Chapter 27

Lisa and I ended up exchanging personal numbers before I left for the day. This time, Zai was waiting outside near the door. He wore a white hoodie and dark blue jeans with white sneakers—the brand symbol and lacing on the shoes were neon orange. I wasn't used to him dressing so brightly, and the clothes looked so expensive that I felt underdressed, even though he was technically casual.

"Why are you staring at me?" he asked, breaking me from my trance.

"I... just noticed you changed clothes..." I replied. He laughed and said,

"I was wearing pajama pants and a jacket when I dropped you off... not great for going out."Then he extended his hand to me, and I took it graciously.

Yay! We're finally holding hands. I feel like I should be used to it by now, but even subtle touches from him send tingles through my whole body. He led me to the car, and once I was buckled in, he started driving.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

He placed his hand over mine and laced our fingers together.

"You've never been to an amusement park... thought you might like it." Then he turned on the radio.

"What?! I've only seen one in movies," I revealed. "Why take me there?"

"I want you to experience it. If you like it, we'll come back."

The trip took about an hour, and the park was built behind a hotel. There were only a few people inside. Zai stepped away to talk with a staff member, who nodded and then approached me.

"I'm going to escort you to our boutique, so you can choose a bathing suit for our cruise later this evening."

I'm going on a boat?! Wait—no—a ship?! I looked at Zai, and he waved, signaling me to go with her.

The shop had five workers, and no other customers were inside."What kind of bathing suit do you want?" she asked.

"I... always liked swim dresses, or maybe a bikini..."Zai might like seeing me in that.

After hearing my answer, I was led into a large room with three mirrored walls and a padded leather bench.

"You may sit down. I'll bring you some options you might like," she said.

"Wait—what's your name?" I asked. She looked surprised.

"Forgive me. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Ruby, madam."

I smiled. "It's alright. Thank you, Ruby."

She smiled back. "I'll be right back, Mrs. Walker."

What did she just call me?! I mean... I'm just not used to that. Should I get used to it?

A few minutes later, she returned with five swim dresses in shades of pink and ten bikinis. Too many choices! I disqualified the ones that were too revealing—I'm not bold enough to walk around like that.In the end, I chose a light pink floral bikini with a high-waisted swim skirt bottom.

It was packed for me in a pink and gold gift bag."This is a gift from our store as well, to thank you for your business," Ruby said, adding an expensive-looking perfume bottle and lotion to the bag.

Zai was waiting for me on a bench nearby.

"They were so nice," I whispered to him.

Zai snickered and said, "They better have been. You kept me waiting long enough. Let's go."

He stood, and I followed him. We arrived at a set of glass double doors.

"You can leave your bag with me. I'll make sure it's on the Windsong when you arrive," a nearby staff member said, holding his hand out. I handed it over, and he walked away.

Zai held the door open for me. Inside, there were roller coasters as far as I could see, along with food stalls and gift shops.

"Wow..." I breathed out without meaning to.

Zai kissed my cheek and pulled me along.

Our first ride was a roller coaster where I had to stand and grip the shoulder harness for dear life. No matter how tightly I held on, I was still terrified I'd slip out. I felt like my insides were being tossed around.

As soon as the ride ended, I turned to Zai and screamed,"That was a rush!"

He chuckled."Yeah, I've experienced higher speeds before, but I've never felt so unsafe or unstable. It's awesome."

Wait—so this is his first time too?

Once our harnesses were released, we went on five more rides before ending up on a Ferris wheel. I felt my body swaying as we rose, but I was able to look out through the window. The sun was setting, and all the rides below were lit up. It was beautiful.

"We're going up pretty high," I noted.

Zai scooted closer, making the booth sway, and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"Well, this is the largest Ferris wheel on the continent."

I gasped. "Only the continent?!" I joked.

He laughed. "I'll take you to the largest one in the world next time."

I couldn't help feeling shy, especially when he was being this sweet. Then, he caught me off guard—he started kissing my neck in a slow, teasing way.

"You... you... What are you up to?" I asked nervously, trying to hold back giggles.

Zai slid his hand onto my thigh."You were giving me that look... like you wanted me."

"Do you think I'm some kind of pervert?!" I asked, flustered.

He licked my jaw, and I squealed.

"I do think that... and I'm right."

The ride ended, and he stepped out first. He's not wrong. It's hard not to think X-rated thoughts when I look at him. He probably reads me like an open book.

"It's time to head to the ship now," Zai announced, checking his phone.

"Alright." He put it away and linked arms with me again.

"It's weird that we're the only ones here. Do people not come to amusement parks at night?"

"Oh... that's because I rented out the park," Zai replied casually.

"The whole park?! Why?"

He grinned. "I didn't want to wait in line. I wanted you to experience everything without that."

The docks came into view, and the ship was huge. Is it really just going to be the two of us on that thing?

The man from earlier was waiting at the ramp."Mrs. Walker, your bag is already in your room. And hello, Mr. Walker—your dinners are ready. I hope you both have a wonderful time."

Wow. I need to look up how much this all costs because everyone is being so nice.

"Wow, we're getting so much special treatment," I said, hoping to get some info.

"I tipped in advance. Maybe that's why," Zai replied.

How much did he tip?! The staff practically worships him!

We were escorted to a glass table near the pool. Light-pink geraniums—my favorite—were arranged nearby, and the centerpiece was a golden, thorny structure with three glass roses holding lit candles. A live orchestra began playing softly in the distance.

Soon, wine was brought to the table, along with water.It was a pale pink-white wine—sweet, floral, with hints of strawberry.

"Did you plan all this today?" I whispered to Zai.

"No. I had to figure out a lot in advance... but I brought the flowers in today."

"Wait... is that why you've been so busy lately?" I asked after finishing my food.

"Well... partially. I'll tell you everything later."

Dessert arrived—chocolate cake that looked too perfect to be real. I also got three chocolate-dipped strawberries. I took a bite and moaned in delight. I didn't know cake could taste this good.

Zai just smiled at me, watching me eat. When I finished, he came to my side and offered his hand.

"Let's go to our room."

He led me to the cabin.

"We'll leave you alone for now," the staff said as they opened the door.

There wasn't much inside: a bed, a mounted TV, and my shopping bag placed neatly on the bed.

"Zai... why did you plan all this?" I asked.

He hugged me from behind."I wanted to do something with you. Something fun..."

My eyes welled up.

He held me tighter and added, "Let's watch a movie before we go swimming..."

He released me and sat on the bed, facing the TV.

"Thank you," I whispered. His face flushed.

He mentioned a movie, and for once, I didn't feel any resistance. Maybe because it's hard to think of anything negative when I'm with him. No bad memories are allowed.

I rushed over and jumped on him, pinning him to the bed.

"I don't want to watch a movie."

He looked at me fondly and reached up, brushing his fingertips across my cheek.

"Then... what do you want to do instead? Show me."He locked eyes with me—daring me to go further.