Liza- his soul mate. Together they were powerful, alone they were dangerous. Two free spirits that were on the same mental plane and heading in the same life direction--She was the only person he could ever really trust, heart and soul.

As he made his way into town, he thought of how the Fates had brought them together. After all, they were an unlikely pair. He never really noticed her until she was dared by her sorority sisters to sing at Karaoke Night at Massari’s a few weeks after he came to town. He was a 26 yr. old transfer student, a loner who never really got the hang of meeting girls despite the fact he was in a band. She was a 21 yr. old well-known and loved junior who had more friends than a politician during an election year.

He had seen her around campus wearing her Greek letters, laughing it up with her fellow "sisters" and "brothers", always looking as if she stepped off the cover of one of those fashion magazines. He thought he had her pegged, thinking her the stereotypical sorority chick. That was the type of girl that would never have a chance with him back in his old hometown. What had struck him the most in the few times he had seen her around campus and the village was her voice.

She had a voice that rivaled Lauren Bacall- deep, throaty with a hint of raw sexuality that was seductive, forceful yet feminine. That was the voice of the siren that stole his heart that night.

It was a live band Karaoke and Nick, Louie and Scotty were the band. They felt like they had played every classic rock cover in the book and in several different keys. There was nothing like seeing a bunch of young, college drunks hanging out and trying to sing, "Lay Down Sally," hoping that the lyric would help them get laid by the list of women who's numbers they had taken down after one drink. Liza's sisters wanted her to go up and sing something cool.

It looked like the typical Greek peer pressure. She was reluctant, insisting that she couldn't sing. They continued their onslaught, but she became much like a tired camel after a long ride in the desert: she simply sat down and refused. Louie and Scotty, old friends of Liza's since their freshman year, egged her on while he had just rolled his eyes and prepared for the worst.

She finally made her way to the stage after a series of cat calls and high five's, turned toward him and with those piercing green eyes said, " 'Satisfaction', now follow my lead."

She was the best singer in the club. With a stage presence that rivaled Mick Jagger, a voice that reminded him of Janis Joplin and a heart shone through with every verse, he knew he was in trouble. He followed her lead -- perfect pitch, style and playful personality. Gone was the Alpha Alpha Chi sister that he had seen around campus and before him was the woman he knew he had to be with forever.

After the set finished, she ran back to her table and quickly finished her drink. He thought about throwing himself in front of the door in order to prevent her from leaving. The band had quickly gone to a set break. Scotty, the drummer, ran over to her table and got a hug. Nick thought it was all over. Someone had gotten to this goddess before he had his chance. His jealously raged from that point on.

While the drummer sat at the table, he flicked a brown guitar pick to the drummer's left ear. He stewed in the corner behind the stage, sulking at his perpetual case of missed opportunities. In the middle of the break, Aaron brought him a beer and a slice of pizza, compliments of Mr. Massari.

"What’s up with you? I think you need to step into the blue lights to counteract the green of the envy you seem to be harboring for one Scott Michael Christopher Calasari," Aaron said, sliding the slice toward his friend.

"What are you talking about? I don't give a shit about that girl. I don't even know her. They seem to be rather good chums," Nick had said, swallowing the hot pizza to avoid the inevitable conversation about this girl.

"Scotty is her roommate," Aaron said, raising his red brows slyly.

Perplexed, Nick decided he would take Aaron’s hint and dig a little deeper.

"This can't be the same roommate who called her professor a 'Fucking conceited, elitist prick' in the middle of a class discussion, can it?"

"The same," Aaron replied, emptying the ashtray.

Scotty had told the band of his girl roommate's antics, always referring to her as 'Skillet' because she could dissect a person and fry them up without anything sticking to her character. Scotty said she had a lot of friends, but they were all different types of people. Scotty had promised to introduce them at one of Aaron's parties a few months before, but she went to a fraternity formal and wasn't seen until after the long fall break weekend.

Nick saw Scotty returned to the stage so Nick finished his slice quickly, leaving Aaron to smirk at his success. Nick threw Scotty a towel from the table that Aaron had brought with the slice. Scotty grabbed the towel, wiped the sweat off the heads of his drum kit and sat on his stool. He motioned Nick over to his kit.

"They're sending the list around for the next set, so we've go about another twenty minutes before we kick it up again, man. Sorry I took so long, I had to talk to my roomie, Liza. I haven't seen her all week 'cause she's been up on the sorority floor for pledging shit."

"She seems nice," Nick said, plugging in his guitar to the amp.

"You've never met Liza, have you?" Scotty said, that smart assed smirk creeping over his broad jaw.

Nick shook his head.

"She's cool, you know," Scotty replied, taking a sip of water from his cup beside the kit.

"Is her boyfriend here?" Nick said, thinking he could easily approach the subject, not that he was interested, but approach it nonetheless.

"Liza, a boyfriend, PLEASE, not you!! She broke up with her man a while back, some asshole frat brother. Every guy who has asked her out in this room has been shot down in a flaming blaze of glory. Kernin tried to ask her out last week, but she reminded him how he skanked her best friend last year while dating Kristina from Delta Omega Delta. She... wait a minute, you never asked about a girl's boyfriend before, does this mean you dig her?"

Nick just sat quietly, pulling a cigarette from his black T-shirt pocket.

"Just go over there and talk with her after the set is over. She said she’d stay until closing and walk home with me," Scotty said, knowing what his friend was up to.

Nick pondered Scotty's words throughout the next set. He hoped she would get up and sing another song, but she sat there at the table smoking her cigarettes, making small talk, and drinking her drinks. During a lull in the set, Nick decided to sing a song he sang with his band back home called, "First Time". He had written it about some girl he dated back home in high school who eventually married some rich bastard with no class and less talent. Liza seemed to take total interest in the tune, even making eye contact with Nick throughout the ballad.

At the end of the set, Nick finally got up enough nerve to buy her a drink. Scotty had recommended buying her an ‘ice pick’, a combo of vodka and iced tea, and her favorite drink. He walked over to her table, two drinks in hand hoping that he wouldn’t make a fool of himself or have a drink thrown in his face.

Scotty had taken a spot across from his roommate, leaving an empty seat next to her where her sorority sister had once taken root. She and Scotty were talking about their other roommate's whereabouts for the evening when Scotty caught Nick in view.

"Hey, Liza, I want you to meet the greatest guitarist since Eric Clapton. The good thing is he's in my band. Nick, I want you to meet Liza, my roommate."

He motion to sit down next to her, she pulled out the chair. He couldn't get over how different she looked here rather than around town. He was quiet while the roommates chatted, taking in the sound of her voice, the sting of her whit and the warm echo of her laugh. Aaron called Scotty from across the room, waving him over to the counter area. Scotty excused himself, leaving them alone.

"Hey, Aaron, do you mind if we move over to the window booth?" she yelled to Aaron, who shook his head and instructed them to move with a point of a finger. She turned toward Nick and for the first time seemed to really see him and only him through those enchanting eyes.

“She must have been very special,” Liza said as they made their way over to the booth.

“Who?” Nick said, still awestruck that she spoke to him.

She laughed, “the girl who you wrote the song for silly. Then again, she must have been a real bitch to let a nice guy like you get away.”

Nick smiled, gently touching her elbow to guide her to the table. “Nah, I think there is someone else who is more special that her. Young love, yah know.”

They sat in the window booth at Massari's until well past closing time. In some brief moment, all the awkwardness of their meeting faded. They talked about everything: philosophy, music, art, and their personal histories.

She was an English major whose dream was to write and take in all the experiences of her world. She was well versed on current affairs, music, art, popular culture, and just about every topic of conversation. She had a way of making a man feel as if he could stay right there with her for the rest of his life without any fears. She could tell a dirty joke that would make a sailor blush and laugh at the same time. She was everything he had hoped for in a woman.

Nick smiled to himself as he remembered that first time they meet. As he walked downtown, he saw a few of Liza's sorority sisters. He struggled to pull their names from his memory; Liza had them over to the apartment so often that he had accepted their presence, but didn't particularly care for their attitudes or their personalities.

They always smiled their fake smiles and made their silly small talk, always thinking that they were better than anyone on the planet. They pretended they approved of their perfect sister being with a man they thought of as a freak. He felt so much like Nicholas Cage's character in Valley Girl: an out-of-place rebel who only wanted to be happy with the girl of his dreams. As he passed the girls, he gave them a half-smile and turned the corner.

As he walked into the restaurant he gave the owner, Mark Massari, a quick handshake and hello. Massari had been his first friend in this God forsaken town and he appreciated all the help he offered. Nick had come across Main Street late at night to get out of his lonely studio apartment hoping to find a reason to stay here in this school and this town. Massari let him sit in the window booth to do homework, write songs, clear his head. He remembered this was actually the first place he saw Liza, although she never knew.

She had been waiting outside late one night, a large blue and white umbrella sheltering her from the pouring rain. It was about 2 AM as he had watched her from that booth, rain falling on her leather jacket, tears falling down her pale cheek. He was so touched by her raw presence, her vulnerability, and the emotion that he wrote a song about her. He felt sorry for her, this unknown creature. Not until later did he know the name of his Muse and he hadn't liked what he heard from other guys in the restaurant.

She was a party girl with an attitude. She made the girls angry at her friendships with their boyfriends, made them feel small because of her talents and her whit. She took in life so precariously many feared she would be dead by the age of 22. She was a lover of Beat poets, 60's music and hippie idealism with a cynical twist.

His cigarette had burned down to the filter and his fingers had become singed. Cursing, he put the butt out in the ashtray, the blackened remains leaving its black essence in the clear glass.

"See what happens when you daydream. Reality burns you-- scaring you for life".

Nick looked up with a smile. She stood their in her assemble of jeans, Doors T-shirt and leather jacket. Her backpack was filled with books of poetry, Shakespeare, computer printouts and her battered journals. Nick reached up and helped her unload her burden. The backpack landed with a thud on the seat of the booth.

As she sat down, he pushed back the long curly hair. Nick beheld her with the same feelings he had every time he saw her: wonder, passion and total peace. Neither of them said a word for their feelings were so evident they never needed to verbalize. Her eyes danced with that playful glee they had every waking moment. He knew every line, every hair, and every curve. He thought back to the morning, watching her sleep in his bed--one of the only moments she could be completely still.

"So, sweetheart, what's new?” Nick said.

"Well, Nicholas, you are looking at a woman who can see the daylight of academic life known as graduation. And I'll be doing it on time".

Nick felt his heart flinch but kept the smile on his face. It was only one year ago they had meet in this very place, a time that seemed so fleeting. He knew she was following her vision quest: after graduation she was leaving for that trip to northern California. She felt that the mountains, nature at its greatest peak would help her find the peace she had looked for all her life. She needed time to live alone, to not be needed by everyone who knew her.

"And?" he said, blowing a cloud of smoke toward the ceiling.

"And my travel agent sent my tickets today. The Monday after all the graduation beer parties my little sister is taking me to the airport where I'll be whisked away aboard a cramped commuter plane that will safely take me to Chicago- O'Hare.”

“From that mess I'll take a 747 to lovely Denver, Colorado where I will proceed to find lost luggage and wait for 4 hours for my little connector to San Francisco. From San Francisco I shall catch the elegant Greyhound bus and be dumped in the middle of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, not to be heard from for several months while I backpack, camp and scare my mother half to death because I don't call".

"Everything's set then?" he said, looking at his cigarette.

Nick tried to sound positive. He couldn't stand in her way because he would never expect her to do that to him. She knew his dreams-- to make it in the music business. He never expected her to lag behind and wait for him in this shitty town with no hope of getting out. This place was filled with people who attempt to run her life, suck up her energy with their problems and never gave anything in return.

No one wanted her to leave, but she had been left plenty of times by lovers, friends and even her father. She insisted that her trek would only take one year and that nothing would change in their relationship. Nick knew that everything would change because she would grow and he would be restricted.

Nick analyzed her in his mind. He wanted to remember that everything he ever wanted in this life sat beside him and that he was too much of a man to say anything. He wanted to beg, wanted to lock her away, burn her plane tickets, wanted to leave with her. He knew none of that was possible. She was running from her own demons of the past and no matter how he tried to help her deal with them, she would have to destroy they on her own terms. But you always want to protect the ones you love.

Love. He knew he was in love with her, always had been. She brought out the best in him. She never questioned his past, his former life, and his old girlfriends. She had told him it wasn't necessary for her to know. Only once did she see the dark side of his personality.

When Aaron told him that her ex, Skeet, threw her out a window, Nick went out on a mission to kill him. Had Louie and Aaron not pulled him off Skeet in the ally behind the restaurant, Nick knew he would be back in prison. He served his four years in juvenile hall for assault & battery of a kid in his school that pissed him off. He never wanted to go back to that life, especially now that he had something to live for and someone to love.

And that was the truth. He was too afraid of the words, of the commitment in leaving his life behind to join hers. He wanted everything to be perfect. He wanted the same satisfaction she was going to get.

"Nick? Earth calling Nick!"

Nick smiled, "Sorry, daydreaming again".

"Have I told you lately that I love you?"

"That sounds like a song lyric. Granted a Rod Stewart lyric, but a decent one. Yes, you told me this morning after the dog and I had our morning fight".

They laughed. Nick stood up and took her to the dance floor. She never liked to dance in public, an overwhelming shyness that came from a harsh childhood. Massari put on their favorite song, "True Kind of Love". They danced to the playful Rockabilly favorite, attracting the smiles of the lunch rush.

Times like this when Nick questioned God. If God really existed and wanted his children to find a heavenly happiness with each other, why did he create sorrow? Why had God sent this girl into his life only for her to walk out as if they never meant anything? Why was he allowed to dream of this girl as the mother of his children, his mate for life, the last vision he wanted to see before the ultimate sleep?

As the song ended, they headed back to the table, hand in hand.

"So, when are you and that band of yours going to actually play a set?"

"In two weeks at Aaron's Place, this week right here in this bar. Are you planning to make a singing appearance or will you be the lead singer's girlfriend again?"

"I seem to recall a promise that the only duets we'd be doing were in bed".

"I think I can share you for one night. Besides, I've been getting a lot of requests for Beatles and Stones and you have the deepest voice..."She punched his arm, rings digging into his flesh, but he didn't mind. He smiled and kissed her. Massari brought their food with that sentimental look in his eye he always had around young lovers. The two were oblivious to everyone. Massari shrugged his shoulders and walked away, the food could wait just a few more minutes.