"It's half an hour until closing!" Alessa shot back at the bar manager. "You're telling me we have to take care of a bachelor party." She crossed her arms. "Last time I stayed late, you didn't even pay me overtime."

The manager sneered. "And if you don't get in here and do your job, I'll dock your pay." He nodded in finality before turning on his heel and slamming the door behind him. Alessa picked up a rotten head of lettuce from the top of the trash she and Daniel had brought out and threw it at the door. The lettuce hit where her manager's head would have been with a loud thunk, stuck to the door for a few seconds, and then fell to the ground.

"You need therapy," Daniel said with a smile.

She scowled. "I need a new job." She had been working at Schiavetti's for years, tirelessly taking on more and more of the workload as time passed. She had to quit her second and third job to accommodate. The payoff used to be worth it. She would work herself sick and when the time was right, she would use her saved-up days off to go on her very own adventures. Now there weren't enough people working there to give her the time she needed and she was barely making ends meet. She eyed the back door to the building and found herself weary.

How much trouble would it possibly be to quit right then and there?

When she looked back at Daniel, her heart dropped into her stomach. He shifted from foot to foot, refusing to meet her eyes. They had worked together long enough for her to know when he was about to ask her a favor. It looked like tonight wouldn't be the night after all.

"Get it over with," she said as placidly as she could manage. He looked at her with a pitiful puppy-dog look. She wasn't impressed.

"I'm going to propose to Emma tonight."

"You better," she said.

His smiled and clapped his hands together. "Thank you, Alessa. I owe you one."

She scrunched her face. "No thanks. The tips tonight will be enough." She tried to convince herself that it would be that simple as she walked up the stairs to the back door. She kicked the remains of the lettuce back toward the dumpsters before walking through the door. She stopped in the crossroads of the hallways that met where they lead to the dining room one way and the office the other. Her manager stood in the doorway to the office, hissing thinly veiled threats at her as she straightened both her attire and her hair.

She put on her brightest smile as she gave her boss a thumbs up only to give him both middle fingers when he turned around. One of the customers happened to walk by the dining room entrance and caught her mid-finger. He chuckled as she splayed her fingers into a wave and made her way over.

"Hello. Sorry for the wait."

He shook his head and covered his mouth. "It's fine. I think we've all given our bosses a similar and deserving salute at some point in our lives."

"I don't know what you mean," she said, feigning ignorance and busying herself by grabbing menus from behind the bar.

"Uh-huh."

Two gentlemen who were far more dressed-up than the first walked into the bar to join him.

"Your best table!" one said, splaying his arms like he was used to demanding attention and being served. She rose an eyebrow and laughed. Where did he think he was? She darted her eyes over the identical seating areas and then looked back to him. His expression did not change.

"Oh—"

"Forget the table," the first man said and plucked the menus from her fingers before she could react. "Just bring us whiskey. Lots of whiskey." He grabbed his friends by the shoulders and lead them over to a large wrap-around booth.

Alessa rolled her eyes as she plucked three glasses from the rack with one hand and a bottle of cheap whiskey with the other. She sidled over to their booth and set everything down in the middle. They were big boys. They could handle pouring their own drinks.

"Good evening, gentlemen. My name is Alessa and I'll be taking care of you this evening."

The third man with high school-worthy hair and a baby-face reached over to shake her hand. She grinned awkwardly and complied before taking out her notebook. "My name is Maxwell. This is Tariq, and this is Drake." Tariq nodded to her but Drake was too busy diving into the liquor.

"What can I get for you?"

"Steaks for the table!" Maxwell cried extravagantly. It was even louder with no one else in the bar to drown him out. This started the usual argument and Alessa tuned them out as they bickered over food and drink choices. She waited and answered any questions with a sweetened but robotic aptitude that came from repetition. Finally Drake brought his heavy glass down on the table harder than necessary. Everyone grew quiet.

"The whiskey is fine. We'll also take four deluxe burgers," he said and started to refill his glass.

She raised a brow. "Four, huh? Buying me dinner already? You shouldn't have." Drake's grip on the bottle slipped and he over-poured, whiskey running down his glass and over the table. She bit her lip and brought the notebook up to hide her smile as she wrote down their order. She couldn't help herself. The man looked so much like her usual mistakes that the sarcastic banter came unbidden and without effort. He did blush redder than the others though.

Someone tapped lightly on her shoulder. She dropped her arms in irritation, fully expecting her manager to have something to say, but was surprised to see a handsome stranger had snuck up on her.

"I think that fourth order was for me, actually." The man stood at least half a foot taller than her and she looked up to see dark coiffed hair and a bright smile that looked straight out of a magazine. He stood with his hands behind his back, perfectly cool and collected, exuding a comfortable confidence that would have made him stand out if the place had been packed.

From his perfectly tailored clothing to his easygoing attitude, she had the usual alarm bells ringing in her head that told her he would be a great tipper. But his attire and politeness didn't scream of pomp, and he smelled lovely and looked even better. Other parts of her were ringing louder than her need for money. Alessa caught her breath and let her surprise burst forth into a genuine smile.

"Good evening."

"Luca," he said, offering his name and bowed every so slightly toward her. "Sorry I'm late. Thank you for your patience, Miss…"

"This is Alessa!" Maxwell called from behind her. Luca smiled at his friend and then returned his attention to her.

"Charmed to make your acquaintance, Alessa."

"Nice to meet you," she said, biting back another grin as she made way for him to sit and walked back to the kitchen for their order. It was going to be a long, interesting night.

When she wasn't serving the bachelor party, she was tending to the rest of the bar, cleaning up so she wouldn't have to stay even later when they actually decided to leave. If she was being honest, the ordeal hadn't been half as bad as expected. After the first hour, her manager left. After she was sure he was gone, she took a shot of whiskey at the party's insistence. The rest of the time consisted of giving them a good-natured hard time and listening to their drunken rambling. They devoured their food and went through a bottle and a half of whiskey before she felt another tap on her shoulder. She turned to face Luca.

"We're getting ready to head out. I just wanted to thank you, but mostly I wanted to apologize. We kept you late and my friends can be...demanding."

She waved him off. "Nothing I can't handle." And it was the truth. She would take stubborn and rowdy over piss-ass drunk and grabby any day.

"Yes, I got the feeling you know how to take care of yourself." He took a deep but stifled breath before pressing his lips together in thought. "Perhaps if you don't have any other plans tonight, I could make it up to you by buying you a drink. We're about to go to a club."

Parts of her were ringing again, and her thirst for activity spiked a rush of adrenaline that made her heart race. On the one hand, she wasn't a fan of any of the nearby clubs. On the other hand, she was dying to blow off some steam. Not to mention Luca was devilishly handsome and she would be wired and unable to sleep if she decided to go home instead. She ran a cloth over the bar and lowered her eyes.

"What club?" she asked. "They're a bit hit or miss out here unless you're willing to take a long drive. And anywhere worth going has a list and a line half a mile long. I know it's shocking, but I'm not exactly a VIP or anything."

"Heh. Well." His eyebrows knitted. "We didn't have a particular place is mind. We're not exactly from around here."

"No kidding," she said playfully. His smile reappeared.

"That obvious?"

She shrugged and focused on drying the glass in her hand. His companions could have been from anywhere and blended seamlessly into the New York melting pot. Luca seemed almost other-worldly to her. Genuine and timeless in a way she hadn't experienced before. She wanted to learn more about him like she hadn't with anyone in a very long time.

"How about...you forget the club. You can go to a club anywhere in the world. Same thing, different scene. Overrated music played so loud that it's just noise. Carrying drinks around with your hand planted firmly over them." She shrugged. "How does a secret cove by the beach sound to you?"

"That actually sounds perfect. To be honest, I'm getting a little tired of the usual bachelor party antics."

Her heart skipped and her temperature spiked, but she managed to nod without looking too eager. "I'll meet you out front after I close up."

He did one of those almost-bows again before leaving her to gather his friends.

A pair of jeans, a red tank top, and a black motorcycle jacket later, Alessa was ready to go. She came around the building from the back, just following the noise of the rowdy men up front. They turned around when they heard her coming, all looking welcome except for Drake who was looking at his watch in irritation. His arm and his face dropped when he spotted her.

"Wow," he said.

She smirked. "Wow?"

"I—" Disinterest replaced surprise in a flash, his features immediately collected. "I almost didn't recognize you."

"That uniform wasn't doing you any justice," Tariq commented.

"Gee, thanks boys," she said, pulling her jacket closer around her as she began to regret her decision.

"The waitress is hot." Maxwell grinned, not holding his whiskey well. She rolled her eyes. She had assessed him earlier. Inappropriate, but harmless.

Luca cleared his throat. "Her name is Alessa, and I doubt she appreciates you talking about her like that." A reverberation of a mumbled "sorry" passed over them and she couldn't help but be amused at their shame.

"Alessa appreciates the apology," she said. Luca laughed.

"So she's our tour guide now?" Drake asked, tone defensive.

"Don't sound so excited," she said.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he said.

"Alessa was kind enough to agree to show us around," Luca said. He looked pointedly at Drake. "So, play nice."

"I will if she will," he said, folding his arms.

"I'm always nice," she said, and started walking down the street toward the hustle and bustle of cars and people. "Keep up! Wouldn't want to lose you in a crowd!" Maxwell's high laugh rang out as they jogged to catch up to her.

A couple of blocks and a limo ride later, they reached Alessa's secret cove. Maxwell, Drake, and Tariq immediately took off down to the beach while Luca stayed by Alessa's side. She took in the sight of it as she always did. The cove was washed in the glow of the moon, unhindered by any clouds. She could hear the water lapping lazy and heavy onto the shore. It was the perfect night to enjoy her spot, and though apprehensive at bringing anyone there for the first time, it also felt right. They were only visiting. It wasn't like they could sully it for her.

"Skinny dipping!" Maxwell sang from down by the water.

"Keep your pants on, Maxwell!" Drake and Tariq yelled in unison. Alessa couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. Attitudes and conversations had eased on the way over and now she felt she was seeing the group for the first time. At the bar they had been all male display for their bachelor party, but now it was a group of friends spending time together.

"Thank you for bringing us here," Luca said, breaking the silence. "I can't tell the guys are enjoying themselves already."

She eyed him. His smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "I bet you're used to putting everyone else first."

He blinked hard before facing her. "And why would you say that?"

"Just good at reading people, I guess. Now, be honest. Do you like it here?"

"I love it." His features weren't exactly readable, but she could tell he was drinking in the sight of the cove in front of them. He looked at it with careful study, so much so that she would bet he would remember every detail if he wanted.

"It's my secret spot, so I'm really trusting you here. I've never taken anyone else." She hadn't even told anyone of this place, but she kept that to herself.

"I'll do my best to be worthy of that trust."

"What an answer," she said, shaking her head. She didn't quite know what to make of him.

"There's just one problem," he said. She raised a skeptical eyebrow. "How am I supposed to buy you that drink?"

She had forgotten about the offer altogether. She shrugged. "You seem like a smart guy. I'm sure you'll think of something."

"Fair enough." He released his hands from behind his back and looked around a little more fervently than before. "So what should we do?"

"Well—" She bit her lip and looked him over, his clothing giving her pause. He watched her assessment, his cheeks turning noticeably pink in the moonlight.

"What is it?"

"My favorite spot out here is on top of that cliff." She gave him a moment to see where she was pointing. "Will you join me?"

"All the way up there?" he asked, craning his neck. She had already started backing toward the cliff-face.

"Unless you don't want to risk your fancy clothes getting dirty." She peeled her jacket off and tossed it onto the sand. "I gotta tell you though. You'll be missing out if you don't come."

Luca took a deep breath and started toward her as he removed his own jacket. She broke out in a huge grin, a familiar thrill running through her. She called threw herself onto the cliff-face and called back to him to keep up with her. Having done the climb countless times before, she scaled it easily and was over the lip and sitting on the edge before she knew it. To her glee, Luca had followed closely on her heels, arm muscles straining as he came into view. She offered her hand and he took it gratefully before climbing over and falling down next to her.

"I'm impressed," she said.

"Thanks," he said, out of breath and almost bashful.

When he sat up, she stretched a hand out to the view. "So, what do you think?"

He looked out at the moonlight dancing on the waves below and then up at the brilliant star-ridden sky.

"Definitely worth the climb." Pride filled her. "You've made this night quite the adventure."

"You mean, this isn't how you envisioned your night going?"

He shook his head. "You're really something else."

"So I've been told. But for you, I'm going to take that as a compliment."

"Believe me, it is. Spending time with you has been the most fun I've had this entire vacation."

She pouted. "Have you not been enjoying yourself? New York isn't for everyone, I know."

"No, New York is great. Everything has been wonderful. It's just that there was one thing I really wanted to do while I was here." He paused. "It sounds selfish and silly now that I've said it out loud."

"Doubtful." She jostled her shoulder into his a little. "What is it?"

"I wanted to see the Statue of Liberty. It wasn't in the guys' plan, so we never got around to it. It's my last day here, so I'm a little disappointed."

She appraised him a moment before frowning down at the other men, now sitting around a bonfire that Drake had built.

"I shouldn't be so ungrateful," Luca said. "It was thoughtful of them to throw me a bachelor party."

She straightened. "It's your bachelor party?" He nodded and she internally groaned as she unconsciously shifted her body away from his. "Congratulations." She couldn't help but think that she was veering toward new and horrible mistakes.

That's when he decided to explain—how he didn't know who his bride-to-be was yet because he was the Crown Prince of Cordonia. Her mind and her stomach turned and turned. She stayed quiet for a few minutes after his explanation and he thankfully let her process everything. She felt his patient, waiting eyes on her. What would a normal person say under such circumstances?

She leaned back onto her hands and looked at him. "This isn't some crazy story to try get into my pants, is it?"

He practically choked. "No! No, of course not!" He only relaxed when she started to laugh. "I know it seems like a stretch, but it's all true."

She reached a leg over and nudged his foot with hers. "This doesn't change anything. I don't care what your title is. I'm good at reading people, remember? You're still the same guy I met earlier this evening. Caring. Thoughtful." His eyes softened. "I've seen a lot of people come and go at Schiavetti's, but I've never seen any guy at his own bachelor party be concerned about whether the waitress was having a good night."

He beamed at her, his eyes really lighting up for the first time that night. "You don't know how rare it is to hear someone say that. You're the first one, in fact. The more I talk to you, the more I like you, Alessa."

She met his smile head-on.

"It's strange," he said. "I've known my whole life that I have to take up the duties of the monarchy. I've always wondered how that's shaped me, who I might've been without the crown." He frowned for an instant before meeting her eyes. "You could be anything, do anything. What drives you, Alessa?"

She kept his gaze and held her breath. A simple question that most would have even several answers to, took her completely off guard. Her mind went blank. When you were a waitress in New York, for some reason people assumed that was the end for you. She took a ragged breath.

"I'd never thought of a particular thing I wanted to be." She furrowed her brows and scrunched her nose. "I just want to live. I want to say yes at every opportunity. I don't want to miss out. I want to experience all I can and go into each day happy. Make life an adventure." She rubbed her hands together. "I just want it all to mean something more."

"That's beautiful, Alessa."

She smiled a thanks, but looked away. Secrets, confessions, her name constantly on Luca's tongue. It was all making her heady. She breathed in the cool air as deeply as she could. The sounds of splashing and raised voices reached them.

"Sounds like they're having fun," she said.

"Good, I'm happy for them. They deserve to have fun before we head back to Cordonia and the social season starts." He said it with a kind of pained , he was definitely putting their feelings before his again. She tilted her head at him.

"It's not tomorrow yet."

"What are you suggesting?"

"Well," she said, standing and offering her hand, "I trusted you tonight. Will you return the favor?"

He smirked as he took her hand and stood beside her. They laced their fingers together. "I do owe you, after all."

"That's what I like to hear." She started leading him away from the cliff edge.

Luca followed Alessa onto a boardwalk that lead to the docks as the limo pulled away. She didn't stop until she was leaning over the railing. She stared out into the fog.

"And now we wait," she said.

"For?"

"A magical boat I've summoned just for you." She wiggled her fingers and he chuckled.

"Not a bad view."

"It's not climbing a cliff and reveling in a secret cove, but it'll do." She glanced at her phone and prayed the favors she called in worked out.

Luca leaned back against the railing next to her, looking outwardly uncomfortable for the first time that night. She stepped closer to him.

"Hey, no need to be nervous. I'm not planning to murder you and dump your body into the lake."

He gave a surprised laugh. "That's...not what I'm nervous about. Believe me." He looked down at her shyly.

Her stomach did a not-so-unpleasant flip. "Luca."

The blast of a horn made them both jump and then laugh at each other. The large tour boat pushed through the fog and worked slowly toward the dock.

"There's our ride."

The boat churned quietly across the water, the sounds of traffic growing dim as they went.

"I'm surprised you pulled this off," Luca said, finally breaking the silence. By now it was quite obvious where they were headed.

"Me? I thought this was you? Who's driving this boat?"

"No one's driving?" Luca asked, alarm clear in his voice.

"Just kidding." He put a hand to his heart. "I bring any extra food with me from the bar after my shifts. Sometimes I'll find someone homeless, but a few times I made it down here and made some very hungry people working late very happy. Better than letting my manager throw it in the dumpster. And now I get free boat rides whenever I want."

"Even at midnight."

"Exactly."

She sat on top of the plastic seating, leaning back against the railing with her feet on the seats. Luca put his hands on the railing, peering into the darkness.

"...why? Alessa, why are you doing this for me?" He looked desperate and confused. Her heart clenched hard in her chest.

"I'm doing this because it seemed like you needed it, and I can't imagine you not deserving it."

"That's...so kind of you. No one's ever done anything like this before."

Her chest ached now. "Come on, really?" Looking at him, with sweetness and goodness seeming to come out of his every pore, she refused to believe that all of Cordonia wasn't begging to make him happy.

"I mean, sure, being royalty means I have people at my beck and call. But no one's ever seen me as just me. No one's ever listened to me the way you do." He moved to stand in front of her, her seating arrangement placing them both at face level. A scant grin spread over his lips. "No one's ever come up with a spur-of-the-moment plan to make my dreams come true."

"You mean the crack team at the bachelor party couldn't pull this off?" she asked, feeling smug.

"Heh, they try. They've got nothing on you, though."

"You sure do know how to tell a girl what she likes to hear." They smiled at each other, eyes searching, faces close.

The boat began to slow and the fog parted. They had been so distracted with each other that they hadn't noticed the approach to their destination. The Statue of Liberty loomed over them and they fell into an easy quiet, taking in the sight. Alessa had never been this close, never thought about coming out there specifically, but it didn't seem worth mentioning. Tonight was about Luca.

"What do you think?" she asked quietly.

"Magnificent. I've heard that art has meaning because of what it makes the viewer feel. Whether it's in ink splatters on a canvas or on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, it only matters if it moves you."

"And?"

"And right now, looking at this view with you, I feel like anything is possible." He reached out and took her hand. "Thank you for this moment, Alessa. This feeling...this means more to me than you could ever know."

"Luca…" Her eyes misted and she quickly tried to blink it away.

"I want you to know that I admire you. Your adventurous spirit. The way you follow your heart."

"You can live that way too." She tried to make it sound insistent and encouraging, but it fell flat. She felt like she was failing.

"If only. My whole life I've prepared myself to do what's best for Cordonia."

"Well, we're not in Cordonia right now." She tugged on his hand and wrapped the other around the back of his neck as she leaned in. She planted her lips softly onto his and after a moment's surprise, he responded. He drew close, wrapped his arms around her waist, and matched the movement of her lips against his. They pulled away slowly and he brought his forehead down to hers.

"You're full of surprises," he said, breathless.

"I try." Her usual playfulness was overcome by the moment and her tone betrayed her own breathless reaction.

"I'm glad to have met you, Alessa. I'll never forget this night."

She ran her fingers slowly over his shoulders, trying to preserve the memory. "Me neither."

A minute later they were interrupted by a mixture of catcalls and wolf-whistles. Without taking their hands from each other, they turned to see Luca's friends lining the dock, waiting for them to return. They had lost time, reveling in each other. Alessa's chest felt heavy. She felt like she was sinking.

"Come on, Romeo," Drake called. "Limo's waiting."

Luca sighed. "This is where we part ways."

Alessa pressed her eyes shut. This was supposed to be a fun night out like all the rest. An opportunity to have small adventure in-between all of the mundane tasks done just to get to the next breath. Her get-togethers were light and carefree, tourists and people against roots, without baggage or attachment. This was different. She felt sick, but what more could she do?

She coaxed his shirt into her fists and squeezed. "Do me a favor?"

"Of course," he said. "Anything."

She smiled deviously. "Dangerous words, Luca."

He didn't take the bait, only returning his forehead to hers and looking into her eyes. "Name it."

"Do something for yourself every once in awhile so I don't have to worry about you."

He kissed her this time, taking her face in his hands and pulling her to him. Quick, deep, and indulgent. "I promise."

Maxwell began wolf-whistling again and Luca released her, giving her one last long look before returning to his friends. She couldn't move and she wrung the railing bars until her skin burned. They all called out a goodnight to her except for Drake, who waved halfheartedly.

She couldn't help but call out one last, "Don't miss me too much, grumpy!"

Drake stared at her for a moment before shaking his head. Luca took him by the shoulder and waved to her before they disappeared.

She woke up the next morning groggy, having tossed and turned most of the night. The supposed picture of her heart's desire was pinned above her head in the image of a rock concert. Her version of a vision board was to put her next big adventure in a place that she would wake up to. She would replace it when she accomplished her goal and put the next one up immediately. The sight usually kickstarted her adrenaline every morning and made the long day ahead seem worth everything she would be facing.

She stared at it, waiting for that spark in her chest to ignite. She stared until her vision grew blurry, the spark coming in the form of dread instead. She sat up and looked around her tiny apartment. She noted all of the pictures of aspirations and adventures previously checked off of her endless list. No photographs of actual people could be found. The phone beside her was switched off, as per usual. Why bother keeping it on when you could count the number of contacts you had on one hand?

She felt hollow and angry. She thrashed at the picture above her head until it gave with a satisfying rip and she continued to mangle the pieces between her hands until she couldn't see through her tears anymore.

She worked at the lock to the bar, head pounding from her little breakdown. There was a trick to the lock, a series of pushes, pulls, and twists that required more than her non-attentive fumbling. Her mind was miles and miles away, on a sweet, complicated man heading back to his home in Cordonia.

"Alessa!"

It took a minute to realize that someone had been calling her name. She turned around to see Maxwell trying to cross the street and almost getting hit by several cars. His smile never faded.

"Maxwell?"

"You remembered!" He cheered as he caught up with her. "Thank God I caught you. We're heading back to Cordonia so Luca can find someone to marry and all that jazz. But," he splayed his hands, "I wanted to officially extend to you an invitation to join us for the festivities in Cordonia."

"...me?"

"Yeah, of course! You wouldn't usually be allowed to join, but I want to sponsor you."

Her head spun. "What?"

Maxwell began to explain the eccentricities of sponsorship and why they would be allowed to take her on. She nodded as he rambled, trying to keep up with how fast he was speaking.

"We can sponsor any girl of our choosing, and you're my pick!" He looked congratulatory, but Alessa remained confused. It was crazy enough to meet and spend time with royalty the night before, but being sought out to be a suitor was another matter entirely.

"Why?" she asked.

Maxwell placed his hands on her shoulders. "Because I've never seen Luca as happy as he was with you last night. Not ever. I don't want him to lose that." She blushed crimson and put a hand on the door to steady herself. "The only problem is we have to leave in an hour."

"This is crazy," she replied on instinct. "I'm not exactly queen material, Maxwell."

"Well, the competition starts tonight. You would be up against beautiful noble ladies and you would have to prove to the council that you can rule Cordonia alongside Luca." He shrugged. "I think you've got what it takes. You're bold, witty, and charming."

"...thanks Maxwell."

"My pleasure! Listen, there's a masquerade tonight. After that you'll get to go yachting in the Mediterranean, skiing in the Alps, dancing in the Royal Palace…" He rubbed his hands together and smiled, his excitement catching. Alessa's heart thundered.

"Or, y'know, you could stay here with your asshole boss who treats you like garbage." He nodded toward the vehicle that just pulled up with her boss inside of it. "Sounds like lots of fun."

She glared at him and he chuckled. She was drowning in the temptation of everything he was feeding to her. There was no chance of her becoming the Queen of Cordonia, she had no illusions about that, but would it hurt to venture there? She had the opportunity to experience everything she wanted and more all within a short time frame. Selfish. But then she thought about the misery Luca was in, the promise he left her with, the smile she was able to give him. Even if she couldn't be his queen, maybe she could help him.

Her boss slid out of his car with a scowl. She untied her apron and threw both that and the keys to the bar at him. He scrambled to catch them, yelling out in affront.

"I quit!"

"Yes!" Maxwell pumped his arm before lending it out to her. "Let's go pack your bags. It's adventure time, Alessa!"