Lynn was doing some research for a paper for her Lit course when she heard the soft *splat* of a note landing nearby on her table. Cutting her eyes towards the small square of paper, she plucked it up hesitantly and looked around to see who had dropped it there. She noticed that her room-mate Tina was sitting at the other end of the table, but she had her head bowed over her work and was not paying Lynn any attention.

She cast her eyes around the perimeter of the library and saw him... just as he stepped through the doorway and out of her sight. The only way she knew it had to be him was that he was looking back at her too... and smiling. *Strange.... I think he is in my Art History class... *

She looked back down to Tina, but she was still busily scribbling away in her notebook and seemed wrapped up in her own little world at the moment. Lynn just chuckled to herself and unfolded the note and read the message:

"Meet me in the breezeway at sunset. I'd like to see your smile up close.

Your secret admirer.... "

Her heart began to pound in her chest and she wondered if she had read the note correctly. She re-read the message three more times and her mouth went dry. Folding the note back into a square she placed it into her small bag and scooted down the table towards Tina. She reached across the table to get her attention and Tina looked up at her curiously.

"Hey Lynn. What's up? Sorry... I guess I was completely absorbed...." Tina let her voice trail away as she saw the strange light in her friend's eyes and the shocked look she wore on her face. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Lynn leaned closer and whispered, "You aren't going to believe this... I have an... an... admirer!!" Smiling like a cat who swallowed a canary, Lynn waited for the news to penetrate Tina's study-induced haze.

Tina just stared blankly at her friend and blinked a few times, thinking she must be missing something. She spoke to her friend in order to gain clarity, "So... you are saying you have an 'admirer'? Sheesh!! Is that it?!? You scared the life outta me!! I mean... you look all pale and weird... had me going there for a second!! I thought something truly terrible had happened... but this...it's really cool!!"

The two laughed at the slight misunderstanding, and Lynn produced the note for Tina to peruse. Tina looked it over and handed it back to Lynn.

Always the cautious skeptic, she spoke again, choosing her words carefully. "Okay. I think this is really great... but also kind of scary." Seeing the smile disappear instantly from Lynn's face Tina hastily moved to clarify her thoughts. "Now don't give me that look. It's just that we all need to be careful... know what I mean? I mean... do you have any idea at all who it might be? Any clue whatsoever??"

Lynn smiled to show her friend that she understood and appreciated her concern. She thought once again about the tall young man who had caught her eye just as he left the library, and she told Tina about him. As Tina listened to Lynn's description of the guy, she felt a small twinge of jealousy.

"... tall... handsome... thick lustrous hair.... nice bod.... gorgeous eyes..." She went on and on... and Tina smiled to herself.

Tina had broken up with her fiance almost a year ago and was truly getting lonely. Lynn, on the other hand, was always asked out, but she had said she was not really ready to *get serious*. She had told Tina that when it was *the right one*, that she would know. Lynn was a very outgoing person whereas Tina was more the introverted of the two.

Lynn was snapping her fingers in front of Tina's face and she laughed and batted her hand away. Lynn laughed as well. "Where did you go there kiddo? Thought I lost ya!"

Tina just rolled her eyes and the two gathered up their books and made their exit. They had to plan...

Tina and Lynn strolled through the campus towards their dorm and Tina felt an odd sensation. Still listening to Lynn gushing and planning for her *meeting*, Tina casually looked around the grounds to see what had given her that strange vibe.

There... a man. Standing in the shadows of the trees at the edge of this part of the campus, a man was watching them covertly. Tina did not want to alarm Lynn or snap her out of her excited state, so she just ignored the man and they continued on their way.

When they reached their dorm hall, Lynn went through the door first and Tina hesitated a moment and looked back casually over her shoulder... just to see if...

Her heart stopped. There he was again. Closer this time, trying to appear nonchalant, sitting on a bench in the area near their hall. He had dark glasses on and was reading a book, with a back-pack lying on the ground at his feet. He was wearing faded jeans with well-worn hiking boots on his feet. The broadness of his chest was emphasized by the hunter green thermal henley shirt that clung close to his body.

Tina let her eyes travel up to his face and she noticed that his hair curled towards his forehead and into his eyes, which had now been freed from their sunglasses and were looking at her with clear amusement. The smile on his face also showed that he had enjoyed her scrutiny and had found it pleasing to him.

Tina blanched at the thought that she had been caught appraising a total stranger, and she hastily dashed through the door and into the foyer of their dorm. Lynn had already gone up to their room and Tina took a moment more to catch her breath and compose herself. Unable to resist, she turned to look out the front window on her way to the stairs, and saw that the mystery man had gone.

When she made it into their room, she found Lynn emptying the contents of her small closet onto her bed. She would pull out an outfit, look it over, and add it to the ever-growing heap of clothes. Tina threw her books onto her small desk and plopped down on her own bed and laughed as Lynn went through this routine.

"I just don't know WHAT to wear!! I mean... a secret admirer!! Oh my gawd!! I mean... maybe this guy has been watching me and stuff. I just don't know if I should think it is creepy or flattering, you know?"

Lynn turned to Tina and found her friend laughing into her pillow at her. Sticking her tongue out she threw the sweater she was holding at Tina who dodged it skillfully.

Tina grabbed the sweater and tossed it onto the heap of clothes on Lynn's bed and tried to stop laughing at the expression on Lynn's face. "I'm sorry!! It's just that... well... I don't know! It is kinda creepy...but I think it is still kinda cool too. I mean, after all, you do think you know who it is right?"

Lynn rolled her eyes and nodded, shrugging her shoulders as well. "I don't know Tin' . I mean, I hope I know who it is! You definitely need to tag along just to be sure, okay? If you don't mind, that is?"

Tina assured her pal that she would accompany her and the two giggled and planned their evening.

Meanwhile.... on the other side of the campus...

The tall young man who had passed the note to Lynn was nervously pacing around his room. He was truly wondering if he had done the right thing.

He had acted on impulse there in the library. He had been sitting in the back watching her as she studied and had seen her smile at something she had read and it had made his pulse quicken. Snatching a piece of paper from his day planner, he hastily scrawled the message and rose to deliver it to her before he lost his courage.

Slowly he approached her and he tried to move quietly so as not to attract her immediate attention. Just seeing her tonight would be nerve-racking enough!

Coming up to her table, he casually dropped the note near her and without even breaking stride he continued on his way towards the exit. He could hear his heart beating so loud he was sure that all in the library could hear it as well. Unable to leave without a quick glance in her direction, he paused just long enough to look over to her table. When he saw her looking at the note and then around the library, he smiled. At just that moment, their eyes met and he knew she would come.

Crossing his room in a few impatient strides, he was going out of his mind wondering if he could actually go through with it. He stopped suddenly and realized that he had no idea what to say or anything. Moving quickly to his small closet he pulled the door open and began looking through his shirts for something appropriate.

The door to his room opened and his room-mate entered, tossing his keys onto the small desk on his side of their room. Closing his closet door he addressed his friend, "Hey. Back already?"

His friend just looked over at him and threw himself down into the captains chair beside his desk. Closing his eyes briefly he ran his hand through his hair impatiently and rubbed the back of his neck. Opening his eyes again he finally answered, "Yes. It went as I had hoped, but not quite."

The tall young man knew instantly what his weary room-mate was speaking of. Smiling, he began to tell him of his proposed meeting with Lynn that evening and of his apprehension. His room-mate knew of his attraction to Lynn and the two of them had been meaning to do something about their *obsessions* sooner or later.

The room-mate knew that he could work this meeting to his own advantage. Lynn was the close friend and room-mate of the object of his own interest, Tina. As he listened to the *secret admirer* go on and on about Lynn, he found his own thoughts going back to Tina. He had finally attracted her attention today after all the time he had been trying to gain it. He had even taken classes that he didn't need just in order to be in the same class with her from time to time.

He thought about her and how she always seemed so absorbed in what- ever she was doing at the moment. The only time he ever even saw her out was with her room-mate, Lynn. The two of them were always laughing and just the thought of her smile made him smile to himself. He had a plan as well.....

Lynn was finally ready, or so she claimed. Tina had just thrown on some favorite jeans and a big sweater. Stepping into her boots and lacing them up, she glanced over to Lynn and laughed. Lynn was excitedly spinning around the room like a schoolgirl with her first crush.

Tina had to admit to herself, the thought of a secret admirer was quite fascinating. She was happy for Lynn, but she was going along just to be sure this whole thing was on the 'Up and Up' so to speak. She didn't want Lynn to be hurt or possibly even... ... attacked by some psycho.

The time was almost at hand and the two girls started towards the door of their room when the absurdity of the whole situation hit them and caught them off guard. They looked at each other and laughed at the hilarity of it, and pulled the door securely closed behind them.

Meanwhile.....

As the *secret admirer* prepared himself, his room-mate also made ready. He had talked his way into going along *just in case*. The thought that Lynn might even remotely bring Tina along for *security* so to speak was just too tempting to pass up.

The two men went about their preparations quickly, and left the room. They wanted to pick up some flowers before the *meeting*. It had been decided that the *secret admirer* would bring his friend along, but the friend would hang behind so as not to frighten or alarm Lynn with his presence.

They stopped at small shop near the campus and picked up some roses. The room-mate decided to purchase a rose himself... just in case Tina actually came too.

The sun was setting and the duo made their way to the breezeway, which bordered the campus. There was a small pond there and plants all around making it a nice meeting place for the students. Since it was the middle of the week, the area was practically deserted. Only one or two couples were milling about or passing by on their way to other campus functions.

A good meeting place the *secret admirer* thought to himself. Public enough to let Lynn feel secure, yet private enough for the two of them to get to know each other.

He held the white roses in his hands and started to feel slightly foolish suddenly. *What if she didn't come after all...? What if she didn't like him at all...? What if ...?* The endless questions ran over and over through his mind.

He glanced over to the edge of the clearing where a bench had been placed under a shade tree. His room-mate was leaning casually against the tree in an effort to be there... but not *be* there. He smiled to himself and knew that he also deserved some happiness. He hoped that Lynn brought Tina as well... knowing that his good friend would be unable to stay away just knowing that her presence was a possibility. He had been watching her for quite awhile.

He was brought back to reality by the sound of hesitant footsteps coming down the walkway towards him. Taking a deep breath he slowly turned around and drew in his breath at the sight of her. She was framed with the dying rays of the sun streaming from behind her and lighting her hair into a firey halo. As she came closer he could see her smiling at him and he smiled in return.

He smiled and held out the flowers to her, and Lynn gasped in surprise. "White roses... my favorite!" She took them and held them close to her face and inhaled deeply. Her secret admirer reached out his hand and traced her cheek. She looked back up to him and he finally spoke, "Hi. My name is Bruce. Bruce Payne. And I have been dying to meet you."

Lynn smiled and took his arm and they walked off into the sunset. Tina watched the two introduce themselves and knew that all would be okay. The secret admirer was in fact who Lynn had guessed it to be and she felt comfortable in leaving the two of them to their discovery of each other. Just as she was turning to head back towards the dorm she felt that odd.... vibe again. Stopping cold in her tracks she slowly scanned the area and knew what she would find.

As soon as her eyes fell upon him she was hooked. He approached her slowly, one hand behind his back. Tina let her eyes travel the full length of him, admiring the hardened muscles outlined by his tight fitting black jeans and deep burgundy pull-over. His hair was carelessly wind-blown yet suited him perfectly.

He came to a stop in front of her and pulled his hand out from behind his back, producing a single blush-pink rose. Tina looked at the flower and back up into his emerald green eyes, and took the delicate flower from him. He smiled in return and extended his hand towards her. With a questioning lift of his eyebrow, he waited for her to take hold of his hand.

Tina hesitate but a moment, then took his hand into her own. He laced his fingers through hers and turned towards her.

"I would like to introduce myself. My name is Roy." he smiled.

Tina smiled in return, "Hi Roy. Nice to meet you. I'm Tina."

Roy only reached up and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and replied, "I know."