Times Square

Leigh couldn't sleep. She had gone into her apartment after dinner and all she had done was stare at the ceiling until she couldn't take it anymore. Then she took a cab to Times Square. If she wasn't going to sleep, then at the very least she could be productive. Entering her office, Leigh paused just inside the doorway and stared at the desk. With a disgruntled sigh, she spun on her heels and nearly collided with Vee.

“Holy shit!” Veronica exclaimed, clutching a pile of folders to her chest. Her hazel eyes were wide with surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“I was bored and decided to see how it was going over here.” Leigh answered with a shrug. She didn't really want to talk about what was bothering her. “Is there any work to be done?”

Veronica, clearly suspicious, walked around her to set the folders on the desk. “It's all done.” Turning to face her friend and boss, Vee crossed her arms over her chest and stared at Leigh. “How was dinner?”

“It was good.” Leigh replied, trying to be evasive about anything concerning Ville. “We ate, talked and he dropped me off at my apartment.”

“And?”

“And that's it.” Leigh said as she leaned against the wall of the office and watched Vee. “Ville had a plane to catch.”

“Oh.” Vee seemed upset. Leigh didn't understand why her love life was so important to her friend. It's not like she had to live in Leigh's shoes.

“Since there's no work to be done, do you think we could go out for a drink or two?” Leigh asked, trying to get her friend's mind off of Ville for any length of time. She needed the distraction from him just as much. “I'm wired and need to let off some steam.”

“Sure.” Veronica said, a smile gracing her face at the question. “Let me grab Charlie. He should be getting off soon and we'll all go out.”

“Sounds good.”

Leigh waited for her friends outside of the club. Lighting a cigarette, she took a deep inhale before releasing the smoke into the cool air around her. The sounds of the city surrounded her and closing her eyes, she reveled in it. She was happy that she moved to the city. After living in New York for the last five years, Leigh couldn't imagine herself ever leaving.

Her quiet contemplation was interrupted when the door to the club opened to reveal Veronica and Charlie. Turning to take in the sight of her red haired friend with the head of security, she felt a small smile tug at her lips. Even if she couldn't have the man she wanted, at least someone could find love.

“If the two of you are done flirting,” Leigh called out since they hadn't seen her. They turned at the same time at the sound of her voice, “we have a bar to get to.”

There was a large pub down the street from Times Square that Leigh loved to frequent so the trio made their way there. Once inside the warm bar, Leigh glanced around with relief. At least she had something that would never change.

“How did your date go?” Charlie asked as they settled down at a small table. Veronica had gone to retrieve a few beers from the bartender leaving the two of them alone.

Leigh lifted her eyebrows at his question. “Why do you care?”

Charlie shook his head as if he couldn't believe her response. “You're my friend, Leigh. Of course I care about you. Besides- Ville is a cool guy and I think you need a cool guy in your life right now.”

Leigh stared at him as if she didn't know what to say. How could she possibly respond to that?

Veronica appeared with three beers in her outstretched hands. Leigh immediately grabbed one and chugged half of the bottle's contents. When she placed the bottle down, she noticed her friends watching her warily.

“What?” She snapped, getting tired of people treating her like a delicate flower.

“Are you ok?” Veronica asked, her eyes wide.

“I'm fine.” Leigh said. Grabbing her beer, she stood up from her chair. “I'm going to get another drink.”

“But you haven't finished-” Charlie began, but stopped when he saw the anger on Leigh's face. “Never mind.”

Leigh left her friends at the table and decided to sit at the bar instead. She didn't need to have two people making lovesick eyes at one another while she was sitting there trying to forget her feelings for Ville. She needed to forget him.

Quickly sucking down the rest of the liquid in her beer bottle, she pushed it towards the bartender, an older gentleman who had known Leigh since the day she'd moved to New York. Knowing she wasn't done, not even close, he smiled at her. “What'll it be, Leigh?”

“Give me something strong, Rick.” She told the bartender as she slid onto the stool. “I'm going to need it.”

“Tough day?” Rick asked as he handed her a shot of caramel colored liquid. If she could guess, it was probably whiskey.

“Don't you know it.” Leigh said before downing the alcohol. The burn was what she wanted and it didn't fail her. “I don't really want to talk about it.”

“That's fair.” Rick said as he poured another shot for her. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

“Thanks.” Leigh muttered while she held the small glass in her hand. Rick disappeared to help a customer down the bar when the stool next to her became occupied. Glancing over, her eyes landed on a young blond man with blue eyes.

Blue eyes like Ville's...

“Hello.” He said, his accent announcing his American roots. By the sound of it, he was from the Bronx. “My name is Jon. What's yours, dollface?”

The pet name annoyed Leigh, but she smiled back anyway. “Leigh.”

“Beautiful name.” Jon said, more confident now that Leigh was actually speaking to him. “Are you here alone tonight?”

Leigh opened her mouth to answer when a voice spoke from behind her.

“No, she isn't. Now leave.”

Spinning in her seat, Leigh met the blue eyes of the Finnish man she was trying to forget. As she memorized the deep ocean that his irises were, she couldn’t believe she compared them to anyone else's. There was no denying she would dream of those eyes for the rest of her life. She'd never forget them. She would never forget him.

Jon began to argue with Ville as if he were protecting her. “I don't think the lady-”

Leigh turned her gaze to the blond man and glared at him. “You heard him. Leave.”

Jon's mouth dropped open in shock and instead of waiting for him to leave, Leigh jumped to her feet and grabbed Ville by the arm before leading him out of the pub. Once they were alone, however, she turned on him with anger on her mind.

“What the hell was that?” Leigh shouted, waving towards the pub they had just vacated.

“You're asking me that? Were you going to sleep with him?” Ville asked, incredulous at the idea.

“Why are you even here?” She asked instead of answering the question he had posed. She wasn't sure what she would have done with Jon after a few more shots. She didn't really want to think about it. “Didn't you have a flight to Finland to catch?”

Ville's anger or frustration, whatever he'd been feeling only seconds before, dissolved at the question. “I couldn't get on the airplane.”

Leigh's throat closed up at the statement. She could barely get her next word out. “Why?”

Ville took a step towards her and a shiver ran through her body at his proximity. “I came back for you, Leigh.”

Taking a step back in order to collect herself, Leigh looked everywhere but at his face. “I don't understand.”

Ville didn't step towards her again. Instead, he held out his hands in surrender. “Don't do this.”

“Do what?” She asked, not sure what to do. Should she run or give him a chance?

“Close yourself away, Leigh.” Ville was pleading with her. “Please.”

Leigh was silently staring at the ground trying to sort through her muddled thoughts. She knew what her heart wanted, but her mind wanted the opposite. Her heart wanted love. Her head wanted to survive.

“Give this a chance.” Ville continued, not realizing the inner turmoil Leigh was subjected to. “Give us a chance.”

Leigh felt her heart pick up speed. He wanted her. For some unknown reason, Ville wanted to try to have a relationship with her. She knew what she wanted although her head screamed at her to be smart.

“Ville- I want this.” Leigh admitted although she shook the entire time she spoke. “I'm just scared.”

“You have no reason to be afraid.” Ville said, closing the distance between them quickly. She was in his arms before she realized what had happened. Leigh raised her head up enough so she could look into his eyes. What she saw there made her smile.

“I know.” She whispered before standing on her toes. Her lips pressed against his in a light kiss.

Ville's hands pulled her to him tightly as his lips turned frantic. He was a man possessed. Leigh let the feeling of being wanted fill her being and she smiled as Ville devoured her. This was perfect. This was what she had been missing.

This is what Fate had brought her.

Leigh would never let it go.