Chapter 2

By the end of the service Richie had decided that he needed to know more about this tiny woman with a voice bigger than his and whose scent was making him crazy. She had been close enough for him to notice the light musky floral scent floating around her. The only problem was he had no idea how to go about getting to know her without looking like a complete idiot. While trying to find a way he went to get his mother’s coat and when he came back the opportunity he had been looking for was right in front of him. The girl was chatting with his mother.

“Here you go ma.” Joan turned to Richie and he helped her with her coat, “thank you. Richie, I’d like you to meet Kara.” He turned his attention to the dark haired woman, “It’s nice to meet you Kara…?” Kara smiled politely and extended her hand, “D’Angelo, Kara D’Angelo. It’s nice to meet you too Richie.” She looked up into his face and realized then just who he was. She wasn’t a fan of Bon Jovi, but everyone in New Jersey knew who they were.

Richie took her hand and when his eyes met hers he knew he was in trouble. They were the clearest blue he had ever encountered, even bluer than his best friend's. They stood there, her hand in his for what seemed like an eternity before they parted.

Kara tugged her hand back, “I should be going.” Richie’s cheeks pinked and he dropped his hand, “I’m sorry.” Kara smiled again, “it was nice to meet you Richie, Merry Christmas.” She turned to Joan, “it was nice to see you again Joan, Merry Christmas.” Richie watched as she walked away before turning back to see his mother watching him with a smile on her face, “what?” “Nothing dear; are you ready to go?”

Richie took his mother’s arm and led her to the car, keeping his hold on her so that she didn’t slip on the ice. He rounded the car in time to see a woman in a dark coat and cream colored beret slip and fall. He hurried over to her and, as he helped her back to her feet, realized it was Kara. “Are you all right?” She brushed the snow off of her coat and shook her head, “I think so; just bruised my pride is all.”

He studied her for a moment, with the long black coat, cream beret and cream scarf she looked as though she should be in a catalogue modeling the ensemble rather than standing in front of him. She looked up to find him staring at her, “what?” She looked down to make sure she was still all in one piece. From the way he was looking at her she was sure something had come apart, undone, something.

Richie could feel his face heat up for the second time in the space of twenty minutes. What is wrong with me? He searched for something, anything to say. “You’re beautiful and you have the voice of an angel.” Where the hell did that come from? The words were out of his mouth before he could catch them and reel them back in.

Kara was shocked by his exclamation. “Th-thank you. Shouldn’t you be going now? Your mother is waiting for you.” He glanced over at the car, he had forgotten about his mother. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” He turned to leave, stopped and turned back. “I’d like to see you again Kara, would you give me your number so I could call you?” Kara didn’t answer him; she just headed for her car.

Richie stood there dumfounded for a minute. This hadn’t ever happened to him before. The woman had actually walked away without giving him her number, without saying a word for that matter. He was determined to find out just what was with her so he followed after her. He reached her just as she opened the car door. “You didn’t answer my question Kara.” “I know” she answered without looking at him. She reached inside to the middle console and came back out. “I figured you might need these” she told him as she handed him a pen and a pad of paper.