Introducing Meghan and Andrew.

This is an intro to the book I am writing.

In the summer of 1995 Meghan Webster was 16.  She is the eldest of two children born to Marcie and Alan Webster.  If you were to ask what kind of life Meghan wanted for herself, her answer would be “I just want an interesting life”  Her life was just that, interesting, in the most subtle of ways.

In the summer of 1995 Andrew “Drew” Morris was 26.  He was an only child born to Andrew Morris Jr and Bonnie Morris.  IF you were to ask Drew what kind of life he wanted for himself, his response would be, “I want to change the world.”  His life was extraordinary and he was happy.

This is the story of two people who met by chance, in a rather uninteresting way.  The morning in question started off slowly.  Meghan’s mother was fixing the lunch she would take with her to work. Her brother Paul was asleep on the sofa.

Meghan worked in a touristy shop in her native Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin.  Meghan got the job because her mother’s best friend Joanne owned it.   The store wasn’t set to open for another two hours but she wanted to get there early because her boss likes to leave her lists of chores for Saturday mornings.  She kissed her puppy, Richie Valens, good bye, put on shoes and left without much fanfare.

Meghan arrived at the store to find that there were already people waiting outside.  The woman was pretty, in a non-assuming way, with shoulder length blonde hair and light eyes.  She wore a coral colored cardigan and khaki Capri pants.  Meghan liked her immediately.

The man with her elicited a different reaction.  He was too good looking for his own good.  He wore dark sunglasses, black jeans and a white polo shirt.  As the woman spoke Meghan found herself staring at the man.  As cliché as it sounds,  she found herself wondering about him.  What he likes to eat, what his favorite song was, where would he take her on their first date.  “My mom is talking to you.” He said sharply, snapping her back to reality.

“Oh, sorry, did you say you were looking for post cards?”  Meghan responded, feeling her whole body blush.  She wanted to fall into a hole and stay there until they left.

“Yes, I just need to send my friends postcards of this city.  Do you have any that have pictures of this downtown street?  What is it called again?”  the woman said, pretending not to notice the sixteen year old’s obvious staring.

“Third Avenue.  It is the most popular street for shops in Sturgeon Bay.  Right over there on the turning stand are a few.  I am not sure if they are what you are looking for though”  Meghan answered.  In her two years of working in the shop she had never found herself that flustered.  There was just something about this guy.  The effects of his just standing there made her feel foolish, like he knew something aobut her that she didn’t even know.

“Thanks sweetie!” she says walking to the other end of the store.  Meghan felt instant terror when she realized that the man stayed standing in front of the counter.  HE didn’t look at her, he just stood there leafing through a tourist book.

“So, where are you guys visiting from?” she said, pretending not to be as nervous as she felt inside.

“Milwaukee.” He said without looking up.

“Where are you staying?”

“Some place that gives out muffins or something for breakfast, aobut a block from here.  And before  you ask, no, we haven’t been here before  and yes I am having a good time” he said, still turning pages in the book.

“Found some.  Look, Drew, it even has a picture of our bed and breakfast on it!  Aunt Susan will be really jealous!  I love it.  What do you think?”  the woman in the coral sweater said excitedly.

“they’re beautiful.” He says and turns to Meghan, “What do you think Meghan, do you think my Aunt Susan will be totally jealous of our stay here on Third Avenue?”  This was the first time she would see this look on Drew’s face.  Randomly when he speaks to her, a smile comes to his face that is both challenging and loving.  For the first time in her life Meghan felt weak in her knees.

“I think anyone would be jealous of your mother.” She answered.  Surprising herself with her sarcasm and overt flirtation, she looked down at the cash register.  Luckily the en t’andre was lost on Drew’s mother.

“Aren’t you cute!  Ok, we are done here, unless you see anything you want here baby” she said to Drew as she put her sunglasses on .

“Nah, I am good.” Drew says, “oh wait, I will take this so I know what kind of day I am going to have when I wake up in the morning.”  He says picking up a 50 cent mood ring.  Drew reached into his pocket, pulled out a dollar, handed it over to Meghan who rang him up for the cheap ring.

“Here’s your change…” Meghan says realizing that Drew and his mother had already started heading to the front of the store.

“Keep it, you never know when you need 43 cents.  Nice meeting you Miss Sturgeon Bay.” Drew says as he follows his mother to the street outside, leaving behind, unknowingly his student id from UW Milwaukee.

“Nice meeting you too Andrew Morris.” She says as she slips the plastic card into her wallet and went about her day barely giving him another thought.

A month and a half later Meghan started her senior year of high school.