Okay, so sorry this took so long to get out. But I sat down and wrote my fingers off today! This is the second story I updated. I hope to have the next chapter to Dream Weave out soon. There is only going to be another three to four chapters to this! Don't worry Greg will enter the next chapter! I promise. And VO1, there will be some tempers no?
~Ravyn~
Disclaimer: I do not own.
Ami looked at the man in front of her and felt her mouth run dry. It felt like it had turned into a wad of cotton candy. She wondered if her face had bloomed bright red, because she was sure hot on the inside.
Zach was in a pair of dark black slacks and a mint green shirt that went wonderful with his eyes. His broad shoulders and slim hips where accented by the cut and trim. The watering mouth syndrome replaced the dry mouth syndrome.
"Are you ready to go?" Zach said in a husky whisper, his own eyes wide at the site in front of him. Ami managed to keep her blush to a dull red and took the flowers in astonishment. No man had taken the time to buy her flowers before. It was, to say the least, heart warming.
"Yes, let me put these in some water." Ami said softly, aware of how close she came to him, her sleeve brushing his chest. The dull red increased.
Ami searched around looking for a vase, it had been so long since she had needed one that now it was almost impossible to locate one. She had to finally just pick up a coffee mug and placed the gorgeous flowers in the water that way.
Turning Ami fidgeted slightly as Zach just stood there and watched her. He walked over and offered her the most beautiful smile, along with his arm.
"Ready to go now?" He questioned softly. Ami nodded and allowed him to lead her to his sports car. Zach opened the door and Ami sat down in the spotless interior car. Zach shut her door and Ami caught the faint smell of leather and whatever that cologne he used. It was a male's car, completely void of anything but male items.
Ami's quick eyes caught the extra speakers in the bag and a gentle kick under her seat told her that there where also strategically placed speakers under her seat. Somehow it made this whole experience more real.
Zach slide into the driver's seat, and in a move that was positively male, slid his arm around the top of the seat. He easily backed out of the driveway and left his arm along the top of the seat. No part of it, however, came close to brushing her shoulders, since she was pressed as far to the door as she could get.
"What type of music do you like?' Zach questioned, his eyes sneaking from the road to her face as often as possible, without putting them in danger of having a wreck.
Ami licked her dry lips and frantically searched for an answer. "Classical, jazz," Ami searched for more but her mind painfully stumbled to a halt.
"Cool." He switched a few buttons and soft strains of Beethoven came through the mass amounts of speakers she had noticed earlier. The speaker under her feet gave a pilot hum, as if it knew it could cranked out more, it was just waiting for the right time.
Ami watched the road, or appeared to be watching the road, when in fact she was desperately trying to get her stomach to be placed back into its normal order. It had no intentions of following orders though.
Ami watched him out of the corner of her eyes, and wondered where on earth he came from. As far as she knew, men with sound systems like this one did not listen to Beethoven. And men that where as good looking as he was did not spend time with girls like her. Her normally articulate mind was left foundering.
"I hope you like Chinese. I have not gotten a chance to eat some in a while and Mrs. Keys was telling me of a great place in a nearby town." He looked at her wide eyes and smiled. "Do you know what I am talking about?"
"If it's the one I think you are talking about then it's near the edge of town." Her voice turned hesitant. "It's nice but pricey."
"If you enjoy it then a few extra dollars is not a problem." His tone was serious and Ami felt the butterfly's reach out and choke her.
The rest of the way to the restaurant was in silence, except for the soft strains of music.
~*~
Ami breathed a sigh as she and Zach walked into the restaurant. Here came the part where they waited for a table, and then they sat down. The waiter took their drink orders and then Zach looked at the menu. He saw the price's decided they where too much and took her home. It would not be the first time.
But he simply ordered an ice tea and asked her what she thought was cook. Ami barley managed to choke out an answer. She knew her face was bright red, and that alone caused it to darken.
Of course Zach was completely clueless as to what was making her blush. She seemed uncomfortable for some reason, and the dark stain on her cheeks was reaching purple.
"So, Ami," Zach said in a gentle tone, trying to start a conversation, hopefully to help her relax, "Do you have any hobbies besides working with sea shells?"
Ami looked up and was startled enough to answer. "I like to paint." The words just popped out like someone had thrown a hook into her mouth and ripped them out. The blushing continued.
"Really, is anything in the house something you painted?" He frantically ran all the paintings in the house through his mind, trying to put an image into his mind.
"No, most of that stuff was done by a friend of mine." She looked hesitant. "The stuff I do is watercolors and small things like that. My friend Usagi, the woman who was over for the funeral, she likes to collect them. Says they will be worth something one day. I think she likes having her house decorated by things her friends have done." Ami shrugged. "That is something she does."
Zach grinned back at her. "She seemed really nice." Ami nodded and began to tell a story about growing up. Ami only stopped when the waiter asked about the food. Both hurriedly shoved their noses into their menus and picked something.
Zach looked at her mournfully. "If I don't like what I ordered, can I have yours?"
Ami looked at him sheepishly. "I don't have a clue as to what I ordered either."
Both looked at each other and laughed.
"So Zach," Ami said her tone more easily going than before. "What is it you do for a living?"
Zach looked at her for a moment and smiled. "I am a writer."
Ami looked at him for a moment and decided to dig in deeper. "Do you write magazine articles, books, newspaper clippings? What exactly do you write?"
"Books and I seem to be quite good at it, since my publisher is down my back about deadlines." Zach said with a shrug.
"Anything I might know?" Ami said softly, afraid she was digging to deep.
"Crescent V and Ice Brigade our two of them. Right now I am working on Phoenix Ashes." He looked at her carefully judging her reaction. Her face remained blank then it lit up.
"You're THAT Zachary Green?" Ami demeaned. At his nod she grinned. "My friend gave me Ice Brigade and I liked it quite a bit. Was a bit disappointed by the ending somehow though."
Zach shot her a look. "How so?" He demeaned.
"You left us hanging." She replied spiritedly. "I wanted to know what happened to the peasant. Did she get to marry her General?"
Zach looked at her closely. She seemed serious. "You wanted an ending?"
"No, I wanted a happily ever after. There are differences." Ami told him firmly.
"How so?"
"Ending means it's the end. The story is over. No more to it. Happily ever after mean that even though WE may know no more, through whatever trials come after them, or us, that it ends well. Happily. It is not saying the story is over, just that some of it is sealed together." Ami told him dryly.
"I disagree. An ending is an ending." His says firmly. Ami looked at him in surprise. "You are a cynic." Her tone was delighted.
"Why are you looking like the cat that ate the canary?" Zach demanded playfully.
"Cause I LOVE to reform cynics. Normally I introduce them to a certain formula." Ami replied, her eyes twinkling.
"Oh, and what's it called." Zach demanded, his eyes twinkling over his tea.
"It's called the M-I-N-A-K-O syndrome. It's promised to cure all the cynics out there."
Zach looks at her and smiles. "I am taking this is a person?"
"Yes, a walking beam of sunshine. I promise, you can not be a cynic with her around."
Zach shook his head. "As much as I would like to talk to you about this Minako, I want to know more about Ami."
Ami blushed and was interrupted by the waiter. The food was placed in front of them and Ami had a hard time not laughing at his expression.
Zach's plate looked like they had gone outside, taken road kill, grilled it, sautéed it, and placed it on his plate. Hers just looked like a more dignified version.
Zach raised his chopsticks and saluted. "Bottoms up."
~*~
Ami allowed Zach to help her out of the car. After dinner he had taken her out to get ice cream, to make up for the large amount of road kill goo he had been forced to force her to eat. Next time he promised Italian.
Ami smiled as she reached the bedroom door. Instead of dropping her off at her front door, it was a different door. This one leading to her private sanctuary.
" Thank you for dinner, Zach. I enjoyed it a lot." She told him softly, her eyes soft in the moonlight. Her eyes sparkled and instead of embarrassment, a hint of laughter caused her cheeks to be slightly red. More of a dusky bloom of a peach than an apple.
" So does this mean I get to take you out on another date?" Zach said, his tone soft. His hand stroked her creamy cheek. Ami turned her face into hand and smiled.
"If you still want to take me." Ami told him, her own tone hesitant.
Zach laughed and took her hand. " That was never the question." He said simply. He raised her hand to his lips, a motion as easy a breathing. " Sweet dreams."
Ami watched him walk down the moon lit hallway and sighed dreamily. Walking into her room she dropped onto her bed with a sigh. The phone rang and she lazily reached over and picked it up out of the cradle.
" Hello?" Ami said, a little of the moonlight still coloring her voice.
" HOW DID IT GO?" Four voices squealed at the same time. Ami just sighed.
" That good?" Usagi's voice rang out. Ami laughed softly. They must be on a conference line.
" Oh course it was, Meatball head." Rei said her tone not as harsh as it had been in the past. There was an edge of sadness, but she pulled out a pretty distant forceful tone.
"Tell us about it." Makoto demanded her voice happy for her friend, even if it did have a small undertone of envy. Ami smiled and sighed again. Laughter echoed across the line.
" Well we went and ate Chinese. It was good but very odd looking." Ami said. Minako burst into laughter and Ami knew her friend knew what she was going to say.
" We got so busy talking we really got rushed to order. I am still not sure what we ate." Ami admitted. Laughter rang out, and Ami was reminded of doing stuff like this, except they were all over at Makoto's eating cookies and drinking hot chocolate.
"So did he kiss you?" Minako and Usagi demanded at the same time. Which caused more laughter.
"No." Ami smiled at there disappointed sighs. " But he did do that old gentleman thing where he kissed my hand." Silence, then excited squels rang across the lines.
" Oh, Ami, I said it once and I mean it. I wish they grew them like that around here!" Minako said firmly.
" Yah." Makoto chorused. " Don't let this one get away from you!"
Rei smiled into the phone. " This is a keeper! I know what makes keepers Ami, if you let him go I will come down there and beat you, I promise!"
" Oh, he sounds like my Mamo-chan." Groans echoed across the lines. Ami laughed and allowed them to chatter for a few more moments and then told them she had to get some sleep.
" Later, Ami!" They chorused. She heard the sound of laughter even as she hung up her phone.
Ami layed on her bed and thought about her date, and the fact that he was upstairs and not far away from he just added to the goose bumps. A soft knock came on her door and Ami stood up in confusion.
"Yes?" Ami asked Zach softly as she opened the door. He wore a grave expression and she had to smile at that.
" I need to apologize, I forget to give you something." Zach said, his voice soft.
Ami looked at him in confusion. " What?"
" This." Zach leaned down and gently kissed her mouth. Ami allowed her hands to reach up and hold his face. One of his hands rested on her hip, the other on her cheek.
He pulled back only a moment later and smiled. " Good night. This time I mean it."
Ami watched him walk away and sighed again. " They really don't make many of you Zach."
Ami walked over to the closet. She really could not wait to see what surprises where in store for her tomorrow!
~*~
" Yes I am rather smitten." Zach told Kris as he talked to him. They where supposed to be talking about his book, but somehow it had turned to Ami.
"Just be careful. I don't want you to get your heartbroken." Kris warned his friend,
" Trust me, Ami could not hurt a fly. There really is something special about her." Zach said, his tone soft.
"I hope so. But back to business, so you can get the book to me in about three weeks, give or take a few days?" Kris demanded. " I have a few slots open for it then."
" I should. I have about 50 pages to go, give or take a few. And I am getting all the inspiration I need." His mind's eyes went back to blue.
" I will talk to you later. Get some rest, and get cracking on that book!" Kris ordered. Zach smiled when he heard the click of his friend signing off.
"With Ami on my mind, my friend, sleep is long in coming."
Review, Review, Review! I want reviews people! Hope you guys like this story, although its turning out to be a TON of mush!