ask him if he is ready to go and he tells me yes. So I tell Eric and Jessica goodbye and my brother and I make our way toward the gym offices, so we can go home.

*End of flashback*

-------------------------TSH--------------------------

My first day meeting her was great she was friendly and sweet, we became fast friends and even tried dating which lasted three wonderful years of my life.

Til senior year, my controlling mother, decided Jessica wasn't good enough for me and tried to set me up with Katie Greer as her mother was one of her richest clients in her law firm, and thought that marrying Katie over Jessica would be better for me, in the long run.

But I told her that I already had a girlfriend, and that I didn't want to marry Katie, but she wouldn't hear of it nor did she care.

All she cares about was me getting in good with her rich client's daughter, so the day I lost Jessica still hurts even now to think about.

Because I'm still left with those what if's and what could have been with Jessica, but that night my mother took me, Katie, and her mother to a fancy Mexican restaurant. Katie was trying her hardest to flirt with me, but I just kept shutting her down and telling her about Jessica.

What I didn't know that Jessica, was at the same restaurant celebrating her 18th birthday. Katie at that moment thought it would be the perfect opportunity to kiss me while I was distracted, when I saw Jessica I pushed Katie off me and went after her.

I tried to explain what happened, but Jessica wouldn't talk to me. I was left there in the parking lot, depressed and upset at my mother for bringing me here, upset at Katie for doing what she did after she told me she understood about what Jess and I had, and Katie's mother for letting my mother think things would work out with her daughter and I.

I walked home that night, and went up to my room and broke down, knowing I had lost my one true love.

When I graduated I moved to New York for culinary college, and studies to be a pastry chef. Because there was nothing left for me in my hometown, not my girl or anything so I decided to travel.

I got my degree, met up with my best friend Eric who had become an architect in the big city, he helped me build and design, my bakery The Pastry Corner.

My bakery is a very popular place to get morning doughnuts and coffee, we cater for weddings and other important functions in New York.

But one Fall Monday morning I was putting out fresh eclairs and cupcakes, when I saw her, Jessica much older and still beautiful as ever.

Gone was the red hair that she had in high school, was now dyed black she had on a deep red work suit with a skirt. She had on black stockings with knee high black boots, and god did she still look as beautiful as the day I met her.

I heard her order a dozen doughnuts and a several cups of coffee, and I fill her order and as she pays. I hear he say to me,

"Thank you for my doughnuts and coffees, and I couldn't help but notice. That you look familiar, did you happen to go to Freeport High School in Maine?"

In my mind did a double take, I was hoping she remembered me, but I never though she would, I then said to her,

"Why, yes I did. I'm Andy Langley and your Jessica Standford, right?"

She looks at me with a surprised look, and then says,

"Wow, I can't believe you live here in NYC. And own a bakery no less, do you like it here?"

We chatted for a good ten minutes catching up on our lives, I learned she is now a fashion designer with her company called Leisure and I asked her if we could grab a coffee or drink sometime with Eric.

She agrees and gives me her office number for details on where and when, She then leaves. As I watch her walk out the door, I think to myself,

'Wow, I can't believe I got to see her again, she really does look great and I really hope that maybe. Jess and I can re- connect, and just maybe make up for lost time.'

I clean the counters of my shop as I didn't have that many costumers after she left, I give Eric a call to tell him that our coffee date would have a surprise. To which he commented,

"Finally, bringing a date, to our coffee meeting, huh? Good you need to get laid dude."

I laughed and tell him he would see who I bring on Friday, we say goodbye and I go in the back to fill a big party order that came in a few hours ago. Thinking of what Friday will bring when I see Jessica again for the first time in 12 years.