total abandon.
As Zac watched the burly redhead, all he could think was, tonight is going to get awfully strange.
He felt her and smelled her before seeing her. When he looked down, she was standing silently by his side watching the raucous mess on the dance floor, an amused look on her face. Without saying anything, he stepped away, leaving her there. Turning back, the look on her face said, “Why are you leaving me?” Very reminiscent of the look on his face after their dance at his father’s wedding. He smiled and held up a finger indicating for her to wait a minute, returning soon with two cold beers.
Handing her one, “To a fun night,” he toasted.
She clinked her bottle against his, “You’re all about fun, aren’t you?”
Bending down to hear her, he laughed. “I’d prefer to have fun than not have fun.”
She nodded and gave him a half smile.
At the song’s end, Niles came back to where they were standing and approached his machine. “It’s dark enough. Let the show begin,” he announced to Zac and Lily.
As the first strains of Coldplay’s A Sky Full of Stars filled the night, Niles flipped the switch on the generator and a collective “Ooooooo” rose from the crowd as the entire party area was bathed in thousands of tiny points of red and white twinkling lights. Lily looked up at Zac, an amused grin on her face.
Grabbing her free hand, Zac pulled her out onto the dance floor, “How could we not dance under the stars?” he asked.
Nodding, Lily began to dance as she drank her beer. Looking around, she was transfixed on the magic of the lights. “It feels like Christmas,” she yelled over the music.
Zac put his hand on her shoulder as he bent down to hear what she was saying. He nodded, yes.
Play a slow song next. I want to dance with her in my arms again. But the mix tape gods weren’t listening as a Shakira song was up next.
Katje and Anneliese made their way over to Zac and Lily and joined in the dance. As Anneliese began rubbing up on him from behind, it wasn’t her motion that he felt, it was the look on Lily’s face that hit his senses first. She wanted to run, he could feel it. The singer was daring the man to kiss her on the dance floor and before the Germans decided to act it out, Zac grabbed Lily by the hand and pulled her into him. Her reflex action was to pull away, but he held on tight and shook his head telling her not to go. With eyes locked on hers, they stood just inches apart. Both had stopped dancing.
Leaning forward, Zac yelled into Lily’s ear, “I need a beer. Want one?”
She nodded and he grabbed her hand and pulled her off the dance floor.
“You didn’t have to stop dancing because of me.”
Without answering, he handed her a beer.
“I’m sorry if I’m keeping you from your friends.” She flung her long hair back. Her body language had become tense.
“Aren’t you one of my friends?” he challenged, eyebrows arching over his smoldering blue eyes.
Licking her lips, more in a nervous than a sensual manner, she shook her head, no. “No. Not really.”
Nodding, his eyes held hers tight, challenging her to look away. “Well, maybe you’d rather be with someone else.” The muscles in his jaw twitched.
He began to walk toward the lake.
“Zac,” she trotted to keep up with him, “I didn’t mean it that way.” Putting a hand on his arm to stop him, “I just meant we don’t really know each other. We haven’t spent a lot of time together talking.”
He nodded and continued walking. Standing at the shoreline, watching the moon’s golden glow shimmer on the water reminded him of staring at the moon’s trail on the ocean at his family’s beach house on Fire Island. He looked up. It was the same moon, but nothing else was the same.
Silently, Lily stood beside him, staring at the moon’s light reflecting off the water. Besides the moon, she was the only thing from his old life. He clanked his beer bottle against hers and smiled down at
As Zac watched the burly redhead, all he could think was, tonight is going to get awfully strange.
He felt her and smelled her before seeing her. When he looked down, she was standing silently by his side watching the raucous mess on the dance floor, an amused look on her face. Without saying anything, he stepped away, leaving her there. Turning back, the look on her face said, “Why are you leaving me?” Very reminiscent of the look on his face after their dance at his father’s wedding. He smiled and held up a finger indicating for her to wait a minute, returning soon with two cold beers.
Handing her one, “To a fun night,” he toasted.
She clinked her bottle against his, “You’re all about fun, aren’t you?”
Bending down to hear her, he laughed. “I’d prefer to have fun than not have fun.”
She nodded and gave him a half smile.
At the song’s end, Niles came back to where they were standing and approached his machine. “It’s dark enough. Let the show begin,” he announced to Zac and Lily.
As the first strains of Coldplay’s A Sky Full of Stars filled the night, Niles flipped the switch on the generator and a collective “Ooooooo” rose from the crowd as the entire party area was bathed in thousands of tiny points of red and white twinkling lights. Lily looked up at Zac, an amused grin on her face.
Grabbing her free hand, Zac pulled her out onto the dance floor, “How could we not dance under the stars?” he asked.
Nodding, Lily began to dance as she drank her beer. Looking around, she was transfixed on the magic of the lights. “It feels like Christmas,” she yelled over the music.
Zac put his hand on her shoulder as he bent down to hear what she was saying. He nodded, yes.
Play a slow song next. I want to dance with her in my arms again. But the mix tape gods weren’t listening as a Shakira song was up next.
Katje and Anneliese made their way over to Zac and Lily and joined in the dance. As Anneliese began rubbing up on him from behind, it wasn’t her motion that he felt, it was the look on Lily’s face that hit his senses first. She wanted to run, he could feel it. The singer was daring the man to kiss her on the dance floor and before the Germans decided to act it out, Zac grabbed Lily by the hand and pulled her into him. Her reflex action was to pull away, but he held on tight and shook his head telling her not to go. With eyes locked on hers, they stood just inches apart. Both had stopped dancing.
Leaning forward, Zac yelled into Lily’s ear, “I need a beer. Want one?”
She nodded and he grabbed her hand and pulled her off the dance floor.
“You didn’t have to stop dancing because of me.”
Without answering, he handed her a beer.
“I’m sorry if I’m keeping you from your friends.” She flung her long hair back. Her body language had become tense.
“Aren’t you one of my friends?” he challenged, eyebrows arching over his smoldering blue eyes.
Licking her lips, more in a nervous than a sensual manner, she shook her head, no. “No. Not really.”
Nodding, his eyes held hers tight, challenging her to look away. “Well, maybe you’d rather be with someone else.” The muscles in his jaw twitched.
He began to walk toward the lake.
“Zac,” she trotted to keep up with him, “I didn’t mean it that way.” Putting a hand on his arm to stop him, “I just meant we don’t really know each other. We haven’t spent a lot of time together talking.”
He nodded and continued walking. Standing at the shoreline, watching the moon’s golden glow shimmer on the water reminded him of staring at the moon’s trail on the ocean at his family’s beach house on Fire Island. He looked up. It was the same moon, but nothing else was the same.
Silently, Lily stood beside him, staring at the moon’s light reflecting off the water. Besides the moon, she was the only thing from his old life. He clanked his beer bottle against hers and smiled down at
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