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sucked in
further with every bit of our conversation.
    “ Indeed. If we invested more into
our female compatriots, we could see such a bigger shift in public
thinking. Compassion, harmony, civility, and acceptance would be
ingrained instead of greed and body shame.” His intelligence was
surprising.
    “ I don't get it.” I shook my head
and laughed. “You're so culturally aware and informed. How is it
you seem so...so…?”
    “ Aloof? Dull?”
    I nodded, almost embarrassed to
admit that earlier I'd considered him a spoiled brat.
    “ Yes...I'm sorry.
I don't mean to imply you're not educated. You just don't act like you
agree with these things.” I curled my fingers around his hand that
was still resting over mine.
    “ You don't have to be sorry for
your opinion. You just have to be sorry that you were wrong.” He
teased.
    As I gaped at him, my eyes wide,
he threw his head back in an uncontrollable yet surprisingly
charming laugh and squeezed my hand.
    I instinctively swatted his hand
away.
    “ Oh, darling! I hadn't meant to
offend.”
    “ Sorry – habit,” I said
sheepishly.
    His wolf-life eyes were
sparkling from across the table as if the unexpected chemistry
igniting between us was inspiring his wildness to shine through. I
hadn't noticed how much closer we had been sitting, that the entire
club was basically watching us whether they made it known or not. I
briefly glanced around. A group of girls was beginning to gather
near the table. They weren't blatantly surrounding us, and they
grew uncomfortably close. Zack noticed the shift in my
energy.
    “ Would you like to escape the
inevitable carnage that is about to ensue if we continue sitting
here, enjoying each other's company?”
    I paused and then responded, “Uh.
Yeah, sure.”
    We rose from our seats to be met
by a ferocious crowd who tried piling around Zack in an attempt to
get his attention. I felt like an anchovy being shoved around until
I felt Zack tug my arm in a different direction. We dodged between
dancing drunk bodies and found our way to the back door where I
caught Maya ogling us in shock, eyes wider than saucers and mouth
hanging agape. I shrugged and waved, unsure of how to respond. I
hoped she wasn't upset that I was leaving without her. The bouncer
smuggled us out the back door and into a hidden alley so we could
avoid the crowds and nosy paparazzi that were waiting for us out front.
Victorious, we ran hand-in-hand down the wet alley towards his car
that was parked conveniently a few blocks down. Once we were snug
in our seats, Zack sped us off into the dark night, his contagious
laughter filling the air behind us.

3.

    Ocean waves crashing over
the sound of a light breeze was the perfect greeting upon exiting
Zack's lush, silver Porsche. I carefully removed my Jimmy Choo's,
the same pair I'd worn earlier in the day, and tossed them onto the seat
along with my clutch. I was ready for my feet to meet the sand. It
had been far too long since I'd seen the ocean. I don't even
remember the last time I was down here, despite living so close.
Zack removed his shoes as well and placed them on the floor of the
driver's side, tucking the laces carefully so they wouldn't get
ruined. I admired the way he handled them - like they were glass dolls that
he didn't want to break. After he shut the door, he regarded me with a
playful look.
    “ Somebody is eager, I see.” He
smiled and extended a tan hand, the empty space between us
electrified with mystery and exhilaration. I took his
hand.
    “ It's funny. I live nearby, yet I
hardly come down to the beach. It's one of my favorite places to
be.”
    Zack responded with a kind laugh
and said, “I'm glad I could be the one to bring you out here.” His
gaze never left my eyes when he spoke to me. I found it hard to
look away.
    I inhaled deeply as we wandered
across the sand to a darkened pier a couple hundred yards from
where we parked. It hadn't dawned on me that I might not be safe
out here with