Chris Ramsey parked his car in the dust covered lot as he looked to the baked earth surrounding him. While he was grateful for the air conditioning in his sedan he could’ve done without the long ride through downtown Dallas traffic to get to this dump. Dump was an understatement, he thought to himself as he wondered why he’d agreed to meet with colleague Derek Fieldmore after his double shift at the hospital. Of course while the promise of a nice sofa and some peace and quiet came to mind after the month Chris had in moving out to Dallas from Port Charles, you’d think he’d jump on the offer to go home, yet with the reminder that Doree had called it quits before tossing all of his stuff back in New York, perhaps a new home wasn’t exactly where he wanted to spend his free time.
        Stepping out of the car, Chris spotted Derek up ahead and he pushed aside his thoughts of his torrid affair with the overzealous Port Charles police officer. Sure she had been a wild cat and their sex life had never been lacking, but once the proposal to leave Port Charles fell upon the table, rather than taking the next step towards marriage, somehow the two wound up with her taking the next step to the window to toss his things down fifteen floors to hit a very unlucky pedestrian below with one of Chris’s finer Armani suits. From that moment on, Chris decided change was good and women, while they had their purposes, were not worth the effort. Now noting the goofy grin on Derek’s face, he wondered what in the world had prompted his friend to pick such a dump for an evening out.
        “There had better be a good reason you had me drive all the way out here,” Chris looked around noting the sun’s amber hues in the distance alerting them that soon the night would fall upon them.
        “Oh once you take a look at the selection inside, I’m sure that you’ll find this was well worth the trip out here,” Derek promised noting the flashing neon sign overhead, “not only does this place have some of the best buffalo wings you’ll ever sink your teeth into, but it’s full of beautiful eye candy,” he finished opening the door to the bar for Chris to step inside, “one glance at these beauties and all else will be forgotten.”
        “Derek, I already told you I had enough in my life,” Chris reminded him with a sigh.
        “Oh come on, just because Doree turned out to be just a little nuts doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time,” Derek reminded him.
        “That’s easy for you to say, she didn’t try to have you arrested for breaking and entering your own apartment,” Chris groaned thinking back to the end of his time with Doree.
        “Hey, maybe she just wanted to remind you how much she loved those handcuffs on you,” Derek teased further, “you have to admit that was kind of fun.”
        “Fun maybe, but I don’t think I’m up to that kind of danger in my life anymore. Sure the sex was great, but when I think about how it ended,” Chris stopped as he watched a beautiful, blonde waitress pass by wearing a tight white t-shirt.
        “You were saying,” Derek noted his friend’s response to the waitress as she winked over at them.
        “Maybe this place won’t be so bad,” Chris loosened his tie a bit as a devilish grin pressed over his features, “a drink won’t hurt anything.”
        “There’s the spirit,” Derek noted, “besides there’s no problem with just getting laid for the hell of it now is there?”
        “Does Melissa know you think that way?” Chris gave his friend a look.
        “Are you kidding?” Derek shook his head, “your sister would have me by the balls if she knew I took you to a place like this, but hey what Missy doesn’t know...”
        “Don’t think I won’t tell her,” Chris replied thinking of his long lost sister. When he’d found himself rather unsettled in Port Charles after Eve’s death, he’d begun to question his life and before he knew it, Melissa was showing up on his doorstep ready to give the family another try. Chris had been reluctant at first, but after spending some time with Derek, Missy and their two children, Chris decided he could get used to a place out in Texas, which prompted his decision to just up and leave.
        “Oh come on, there’s nothing wrong with looking,” Derek objected taking in the sight of a beautiful waitress up ahead, “besides it’s not like I took you to the strip club.”
        “Oh no of course not,” Chris couldn’t help but laugh as he too found himself admiring the view, “they have oh so much more on at this place.”
        “Hell it’s what they’re wearing that makes all the difference to a man,” Derek pointed out before motioning over to Chris to follow him to a table, “besides here you don’t have to worry about anyone we know bothering us.”
        “Speaking of which, you never did tell me what was so urgent about us meeting,” Chris reminded him, “so what’s going on?”
        “Well, Missy and I have our anniversary coming up right around the corner and seeing as you are already so close to Joanie and Todd, well we were thinking....”
        “That you’d butter me up by taking me to a sleazy joint like this and that somehow I’d just agree to baby-sit?” Chris raised a curious brow.
        “Well that was the general idea,” Derek confessed, “how am I doing so far?”
        “I’ll admit you’re doing pretty good,” Chris replied finally locating the blonde who’d past them when they’d first entered the bar.
        “Then you’ll do it?” Derek raised a curious brow.
        “I guess I’ll just have to see how the night goes,” Chris smiled as a petite auburn haired waitress approached them.
        “Hey handsome,” she smiled at Chris before looking over to Derek, “what can I get for the two of ya tonight?”
        “I’ll take a scotch on the rocks....” Derek offered, “and he’ll have a martini.”
        “That all?” she questioned looking back over at Chris her green eyes sizing him up with obvious interest.
        “For now, but maybe later you could pass me along your number,” Chris offered up with a sly smile as she let out a laugh.
        “Play your cards right cowboy and you just might find it in your hands by the end of the night,” she winked at him, “among other things.”
        “Then I’ll be on my best behavior,” he noted her name tag loosely tacked onto the hem of her tight shirt, “Becky.”
        “Oh no sugar,” she shook her head, “don’t you do that because where would the fun be in that?” she winked again before going off to fill their drink orders.
        “What did I tell you?” Derek finally blurted out, “it’s heaven.”
        “Maybe it is,” Chris offered as he took in the bar watching woman after beautiful woman moving around filling the place with a rather pleasant atmosphere.
        “So what do you say? Will you watch the kids?” Derek questioned as the waitress returned bringing their drinks.
        “I don’t know,” Chris leaned back in the booth a bit as he sized up the waitress, “Becky, I have a question for you.”
        “What might that be?” she questioned with a flirty smile.
        “My brother in law here wants me to watch my niece and nephew this upcoming week so that he and my sister can have a hot, little get away, but you see rather than flat out asking me to just watch his children, he thought he’d bring me here to butter me up first.”
        “Is it working?” she questioned.
        “That all depends,” Chris sat forward, “do you have a break coming up?”
        “As a matter of fact I have one right now,” she offered with a smile as he rose from his seat offering her his hand
        “Then I do believe this is our song playing beautiful,” he informed her leading her out onto the dance floor as Derek shook his head realizing Chris was having far too much fun in this place.
        “So tell me something sugar,” Chris pulled the petite waitress in closer to him, “what’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?”
        “Waiting for a handsome stranger like you to whisk me away from this dump,” she confessed her fingers fanning out over his chest, “interested?”
        “That all depends,” Chris teased back, “I think I’ll have to have a little hint of what’s in it for me before I can decide if I’m ready to invest.”
        “Oh I’m sure I can give you a taste of things to come,” she wrapped her arms around his neck moving in closer to him, her lips just a breath away from his as there was a crashing sound from behind them and she pulled away with a frown, “oh hell.”
        “Hey,” he pulled on her arm as she started to walk away, “where are you going?”
        “I have to get back to work,” she explained with a frown, “we have this new girl and well, she just doesn’t know her head from her...” there was another crashing sound, “just don’t you go away. I’ll be right back.”
        “I’ll be right here,” Chris promised offering up a wave as his lady companion headed off into the kitchen her temper getting the best of her. Turning around towards the booth, he noticed Derek had moved and after a moment Chris eyed him over by the payphone, no doubt alerting Melissa of the unspoken deal he’d made with Chris. With a tiny laugh, Chris moved over to the bar taking a seat as he awaited Becky’s return.
        “A martini over here,” Chris motioned for the bar tender as a voice interrupted his thoughts.
        “Look, I don’t care what you have to say Erin, I’m not going back to him,” a voice continued, “he’s not worth my time.”
        “Holly, do you have any idea what you’re saying?” a blonde woman beside Chris spoke to her dark haired companion.
        “Look, there is no way that I’m just going to sit back and take that from him. To hell with it,” Holly explained, “there’s no need to go back to a place where I’m not needed.”
        “Holly, you left once before and you know what happened,” the blonde warned as Chris tried to take in the view of her dark haired friend, “where are you going to go?”
        “I’ll find something,” Holly’s voice explained as she spun around and took off towards the ladies room.
        “You’re impossible Holly,” the blonde shook her head as she spun around noting Chris’ eyes upon her, “what are you looking at?”
        “Not a thing,” Chris shrugged turning his eyes back to his martini as he hoped Becky wouldn’t take too long. After a few minutes, he looked back over to the payphone where Derek was still talking. Shaking his head, Chris turned his attention back to his martini before finishing it off.
        “I’ll have one of those two,” a voice moved in beside Chris, “and keep them coming.”
        Chris set his glass down as he was struck by an uncanny feeling. Slowly his eyes fell upon the pair of long legs before him. She had on a pair of knee high black boots and a short denim skirt topped off with a red blouse, but it wasn’t what she was wearing that had captured his attention, it was something in her voice, something that now spoke volumes behind her dark eyes.
        “You got a problem?” she glared at him noting the way he was sizing her up uneasily.
        “It can’t be,” he shook his head, “I mean you’re sitting right here but...”
        “Do I know you?” she questioned in confusion.
        “It’s me. It’s Chris,” he started as there was a loud banging noise behind them.
        “Oh no,” she leapt from her barstool eager to get away from the bar’s new patron as Chris realized that his eyes must be playing tricks on him. Suddenly as she fled out the back entrance he knew he couldn’t let her go. He pulled out a few bills from his pocket and rushed out into the night after her. He found the lot empty for the most part except for a few new arrivals and a frown washed over his features as he wondered if his mind had been playing tricks on him. He could’ve sworn he’d seen the face of a woman who’d haunted his dreams for what felt like an eternity, a woman who...he shook the thought as he started back towards the bar.
        “I’ll find her,” a gruff voice shouted out as Chris watched the back door to the bar open and the blonde he’d been eyeing earlier followed a worried expression on her face.
        “I already told her that she shouldn’t run off, but you know Holly,” the blonde continued, “you know what she’s capable of...”
        “If Mark finds out she left, it’ll be my head,” the bulky looking man explained a scowl tight over his features.
        “She couldn’t have gotten far,” the blonde explained as Chris brushed past them making his way around the side of the bar as a pair of arms reached out to him drawing him close. Before he could say a word, there was a soft, warm form wrapped around his body and a mouth like fire against his, coaxing him into a spontaneous, passionate kiss.
        As they parted, Chris found himself lost in a pair of dark eyes that seemed too good to be true and a whisper fell from her lips as she held onto him, “Take me home with you,” she pleaded her eyes shifting a bit as the burly man and her blonde companion passed by. Before allowing him a moment to answer, she pulled him in closer for another desperate kiss blocking his thoughts until the others had passed by.
        “Please,” she started again as he touched her face, “Chris.”
        He nodded in response hoping that Derek would forgive him for this, but as he reached for her arm, he lead her to his car finding himself so full of answers as they both got inside. Saying nothing he put the car into drive and took off down the dirt road driving off a ways from the bar. On occasion he glanced over at her wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him until he finally decided to break the silence. Stopping the car, he turned the headlights off and looked to her.
        “What?” she questioned noting the way his eyes seemed to take in her features.
        “Is it really you?” he asked again reaching out to touch her as she backed away from him.
        “Look mister, thanks for getting me out of there, but I’m not really in the mood to...”
        “Eve, I don’t understand what you’re doing here,” he began again watching her withdraw from his touch.
        “Eve?” she repeated in confusion, “what are you talking about? My name is Holly.”
        “Holly?” he repeated eyeing her closely, “but before. When you kissed me, when you called me by my name...”
        “You said it at the bar,” she explained reaching for her purse, “look I appreciate the ride and all, but I need to split,” she leaned in towards him whispering in his ear, “I owe you a martini sometime Chris,” she placed a soft kiss on his cheek before she opened the car door leaving into the night.
        “No wait,” Chris called out after her as he too stepped out of his car finding nothing but darkness surrounding him as she’d vanished into the night. Was it possible? Was he losing his mind, he wondered as he couldn’t believe he’d found himself next to a woman who was a living breathing replica of Eve Lambert. 

        Half an hour after his encounter with “Holly”, Chris returned back to the bar finding Derek in the parking lot speaking with a couple of officers that had arrived.
        “Thanks for your time,” Derek replied stepping away before going to greet Chris, “where the hell have you been?”
        “I had a run in with this woman and..” Chris noted all the police cars, “what happened?”
        “Well while you were off getting laid, there was a blow out back and they found a woman in the parking lot,” Derek explained, “a blonde left out here to be run over. They found her face down in the lot not more than fifty feet from where you’re standing.”
        “A blonde?” Chris repeated.
        “Apparently she and her friend Holly came out for a night of drinks, but now not only did they find the blonde out here all cut up, but her friend is missing.”
        “This Holly person?” Chris questioned further.
        “Yeah,” Derek nodded.
        “Were they in some kind of trouble with the law?” Chris questioned realizing that while his mind might’ve been playing tricks on him, Holly wasn’t just a figment of his imagination.
        “Worse,” Derek shook his head, “apparently this missing Holly is none other than Roger Masters estranged wife.”
        “Roger Masters,” Chris repeated, “why does that name sound familiar?”
        “Well, that could be because he’s on the board over at the hospital and his family happens to have enough money to run this town not to mention the ins with the dark side of the community if you catch my drift,” Derek shook his head, “it’s really a shame too that this happened because I was just assuring Melissa that this place wasn’t as bad as it seemed but with the news crews flooding this place...” Derek watched as Chris walked away towards Derek‘s mini-van, “hey where are you going?”
        “You still have that television in here?” Chris questioned motioning for Derek to open the van up.
        “Yeah of course,” Derek noted, “why?”
        “Just curious,” Chris explained, “with all the press running around, I’m curious to see what this Holly person looks like.”
        “Don’t tell me you’re in the mood to start playing hero now,” Derek shook his head, “that’s one role I never thought I’d see you in.”
        “It’s not something I’m stepping into willingly, but I was just curious to see who everyone is getting so excited about,” Chris explained.
        “Well in that case,” Derek reached into his pocket, “forget the television, here’s what you’re looking for.”
        “What’s this?” Chris asked as Derek handed him the page.
        “It’s her photo,” Derek explained, “like I said they are very eager to find someone like her. If it was just a normal person who lead a quiet life, they wouldn’t think twice, but with someone who’s related to a Masters.....”
        “I know her,” Chris blurted out as eyes were glued to the photo.
        “Well she was at the bar tonight,” Derek explained to him, “but I know that I haven’t seen a woman like her hanging around the hospital lately.”
        “It wasn’t from the hospital,” Chris shook his head as he instantly recognized the smile before him, “it wasn’t from this place.”
        “What do you mean?” Derek noted the color had drained from Chris’ face, “Chris?”
        “This woman isn’t Holly Masters,” Chris informed him, “Granted that’s who she says she is, but that’s not her name. She‘s not Roger Masters wife. Not by a long shot.”
        “Chris, look I realize it’s been a long night, but I can assure you this woman is....”
        “How long have they been together?” Chris questioned.
        “How the hell should I know? Chris, it’s getting late,” Derek frowned.
        “Derek, listen to me. This woman, this Holly, I was with her earlier. I gave her a ride out of here.”
        “Chris are you saying that you know where she is?”
        “No, that’s just it, she took off, but before she did I got a good look at her.”
        “Well someone like that is rather easy on the eyes,” Derek shrugged.
        “No Derek, you don’t understand. This woman, she’s not who she says she is. Her name isn’t Holly Masters and I know that for a fact.”
        “How can you be so sure?”
        “Because her name is Eve Lambert,” Chris blurted out determined more than ever that the face in the photograph of the woman he’d tried to move beyond, “she was my roommate back in Port Charles.”
        “Chris, while you say she looks like someone you know, this is a black and white photo.”
        “Derek, this is Eve. I’m sure of it,” Chris insisted, “I would never, ever forget her face and this is her.”
        “Eve huh?” Derek looked at the photo again, “well I must say I wish I’d had a roommate so pretty, but still this woman doesn‘t seem like someone who‘d be around you especially when you know she‘s married to a jerk like Masters.”
        “She isn’t married to him,” Chris shook his head, “something else is going on.”
        “Hey Chris, I realize you’ve been bored with your life but this kind of excitement would be best left for the police....”
        “Derek, you don’t understand, this woman is Eve Lambert, the great love of my life,” Chris blurted out, “I would never, ever forget her face and I’m telling you that when I was with this woman tonight despite her denial on her identity I’m sure that she was Eve. I‘d bet my life on it.”
        “Chris, that’s a pretty fierce accusation there. How can you be so sure?” Derek questioned again.
        “Oh I’m sure,” Chris replied tucking the photo into his pocket as he found himself determined to discover the truth about the woman he’d encountered. One way or another he would find out what the real story behind Holly Masters was and he wouldn’t stop until he knew the truth.