Tyler pinned Nicki up against the hotel wall. He lifted her shirt up over her head and threw it across the room. She did the same to his. He grabbed the back of her head and brought her face close to his. He kissed her as he unhooked her bra. Once it was off, he picked her up and threw her onto the bed...

Nicki opened her eyes. It took her a moment to realize that she had been dreaming. Was it all a dream? She shot up and glanced around the room. She found Tyler sitting at the desk, on her laptop. Thank God.

He looked into the mirror in front of him and saw her sitting up. He closed the browser.

"What the hell were you dreaming about?" he asked.

Uh oh. "Why do you ask?"

"You were moaning in your sleep," he said as he turned to look at her.

"Oh." Awkward.

She got out of bed and stretched before walking over to him. She stood next to him, arm around the back of the chair.

"What'cha doing?" she asked him.

He pulled her onto his lap.

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you," he said, brushing her hair out of her face. "Your hair is a mess."

She looked at herself in the mirror and laughed with him. Her hair was sticking up in all of the wrong places. She buried her face in his neck.

"So this is real? You're really here right now? And last night...? Oh my God. I was such a loser last night," she said, embarrassed. She forgot about the wine. And the frosting. And the jumbled up words. Oh God.

He laughed. "You were hysterical. I've never seen you act like that. Now I know what to do when I'm bored. Give you a bottle of wine and let you do your thing."

She felt her cheeks burning.

"I love that," Tyler said. He touched her cheek. "It's adorable."

Of course he made her blush again. She began to think that he was going to start doing it on purpose.

"So what are we doing today? Besides getting you clothes," she asked.

"I told you it's going to be a surprise. Get ready. We'll get some breakfast first. I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry," she said as she kissed him. She managed to forget just how good his lips felt against hers. "I'll go get dressed."

Since Nicki figured she would be encountering more business than pleasure on her trip, she didn't pack many casual clothes. She rummaged through her suitcase, trying to find something that would be comfortable if they ended up doing a lot of walking. The end product was a pair of frayed denim shorts, a loose tank top, a bandeau, and a lightweight Victoria's Secret sweatshirt in case the sun didn't come out. The weather there was so unpredictable in the winter.

She didn't bother bringing her things into the bathroom. Nicki had no problem changing in front of Tyler. So much had changed in a day. She saw him looking at her out of the corner of his eye. There was nothing she could do to stop herself. She climbed on top of him in the chair and pressed her lips against his. He put his hands on her back, and she ran hers through his hair. She had found a new favorite thing to do. His hair was so fun to play with. And just long enough to pull.

"I'm still getting used to that," he said when she stopped.

"Me too. I guess that's why I can't stop."

He smiled at her and tapped her butt.

"Stop procrastinating. Go on. Do whatever you need to do so we can go."

"You're awfully excited," she said. It was making her excited, too.

Nicki went into the bathroom and brushed her teeth. She washed her face and applied lotion with SPF in it. Her face burned badly and easily. She put on a little bit of makeup. She decided to leave her charm bracelet off for the day. She glanced in the mirror. Shit. Her hair was really terrible. It ended up in a loose side braid. That was what she did whenever her hair wasn't cooperating. On the way out, she grabbed her aviator sunglasses off of the counter, placing them on the top of her head.

"Okay, all set."

Tyler looked at her.

"So people don't wear shoes out here?"

"What?"

He looked at her feet. She forgot to put on shoes. What the hell was wrong with her? Nicki went back to her suitcase and unzipped the front part where she kept her shoes. She had three pairs of heels, pool flip flops, and a pair of Sperrys. She opted for the Sperrys.

"You would never know that you're from Boston," he said.

"Yeah, they dress differently out here. I learned how to blend in. Now come on, you got me all excited. You don't mind driving, do you?"

"I planned on it," he said, pulling on a pair of jeans.

"Good. I don't have a car."

"Why don't you have a car? How the hell have you been getting around?"

"Tyler, I'm only nineteen. I can't rent a car. I don't even know how you did. I've been taking the bus."

"We have to rent cars all the time when we travel. You've been taking the bus? Around here? That's dangerous. There are some really messed up people here."

He sounded like he was mad at her.

"Jeez, sorry. I didn't mean to make you mad," she said.

He walked over to her and put his hands on either side of her face.

"I'm not mad at you. It's just that something could have happened to you. Will you promise me you'll be more careful?"

She nodded. He gave her a quick kiss.

"Good. Let's go," he said. This time, he grabbed her hand and led her out of the room.

They held hands all the way to his car. It felt nice to not worry about who saw them. Tyler wasn't under any scrutiny there; hockey wasn't very big in San Diego.

"Do you know anywhere good to eat?" he asked her.

"There's this one place. It's about two miles down the road. It's the only one I remember how to get to."

She directed him there. She was afraid that she would get them lost. Directions were not her strong suit.

"Oh! That's it!" she said, pointing.

* * * * * * *

It was just after eleven when they had finished eating and found Tyler more appropriate clothing. He ended up having to buy two new suits. He was adamant about going with Nicki to court.

"We really get shit done," Tyler said as he typed their destination into the GPS.

"Yeah. We make a good team," Nicki responded.

He reached across the car and grabbed her hand.

"Well that was nice," she said. "I still don't get why you're making me wear this."

Tyler had bought a bandana at one of the shops they went to. He made her wear it over her eyes so she wouldn't know where they were going.

"So you don't peek. I don't trust you."

"I really don't like being blindfolded in a car..."

Crap. He didn't think of that. She told him once that she could barely get in a car after the accident. Now she was in one and couldn't see a thing. He took his hand out of hers and pulled on the end of the bandana. It fell into her lap.

"Promise you won't peek?"

"Promise. I'll just take a nap."

She grabbed the lever underneath her seat and reclined it so that it went straight back. She adjusted her seatbelt and curled up on the seat. She was so cute. Tyler put his hand on her thigh. It barely took her any time to fall asleep.

A half hour later, they had arrived at their destination. Nicki was out cold in the passenger seat. He felt bad waking her up. He rubbed her shoulder.

"Hey, we're here," he said quietly.

She opened her eyes and stretched.

"Already?"

"Yeah. You slept through the whole ride."

"See? It worked. I have no idea where we are." She sat up to look around. "Oww. I think I pulled something in my neck."

"I can give you a massage later," he said, liking the idea.

She smiled at him. It took only a minute for her to realize where they were. He imagined that she had come here quite a few times.

"You brought me to the zoo?! Oh, Tyler! I love the zoo!"

Nicki launched herself at him. He loved seeing her so happy.

"Let's go then," he said, getting out of the car.

It was a beautiful day. The sun was bright and warm, and there was the slightest breeze to cool things off. Tyler had never spent more than a day or two in California, and certainly never got to enjoy the weather. Nicki came up next to him and grabbed his hand. Everything with her was so easy. It just felt right. Natural.

Before last night, there had always been some kind of unspoken tension between them. Something holding each of them back. But now, there was no wall, no barriers. It felt like they had known each other their entire lives.

"Where do you wanna go first?" she asked him.

"Wherever you want to go."

"Giraffes."

Tyler started laughing. "Giraffes? Of all the animals here, you want to see the giraffes first?"

"Don't be mean. Giraffes are my favorite."

"Why the hell are giraffes your favorite?"

"Because they're clumsy and awkward, like me."

Tyler smiled at her. She was so different. He couldn't ever imagine her saying something like that a week ago. Something had changed in her. He squeezed her hand.

"You are kind of clumsy," he teased.

"You haven't even begun to see what I'm capable of. Look at this." She held up her free arm. From her wrist all the way up to the inside of her elbow ran a pink scar.

"I never noticed that before. How did it happen?"

"Let's see. I think I was sixteen when this happened. I was walking out of my house one day to go to school. I tripped and lost my balance. I broke my fall by sticking my arm through one of my porch windows. I nicked an artery and almost bled to death by the time I got to the hospital. I was in there for over a week."

"Oh my God. What did you trip over?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all," she said, giggling.

Tyler cracked up. Most people he knew would never admit to that, never mind think it was funny. She was something else.

"So you aren't embarrassed by the fact that you nearly killed yourself by accident, but when I tell you you're pretty you get all red in the face? How does that work?"

She blushed. He knew she would. They walked silently to the giraffes, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Aww, see, look how cute they are!" she said as they approached the exhibit.

Tyler watched the long-necked animals. One had its head hidden in a tree. Another was using its tongue to pick leaves off of a different tree. There was a baby one that looked like it was just learning to walk. It stumbled and fell, but always got back up.

"They're creepy."

"Stop it! Look at that baby one trying to walk. He just isn't giving up. People should be more like that." She paused, taking them in. "They're beautiful."

"You're beautiful." He wasn't planning on saying that to her. It just came out.

He waited for her cheeks to turn red, but they never did. A tear slipped out from under her sunglasses. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nudged her lips between his. He could feel her emotions through her kiss. When she backed off, he pressed his lips to her forehead.

"No crying today," he said.

"It's your fault!" she yelled at him.

"Sorry. I won't say anything nice to you for the rest of the day."

"Good, then."

She walked up to the railing to get a better look at her favorite animal. Tyler hung back. He was much more interested in Nicki than the giraffes. He looked around, trying to remember the map he had of the zoo. The place was huge; he doubted they would be able to see everything in one day. He turned back to Nicki. A giraffe had come up to her, stretching its neck out. She reached up and patted its huge nose.

Tyler took out his phone so he could take a picture. It ended up coming out really good. It almost looked professional. Good thing for iPhones. He went to take another one. She had turned to face him. The giraffe reached further. It was trying to get its head underneath her arm. He could tell she was trying to hold in laughter. He snapped a few pictures quickly, making sure he didn't miss it. He went over to her to show her the pictures.

"I love you too, Mr. Giraffe," she said, finally letting out the laughter. She looked at Tyler. "Can you believe this? It's unreal!"

As she said that, the giraffe turned and walked away. Nicki stuck out her lower lip.

"Just when I thought we were friends."

"Aw, I'm sorry. You still have me," he said, putting an arm around her.

"Sorry Ty. How many people do you know with giraffes for friends? He's kind of cooler than you."

He laughed. "Whatever. You have to see the pictures I got."

He showed her his phone.

"Wow. These are pretty good. Ha! Look at my face in this one!"

She was talking about the last one he took, when the giraffe had its head underneath her arm. He had gotten her the moment she started laughing.

"This is too good. I have to put this on Twitter. Do you mind?" he asked.

"No, I don't care. Are you sure you want to do that? I mean, do you want people to know about us?"

He looked at her. "Of course I want people to know. Besides, it's not like I'm gonna write 'hey twitterverse, check out my girlfriend with a giraffe'."

She tilted her head. "Your girlfriend...?"

"Isn't that what you are?"

"I just didn't know we were so formal about it."

"We don't have to be," he said.

"No. It's great. I'm surprised that you're ready to take on the commitment that comes with giving things a title, that's all."

He didn't blame her for doubting him. He didn't know what he wanted until the plane ride to see her. Even after that, he hadn't decided to do something about it until they were at the pool.

"I told you, I'm serious about this. And it's okay if you don't believe me. I'm gonna prove it to you," Tyler said.

"I believe you. So that means my boyfriend is the sexiest hockey player in the NHL." She smiled. "I could get used to saying that."

"Say it as much as you want."

He probably would never get tired of hearing it. It was one thing to have a million fan girls telling you that you're attractive. It was another to hear it from Nicki.

"Okay, I'm gonna post this picture then we'll go somewhere else. Unless you want to try to make up with your friend," he said, chuckling.

She sighed. "I'll just have to move on with my life."

They followed a trail that led them to a directory of sorts.

"Is there anything you want to see?" Nicki asked him.

"Not really. I like lions a lot though. I've never seen one."

She grinned.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's funny that you say that. If you asked me what kind of animal I thought you would be, I would say a lion."

"I'll take that. The king of the jungle. Right?"

She laughed at him. "Actually, not really. They're really lazy, eat a lot, and have sex all the time. Like, thirty times a day."

"Oh, that does kind of sound like me," he said, playing along with her. "How do you know all of this stuff about animals?"

He looked at her. She had her head down, watching her feet. He got the feeling it was a loaded question.

"Well, my first word was puppy. As soon as I learned to talk I never stopped begging my parents for a dog. I always felt like I had more of a connection with animals than I did with people. I know, I'm weird. As I got older, I got really awkward. Like, really awkward. All I did in elementary school was read. I didn't have any friends. Part of it was because of my life at home. I wasn't exactly raised in ideal conditions. I liked to read about animals. The more I learned about them, the more interested I became in them. At one point, I wanted to be a vet. Then a marine biologist. Now I'm a business major. Talk about chasing dreams."

As well as Tyler thought he knew Nicki, she always had something to say to surprise him. He felt like he was finally beginning to understand who she was. There were so many layers to her personality; he had a hard time keeping them all straight.

"You're so interesting," he said. Did he just say that out loud?

"Uh... in a good way?"

"Yeah, in a good way."

He didn't say anything else. He hoped she didn't take it the wrong way. There was no better word he could think of to describe her. He felt lucky to be one of the few people who really knew her.

"See, look," she said, gesturing towards the lions.

They were spread out all over the place. Most of them were lying in the shade. Not a single one of them moved until a big male got up to stretch, then sat back down.

"You called it. I can't believe how boring they are. Aren't they supposed to be ferocious?"

"On the hunt, yeah. But these lions don't get to hunt. They just get fed. So instead of resting when they aren't hunting, they're resting all the time. Except for when they have sex." She laughed. "It's so funny. Maybe they'll do it."

They stepped up to the rail that preceded a giant chain link fence. You couldn't get close to them like you could with the giraffes. Tyler slipped an arm around Nicki's waist. She reacted by leaning her head against his chest. When they weren't touching, he felt like he was missing something. He couldn't think of a single moment in his life where he had felt that way, until now.

He stood there with her for a while. The sun was getting to the top of the sky, and the temperature had risen noticeably. He felt his skin start to burn a little.

"No way! Oh my God Ty, look! They're doing it!" She broke away from him in pure delight.

"You're so immature," he joked.

He looked at the lions. It was hysterical. He had never seen animals have sex before. It was so awkward.

"That guy has some serious moves," he said, watching it thrust relentlessly.

She giggled. "I told you it was funny to watch."

Tyler pulled out his phone to record it. Brad would die over it. He only got about a minute of the action. His phone started to ring. It was Claude.

"Hello?"

"Tyler. What the hell are you doing at the zoo? This was supposed to be a serious matter."

Tyler's heart skipped a beat. Shit. He had gotten in trouble with Claude before.

"Coach, I'm sorry. I have to explain."

"Please, do."

"I told you about the trial, and how I was going to stay for it. They cancelled court today because evidence was mishandled, so I took Nicki out to try to take her mind off of things. There was nothing else we could do today. I'm sorry."

"What's done is done. I can't blame you for the court cancelling. Just please don't put any more pictures of yourself having fun on the internet. It reflects badly on me."

"Sorry coach."

"See you when you get back."

Tyler hung up.

"Uh oh," Nicki said, "everything okay?"

"I think so. Once I explained that court got cancelled he didn't sound mad anymore. I should be fine."

Just as he said that, his phone rang again. Marchy.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Claude's pretty pissed at you, man." Brad said.

"I just got off of the phone with him. He didn't seem that pissed when I explained what happened."

"He's heated."

"Shit, really?" Tyler started to get nervous. He had been scratched before, and he was sure Claude wouldn't mind doing it again.

"Nahh, I'm just fuckin' with ya. He only called you to scare you."

"Are you serious? How do you know that?"

"Because we told him to! We showed him the picture you posted. He was happy for you, bro. He said you deserved to have a little fun."

"You're kidding. He didn't say that." It wasn't something he pictured his coach saying.

"He did. So you and Nicki are on a little date, huh?"

"Yeah, we are," Tyler said.

"Wait. Really? I was just trying to piss you off. Did something happen?"

"Yup. Tell you about it when I get back. Bye Marchy."

He turned to Nicki.

"Sorry. I guess Claude isn't pissed at me after all."

"Good! What did Brad want?" she asked.

"He wanted to know what happened between us. I won't tell him until we get back. It will drive him crazy. Serves him right."

"You're mean."

"Mean enough to take my girlfriend to the zoo for the day?"

She smiled. He liked saying that.

They left the lion exhibit and went to the pandas. Nicki claimed they were her second favorite, because they looked really cuddly. Then they saw tigers, tropical birds, some antelope things, zebras, and sea otters. Tyler wanted to see the snakes, but Nicki freaked out and said she had an irrational fear of them. He tried to explain to her that if she knew it was irrational, then it didn't make sense for her to be afraid of them. She didn't listen.

By five, Tyler's feet were killing him.

"So how much longer do you want to stay?" he asked her.

"Actually, I think I'm just about ready to go. I'm starting to feel a little light headed."

He put his arm around her back, hoping to steady her if she got dizzy.

"You probably just need to eat something. Want to get dinner?"

"No. You've spent way too much money on me today. I have some snacks back at the room. That should be fine."

"You have to stop being selfless once in a while. I've spent more on shoes than I have on this entire day. Let me take you out."

She shrugged her shoulders. "If you want to. I don't really know anywhere to go, though."

"I do."

They made it back to the car after getting lost a couple of times. Tyler hadn't told her where he planned to take her. He hoped it would be just as surprising as the trip to the zoo. Before he started driving, he asked her a question.

"You don't mind changing in the car, do you?"

She looked confused.

"I guess not. Why in the world would you ask me that?"

"I got you something," he said.

He reached into the backseat, underneath the shopping bags from earlier. He grabbed the larger white box and put it on her lap. She furrowed her eyebrows. He watched as she lifted up the top of the box and pulled out what was inside. She covered her mouth with her hand.

"Tyler... This is beautiful! How? When did you get this?" She was shocked.

"Remember when I told you to wait in the car while I paid? At the place where I got the suits? That's why it took forever. I asked the woman working the desk what she thought would look good on you. I told her I was taking you out to a nice dinner. She picked out that. Oh, and these," he said, reaching back for the other box that contained matching heels.

"Ty, I'm speechless. This is so unbelievably sweet."

She held up the champagne colored dress to get a better look at it.

"How did you know my size?"

"I checked while you were sleeping. Same with your shoes. You have tiny feet."

She stared at him. "How am I ever going to repay you for this?"

He didn't want anything in return. He did it to see the way her face would light up when she opened the box.

"By being with me. That's all I want. I told you, I'm going to prove to you that I'm serious about this."

Nicki shook her head. She lifted her hand and ran her fingers along his jaw line. She moved closer to him, bringing her lips close to his ear.

"As long as you want me, I'll be here," she whispered.

Tyler wasn't expecting her to say that. He felt something deep in his gut. He looked at her as she moved her head back. She had left her mouth slightly open after speaking. He leaned in towards her, parting his lips to match hers. He kept his lips as close to hers as he could without touching them. He felt her slow, shallow breath. They stayed that way for a moment. He caught her eyes as she looked up at him. It was Nicki who leaned in the rest of the way, fitting her bottom lip between his.

It reminded Tyler of their first kiss. He ran his tongue along her lip, remembering the way she shook when he did it last. It earned a moan from her. She pushed herself up, mouth coming down hard on his. He wanted her. All of her.

She sat back down in her seat. "Sorry. I got a little caught up in the moment, I guess."

"Don't ever apologize for that," he said, wiping the corners of his mouth. "That was amazing."

Although their emotional wall had come down, a new, physical one had gone up. They both wanted to wait until the right moment. But Tyler didn't know how long he could hold back. It had been less than a day and he was ready to explode. It wasn't that he just wanted to have sex. He wanted to know what it would be like with her. What it would feel like to hold her after. How it would be to fall asleep and wake up the next morning with the memory of it.

Tyler was snapped back to reality when he saw Nicki undressing out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey! We're in a parking lot! At least wait until we get on the highway."

"We can't go anywhere if you're just staring out into space," she said, playfully punching his arm.

He started the car. Earlier he had looked up directions to the restaurant from the zoo on Nicki's laptop. He had memorized them so he wouldn't risk her recognizing the address in the GPS. As he drove, he caught glimpses of her changing, but thought better of it. He needed to be a safe driver with her. And staring at her half naked body was not something a driver's ed teacher would recommend. He would watch her later, when she took off the dress. That would be even better.

Tyler turned onto the street where the restaurant was located.

"No. Freaking. Way." Nicki said.

He just smiled and looked ahead.

"Tyler! How the hell did you know?!"

"Don't be mad. I went through your phone and got your dad's number. I texted him and told him I was here with you. And I asked if there was anywhere that you really loved to go. He told me about this place."

"I can't believe it. You are truly the most incredible, wonderful, astonishing person I know."

It was her appreciation that made Tyler want to do things for her. She was so thankful to him for every little thing that he did. She had a way of making him feel like the most special person in the world. He turned the car into the valet lot and got out, tipping the teenager who he handed the keys to. Another boy opened Nicki's door for her. Tyler watched as he checked her out. She had taken her hair out of the braid and let it fall over her shoulders. It was perfectly wavy. After Tyler finished looking at her, he cleared his throat and the boy looked away.

"I know I said I wasn't going to be nice to you, but I think I've already ruined that. You look gorgeous," he said, offering her his arm. She hooked hers around it.

"Seguin, I made a reservation for two," he said to the host.

"Tyler Seguin?"

"That's right."

"I'm a huge fan," the host said. It was drastic how differently his men fans reacted to meeting him.

"Let me see that pen," Tyler said. He signed a napkin that was lying on the table. He never imagined that his messy signature would be worth so much to people.

"Thanks. That means a lot. You seem like a cool guy," the host said, looking down at the napkin. "Your table is all set. Follow me."

He led them around back to a private area. There were only a few tables, and the room was dimly lit by a huge chandelier filled with candles. There were no electric lights. The flames from the chandelier bounced off of the darkening walls. Their table was in the corner, facing out over the small bay that the restaurant was built on.

"Tyler, this is beautiful. I-I don't even know what to say."

He kissed her on the cheek and pulled out her chair for her. He could feel their host watching them.

"Thanks man," Tyler said to him, "I'll catch you on the way out."

"You're so nice to your fans. No wonder everyone loves you," Nicki said.

He smiled. "I know how easy it can be to make their day. All I have to say is hello to them. It's the least I can do. Even when I think I'm at my lowest and I'm playing like shit, there are people cheering me on."

He had never told anyone he felt that way before. There were a lot of things that he wanted to share with her that he had never told anyone.

"I know I've said it a hundred times, but I can't believe you did all of this for me. This is one of my favorite places that I've ever been to. To be honest with you, whenever I imagined my perfect date, it was always here."

"You never came here with Mark?"

"No. His parents wouldn't let him come with us on vacation. The whole town knew what my mom was like. No one wanted their kids to be friends with me. Never mind go away with me."

"That's horrible. It makes me sick that people can be like that."

She nodded. He didn't mean to dredge up any bad memories for her.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm here now, with you. Everything just feels right, Ty."

"I know it does."

They watched the sun setting over the yachts in the bay. Tyler made sure he got the table with the best view. For the rest of his life, every sunset would remind him of her.

They ordered their food and spent most of their dinner recalling all of the things that had happened that day. They laughed over the picture of Nicki with the giraffe. He wished he had taken more pictures.

Their waitress came up to the table and asked if they needed anything else.

"I think we're all set for food. But would you mind doing me a favor?" he asked.

"That's fine. What would you like me to do?"

"Can you just take a couple of pictures for us? I need to send them to a friend back home."

She said yes and he handed her his phone. Tyler told Nicki to smile at the camera. He did too. The waitress took the picture.

"That's a really nice picture."

"Would you mind taking just one more? Closer to the deck?"

Tyler told Nicki where to stand. He told the waitress something softly so that Nicki wouldn't hear. She nodded. He went over to Nicki. He turned himself so that he was facing her. He put his left hand on her hip, and his right gently on her face. He waited for her to place her hands on him, then kissed her.

"Thank you," he said to their waitress. He would give her a big tip.

"My pleasure. You make a beautiful couple."

He pulled out Nicki's chair for her again.

"What was that about?" she asked him.

"I was just looking at the pictures I took of you, and wished that I had taken more. I figured that this is a once in a lifetime thing, so we should capture it. Plus, I'll send the one of us kissing to Marchy. That should answer all of his questions."

"I like that. But why is this once in a lifetime?" she asked, sounding disappointed.

"I didn't mean we could never come back. I meant that we won't ever have another first date. And this one just seemed so perfect, I wanted to make sure we had something to remember it by. Look," he said, showing her the pictures.

"That's us? Wow. That's... amazing."

Tyler nodded his head. It was. He noticed a few of the wait staff peeking around the corner. Their waitress had obviously told them what happened.

They stayed at their table until the sun was fully down. Neither of them wanted it to end. Days like this were rare. Tyler left the waitress a hundred dollar bill. He helped Nicki out of her chair, even though she insisted that he shouldn't. She looped her arm through his.

Tyler hadn't forgotten about the host. He stopped to talk to him before they left.

"Hey, give me one second, okay?"

He opened the car door. Nicki gave him a kiss before getting in. He turned back towards the boy. He couldn't have been more than seventeen.

"I was just wondering... Do you think you could give me some advice?" He asked, scratching the back of his head.

"What do you want to know?"

"Man. You must get so many gorgeous girls. I mean, look at the one you brought here. How do you do it?"

"I'll be honest with you, bro. Most of the girls get with me because I have money. Or to get their fifteen seconds of shame. For a really long time, I went wild with it. But let me give you some real advice. Don't try to get with some sloppy girl who gets around. You seem like a nice kid. You're just going to get your heart broken by girls like that. Just be yourself. Don't try to be anybody else. You'll find a girl who's right for you." He paused. "One that changes everything."

"Like her?" he said, nodding his head towards the car.

"Just like her. Take my word for it. It might suck while everyone else is getting laid and you're not. But when you find her, it'll all be worth it."

"I wasn't expecting you to say that. But, thanks."

"What's your name?" Tyler asked him.

"John."

He stuck out his hand. "Well it was nice to meet you, John."

* * * * * * *

When they got back to the hotel room, Nicki collapsed on the bed. Her feet were throbbing. Tyler let himself fall on top of her.

"You okay?"

She groaned. "My feet hurt sooooo bad."

Tyler got off of her and sat on the edge of the bed. She felt him undo the straps on her heels and slide them off. No one had ever taken care of her that way. Not even Mark. Tyler rubbed the bottom of her foot.

"Ohh... that feels so good," she said.

"How about I run you a bath? That might help."

"Mmm that would be wonderful."

As much as she was enjoying it, Nicki hated that he was pampering her. She didn't want to get used to it. She never wanted to lose her sense of gratitude.

Water started to run in the bathroom. Nicki tried to take off her dress without getting up. She couldn't reach the zipper on the back. She gave up as Tyler walked back into the room.

"Need some help?"

He didn't let her answer. She lifted her shoulders up so he could get to the zipper. He unzipped it slowly, running a finger down her exposed back. Nicki got her arms out and let Tyler pull her dress off of her. It was becoming so intimate she had to remind herself that they had decided to wait. He lifted the bandeau off of her. Suddenly, she was feeling embarrassed. It didn't make any sense. The night before she had willingly strolled naked through the room. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Tyler was undressing her.

He took off her underwear and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her to the bathtub. He lowered her in gently, making sure she didn't hit her head. She sank down into the water. It was so relaxing. She took the hair elastic from her wrist and tied her hair up in a messy bun.

"There's only one thing missing," she said.

"I know. I couldn't find any rubber duckies," said Tyler.

She laughed for a second before turning serious. "I meant you."

Apparently, that was all he needed for an invitation. He dropped his clothes to the floor. Nicki scooted forward, making room. He sat down behind her. She felt his hands wrap around her stomach and pull her towards him. She rolled her shoulders back.

Nicki thought back to the first time she had taken a bath with Mark. It was a little awkward. They were only sixteen. Even though it was her first time doing something like that, what she felt then didn't compare to what she felt now. As if to further her thoughts, Tyler started to kiss her neck. She leaned her head to the side, exposing her whole neck to him. She closed her eyes.

The loss of one of her senses heightened all of her other ones. Tyler's bare skin against hers was almost too much to handle. She rubbed her palms on his thighs. His hands began to wander. She didn't stop him.

When the water started to get cool, Tyler finally spoke.

"Feeling any better?"

She turned her head to look at him. "You have no idea." She watched him smile. She could tell he was enjoying it just as much as she was. Nicki hoped that they would never lose the way they felt that moment.

"Let's get you dried off," he said as he lifted himself up. He grabbed a fresh towel off of the rack and tied it around his waist. He lifted Nicki up under her arms and helped her step out of the tub. He grabbed the other towel and wrapped it around her shoulders. She stepped up on her tip toes to kiss him.

"Thank you," she said.

Nicki left the bathroom in search of her pajamas. She was ready for bed. Or at least she was ready to lay in bed with Tyler. She found them crumpled up on the floor where she had left them that morning. Tyler stood beside her and put on a pair of pajama pants they had picked out for him earlier.

Without saying anything, they got into bed. Nicki checked her phone. Her father had only called once the entire day. She wondered how he felt about Tyler being there with her. He must feel a little less guilty for sending her out there alone.

"Hey, can you send me those pictures from earlier?" she asked Tyler.

"Yeah, of course. I'm gonna send that one to Marchy now, too."

Nicki waited to get the picture messages from him. When she did, she took a minute to look at them. There weren't words to describe what she was feeling. She was glad Tyler decided to take pictures. It was a good thing he didn't think of it when they were in the bath.

Nicki set both of her backgrounds to the picture of them kissing. Now every time she looked at her phone, she would be confronted with that. Not too bad. Tyler looked over her shoulder.

"Did you really set that as your background?" he asked.

"My background always has to be something that makes me happy. Nothing makes me happier than this."

He put a hand on her stomach and leaned over to kiss her. She liked the way he kissed. Every one they had so far was different, depending on which one of them initiated it. This one was special, though. Over the last two days Nicki had witnessed their relationship do a complete one-eighty. But something about that bath really changed things. His kiss felt more intense. More meaningful.

"Call my phone," he said when he pulled away.

She dialed his number and let it ring. The picture of her laughing with the giraffe came up.

"That makes me happy. Now I get to laugh every time you call me," he said.

Tyler received a text. Nicki looked away, not wanting to be nosey. He tilted his phone towards her, urging her to look.

Marchy 21:43:16: Atta boy Seggy! Thats from the whole team. We miss ya buddy. Glad to see you finally stopped being a dickhead. Say hi to Nicki for us

Nicki laughed. She was ecstatic that he wanted to tell his team about them. It seemed like he was proud to be with her.

Tyler inched down the bed, letting his head fall on the soft pillow. Nicki moved over to him and rested her head on his chest. He wrapped his arm around her and she let her arm fall across his stomach.

"Sleep tight," he said.

"Sweet dreams, Ty."

Nicki fell asleep tracing letters on Tyler's stomach with her finger. She wondered if he got her message.

I love you.