They both lost track of time. In each other’s company, they managed to fall into a sort of delightful time vortex. The beach bar around them buzzed with life, yet they’d become an island in the midst of it all, engulfed in a hurricane of laughter that blocked any other distraction.

The sky was beginning to lighten, the first whispers of dawn painting the horizon in gentle strokes of pink and orange as they left the bar to wander down Puerto Banus. The asphalt gleamed under the glow of the street lamps, expensive cars, looking like fancy toys, parked perfectly along the curb. On one side, the signs of all the high-end shops lining the street were dark, on the other, hundreds of yachts lined the marina bay in every shape and size. From a city hall stage, the distant strumming of a late-night musician's guitar provided a soundtrack for their unhurried stroll.

Yui’s high heels had been abandoned for the sweet relief of bare feet; her arm threaded comfortably through Adam’s as she leaned on him slightly. She smelled divine and fit perfectly around his arm. He was talking to her, but she seemed to have lost focus at some point, because she stopped, her attention completely hijacked by what seemed to be a Häagen-Dazs booth on the curb.

"And there it is," she exclaimed pointing at the big ice cream sign. "The true beacon of civilization – 24h ice cream booths. My night is officially made."

Adam, sensing her excitement, quickly steered them towards the booth before she could pull him along. He liked to think he still had some initiative left, even though a tipsy miss Ishida was even fiercer than a sober one. He leaned over the counter, sharing a secret with the bewildered teen worker. “Give my lady here extra big scoops, will you? She just delivered the world’s most badass sales pitch today.”

Yui blushed fiercely as the compliment caught her off guard.

“Did I just earn ice cream for giving a presentation? Is this a thing now? Can I make it a thing?” presented with ice cream – extra big scoops at that, her alcohol imbued mind entered idle mode and she allowed herself to speak without the filter of adult appropriate things to say.

“Would you let anything stop you?” Adam joked, obviously fascinated by this new, relaxed version of Yui.

“I am happy,” she confessed after she tasted her ice cream with a tentative lick.

“And beautiful,” he replied before he could keep his thoughts from passing the verbal barrier. Aware of the faux pas, he turned against the wind to light his cigarette and give himself an excuse not to watch that pink tongue tease the poor ice cream. The scene put hard to ignore images in his head.

His gaze swept over the Mediterranean vista. So close to dawn, the sky was at its darkest, allowing for the stars to shine brighter. The beach, a vast stretch of golden sand, lay deserted but for the occasional group of palm trees standing guard. It was tranquil, serene. An unexpected oasis so close to the nightlife of Puerto Banus.  “How about we trade the tarmac for sand?” he asked, finally turning back towards her, only to find her mid lick. Who said ice cream was a good idea?

Oblivious to his internal struggles, Yui's face lit up at the suggestion, her eyes sparkling under the moonlight. "I've always loved the sea, I’d be happy if I could spend every vacation on the beach," she confessed, her words almost dreamy, lost in a childhood memory.

They walked straight towards the sea until the waves were almost loud enough to cover their voices. The sound of water, rushing over the many differently shaped rocks that covered the first few meters of the sea floor, was distinct to that place.

"While I appreciate the sea, I'm more of a mountain guy at heart. I'd trade a day at the surf for rock climbing in a heartbeat," Adam said as she went to work on munching her ice cream cone. At least that looked almost innocent. Almost. “We don’t win many compatibility points, do we?”           

She actually frowned at that and turned to observe him with a level of intensity that only a tipsy person would have. “I disagree,” she finally announced, starting to walk again. “First off, for a man who is ‘a mountain kind of guy’, you’ve been in the water so much this week I’m surprised you didn’t grow fins. Secondly, we do have something important in common. We’re both passionate about our jobs.”

Adam chuckled, the corner of his lips curling up in amusement. "So you've changed your mind about me?"