Chapter 6: Chapter 6: A Side of Desire for Dessert, Please!

The Painted Lady sits atop a small hill overlooking the bay. I was so lost in thought that I didn't even notice when we passed the glittering sign that led to the winding driveway we're on now. I gawk as we drive under the ivy-covered overhead, lights strung through to look like twinkling raindrops.

I look down at my dress and glance back up at the valet walking up to my window. I can't go out there looking like this. My heart races, my mouth suddenly dry and mute.

Saz grabs my hand. I slowly turn to him, resisting the urge to call this night off. His eyes are warm. Comforting. My heartbeat nearly slows to a stop. Is this guy trying to kill me tonight?

"Relax," he breathes. "You look beautiful."

He squeezes my hand before dropping it in my lap and stepping outside. The valet opens my door and I take a deep breath, stepping back out into the warm summer air. Saz walks up to the man at my door and shakes his hand. "Hey, Manuel. How are the wife and kids?"

"Aye, they're good. They're good." Manuel holds his attention with a warm smile, releasing Saz's hand and standing tall. "It's good to see you again, Mr. Fairweather."

Saz smiles at him and nods. "Allow me to introduce you to my research assistant, Allie Demarco."

"Possible research assistant." I correct him, shaking Manuel's hand.

Manuel busts out laughing. "You sound like me and my wife at home. The two of you will make a great team."

Saz laughs along with him and I flush, my confidence shattered. Saz hands him the car keys, a hundred-dollar bill tucked beside it. "Make sure you guys eat good tonight, okay?"

Manuel gives him a hug before tucking the money inside his vest and returning to the car, driving it away to the parking garage.

Saz walks up beside me and offers his arm in an exaggerated way. "Shall we?"

I take his arm, his bicep nearly bursting through his suit jacket. I blame my lack of willpower for my throbbing feet as we make our way through the sliding glass doors and into the lobby.

The atmosphere is dark. Seductive. Everything seems to glitter in the dim candlelight, the lights above twinkling from the inky black ceiling. I silently follow Saz to the podium where a brunette dressed in a black cocktail dress waits for us.

"Hello, Nadia." He greets her like she's an old friend we ran into at the park.

"Hello, Mr. Fairweather." She smiles, her voice soft and polite. "Back again so soon?"

He shrugs. "What can I say? I love this place."

"Oh, let me take that coat for you, hun."

I hand her my worn-out black jacket and watch as she opens up a closet and hangs it up next to furs and sleek leather. She gestures for us to follow her as she walks through the archway and into the restaurant. A steaming buffet appears on our left, lined with all the food imaginable. My mouth waters as we walk past and into the dining room itself. A banquet of Miami's elites sit at the tables talking in hushed tones and muffled laughter. The dining room fades, and we are led out onto the deck. The bay laps calmly beside us as Nadia walks up a flight of stairs. Geez, how big is this place?

My feet nearly give out as we reach the top step, a secluded candlelit table for two waiting for us. Nadia bows as I drape my purse and jacket over my chair. "Shall I have them bring out your usual, Mr. Fairweather?"

Saz sits down with a grunt and nods. "I'll start with the Brandy and Allie will have..." He looks at me, expectant of my order.

I sit down and turn to Nadia. "I'll have an iced tea."

Nadia smiles and nods before walking down the stairs. Saz turns to me. "You know you don't need to be modest in your choices tonight."

"I don't really drink much." I look around the table for a menu or something to scan with my phone. Or hide behind.

"I find that fact shocking."

I look up at him. "And I find it shocking you think this is a little place."

"I didn't want to scare you away."

"Well, then you should've taken me to a little place."

Saz bursts out laughing. "I'm sorry. You're mad at me for taking you somewhere nice?"

"No," I stutter, "I just think your verbiage was just a little misleading. That's all."

He smirks, cocking an eyebrow. "My verbiage?" I look around the empty deck sitting under a canopy of lights. "What are you looking for? An exit?"

"The waiter. Nadia seems to have forgotten to give us a menu."

"Oh, they don't have menus here."

I turn to him, confused. As if on cue, a waiter walks up the stairs carrying our drinks on a tray. He sets them down in front of us and another waiter appears behind him, serving us salad and a bowl of breadsticks. Another waiter comes behind him and places a small bowl of soup beside the salad. I wouldn't have been surprised if another waiter appeared to tie a bib around our necks, but sadly the three waiters just bowed before disappearing back down the stairs.

I watch as Saz takes a sip of his dark-colored drink with satisfaction, his lips lingering around the edge of the glass as he looks up at me. I quickly snatch my iced tea and take a sip, revitalizing my ability to swallow. I take in the mass of food in front of us and know this is only the beginning. We eat in silence, the clinking of our forks on the plates filling the air.

Saz finishes his salad and wipes his mouth, "Well that was refreshing."

"You eat like this every day?"

He shrugs. "Life is too short not to eat good food. Or pass up good opportunities." He leans forward, grabbing a breadstick and pointing it my way. "Ready to hear me out, Ms. Demarco?"

I nearly choke on my soup as I laugh at his goofy-looking smile. His smile broadens and he nods. "I'll take that as a yes."

He's suddenly all business, talking about the logistics of Ocean Tech and its future. He starts describing the vision he wants to present to the board. "I want to help build up parts of the city that everyone can enjoy. Not just tourists." He goes into detail about creating a natural water park for neighborhood kids to enjoy. A park that redirects, reuses, and stores the rainwater that normally overflows into the streets.

I munch on a breadstick with curiosity. "You want to build a waterpark with street water?"

"Not street water. Rainwater." His eyes are alive with excitement and passion. "Imagine a park that collects and filters the water we get almost every day. The water would be able to run drinking fountains, water fixtures, even the water park for the kids. Plus, the cost would be less than nothing for the company to maintain after installation."

"And where do I come into this? I'm not exactly an expert on building waterparks."

"You'd be aiding me in research for a long list of things that I need for this project to succeed. Locations, contractors, everything."

I take the last sip of my iced tea, searching for the bad side of all of this. "What's the catch?"

"Long hours. A steady pay that will give you a modest living. More nights in places like this. Company benefits." He takes the last sip of his dark drink, setting the glass down with a firm thud.

"I asked for the catch."

"And I just gave it to you." He intertwines his fingers and rests them on his chin. "This isn't an easy job that just anyone can do. I need someone who obsesses over their research and is ready to adapt to the high-class ways of Ocean Tech. I need the kid that everyone paid to do their research papers in Mr. Matil's class and won that straight-A pizza party. I need you, Allie."

My heart skips a beat, and the waiter is back, this time to clear the plates away. Another set of waiters stands ready behind him with steaming plates of food, setting it out before us. I watch as Saz's eyes never leave my face, unfazed by the staff bustling around us. He lifts his newly-filled glass and holds it out to me. "What do you say? Sound like enough of a platonic adventure for ya? Or were you searching for more?"

My mouth waters and I can't tell if it's from the food or his swirling eyes reading me down to my very soul. I pick up my new glass of iced tea and clink it against his Brandy, beads of water falling off the side and sizzling onto the steaming fajita plate below.

"Here's to our new partnership." He toasts before sipping his glass.

I take a sip of my own before diving into the buffet spread before me. I can't believe I just said yes to helping him. All I can do now is eat and hope that I didn't just agree to a huge mistake.

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