He grabbed my hand in his and led me slowly out onto the dance floor. Tentatively, he wrapped his left arm around my waist, while interlocking fingers with me with his right hand. I let my right arm drape across his back, bringing us closer as we swayed to the music.

"You're early," I told him with a smile.

"Never hurts to be early-does it?"

"No, no it doesn't. Guess it helped you this time."

"And you," he replied. "Why'd you come down here so early anyhow?"

"My dad came back."

"Oh."

"Yeah." I sighed. "Didn't exactly turn out to be your typical daddy-daughter reunion."

"Can relate there."

"I just don't understand my dad," I told James.

"I don't think we're supposed to," he laughed.

"Good point."

The dance ended sooner than I had hoped. Being so close to James as we floated around the cheap dance floor, was absolute heaven. He was so much more than a guy with good looks. His personality was to die for. Obviously, his father hadn't raised him. That is, if his dad was the bad guy James claimed him to be.

James and I wandered over to the bar where the bartender handed me my coat back. I smiled and told him thanks, even though he probably didn't care. After James had ordered a scotch and I a pina colada, we were finally able to make ourselves comfortable.

"Isn't that drink a little bit strong?" I asked him as he took a sip.

"Nah, just can't drink it in one big gulp, though. That's when it burns." He lifted the drink up the light, looking though it. "My dad used to drink these."

"How would you know? You've only seen him for a couple days."

James laughed. "No, not my real dad, my step-dad who's basically become my real dad."

"So how am I going to know the difference if you talk about them? You want to use Dad A and Dad B?"

"My real dad won't be talked about," James replied, taking another sip of his drink.

"Okay…"

"But, anyhow, my step-dad used to be an alcoholic. Got over it though…probably when Alex and Emily were born."

"Who?"

"Sorry," he apologized and reached into his back pocket, pulling out his black leather wallet. He flipped it open and pointed to what appeared to be a family photo. "See? This was taken a couple years ago, but here it is. That's my mom and dad, along with me and Alex and Emily. They're twins from my mom's second marriage with her current husband-my step-dad, that is. I think they're about seven now."

"They're so cute," I told him. "You've got to be a pretty good big brother to carry a picture of your family in your wallet."

"Thanks…I guess," he replied with a faint smile as he put his wallet back. "But it's not like I could forget them back in Wisconsin while I'm out here."

"Good point."

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

I shook my head. "No, just me."

"Yeah, being an only kid isn't bad, but it can be boring."

"Tell me about it," I groaned, sipping through a straw at my drink. "Besides, my mom's got this new boyfriend," I told him. With James, I didn't have to worry that he was going to tell anybody because there was nobody he could tell that would matter. I was just another normal human being, not some freak of nature.

"Dating parents. How fun," he said sarcastically. "Is the guy nice though?"

"Appears to be. Dad doesn't know yet."

"Does he need to?"

"No, no he doesn't. Dad doesn't need to know anything that doesn't pertain to him."