Over the years, you have heard rumors about him that have trickled down through your friends as gossip.

It seems he is globetrotting, collaborating with other top-notch business owners. Dating two women at once, if not more, and boasting about his title of 'International Playboy.'

By chance, one of the women he was seeing in another country was in the current country he was in, visiting her sister. She was at the mall at the same time he was there with the other woman he was seeing. Once they confronted each other, the two stormed off arm in arm in solidarity after berating Aaron. He followed them to try and convince at least one of them to stay.

He was catching up to them when he passed you and heard you laughing. "So you got caught. Serves you right."

You are standing with your coffee in one hand and your laptop in the other, ready to walk back to the bookstore, when he stops and turns.

"What do you find so funny?"

You stop and turn back to him. "You."

He approaches and gets in your face. "And just what is it you find so funny, huh?" His eyes are everything you remember them to be, except warm. He glares at you now.

"You heard me, I said you." You can't keep the disdain out of your voice.

He is flustered and takes a quick look, but the two women are nowhere to be seen. He sighs out of frustration. "Okay, you messed that up, and now they're gone. So tell me, what about me do you find so funny?"

You sigh and sit at the next empty mall table. "YOU, thinking you could pull that off."

He sits across from you. "Who do you think you are? It's none of your business."

You laugh and sip more of your coffee. "I'm just a girl who has been where they are. Misled into thinking the guy cared, only to find out they were just a passing distraction, an encounter to brag about." You lower your head and whisper, "Or just a kiss in the dark."

You narrow your eyes as you look up at him. "I loath men like you."

Taken back by the hatred in your eyes, he sits back in his chair and says, "You don't even know me!"

You look intently at him and say, "Yes, Aaron Falcon Danvendeir, I do."

Mystified that you know his name, he cautiously inquires, "Who are you?"

He suddenly stands up, ready to leave. "You're a stalker, aren't you?" He looks around for his bodyguard or mall security. Usually, his bodyguard is close unless he wants distance when he is out with a woman. Though he is getting tired of the whole sex game. It doesn't do anything to fill the void in his heart.

He's tired of women wanting to sleep their way to the top of his corporation or into his life for publicity and notoriety. Though he doesn't mind a sexy lady on his arm when attending events, he has his heart on lockdown and plans on keeping it that way.

You laugh at him. "Sit down, Falcon."

"Don't call me that. You don't know me well enough to call me that."

You laugh up at him. "So you have forgotten. I should have known."

He sits back down, confused. "Forgotten what?" Who the hell is this woman?

"Remember Kraven?"

"Yeah, I remember him. How do you know him?"

"Remember his 13th birthday party? A group of us played Spin the Bottle and..." You can tell by the look on his face that he's remembering.

"Yes, Falcon, you and I were locked in the closet for five minutes, and you kissed me a lot, I might add. And your hands found their way to my breasts."

He starts to grin. "La? My God, you're beautiful!" 

He feels his heart jump. It's really her. He never thought he would see you again. You have changed so much he can hardly believe it.

You roll your eyes, surprised he even remembered your name. "Stop, you didn't think so then, but you still kissed me, hoping to prove to your friends how manly you were."

He blushes, actually blushes. She was right, he thought her very pretty then, but damn, she has turned out to be the most beautiful woman he has ever seen.

"Well, yeah, teenage hormones and all that." He is still blushing when he looks away as he sits back in his chair. Then he turns to you and smiles his cute smile, which brings back memories of that night when you were both thirteen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the bottle points to him for 'Five Minutes in Heaven' and your name is drawn from the cup, he smiles cutely at you. Kraven with a look of frustration shoves you both in the closet and locks it. When your time in heaven ended, your lifetime of hell began. 

When the five minutes in the closet are up and Kraven opens the door. Aaron is holding your hands in his. Realizing all his friends are looking with know it all smirks, he drops your hands and steps out. "I've kissed better," he says, playing it off as if kissing you was nothing.

Seeing your hurt and embarrassment, your best friend Gigi comes forward and squeezes your hand. "Don't let him hurt you. He's just coming into puberty." She rolls her eyes. "Boys, so cute but so dumb."

She giggles, and that makes you stop frowning. She drags you back to the game of spin the bottle.

You pull away. "I don't want to play anymore, Gi."

You see Aaron is back in the game, laughing with his friends. Are they talking about you? You feel your cheeks blushing, causing your face to feel hot. You turn away from those playing the game and join some others at the karaoke machine.

Your friend sighs, knowing how hurt you are. She knows you have been crushing on Aaron since elementary school.

Aaron laughs when the bottle points to him again and he has to take a dare. She glares at him the whole time. Her anger toward him rising. She is hoping he will embarrass himself. But no, he performs the daring stunt perfectly. She gets up with her half-full cup to go ask if you want to go home.

Accidentally on purpose, she stumbles as she passes behind him, spilling her drink down the back of his shirt.

"HEY!" he shouts, twisting around to grab the back of his shirt, lifting it off his skin. He can't miss the look of scorn she has aimed at him.

"Oops, sorry." She utters as she hurries away toward you, grinning the whole time. She starts to laugh when she sees the surprised look on your face at what she's done.

"It serves him right. Come on, let's go home. The party's no fun with you, so sad." She takes you by the arm and starts walking for the door.

You both say goodbye to Kraven, wishing him a happy birthday on your way out. He glances over your body and then winks at you. Stunned, you stand there, and Gigi has to pull you away. You see him lean over to Aaron, sharing a private joke. Kraven starts laughing, but Aaron looks at you with soulful eyes. His eyes are brown like melted chocolate and oh so sweet. You turn away, trying not to cry.

You felt a little crack in your heart that night because you had a crush on him. He confessed to you while in the dark that he never kissed a girl before. He asked that you not tell his friends right before the door opened.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You look at him sitting across from you now, remembering how school became a living hell after that night and why you loathe men like him.