"You are full of surprises, Mr. Stroe," she confessed, her gaze softening as she looked at him.

"You don't exactly tell a boring story either, miss Ishida”

She looked away from him, to the darkened waves playing fetch with the shore.

“I feel like we started on the wrong foot. We’ve been here for 5 days, and I don’t really know anything about you. Who are you, really Adam?” she asked.

For a moment, Adam pondered giving her the kind of reply she was looking for. She would want something deep and meaningful, but the night was one of celebration and he preferred to keep it that way, light and breezy and detached from the reality awaiting them a plane trip away.

"I swear I'm the good guy," he finally replied, because it was the truth. It didn’t tell his story, but it stated his intention clearly. "If you want any deeper – or more incriminating – description you'll have to ask my sister."

"Tell me more about your sister?"  Yui leaned closer, straw between her pink, glossy lips and she couldn’t have faked that level of interest even if she tried. She had enough alcohol and endorphins in her system to drop her guard and be herself. 

“Oh sure. She’s a crazy witch and I love her but would also love to tie down and lock in a basement sometimes."

They were interrupted by the blushing waitress coming to bring Adam the burger and fries he had ordered. He quickly devoured the burger in exactly four bites, leaving Yui staring wide-eyed at him.

“We just ate an hour ago!”

“Those tiny fish tacos? That’s not food, that’s fooling around with food!” Adam replied, finally feeling his stomach’s rumble die down as he washed the burger down with his drink.  "What... I didn't get to eat all day since you bullied me into driving you to the mayor's hall an hour early."

"I did not!" that triggered a protest and frown from Yui, painting her face in that nice flush which Adam found himself enjoying more and more every day.  "I'm half your size. How could I ever...?"

Adam leaned back, pointing a french fry at her. "You're a tiny bully. The most efficient type, because I can’t fight back." He shoved the fry in his mouth with a teasing grin, his gaze never leaving hers.

"Don't call me tiny!" Yui tried her best to look intimidating, sitting up straighter. "So, what's your deal, Adam? You're ridiculously good-looking and apparently very smart. Are you a heartbreaker in your spare time?"

Her words made his expression soften, and his grin was replaced by a genuine smile. He was not an idiot, he could tell how everything about him looked to her, topping it off with the Mariana incident. "I don't make a point to break hearts, Yui. And if you're wondering, I don't hold a list of my scores either. I just live life, enjoy myself, and where I can, share the enjoyment – that's all. I'm not sure about smart, but I'm hard-headed, so if I set my mind on something, you can bet I'll get it done."

Apparently satisfied with his answer, Yui relaxed again. She reached to steal a fry off his platter and bit into it delicately. "That's very ambitious of you. So, your main focus is...?"

"My main focus is building something that actually makes a difference, saves lives. I wanted to be a firefighter as a kid and even through high school, but I made some stupid mistakes when I was barely old enough to hold myself accountable and engineering seemed a much better choice."

She hesitated, studying him with newfound interest. "Can I ask about it?"

Adam shrugged, his smile bittersweet. His early twenties were not a period he liked to revisit much, not even in his head. "Yeah, you can. But tonight is too damn nice to ruin with sob stories. Now your turn. You're obviously brilliant and probably always the smartest person in the room. So why so stiff?"

"Because people don't take me seriously. Considering my gender… my looks… and my size. Admit it, you didn’t take me seriously either.”

"Is that the impression I gave you? I did take you seriously. I just don't agree with the way you do things. There are a few things I dislike more than stiff corporate rules."

She tilted her head, her beautiful almond eyes narrowing. "And those things are?"

"Cheating and lying. I don't stand for any of that bullshit. Say it like it is."

"Mmm, you do say it like it is," Yui finished her cocktail and Adam ordered a second one for her before she could change her mind. Her giggles were louder now and more frequent. Her skin was flushed and her eyes were wide and shiny as she looked at him. "Were you really flirting with me?"

Adam leaned forward, looking straight into her eyes. "I'm not a subtle guy. And you are as cute as you are annoying. Not to mention that doll face and killer ass. So yes, miss Ishida, I was flirting and still am."

For once, she didn’t back away from his obvious advance. " Did you just call me cute?"

"Correction: cute little bully.”

To his surprise, she punched him. "How dare you! Is that what you've been calling me all this time?"

It turned out that some alcohol and the intoxicating fumes of professional success made miss Ishida drop her corporate act. And Adam would lie if he said he wasn’t greatly enjoying it.