Allison waited for Isaac at the end of the street, tapping the skyscraper heel of her stiletto against the pavement impatiently. She'd suspected Isaac would be late. In fact, she'd arrived there ten minutes after the agreed time herself in order to avoid waiting too long in the chill of the evening dusk, but her bare legs were beginning to shiver five minutes later and Isaac was nowhere to be seen. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth. There was always the possibility that he wasn't going to show, to punish her for the demanding tone of her note, to remind her that he wasn't the moon to her earth and he could not be commanded so easily. A way of showing her that he wasn't Scott.

Not that she needed any reminding. Isaac and Scott were as different as night and day, and it was easy to see which was which.

From the distance, she heard the low rumble of an engine. Allison didn't allow herself a moment of relief, not even when the familiar form of Derek's sleek black Camaro purred to a stop in front of her. Isaac rolled down the window, his smile glinting. "Your carriage awaits, milady," he said, not quite mocking but not quite warm either. She didn't know what to make of it – but what else was new?

Allison slid into the passenger seat, catching his eyes lingering on the black trench coat that pulled in at her waist and covered her to the knees. His hand reached out, toying with the hem for a moment, before she slapped it away. "Ah, ah, ah," she scolded, shaking a finger at him. "No peeking."

"Not even a little bit?"

"If you don't start driving, we won't have time for dessert."

"Who says we're going to be eating anything?"

Allison crossed her legs, deliberately allowing another slice of skin to slide into view. "Well with that attitude," she said, tilting her head to the side. "You definitely won't be."

Isaac laughed, the car thrumming to life beneath them. "We'll see."

Yes, she thought to herself, we will.


When Isaac brought the engine to a roaring halt in La Guardia, Allison had to concede that he had already succeeded in surprising her. It was the height of sophistication and class, the holiday destination of the vastly wealthy and the famous wishing to seek anonymity with the privileges as befitted their status, a seaside resort set in the heart of miles of million dollar real estate. It wasn't exactly within the price range of a teenage orphan working in an upmarket deli, no matter how expensive the sandwiches were.

Isaac pulled open her door, offering her his arm. "Shall I throw my cloak to the ground in front of you lest you dirty your shoes on common ground?" he said teasingly, his amusement indicating his awareness of her observations.

She flicked her hair over her shoulder, snapping her feet to the ground with a little more flair than was perhaps needed. "I'm not sure stepping on your cloak would be much of an improvement from walking on mud, let alone common ground, but I appreciate the sentiment," she drawled, tucking her hand into his elbow and allowing him to ease her onto the pavement.

Isaac looked other-worldly in the dimming glow of dusk, his cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass and his blue eyes electric, so impossibly blue they almost couldn't be real. His suit was midnight-black and beautifully tailored, his silhouette sleek and leonine, and Allison felt a rush of desire so sharp it was almost painful. She ignored it.

There would be time enough for that later.

They chatted idly as they strolled through town, arm in arm, delighting in the sense of being unknown. La Guardia was extravagant, the shop-front windows glimmering with expensive jewellery and rare fabrics, restaurants glittering with elegant couples dressed like aristocrats, the occasional flash of light glancing off the clear water on the harbour front. They passed a 1920's style nightclub, the doorway arched in classic Art Deco, a swirl of richly dressed men and women awaiting entrance. As they passed the queue, Allison realised they all wore masquerade masks, varying in size and complexity, and clutched silver tickets in their hands.

Isaac guided her past them, nearly knocking into a pair of men wearing matching sun and moon masks. They continued along the street for a while longer before he pulled her sideways in a small alleyway she hadn't even noticed.

Allison's curiosity was well and truly piqued now, but she refused to ask Isaac where they were going. What she said instead was, "Not exactly what I expected when I said surprise me, but I suppose it has a certain charm. I hear urban revival is going to be a big thing this year."

"Well, we can stay here if you want," Isaac replied, amusement colouring his voice. "Although I was thinking we could just use these instead." He drew out two silver tickets, a black mask and a white mask from his pocket.

Allison raised her eyebrows. "If you have the tickets, why aren't we waiting in line?"

Isaac's face broke into a breathtaking grin, and for a moment Allison wondered if it had drawn all of the oxygen out of the air. "Where's the fun in using the front door?"

He handed her the black mask, simple and elegant, silk edged with glass beads, before turning to a simple metal door set into the wall. He reached out and snapped the handle, easing it out of his frame gently. A blast of hot air and music rushed out.

Isaac held out his hand. "After you, milady."

Allison stared at it for a moment, before the spell broke and she allowed him to usher her inside. There was a brief sensation of free fall, as if she were Alice and she had thrown herself down the rabbit hole without knowing, or even caring, what was at the bottom.

Surprise me, indeed.