LbA: Goodnight, Sweet Girl

“So, is it serious?” Aaron casually asked, taking a sip of his Bud Light.

I looked down at my hands, unsure of how to answer.  Unsure because I really wasn’t sure, and also because a part of me deep down in my secret desires spot didn’t want to give Aaron a reason to not ask me out again.

We were out for the drink that Aaron owed me... my prize, I suppose, for winning his game of I Spy.  Both of our schedules had conflicted, so we weren’t able to get together until a couple weeks after Halloween.  He had asked me what I had done, and I had just finished telling him about the night with Matt, Sarah, and Chase.  And I had mentioned how we were dressed as the Big Bang characters.  And how Chase is someone I’ve been seeing.

I glanced back up at Aaron, his expression unreadable.  “Well, we’ve just been dating.  He’s not my boyfriend.”

I saw a small smile play at his lips.  “I see.”

I had only agreed to a beer with him, but we were now each on our third.  Talking to him was natural, with playful, flirty banter intertwining the genuine “getting to know you” questions.  We had been at the bar for a couple of hours.  Or three.  He had picked me up from my apartment.  When we got to the bar, he had purposely sat himself facing the door, so he would always be aware of our surroundings and who was in and out.  Apparently it was a police thing.  Probably for the first time in a couple of months, I felt relaxed and protected, and neither Luke, nor Victoria, crossed my mind. 

Every once in awhile, when it was appropriate, he would reach out and lightly touch my hand, when making a point or when teasing. 

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

“I am!” I giggled.  “Plus, all this beer is catching up to me, and if we don’t get something solid in me, I’m not going to last much longer.”

He smirked, “That’s what she said.”

I rolled my eyes, but laughed along with him.  Seeing as how we were at a sports bar, we ordered a couple of appetizers.  Specifically, mozz sticks, potato skins, and a fried veggie basket.  “What are you doing for Thanksgiving?” I asked him.

“Oh, that is in two weeks already.  This year has flown.  Nothing big.  I’m actually the on-call detective , so I’ll probably go to my parents’ house, but don’t anticipate actually being able to stay the whole time.”

“So are you on-call just for your unit?”

“No.  When on-call we have to cover anything that comes in.  We try to slap a Band-Aid on it, if possible, until normal hours, but covering the full investigation if the situation calls for it.  So I could be responding to property crimes, homicides, domestics, child crimes, just to name a few.  It kind of mixes it up a little for me, which I like.”

“When you’re on call, are you usually busy?”

“It’s really hit or miss.  It just depends on how naughty people are being.” He half-smiled at me and winked.

I blushed.  Something about his winking at me seemed... flirty.  Though the topic definitely wasn’t.

The waitress arrived then, with our appetizers.  Every time she had helped us, she had been more than friendly to Aaron, all but ignoring me.  And every time she focused on him, he managed to not awkwardly turn the attention back to me.  She asked, while batting her eyelashes and staring directly at Aaron, “Does everything look good?”  Her body was even positioned more facing him. 

He smiled kindly at her, and then looked at me.  “I think it looks fine, what do you think, Aleah?”

His eyes never left mine as I responded, “Absolutely delicious.”  The waitress turned her head towards me, but looked annoyed that I even existed right then.

“I swear,” I muttered after she walked away.  “You’d think I was invisible!”

“Well, when you’re hanging out with someone with as killer hair as mine, you get used to kind of falling into the background.”  He looked completely serious when he said it, but I could tell by the glint in his eyes, that he was teasing.

“I see,” I knowingly said, while obviously eyeing his hair.  “I mean, it is pretty nice... but I think you’ll know how it feels when we have a male server sometime.”  And it was my turn to wink at him.

He leaned forwards, finishing the bite he had in his mouth, looking at me intensely.  “So, are you trying to ask me out on a second date?”

I blushed, not realizing my words when they had come out previously, and also at the fact that he considered this a date.  My heart did a little leap of joy.  I was worried he really had just viewed this as hanging out with a friend, having won a “bet.”  “Oh wow, um, I wasn’t trying to... I guess I didn’t mean my words like that.”

I saw a look of disappointment flash across his face.  But before I could identify if he was really hurt or it was a joke, it was gone.

So I rushed on, “I mean, oh gosh. I didn’t mean it like that.  I mean, I’m having a really good time, I just don’t normally... I’m not really that bold.”

He laughed, smiling at me.  “Aleah, slow down.  I was just kidding with you.  Partially.  I was joking about you asking.  I wasn’t about this being a date.”  I bit my lip at his modest confidence, yet how he was able to reassure me without even knowing the waves of insecurity that were lapping at my confidence.  My confidence usually shown through in normal conversation, whether it was genuine or forced.  But apparently not when I was taken aback by a handsome suitor.

He was studying me, as he took another bite.  He raised an eyebrow, and I could tell he was waiting for me to say something.  “A date?  Well, I can’t say that I’m disappointed by that.” 

We continued talking throughout the eating, and before I knew it, it was almost midnight.  He drove me back to my apartment and got out, walking me to the door.  “Have your keys this time?”

“Eh, you’ve got jokes I see there.”

He bumped his shoulder into mine.  “Detective by day, stand-up comedian by night.”

I shook my head and chuckled at him.  “I had a really great time tonight,” I shyly looked up at him.

“Aleah, I really did, too.  Would it be okay if I took you out again sometime soon?”

I nodded my head, my smile splitting my face.  “It would.”

He placed his finger tips lightly on my chin and nodded my head up towards his.  He leaned down, at the last minute moving to the side and his lips grazing my cheek.  He stood back up to his full height and smiled at me.  I swear my heart had stopped, yet was pounding out of my chest at the same time.  His smile, a simple smile that said a thousand words.  “Goodnight, sweet girl.”

And as I watched him turn and walk back towards his car, I breathed out, just realizing I had been holding my breath.

Life by Zach Update

Hello Readers!!

Thank you so much for reading Life by Zach and for all of your comments and feedback. I love hearing what you think and love that this story can be a part of your day. I wanted to let you know that I will be flying to Germany on Friday to visit my parents and my brother for the holidays. I will not be writing during this time, as the time I have with my family is very rare and special - I get to see them maybe once a year if I am lucky. I will resume Life by Zach posts as of January 31. I wish everyone a wonderful holiday season and will be back very soon!!

Life by Zach: Thrown to the Wolves

“Have a great day!” I smiled as I read Lauren’s text and quickly typed back, “You too, see you tonight.”

We had been texting each other every day since our date, but haven’t had a chance to get together again because of both of our busy schedules. With the holidays rapidly approaching and break coming up, I wasn’t totally sure if I would get a chance to see her again before school started again in January. I told myself not to sweat it though, because Lauren seemed worth the wait and I definitely think she likes me too.

Today was my first day as Professor Henke’s teaching assistant and I wasn’t totally sure what to expect. I arrived in his office 10 minutes before I was supposed to, because I remember him always telling us in class that being on time meant being 10 minutes early.

“Zachary, just on time, come on in!” he shook my hand vigorously.

“Good morning Professor. Thank you for this amazing opportunity.”

“Well don’t thank me yet. This isn’t the first time that you’re going to hear this, but this is going to be a lot of hard work for you. I have a lot planned. “

“I understand. And I am willing to work hard.”

“That’s good. This semester is almost over but I already have some work for you to do. I have 235 essays that need grading before the end of the week. I need to you pre-sort them for me.”

“What does pre-sort mean sir?”

“It means you need to read each essay and cross check them with the answer guide. Those essays that hit on all of the required elements in the answer guide go in one pile. Those essays that meet none of the elements go in another and those that only meet some go in a third pile. I also need you to flag anything that looks strange. This makes my grading procedure a lot quicker.”

I must have paled at the stack of papers in front of me; this seemed like a daunting task.

“Seems like a lot doesn’t it?” He asked with a knowing smile.

“Uhm, it does sir.” I stammered.

“Well Zach, this is nothing. Let me tell you about my first job after I passed the bar. I was working for the District Attorney in Arizona, and was excited about my first day at work. I got to the office bright and early, and was expecting a nice tour of the building, maybe some HR paperwork and then some training. Instead, my boss tells me he needs me over in Navajo County Superior Court immediately because the prosecutor there called in sick and I was going to take over his cases. Now, I didn’t even know where the Navajo County Superior Court was at that time, and don’t forget, we didn’t have GPS or those smart phones or any kind of fancy gadget that was going to tell me where to go. On top of that, I hadn’t set foot in a courtroom yet and had no idea what to do!! Anyhow, I was able to find the Court and upon my arrival, the clerk of the court handed me about 250 files. She told me that these were my clients for the day, and all I had to do was set a trial date for each. I thought, how hard can this be right? About 10 minutes into me being there, the judge takes the bench and calls out a name. After a moment of silence, he peers at me over the bench and says, ‘that’s your cue counselor.’ I thought to myself ‘my cue for what??’ So I rifle through the files and finally, after what seems like an eternity, find the right one. I open it up and remember what the clerk told me. ‘We need a court date your honor.’ He writes something on the paper in front of him and then looks up at me. ‘What about bail?’ he asks. At this point I am starting to panic. Bail? What am I supposed to say here?? I am breaking into a sweat and glance around the courtroom, when I see the bailiff standing off to the right of the judge’s bench. We lock eyes and suddenly I see him nod ever so slightly. ‘Uhm, yes, please, we want bail’ I manage to stammer. ‘Very well. What would you like to set it at?’ More questions?? I am full blown drenched in sweat now. Once again I glance at the bailiff and I see he is casually flashing five finger. ‘5 million’ I shout excitedly! The judge looks amused and I look at the bailiff, who is also stifling a smile and shaking his head slightly. ‘I’m sorry your honor I meant five thousand.’ No response from the judge and the bailiff is still shaking his head. ‘Five hundred?’ Head shaking. ‘Fifty?’ A slight nod from the bailiff. ‘Granted, trial is set for next Thursday at 9:00 a.m.’ The rest of the morning flew by the same way and before I knew it, all 250 files were dealt with. I had never felt so much anxiety before in my life, but I survived. That bailiff and I became pretty good buddies, and that first experience of mine became a running joke in that courtroom. Life will throw all kinds of experiences at you Zach, and the key is to make the best of them, work hard, and learn.”

“That’s a great story Professor, and I absolutely see what you mean. I will get started on these essays right away.”

I spent the rest of the afternoon reading essays, which I can’t tell you was very exciting but I managed to get through about 32 of them before my time was done. It was pretty hard to stay focused, so as I walked out of the Professor’s office, I decided to go grab a coffee before hitting the library to study for finals. As I walked through the quad over to Starbucks, I passed a group of girls who were laughing hysterically at something I couldn’t see.

“What’s the matter tree hugger?”

“Why are you trying to save that rat?”

“Maybe because she looks like one!!”

High pitched laughter ensued as I walked over to see what this was all about. In the middle of the circle stood Beth, laughing and pointing at something on the ground. I looked down and saw Lauren hunched over a very small squirrel, who was laying on the ground motionless.

“Lauren are you ok?” I asked her.

She looked up at me with tears in her eyes. “He fell out of his nest and I think he’s hurt. The mother won’t take him back now because he is injured and I don’t know how to help him!”

“Eew Zach why are you talking to this hippy?” Beth asked.

Fury raged through me as I stood up and faced Beth.

“You know Beth, Lauren has more heart, brains and beauty than you ever will. She is a kind person, you are just a bully. I feel sorry for you, you’re never going to be anything other than a shallow sorority girl; whose biggest concern is when her pumpkin spice lattes will be ready or whether her Uggs fit right. Why don’t you leave Lauren alone?”

Beth’s mouth dropped open and she stared at me for a second. Then she flicked her blond braid over her shoulder and looked back at Lauren. “Enjoy my leftovers, come on girls, we have better things to do than waste our time with these nobodies.” With that, she spun on her heels and walked away quickly, but not before I saw the hurt in her eyes.

I felt bad immediately because it is never my intent to hurt anyone, but what she was doing to Lauren was just plain mean and I hate bullies.

“Thank you Zach. I know he’s a squirrel and people consider them to be pests but he’s a helpless baby and I want to help him.”

“I know, it's ok. Come on, let’s figure out what to do.”

We ended up wrapping the little guy up in my sweater and after Googling (thank God for Google) a solution, we took him to an animal clinic that took in hurt stray and feral animals. The clinic was willing to take him and fix his leg, which was broken, but told us we would have to cover the payment. I took one look at Lauren’s distraught face and offered to pay for it.

“I can’t thank you enough Zach.”

“It’s ok. I am glad I could help you. And I am sorry about Beth. She’s an insecure person.”

“I know, it’s fine. I know that people like that are just being mean because they are unhappy with themselves. It’s not about me. But I am still grateful you came along.”

The little squirrel, who by this point Lauren had named Albie, was going to have to stay at the clinic overnight so we headed back to campus.

“I have to get going Lauren, I have a lot of studying to do before finals.”

“Me too, thank you Zach.”

“We can pick Albie up tomorrow. And maybe we can hang out one more time before break?”

“I would love that,” she smiled and reached up for a hug. I squeezed her tight and then kissed her softly.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

LbA: Victorious, Part 3

Where did she find these men?  I mean, I had only seen her with two, but both of them were hot.  Like, fucking hot.  If I wasn’t with Luke, and still hated Aleah, I would try to steal them from her.  The one I ran into her with in the hall, blonde.  The one sitting on the step with her, brunette.  If I could pick one or the other, definitely the brunette.  He was tall, ripped, and when he looked at you, his eyes pierced your insides, like an ice pick stabbing clear through your heart and entering out the back.  He claimed they were just friends, but his ferocity over defending her?  That spoke volumes more.  Not to mention the way in which he was touching her-with passion and tenderness-when I walked out on them.  I do wish Luke was more like that, but, then again, who knows how much longer Luke and I would be together.  He’s an arrogant asshole.  We’re either hot or cold.  Up or down.  Left or right.  There is no in between.  When it’s good, it is glorious.  Damn hot.  But when it’s not?  It’s like being in the throes of hell.

When I got to Luke, I told him what happened.  He almost looked jealous.  I really don’t know of what, though.  When we started walking to his car, I stole one last look at Aleah and mystery brunette.  She was looking at him with calm, and he was somehow standing over and around her like a protective lover.  If Luke’s face had been spread with jealousy, I could only imagine what mine looked like.

July 2010

“Well, shit,” I muttered.  Even though, oddly, I could feel a smile fighting at the corners of my mouth.  I looked down at the plastic stick in my hand with a plus sign on it.  I was going to be a mom, and Luke the dad!  We could be a family.  But, I still had another year of school.  I frowned at that thought. 

I did some quick math on my fingers.  I would be due sometime around March or April.  I would almost be finished with high school.  Only a couple months would I need help. 

I could pinpoint the exact night I got pregnant:  the first day of summer after classes ended last month.  Luke had gone with me to a celebratory, end of school party.  After his confession regarding his sister, we had become inseparable.  We saw each other (whether with our parents’ knowledge or by sneaking around) every single day.  We hadn’t been fighting at all.  He had even asked me to be his girlfriend in December, and he was so attentive and faithful.  The sex was more loving, and not as crude.  Yet, we always used protection, except for the one night.  We had partied late and were drinking hard. 

We were in the bed of his rundown truck, getting ready to watch the sun come up.  Dizzy and drunken, he was poised over me, about to enter.  “I don’t have a rubber,” he whisper slurred.

“Mmm,” I had murmured.  He shifted his weight, pressing the tip of his cock against me, on the verge of entering.

“I want you so bad,” he groaned, his pelvis thrusting, but not quite breaking the seal.

“Me too.”  That was all the encouragement he needed, as he pushed deep into me and I gasped.  Taking his full size in every time, felt like the first time over again.  He had cummed urgently, filling me up.   Intoxicated, we had laughed at the time, until the alcohol wore off.  But to ease our nerves, we had convinced ourselves it was only one time, and it would be okay. 

Now looking down at the glaring truth, I realized it wasn’t okay. 

The past week I had been so tired and sick.  Like the flu was coming on.  I thought my period was going to start... but my period was as consistent as the ticking seconds of a clock.  And this month, it was late.  A couple weeks.  I finally gathered up the courage to take a pregnancy test.  I hadn’t told Luke I was going to, because I didn’t want him to worry needlessly. 

I wiped the stick completely dry, and clicked the cap back on.  I slid it into the band of my jeans and took the trash, stuffing it into the trash on the way out of the bathroom at Wal-Mart.  There was no way in hell I was going to risk my parents finding out about this.  At least, I wasn’t going to before I wanted them to know.  Maybe once I told them, they would feel better knowing I would be 18 when I had the baby.  And that Luke would be 20.

After leaving Wal-Mart, I drove straight to gym where I knew Luke would be working out.  He had committed to going to a local college and playing ball there.  Since he had taken a year off, he had lost his scholarship to the D1 school he was supposed to go to.  His plan now was to play for a year there, and then hopefully transfer to a big school so he could play again.  He just needed to prove himself and that he hadn’t lost anything by not playing for a year.  I was briskly striding up to the gym, but slowed down thinking how this was going to affect him.  What if he didn’t want to keep the baby?  What if he wanted me to have an abortion?  What if he broke up with me?  Or, honestly, what if he did want to keep the baby?  Then what?

I felt like I was trudging through thick, cold molasses.  My feet were barely working without me consciously driving them forward.  I froze in the hallway of the gym entrance, leaning back against the brick wall.  The coolness of the brick against my bare arms brought me back up to surface from the murky pond of my thoughts.  My eyes were closed, focused on my breathing, slowing it down.  I also was concentrating on the nausea, too, forcing myself to keep from throwing up.  How was I going to tell him?

“Vic?” I heard Luke’s concerned voice, echoing off the cold, hard walls.

I opened my eyes and saw him tunneling in on me, his face etched with genuine fear.  He knew something was off.  He rushed over and placed his hands on my shoulders, grasping lightly.  He still had sweat dripping off of his forehead.  “Are you done working out?” I meekly whispered.

He ran his hands back through his hair, and looked back down the hall towards the gym.  He looked back at me.  “I am now.”  Although his words sounded annoyed, his tone was soft and full of care.  “Let me grab my bag,” he finished. 

I sank down to the ground as he jogged away, to wait for him to return.  I placed my head on my knees.  What felt like hours, was really mere minutes, as I heard his steps thumping back towards me. 

I raised my head and he held his free hand down to me, holding his duffel in the other.  I grasped his hand and he pulled me up, effortlessly.  He wrapped his arm protectively around my shoulders and escorted me outside.  He spoke no words as he guided me to his car and threw his duffel bag into the open window and then kept walking past his car, with me in tow.  He walked me to the cafe next door to the gym.  He pulled out a chair in a secluded corner for me to sit down and he went up to the counter to order. 

He came back with two fruit smoothies, setting a strawberry banana (my favorite) down in front of me.   “Hey, baby, what’s going on?” he asked, not even attempting to make small talk.

I took a small sip of my smoothie and gagged.  I was sad, my favorite foods ruined for the time being.  I pushed it towards him, and he raised an eyebrow questioningly at me.  “Are you sick?”

If only he knew.  “Yeah, kind of, but...” and before I could finish he cut me off.

“Do we need to take you to the doctor?  I can drive you home and go pick up some chicken noodle soup for you.”

“No, Luke.  No.  It’s not like that.”

His eyes widened and I saw the fear in his eyes.  They even started to water, it seemed.  I realized his thoughts took him back to his sister.  “Oh, Luke, I’m okay, really.”

He visibly relaxed, his shoulders dropping.  “Then, what’s wrong?  Did your dad do something to you?” I saw the anger flaring in his eyes.

I looked around the cafe and saw no one else was in there.  I slipped the test out from the band of my jeans, and held it in my hands out to him so he could see the face.  He stared at the truth, frozen, sitting there innocently in my palms.

Life by Zach: Reflections

As I boarded my plane back to school, I sighed to myself with relief. It’s been a good couple of days. Even though my time at home was short, I loved being with my family. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, I mean come on, how can it not be? There’s football, family, drinks and all the amazing food you can eat. My mother makes a ridiculously good turkey dinner, and we ate leftovers for two days.

I had a chance to talk with my parents about everything that has happened over the past couple of weeks, and my father gave me some really good insight.

“Son, sadly, not everyone is going to be the person you want them to be. You are a good kid, and you have a good heart, so it is in your nature to assume that everyone that comes into your life is going to be that way. But you cannot will someone to be a certain way, because the bottom line is that some people are just out for themselves.”

I took a moment to let that sink in.

“But how do I know Dad?”

“I wish I could tell you there is some formula or tell-tale sign son. But there isn’t. All I can tell you is that you need to trust your instincts. That little voice in your head that tells you that something might be off. Do you know what I mean?”

I knew exactly what he meant. I had that feeling the whole time I was seeing Beth, and I definitely had that feeling when Andrew asked me for help. In fact, I was reluctant to give him my paper but at the last minute decided to ignore that feeling and just go with trusting him.

“But what about Ben? I never saw this coming from him.”

“Son, you and Ben are very different. You have different views on life, you were raised differently and you have a different attitude towards your future and school. That does not mean that you can’t be friends or aren’t there for one another, but sometimes these differences lead to misunderstandings or arguments. At that point, the friendship or relationship is tested and you can determine if communication and mutual respect and understanding can get you through it, or if sadly, it’s a lost cause. You will learn in life that not everyone is meant to stay in your life. Some people are simply passing through, they may be intense experiences, painful experiences or even sad ones, but you should always reflect and learn because that’s how you become better at treading people and knowing who is right for you.”

I looked down at my food and realized my father was right, and I also realized how much more I had to learn about life. Ben and I are very different, I just never thought that could lead to the potential end of a friendship. Then inevitably, I thought about Aleah

As though she read my mind, my mother tells me that she saw Aleah a couple of months ago. 

“Did you? How is she?”

“She’s doing well, she is very busy. I told her that you would love to hear from you.”

“Mom! That’s not necessary!”

 

“Honey she said she doesn’t want to bother you, but I know she cares for you deeply as well. The two of you are in different states, in different schools and you are experiencing different things. This is a part of your life that you both have to go through to grow as people. And if it is meant to be, you will find your way back to one another someday. Until then, remain kind and remain friends.”

I knew my mom was right.

I know in my heart that I love Aleah and will always love her. The time we spent together was and remains special; the bond we have will never be broken. But that doesn’t change that she and I are in different places at the moment, and we need to experience our lives separately. I will always be her friend, and I know I will always hope that we find a way back to one another someday.

The rest of my visit was relaxing, and I was ready to come back to school and begin my internship and teaching assistant position for Professor Henke.

I didn’t talk to Ben  at all over break, I did send him a happy thanksgiving text but I never heard back from him. It bothered me but at the same time, after the talk with my dad I just decided to let it go for a while.

On a more exciting note, the evening I flew back, I had my first date with Lauren. She and I texted back and forth over break and she was back from her animal extinction seminar.

I was excited to see her and decided we should go to this casual little burger bar called Harry's. They have all kinds of little sliders with ridiculous toppings like mango salsa and stuffing. Who wouldn't like that?

 We decided to meet there because Lauren had some work to finish. I'm kind of an old school guy and would have wanted to pick her up, but I also figured I should respect her on this one.


The restaurant is very casual so I just wore jeans and a button up and my favorite pea coat, and I got there a few minutes early. As I sat and waited I wondered nervously whether Lauren would turn out to be another Beth, but then my father's advice came back into my mind and I decided to just relax and trust my gut. Just then the door swept open and Lauren walked in, and I couldn't help but feel a huge smile creep onto my face.

Now, you guys may or may not be an Anna Kendrick fan but I am. I think she's super cute, but above all she's so funny and seems so down to earth. Lauren reminded a lot of her, she's just as petite and her hair and features are the same as well. And when she walked over she tripped over her own feet and immediately bust into laughter. This could be good.

"Hi!" she giggled enthusiastically. "Am I late?

"No, no, I'm early. It's good to see you." I gave her a quick hug and helped her out of her coat.

"it's good to see you too. How was your break?"


We spent the next few minutes catching up on our breaks and families, and when the server showed up, we both grinned at him sheepishly. "I'm sorry, we haven't even looked at the menu yet." Lauren apologized.

"Not to worry, take your time. But let me just tell you that today we have a very special slider, its the MOAS - Mother of All Sliders."

Lauren giggled nervously. "Uhm, whats on it?"

"Oooh well. I am glad you asked. This bad boy has guacamole, two patties, bacon, pulled pork and our special rancho chipotle."

We both looked at one another and immediately burst out laughing.

"I want that!" we both said at the same time.

The server seemed pleased with his selling skills and asked us what we wanted to drink.


"I will have an Angry Orchard please." Lauren asked.

I requested a Heineken and then we both sat there for a second.

"I'm glad you wanted that burger. I feel like anyone else would have thought it was gross." I told her.

"No way!! It sounded so good! And I am not picky at all with food. It's crazy because my older brother won't eat anything but I just love to try new things."

"I'm glad. I do too. I think it's important to make an effort to try new stuff or be open to different experiences."

We both grinned at each other and so began one of the best first dates I have had in a long time.

We talked about everything and anything, school, our families, our hometowns, friends - you name it. This girl is awesome! I told her about my upcoming TA assignment, and the hospital internship, and even the whole Andrew fiasco; which she seemed to understand and agreed with my father's advice.

We finished our burgers, which were amazing, and before we both knew it, dinner was over.

"I'd love to hang out again Zach, but I have an early meeting tomorrow." She seemed kind of nervous as I helped her into her coat and walked her to her car.

"I'd like to see you again too Lauren. I had a really good time tonight and I am so glad we met."

We stopped in front of her car and she looked up at me and smiled sweetly. "Thank you for tonight Zach." With that, she leaned up on her tip toes and in what seemed like slow motion, brought her lips to mine. We kissed softly at first, and then she wrapped her arms around my neck and held me tightly as she kissed me more deeply. Just as quickly she pulled away, her cheeks flushed.

"Good night Zach." With that, she gave me a little smile and got in her car and drove off.


"Good  night Lauren," I mumbled happily.

What a great night.