(song: "Pretty Thing" - Broods)

Under the bright lights of the city we walked along the strip. Even though I'd been there last week with Niko, this time was completely different.

     The city that I'd seen hundreds of times for once felt magical. The street performers, the big flashing signs, the people all excited to gamble. I used to hate Las Vegas, but I was learning to love it. Not for the casinos, expensive places and big entertainment. I was loving it because it drew people from all over the world and it drew me to Patrick.

     "Haven't you ever found it crazy that Minnie Mouse looks exactly like Mickey Mouse with a bow? I mean think about it, if she took off the bow and the lipstick they'd be identical twins. Which means at night when they'd get ready for bed it was like looking into a freaky-ass mirror for Mickey. And what about the fact they have the exact same last name before marriage?" Patrick was so chatty.

     "You really have a lot of strong opinions about Disney." I was amused by him and I seriously adored how his mind worked.

     He offered out his hand towards me. Our eyes meet. "I have some other strong opinions if you'd like to hear them."

     I laced my fingers with his without hesitation. "I would."

    He squeezed my fingers and it felt nice. "I feel strongly opinionated about your smile being the prettiest smile I've ever seen." Patrick slowly brought me closer to him. His hand pulled mine gradually behind his back until our fronts touched. "I feel strongly about your nose being super cute."

    "God stop. You are so cheesy." I teased him, but my heart started to pound a little faster. "Think really carefully before you try and kiss me again, Patrick. I'm not an easy girl to deal with. You have to treat me like I'm fire."

     "Good thing I'm a pyromaniac then." He was being flirty with me, it felt intoxicating. "I'm not going to try and kiss you though. I'm going to leave that up to you. When you are ready, let me know."

     I didn't tell him that I actually had really low self-restraint and it was taking everything in me to keep from jumping onto him right there in public. Instead, I smiled at him and pretended to be way more saintly.

     We went to the Cheesecake factory. We ordered two different cheesecakes and tried each others. We didn't sit across from one another either, he sat right beside me. Patrick slipped his arm around my shoulder and we stayed there talking for what felt like hours.

     He tried to catch me up on all his favorite things. His favorite shows were Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead and—oddly—Full House. His favorite colors were blue and red, which is why he felt Captain America was his favorite superhero. I could definitely feel a resemblance between Captain America with his strong sense of justice and Patrick.

     Despite his fear of heights he'd been to so many different countries. France, Brazil, Germany, Belgium, England, Ireland, Greece and India. He told me about how his grandmother originated from Ireland and that's why Easton was raised there. Easton had graduated early and was living at Patrick's house while he attended university.

     We filled the minutes with so much information. While I loved hearing every detail about Patrick, it was becoming more obvious to me how different my life was from his.

     Patrick ran track, was an excellent swimmer and basketball player. I was a waitress.

     Patrick had been all over the world. I had been to Arizona and California.

     Patrick went to parties with the kids of local celebrities and businessmen. The most expensive party I attended was Patrick's.

     I wasn't sure how exactly we worked in a dating sense, but I decided not to question it for now. I had told Patrick that I would give him a chance and I was sticking to my word.

     We returned to his car and settled in. He turned on the radio, but didn't put the car into drive, we were still parked.

     "Is there any station you want to—" Patrick began to say, but I interrupted him by climbing out of my seat and onto his lap to face him.

     He watched me, dazzled and mystified, like I was the only thing in all existence. It felt good, I wanted him to keep seeing me that way—like I was all consuming fire. That was my talent and my gift. I was going to burn him.

     I secured my position and wrapped my arms around his neck. Our mouths lingered close, hovering each other, but not touching.

     "Are you sure?" He asked me in a whisper against my lips.

     I squeezed my arms tighter to him and let our mouths collide. We kissed. This kiss put the first one to shame. This kiss was full of feelings. Bone shivering feelings hot enough to set the world ablaze.

     He held me just as tightly and with as much need for me as I had for him. I felt like I was melting. My muscles and bones felt weak, and in the places I would lose strength he'd become that strength for me. His grip was firm and masculine. We couldn't get close enough, we couldn't taste each other enough.

     Cosmic. Perfect. When it's right, it's just right. There wasn't even a debate about it anymore.

     We finished kissing with heavy breaths.

     "Wow, that was—" He was at a loss for words. It was like he was still drunk on how intense we'd been.

     "I know." I said with total confidence. I was good, what can I say? I removed myself from off him and settled back into my seat.

     Patrick seemed to forget how to even function. He fumbled to turn the engine on.

     I laughed. God, he was adorable.

     He placed his free hand on top of my hand. "This is going to sound cheesy again, but would you like to come back to my place?"

     I really didn't want to go home and face my father. Especially with it still being fairly early at night.

     "Sure, I've been dying for another chance to see your adorable, fat-baby pictures," I teased.

     He groaned so loud like I'd seen the most horrific secret in his life, "You saw that? Oh my god! I can't believe the girl I am infatuated with saw my pictures of when I was fat! You know I was fat and you know I'm a virgin. How can you ever see me as sexy now?"

     The words 'girl I am infatuated with' danced in my head. In my mind there just wasn't anyone sexier than Patrick—no matter what.

We got back to his house, went inside and he gestured for me to be quiet.

     "My parents are in their bedroom, downstairs. So let's quietly go up the front steps," he explained.

     We quietly ascended the staircase, and walked past the room that belonged to Easton until we reached the final room at the end of the hallway. The sixth room. Yes, I had counted.

     He opened the door to reveal his large bedroom. I could have fit my bedroom into his four times. He had a big queen-sized bed with black covers. There was nothing to be really embarrassed about in his room. It'd been fixed up by an interior decorator with really good and expensive taste. The only thing that made this look like a teenage boys room was all the school trophies, photos and sports posters.

     He led me to his bed. At first I really did question his motives, but he just wanted to lay down on top of it. I rested my head against his chest, and his fingers played with my hair.

     It was innocent.

     We were fully dressed with the lamp light on. He turned his phone on to play music and shared one of his ear buds with me. We didn't speak while we listened to his favorite playlist. We just peacefully laid with each other, completely trusting the other person.

     It was the most pure thing I'd ever felt with a boy before. The need to be close without doing or saying anything.

     I realized as I listened to the rhythm of his heart, that in just one night, Patrick Henry was totally and completely mine.