Stop crying? This girl was out there crying over him? He dropped the note and considered that for a moment. He didn't like the idea. Not at all. Forget the fact he had no clue who this girl was. Strangely enough, he was already growing attached to her... or maybe to the idea of her.

There was no way he was going fourteen days without figuring this out. No way in hell. He quickly drank what was left of his coffee, grabbed his skate bag, and left for the rink.

"Be my, be my baby..."

Someone was blaring really cheesy music at the rink. Julie hummed along and tried to pretend she hadn't noticed her partner as he entered the rink. She paid very careful attention to tying her skates, keeping her eyes fixed on her feet as she saw Ross coming towards her.

"Hey," he greeted. "You're early today."

"Oh, hi!" she returned brightly, looking up as if she'd just realized he was there. "So are you."

"Yeah..." For a second, he was the one who was staring at his feet. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something."

She didn't flinch. "Ask away."

"Wait a sec." He started shuffling through his skating bag. "First I have to show you this..."

As he searched, she quickly got up and started walking towards the boards. For once, she was grateful for the fact that her partner happened to have one of the most disorganized bags she'd ever seen. It would take him at least a few minutes to find what he was looking for, and that would give her a few minutes to figure out what she was going to do. If he showed her what she thought he was going to show her...

"Julie, you're jumping to conclusions," she scolded herself, pacing back and forth by the boards. She stretched, trying to relax, then began singing along to the music under her breath. "Be my, be my baby..."

"Here it is!" she heard her partner declare behind her. "Come over here, take a look at this."

She turned around and saw him holding two red envelopes. She turned back towards the ice, swallowed, and then went to sit down beside him.

"Valentine's cards, already?" she said without a trace of reaction. She forced a laugh, and surprisingly enough, it came out sounding real. "For who?"

"From who," he corrected, shaking his head. "This one came yesterday, and the second one came this morning." He handed her the first note. "Here, read it."

She took the envelope from him and then hesitated, just holding it for a minute.

"Go ahead, open it," Ross urged. "I'm giving you permission. I'm asking you to, I need your help!"

"Help?" She raised an eyebrow. "Help with what?"

He groaned. "Read it, you'll figure it out."

"Okay, I..." Julie looked up and suddenly caught sight of their coach on the other side of the rink. "Uh oh."

"Uh oh, what?" he questioned, confused.

"Uh oh, Marina's here," she finished. "We'd better get out there... we were both late yesterday, we'd better get going today." She dropped the card back in his bag.

"But Julie, I need you to help me with this!" he called after her as she headed towards the ice.

"Later!" she called back, slipping her guards off and skating out. "C'mon, let's skate!"

He looked at the envelopes, sighed, and reluctantly decided to join her.

"Is looking good! Enough for today, we work more on this section tomorrow, yes?" Marina Kosolova stood at the side of the boards, nodding appraisingly at her star students.

Ross nodded, anxious to get off the ice and get down to cracking the mystery of the secret admirer.

"Thanks, Marina," he called, skating towards the boards and picking up his skate guards. "Coming, Julie?"

"Yeah, in a sec," she replied, skating in a circle.

It had been a good practice. They'd both been ultra-focused, she wanting to think of something other than the one thing that had been constantly plaguing her, he just wanting to get off the ice as soon as possible and get her to read the note. Any way around it, they knew they'd been on, and now she knew there was no more dodging.

As she skated off the ice, two girls came onto the ice for warmup, and the lyrics of some recent pop hit she couldn't quite place filled the arena.

"Have you ever needed something so bad/You can't sleep at night/Have ever tried to find the words/But they don't come out right..."

Trying to find the words... Julie winced and rushed towards the dressing room.

She was beginning to hate love songs.

Sitting alone in the dressing room without making a single motion to get up and change, she asked herself why. Why now and why did she wait so long and why couldn't she just say it?

She couldn't find the answers. It just was.

Stifling a sigh, she decided that sitting in a dressing room moping wasn't going to help. Might as well get dressed. She'd written the music... now she had to face it.

"Julie, wait!"

Ross chased his partner as she made her way towards her car in the rink parking lot. She turned, saw him, and stopped, waiting for him to catch up.

"You're leaving?" he asked.

She feigned confusion. "Yeah, why?"

"You have to help me, remember? The notes?"

"Oh, right, the notes!" Julie smacked herself on the forehead. "Forgetful me."

Her partner looked at her strangely for a second, then reached into his bag and handed her the first note once again.

Smart, Julie, she was thinking disgustedly to herself as she pulled the sheet out of the envelope. Very subtle. Just perfect.

She silently read through the first note, then peered at him with a mischevious smile. "A secret admirer?"

He reddened. "Don't ask me. I don't know what this person is thinking."

"She's thinking of you, obviously," she teased with a laugh. "I mean, c'mon, did you read this stuff? 'I could be anyone...' Ooh, dramatic!"

"Are you going to help me, or just make fun of me?" he grumbled. "I mean, I have absolutely no idea whatsoever who's writing these things."

"Probably a fan," Julie suggested. "A fan who thinks you're hot..." And she dissolved in giggles.

"And why is that so funny?" her partner demanded, trying to keep a straight face. "Anyhow, it's not a fan. Read the second one."

Sometimes I think about you and I don't know how I didn't know. The signs were there, but I couldn't let myself believe it for the longest time. I don't know why not... why wouldn't anyone let herself fall in love with someone like you? But I still haven't quite realized how. It just happened, you know? And now it's there and I want to tell you, but I can't. So I'll try this. Maybe it'll help.

And it was signed again, simply, "Your Secret Admirer".

“Hm," Julie said thoughtfully. "This girl has obviously done a lot of thinking about this... about you." She nudged her partner in the side and winked.

"Oh, quit it!" he responded, but he had to smile. "Yeah, but who could it be? Who would do this?"

"Have you considered any options?" she asked. "I mean..." Julie turned away and swallowed hard before continuing. "Is there anyone you would like it to be?"

Is there anyone he would like it to be... He concentrated on folding the notes back and placing them in their envelopes. Only one possible answer. One possible answer that he would never in his life be able to give.

"No," he finally lied. "At least, no one who could've written it..."

"And you don't know of anyone who might be interested?" She studiously kept any trace of nervousness out of her voice.

"Are you nuts?" Ross laughed. "If there was someone, you know I wouldn't realize it until she was throwing herself at my feet."

"Honestly, Ross," she scolded. "Anyone? Do you know of anyone?"

"Welllll..." He hesitated. Suddenly, he wondered if asking Julie for help had been such a great idea. Here she was asking him about females who could possibly be attracted to him, and here he was not wanting to answer her.

"Well?" she repeated. "Ah ha, there is someone, isn't there?" Her tone was light, but her insides were starting to knot. There was someone?

"The cashier at the Grand Union," he mumbled. "She always talks to me whenever I go in... I suppose you could call it flirting."

The cashier at the Grand Union?! Julie fought not to react.

"Which one?" she questioned. "The blonde or the redhead?"

"Redhead," he answered. "Her name is Melissa."

He knew her name?! A surge of jealously suddenly shot through her, threatening to escape into her tone of voice. She struggled to calm herself.

"Okay, so there's a possibility," she said. "But how would she know where you lived?"

"I don't know," he said helplessly. "The phone book?"

"I guess." Julie turned her back on him, unlocking her car door. "Anyhow, I've got to go, okay? There's possibility number one. We'll figure out some more tomorrow."

"Thanks," he started to say... but she'd already shut the door on him. He looked after her quizzically as she drove away.

"I really do not understand females," he said to himself, then got into his own car and drove off.

* * * * * * * *

"MELISSA!" Julie stomped into her apartment, slamming the door behind her.

"The redhead," she spit out under her breath in disgust. "The cashier at the grocery store, for God's sake!"

This was not supposed to be happening. When she'd asked him if there were any possible suspects, she'd expected a flat-out no. Melissa was not part of the plan.

She flopped down on her desk chair and tried to contain herself, but she was too worked up.

"Flirting with a grocery store cashier!" she seethed. "Melissa. Arrgh!"

She vented her frustration, pacing up and down loudly and slamming her books around. She muttered to herself as she stomped.

"As if that chick would be clever enough to come up with it. As if she'd even have the guts!"

But deep down, she knew it wasn't Melissa that mattered. If Ross wanted it to be...

She stopped pacing abruptly and made her way back to her desk.

No more brooding. It was time to take some action.

Onto Day 3... OR Back to the story...