The Next Chapter: Part I
Featuring: Aaron Fujita   Date: 12/15/11   Event: WorldWide 156
Friday – 4 P.M.

It was a small day of celebration for Aaron Fujita. His new girlfriend Amanda was coming to town to spend the weekend. It was something Aaron needed. The stresses of his graduate degree and trying to make the biggest career choice of his life weighed heavily on him. Aaron was ready to leave his office at school and head home to prepare for Amanda’s arrival.

"Doing any partying this weekend?" one of his colleagues inquired as Aaron picked up his back pack.

Aaron turned to look at Andy and lightly shook his head. This weekend was all about building a solid foundation on his relationship. Andy immediately began giving him some grief, but it couldn’t take away his good mood. Aaron smiled and collected his final things before responding.

"Sorry man. Amanda’s coming for the weekend," he stated as he reached for the door handle.

Andy kept laying it on, but Aaron didn’t stick around to take it. He walked through the door with a smile on his face and closed the door behind him. Aaron was focused on making tonight one to remember. He headed down the stairs and out the front door, headed for the parking garage. As he walked across the front of Davis Hall one of the cars parked in the small lot caught his eye. It wasn’t damaged or parked poorly. It was just familiar. He stopped to look at it. A silver Toyota Camry that he thought he knew filled his vision. He shook off the memory that ran through his head and continued on his journey to his own vehicle.

But the memory never actually left. It was planted at the back of his mind.

Friday – 7 P.M.

Aaron and Amanda were finally together. Aaron was never convinced that they could make a long distance relationship work, but he was willing to give it a shot. If nothing else but to get his mind off of more pressing matters. The two of them walked up to the front door of a local romantic dinner hotspot, ready for a romantic experience of their own. Aaron showed how chivalrous he could be as he opened the door and followed her inside.

"This place is nice," Amanda commented as they walked inside.

Aaron smiled. He wasn’t sure if it would be enough for her. DeKalb was a far lower key place than Des Moines. This restaurant was cozy enough. The lights were dim; music lightly flowed through the air. Candles flickered on each of the tables. They approached the hostess and their reservation was found. Quickly they were lead towards a table towards the back wall of the dining room. As they weaved their way through the obstacle course of tables, filled by dozens of other young and hopeless romantics, they passed a table that gave Aaron chills. As they approached it, he saw the strawberry blonde locks of a woman sitting with her back to them. Aaron wanted to look back at her, but he couldn’t force himself to.

"We get our own little corner," Aaron said with a smile as they approached their table.

The hostess set their menus down and walked away as they took their seats. Aaron took the chair that faced the door, as he always did when he was out to eat. It was something he couldn’t explain, but something he had always done. He looked across the table and smiled at Amanda before the two of them opened their menus and began reading. It only took a moment for his eyes to leave the menu and wander to the table the woman he passed was sitting at. His eyes fell on the table, only to find the woman absent. His eyes dropped back to the menu, a little disappointed.

"Aaron, what are you looking at?" Amanda asked with a smile.

He thought he had gotten away with the glance, but he had been caught red handed. He simply shook his head, smiled back and turned his attention back to his menu. Amanda did the same and the two of them began discussing their meal choices. A few minutes had passed and the two of them were growing closer to their choices. The restaurant was busy this Friday night, so their waitress hadn’t yet returned. Just then a figure walked past Aaron, lightly brushing his arm. He shrugged it off at first, but quickly something caught his attention. A scent entered his nose that reminded him of a time in his past. He closed his eyes and savored the smell. He knew what it was. He opened his eyes and looked back to the table they had passed earlier. His stomach turned in knots as he saw who he knew he was going to. Chloe’s eyes were locked on his now and a smirk came across her face. Aaron couldn’t draw his gaze from her beautiful face, but knew he needed to before he got caught again.

"Hello! I’m Kelly and I’ll be your server tonight," the voice of their waitress snapped Aaron from his chance as she walked up and blocked his line of sight to the girl from his past.

Aaron and Amanda ordered their meals and a drink for the both of them. Aaron needed a little bit of alcohol to calm his nerves.

Friday – 8:15 P.M.

Their meal was over and it had been delicious. It wasn’t the food or the service that concerned Aaron. He and Amanda had shared some great conversation, but his eyes kept wandering to the red head sitting across the room. Every time Aaron glanced in Chloe’s direction, he found her gaze already resting on him. Every time he saw this, his stomach turned in knots; butterflies were all he could think.

"Ready to go?" he asked a few minutes after the check arrived.

Amanda agreed and they headed off for the rest of the night spent at Aaron’s apartment watching movies.

Friday – 10:30 P.M.

Aaron pulled his car into a parking spot along the Shell station and turned off its engine. He and Amanda had been enjoying the rest of their evening at his apartment watching movies. Having a few drinks had been brought up and it was Aaron who left to purchase a twelve pack. Since they had left the restaurant, he had been trying to convince himself that it wasn’t Chloe he had seen. It had started to work until he rounded the corner of the station and saw the silver Camry and the strawberry blonde sitting at pump number three. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her, but he knew his best option was to get out as quick as he could.

Three minutes later he had made his purchase and was walking out the door. He looked up and saw that the car remained at the pump, but Chloe wasn’t there. He let a sigh of relief escape his body as he glanced over his shoulder to look into the store. He smiled a bit even as he realized they had just missed each other. He rounded the corner again and began towards his car. As he approached and began to reach for his keys, his eyes landed on her.

"Hello Aaron," Chloe said with a smile.

Aaron’s heart pounded. Slowly he continued to approach her. She leaned on his driver door. As he got five feet away he tried to speak but couldn’t come up with any words. Just two feet from her he tried again.

"Chloe, I—" He was interrupted.

"Don’t speak."

Chloe reached out and pulled him into her embrace. They met in a gentle, passionate kiss. Aaron never fought it. He dropped the beer to the ground and wrapped his arms around her. Then he began to wonder.

Why?
View Aaron Fujita's Biography