Second Chances

This is a work of fiction. The events in the following story are not true and are only the written form of a fantasy. I have no connection with the people in this story. This is the second chapter of a longer story. If you have not read the first chapter (First Meetings) I recommend that you do so. I appreciate all well intended criticism and advice. I hope you enjoy.

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I stood motionless in that room, staring at that letter sitting on the bed stand. I stared at it as if it would tell me what she wrote. Like I could learn what her words were without opening it. Of course I knew that no matter how hard I wanted it, I wouldn't get anything from the letter without opening it. So I finally just grabbed it and put it in my pocket before going down to the hotels front desk. I got a taxi back to the hotel where I'd rented a room.

I hadn't touched my bag so I was able to just grab it before going to pay for my room then getting in my car and heading home. The road home was free of traffic since it was a weekday. It was an easy drive but that was also a problem. A problem only because it gave me a chance to think about what she might have written.

In the time it took me to drive back to my apartment I'd run a number of ideas, and many reasons for what she might have put in the letter. It was like being back in school when you got a letter from a girl you liked. Before you actually read it you either thought it was going to be good or you expected the worst. I'd had enough time that both options went to war in my head.

To say I was relieved to pull into the parking lot of my apartment is an understatement. I was happy to walk through the door and be home. When I shut the door I dropped my bag onto my couch, and threw the letter onto the kitchen counter. I went to do everything you do when you get home after being gone for a night. Then I went on to do everything that you do when you are trying to avoid doing something. I didn't want to read that letter.

I say, I didn't want to read the letter but the truth was I'd scared myself in the car. I was afraid of what she might have written. It took a while but I finally got up the courage to see what she wrote. I grabbed the letter from where I'd left it, then went to sit on the couch. I leaned against my overnight bag and opened the envelope. I took in a breathe as I started to read.

I'm sorry I have to do this but we had to go early. I loved last night and wished that we could have had some time together today. You make things easier. I felt more like myself last night than I have in a while. I hope you feel something similar. I hope you don't feel less about me for last night either and the fact that I had to leave without saying goodbye. That's one of the reasons I wish I could have been there. I wanted to make sure everything was ok. The guys are waiting for me so I will make this short. I hope this is not the last thing I say to you.

Goodbye for now, hopefully

Amy

I have to say that I was happy that she wrote a short letter. I'd held my breath until the moment I read her name. In the end though, I was a little taken back by my reaction because as I thought about it I really had no reason to worry. I mean she never gave me any sign that she would do anything else but write a letter like that. And looking at her words she seemed as worried about how I felt.

There is something to be said for the idea that she might have felt differently the next morning. If she had it would have been ok. It would've all ended up being a wonderful portion of my life that I could remember for the rest of my life. But I'd never really done anything like this before. I'd never felt that way before. Even with other women I've dated and fallen in love with. This one was a bit more interesting. This one seemed to mean more to me.

That thought didn't hit me until I was looking at that envelope back at the hotel room. I didn't really process it until I was reading the letter inside. Though it was a relief to see that she felt something similar to what I felt. If not love she was open to building on whatever it was that we had. Willing to build something on the foundation that was laid over the many e-mails that we sent to each other.

I didn't want to lose the ground I had gained so I immediately fired up my computer and sent Amy a quick e-mail.

Amy

I wish that last night could have lasted longer and I was sad to find you missing from the bed this morning. But I understand completely why you had to leave. Believe me I've had many a broken night's sleep because we needed to make a quick exit. I have forgotten the number of reasons we've had over the years.

The fact that you have opened up to me so much over the last few months has me wanting to know more. I am willing to get that anyway I can. And don't worry It would take quite a lot for me to lose my respect for you or change how I feel. And just the idea that you wrote me that note makes me happy. I am here for you and will be here for you until you tell me to go.

I'll see you when I can

Jim

After hitting send I went and took a shower, trying to get ready for the day. It turned out to be the longest shower I'd taken in a while. I'd kept wanting to get out and check my e-mail. I wanted to see if she had written back already. I wanted to makes sure everything was still ok, but I stayed in the shower as I realized that I needed to just go about like normal. That took a lot of convincing myself. When I eventually got out of the shower I ended up calling Mike and going out to lunch with him.

We hung out for a while and he talked to me about doing sound on another short tour. Apparently the gig at the music festival had done a lot to help. They were able to nab a bigger tour then the last. They were going to be the opening act for a pretty large band. The larger tour was going to go on for about a year. It would be hitting a number of medium sized venues. Mike's band was only going to be on the bill for the first 3 months basically during the first North American section.

This time we were going to get a couple of extra crew members and thankfully, a driver. It would make parts of my job easier but also other parts of it a bit harder. It was going to be harder because I would have to deal with a couple more departments that, on the last tour, were either taken care of by each venue or by me. Actually since I've been working for the band I've also been their tour or show manager. I've always had the responsibility to deal with all issues that come up. But luckily that next tour I was going to be able to give out some of the headaches to new people.

The biggest part of my normal job was going to give to the main act. Well their tour manager at least. He would take care of some of the bigger headaches and that was all he was going to do. I am not trying to belittle his job but I was happy to only be a PM and soundman. With the size of tour that we were going on, that is all he would want on his plate. I didn't want all that on my plate. To me this was going to be an important tour for Mike and the guys. I like, for this tour, that I could concentrate on making their show look good. Make this another stepping stone to more. This tour was important.

It wasn't going to be my first tour as a production manager and soundman for an opening act. I knew some of the expectations. I also knew a lot of the problems that could arise. The thing that I wasn't prepared for was the time frame. Mike told me that we needed to be fully ready to go in two months. It wasn't a horribly short amount of time but it was still short. I've been hired for a tour where I needed to be ready the next week. I was able to be ready for that one but being short on time doesn't help.

There was one thing that was going to make things easier. It was the fact that we were beginning the tour on the concert off season. There would probably be a few stagehands looking for work. I was grateful Mike was telling me this now as we hadn't planned on getting together until the next week. The more time I had the easier things would be but of course that wasn't the reason that I had gone to see him. It was good to see my friend and we hadn't talked in a while so this was nice.

After we talked the little business we had, Mike asked about my weekend. I'd told him the last time that he and I got together that I was going to see Amy. That I was going to be a guest at her show. He was still surprised that I'd actually gotten Amy's e-mail, let alone got invited to go backstage at a show as a guest. He was floored when I told him I'd spent the night with her. Mike and I have been friends for so long that he's seen me trying to get a steady girlfriend for a long time. He's also seen me fail as many times as I've tried. Mike's constant jokes about my luck with women are always heart-warming.

Actually we've been friends for so many years that I'd been a helping hand in his career from the very beginning. I'd already been doing something with sound when he was looking for someone to fill the position. I'd gotten roped in to the business by my parents from a young age. For them I was essentially a form of free labor, while also being their child. That last sentence may be read wrong.

I was the kid who always did the heavy lifting and helping in any way I could. But I want to make it clear I did this willingly. I wanted to work with them as much as possible. So of course it was just a matter of time before I started really loving the work and wanting to do it for the rest of my life. I think they may have planned that in the end.

At first I worked two jobs to help pay for equipment while I was starting to gain a nice sized client list. It was difficult to get contacts at first since I live in a small town. But with Mike having me work for his band, that gave me opportunities to work in some of the bigger cities nearby. Eventually I was able to make enough money, through sound work, to quite my other jobs and do it full time. So I had two reasons to thank Mike for the situation I found myself in when I met Ms. Lee.

Mike and I had talked about her before we ever even met her. We've debated before about the merits of her music and the quality of it. We both agreed that she was beautiful but I was always more intrigued by her and I wanted to know more about her. Frankly I have always been interested in knowing more about any person that I find interesting and she was the top of my list. I am never one to just take what is on the surface as the whole of the person. I know there are always depth to them. Another thing I learned from my parents.

Amy had been someone that I'd wanted to meet for a while. From the first time I saw the Bring Me to Life video though I knew that the chances of it actually happening were slim to nil. It is why the relationship I had with her still suprises me. But of course that relationship was something that would have to take a side seat for a while as I started the new tour. I didn't want to ignore her but my job had to take a prominent place for a while.

Since I had a long to-do list and a limited time to get things done, the first thing I did when I got home was I sent off a few e-mails. They were to a couple of people that I knew that could do the jobs that I had to fill. As I was writing to a woman, that I knew, that would be a good monitor engineer, I got a new e-mail from Amy. I finished up that e-mail and the rest of my main business before I looked at the e-mail Amy sent.

It was a simple yet comforting e-mail. She'd started it off the same way she always did. Like we had always been talking. As if nothing had changed. She wrote me a funny story about one of the stops they'd just had on tour. I love her stories. She always puts an interesting spin on her stories. The ones I love most are about some of the more interesting fans that she's had to deal with. I think we have run into many of the same types of people but I see them as an outside observer. They obviously never bother me so I get to watch what they do to the guys in the band. It was nice to get things from her perspective. Her view as someone who deals directly with them.

The last thing she wrote was that her tour was ending in a couple of weeks. She wanted to know if I wanted to try and get together after that. I tried to make my reply as normal as possible myself. I sent her an older fan story that I had before telling her about the tour I just got. I gave her the dates to see if she wanted to come and see the show as my guest. There were a couple of shows up near New York so I was hoping she could come to one them. And thankfully they were later in the tour so she would get some time to relax at home for a bit first.

She later wrote me back and said that she would love to come see the band again. She told me she would come to the second show near her because she was planning on seeing her family for a bit. We didn't e-mail each other much after that. More because I was busy than because we didn't try. I mean I would see her e-mails in my inbox but I would have to wait a couple of days before I could send her a reply. I could have sent her one immediately but I didn't want to give her just short unfeeling e-mails.

I was upset about not being able to e-mail her often but thankfully with rehearsals and eventually the tour the time flew by. Before I could even figure out what city I was in really it was the day that Amy said she'd come to see the band and me. It was good to see her when she walked in.

Actually, I didn't recognize her when she first walked in. She had her hair down but she hadn't straightened it so it was rather curly. That and the sundress she was wearing made her look a little different. Like someone else. I'd been looking at her for a few seconds before I recognized her. Of course, when I recognized her I walked up to her and give her a big hug. I gave her a quick kiss before letting her go. She went over to say hello to Mike and the guys. Of course Mike was surprised she was there. I don't think he believed me when I told him that she was coming.

After she talked to the band a minute she and I sat down and talked. The band and I were waiting for the chance to get a sound check done. It was nice to catch up with her but I think she could tell that I was getting antsy about something. I didn't like not being able to do anything. I didn't like doing nothing productive. She asked me about my mood and I told her. She told me that she would help with anything I needed if it would help me relax. I grabbed her hand, kissed it, before getting up and moving out the door. She quickly followed after.

We walked out to my sound position in the audience. There were a couple of problems that I'd had with a piece of equipment. I would've fixed it already but I needed two people. I hadn't planned on doing it that day but since she offered. I mean I'd already been trying to figure out how I could fix it by myself but no ideas were coming. So I was very happy that she was able to help in the end. It actually didn't take very long to fix. After getting that off my mind I was finally able to relax a little bit and enjoy being with her while the band waited for the chance to practice on the stage. We thankfully didn't have to wait long.

When we got the ok, the band moved to the stage. The guitar techs and the drum tech had been setting up the bands amps and things so all we had to do was push it onto the stage. Once that was done we went from there. We ended up having about 30 minutes to work through everything that needed work. Thankfully there weren't major problems just a couple of issues. We'd been getting good at working quickly during sound check. The guys sounded good and they were able to work out the kinks in a couple of songs that were added to the set list before they had to leave the stage and wait for the audience to enter.

Amy and I waited out by the sound console and talked some more while we waited. We were talking about a few things going on and about a tour that we both wanted to see. We made plans to go together but we couldn't decide on when. I told her that I would look at when our tour ended and try to match it up with a show that we might be able to meet at. Of course though I had to get through this night before I could do anything else.

As the audience poured in you could see a few people looking at Amy trying to figure out if she was really who they thought she was. A couple even came up to her and got her autograph. It was nice to see how wonderfully she treated the fans that she interacted with. A couple eventually turned into a few then a crowd. She tried to spend a little time with them, though you could see that eventually it was taking its toll on her.

I mean she probably hadn't really expected that many people to recognize her and I am sure that she wanted to just be at the concert. Though she was getting tired of it. She still tried to be kind to all people who said something to her. It took a bit but the line finally died down about the time Mike and the guys hit the stage. Amy took her seat next to me as I worked. She was paying as much attention to me as she was the concert. I could tell because when I was a little more stressed than usual I would feel her hand on my shoulder.

Just that little act helped calm me. It was sweet and helpful even though I'd gotten comfortable working at that level. I have always been a perfectionist especially when it comes to sound. Though honestly having her there made me a little more nervous than usual. I always have a drive to do a good show but with her there I wanted to do even better. I wanted to show her I was as good at what I do as she is at what she does.

As the show went on she started to make comments to me. Nothing about how it sounded. They were more about how the guys were even better than when she had seen them the first time. I told her that this tour had really improved their stage craft. She told me that she could tell they'd been getting better. At one point Mike actually made a dedication to her and thanked her for coming. He didn't actually use her name but you could tell by what he was saying that he was talking about Amy.

I could hear her chuckle at him for his attempt. It was a sweet laugh and I liked hearing it. It was good she liked the sentiment. She even enjoyed the band doing an intentionally funny cover of one of her songs. I even had to laugh since I didn't even know they were going to do it. The audience seemed to enjoy it to. It was a nice last song before the encore and then letting the headliners have their turn.

As the guys left the stage I told Amy to head backstage and I would join her there as soon as I had my crap packed up. Since we were pretty far into the tour I had my packing time down to a fairly short time. So it wasn't long before I was making my way backstage. I met up with Amy as she was talking to the guys. They were talking about a few other bands that were touring and Mike was telling her about a couple of songs they were writing for the next album. They were gonna work on them once they were done with the tour but Mike had been thinking a lot about them recently.

I let them know I was there but stood near them as they finished talking. When they did, she and I went to find a quiet spot backstage. It was hard to find but we eventually did. We talked for a bit but sadly I had to leave with the band and she had to get going herself. I walked her out to her car and we talked there about trying to see each other again. I thought that we should wait till after the tour was over. It wasn't that I didn't want to see her. It was just going to be easier to do after we were done. I wanted to spend more than just a few fleeting moments with her.