Sweethearts: Chapter 1

Zaz is in love. Unfortunately, he's in love with two different women. Before you get critical, he's not dating either one of them right now. Let us start from the beginning.

Zaz started his day as he always did. He woke up to his 7 AM alarm, hit the snooze button, and immediately went back to sleep. Except this time, he dreamt something different than his usual space opera vampire hunting detective adventures.

He was sitting at a restaurant, a spotlight shining on his table. The chair across him was empty. A vase filled with beautiful roses was in the middle of the table. This being the dream that it was the fact that there were no other people in the restaurant did not bother Zaz. In fact, his thoughts more along the lines of:

"Where is my food? That waiter is sure taking long."

Suddenly, the door to the restaurant opened. Zaz was first caught by the red dress but it was the blue eyes that sold him. His heart pounded in his chest. The cute blonde that had just entered walked-no, more like strutted to the empty chair and sat down.

She smiled and Zaz's heart went aflutter.

"Hi, Zaz."

"Do I know you?"

She shook her head. "No, but you're about to. Would you like that?"

Zaz gulped. "Y-yes." He stammered.

She chuckled then broke out into a wide smile.

"Good. Then there is something I need to tell you."

"What is that?"

She leaned closer to Zaz to the point where her lips almost met Zaz's, "You're dreaming, Zaz."

At that point, the loud blaring sound of his alarm bled through his dream and Zaz woke up.

"It was the strangest dream, Syler. It felt so surreal," Zaz explained to his best friend of five years.

"It sounds like a great dream, Zaz. But that's all it was, right? A dream. You should focus on the real women in your life. Hey, how much do you want to bet I can guess that girl's bra size?"

He pointed to a brunette on the other side of the bar.

Zaz grimaced." No, thanks. I will not lose money to your weird 'talent'. And what women? I work all the time. And the only women my age here are either taken or I have an awkward history with."

Zaz thought back to his last awkward experience with Rebecca. He had thought they hit it off when he took her to a dinner and a movie, but then came those dreaded words: "Let's just be friends for right now."

"32C, just so you know. I know things didn't work out the way you wanted with you and Rebecca, but it's time to get over it. It's been years, bro. Come with me and let's hit up at some women at the bar on Friday."

"I don't know, man. You know the bar isn't really my scene."

Syler glanced over to Zaz, "Oh, I know. It makes me look so much better."

Zaz punched him in the arm.

Syler laughed. "Seriously, though. I think you'd have a great time, and I need a wingman."

Zaz grinned, "It's true. You'd never get any action if I wasn't there."

Syler put his hand to his chest with a smile on his face, "Ooh. You wound me. I'll see you Friday. I have to run."

Zaz nodded and waved goodbye.

"See you then."

Let us just say, that it wasn't just Zaz that had a strange dream that morning.

Rebecca was in a similar setting. Except there were people around in the tables near them and there were one of those Mexican musician groups that serenaded you with music right beside their table. Oh, and the most important difference. Zaz was across the table from her and holding her hand.

"Rebecca, you look more beautiful than I last saw you."

She smiled." You just saw me earlier today."

"I know."

She blushed. Oh my, when had her heart start beating so hard? Was it just her or did his hair start ruffling in the wind? And when did he get a rose in his mouth?

"Dance with me, Rebecca." He pulled her up from her seat and pulled her close. She put her neck on his shoulder. His shoulder was so comforting. Meow.

"Run away with me, Rebecca. Let's elope," Zaz whispered into her ear. His cool breath brushing against her ear. Her heart felt like it was about to explode.

"Let's go right meow."

That's when she felt the light tap across her cheek and the weight on top of her chest.

She opened her eyes and there was her cat, Whiskers.

She groaned. "Of course, it's you. I suppose you want food, huh?"

Whiskers gave a reassuring meow and rubbed his head against her face.

"Alright. Let's go."

"I'm telling you, Emma. It was the strangest dream I've ever had and I've had pretty strange dreams." Rebecca opened the can of cat food and put it into Whiskers' dish, which he ate happily.

Emma laughed." Yeah, you have had strange dreams. Would you rate it stranger than the Scuba diving Rhino dream?"

Rebecca moved her phone to her other ear. "Yes, actually, I would. I don't know. It just felt so real and Zaz and I are really only friends."

"Well, do you like this guy, Rebecca?"

Rebecca gave her usual awkward laugh when her love life has become the topic, "Of course not. We're just friends. Well, he did take me to that dinner and movie that one time."

"Wait, is he that one guy that just droned on and on?"

"Well, to be fair, I think he was just really nervous and we barely knew each other back then. We talk more now."

" So you do like him then?"

"As a friend only. Topic change, so when are you going to get here?"

"I just came from the airport and I'm on my way to my new place."

"Are you sure you don't want my help to unpack?"

"No, you have to work and honestly, I just want to sleep when I get there."

"Speaking of work, I have to get ready so I'll talk to you later."

"Talk to you later."

Rebecca hung up the phone. Whiskers brushed by her leg and meowed emphatically.

"Not now, Whiskers. I have to get ready."

Rebecca was hard at work. Or, you could say she was hard at trying to work. She could not get Zaz out of her head. She shook her head as if the motion would jog any notion of the dream of her skull. She had to work now.

What was the name of that client again? Roberta Siles. She put the cursor at the top of the Word document and started to type:

Dear Ms. Siles,I'd like to inform you that Zaz is looked pretty good in that dream.

Rebecca stopped, realizing what she had just typed. She blushed then pressed the backspace button at the same time looking around to make sure no one saw her mistake. She began again:

Dear Ms. Siles,I'd like to inform you of our new product. It will help you anywhere you go. It may not be ripped but he makes up in lack of muscle with his witty humor. Zaz is

Rebecca sighed in exasperation.

"What's wrong, Rebecca?"

And as if the Devil had called him, there was Zaz. Rebecca blushed furiously.

Zaz stood in front of her desk, quizzical but amused at her reaction. Rebecca attempted to calm her nerves.

"Rebecca?"

She brushed her fingers through her hair.

"Hi Zaz. I was just having some computer trouble."

Zaz smiled, his dimples showing. He started to walk over to her side of the desk.

"Let me see if I can help you."

Rebecca turned red again.

"N-no. No. Nope. That's ok. I just got it sorted out."

Zaz stopped.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Thanks though."

Zaz smiled with that perfect smile.

"No problem."

After he left, Rebecca erased any hint of Zaz in her letter then sighed.

"Rebecca Williams, you do not like Zaz Cooper," she reprimanded herself. Though I do not think that she convinced even herself.

"So you do like Zaz," Emma teased.

Rebecca sulked across from her, tea in hand.

"No. It's just because of that stupid dream. You said it yourself he talked on and on, on that date."

Emma chuckled." Yeah. But that was before I knew you liked him."

Rebecca stared daggers at her.

"Alright. Alright. But that was years ago now. He could have changed. What would be so bad about going on another date with him, just to check him out and see if he's anything like this dream of yours?"

Rebecca sighed. "I guess, you're right." She flashed Emma a coy smile. "But this night is supposed to be about you. You've now moved to Washington, D.C. and getting ready to take a job to change the world. We're going to celebrate! C'mon. I got us tickets to the Tessa Sparks concert!"

Zaz honked the horn of his '95 Mustang. "C'mon, Syler! We're going to be late."

Lights flickered on and off. A figure moved quickly back and forth through the house. The curtains in the window, though a dark color, still showed some context as to what Syler was doing. By looking at the shadows on the curtain, Zaz could see that Syler was furiously looking for something. Objects, presumably clothes, were tossed behind him. Then he thrust something upward.

"Eureka!" Syler cried. He hastily put it on. Lights turned off. Silent for a moment then Syler charged out of his door, ran through his yard and slid over the black hood of the Mustang.

The car door opened and he threw himself into the passenger seat. He smiled and proudly raised his chest so Zaz could see the full glory of his "I love you, Tessa Sparks!" shirt.

Zaz couldn't help but laugh." That's what you were looking for?"

Syler just chuckled." Got to wear the right shirt, don't I? Tessa will fully appreciate the shirt when I ask her out tonight."

Zaz reversed the car out of the driveway and started driving to their destination.

"I wouldn't have brought you if I knew that you were going to embarrass me tonight. I'm sure I could've found someone else to come with me especially since I have backstage passes."

Syler's face transformed to a state of horror. "And prevent me from meeting my true love? You dastardly fiend."

Zaz laughed." Shut up. I'm still taking you. Just don't get us kicked out. It wasn't easy getting backstage passes, you know."

"How did you get them anyway?"

Zaz flashed a smile. "A mutual friend."

Tessa Sparks was feeling electric, excuse the pun. The before performance butterflies had gotten less over the years but they were still slightly there. They didn't bother her anymore. In fact, they reminded her of the moments before going on a date with a really cute boy. It put her in the perfect mood to sing a batch of love songs.

Tonight would be the last performance on her tour of her new album, Just Dance. The curtains were about to open. She had her mic in hand and her head faced down. She took a deep breath then signaled that she was ready. Before the curtains were fully opened, the roar of the audience filled the entire concert hall.

She looked straight at the audience. They cheered even harder. A member of the audience near the front screamed, "I love you, Tessa!"

She gave a confident smile.

"Hit it!"

The band behind her started playing and then she sang, giving it her all. She had every intention to perform better - even though it was the same set - better than she had performed before, better in every way.

"Man, she was on fire tonight!" Syler exclaimed.

Zaz was in complete agreement. "Words can't express how good that performance was!"

They had waited for the crowd to thin out before they got going.

"I guess we should start heading towards the after party now," Zaz stated.

They got up from there seats and started to head to the line for the after party that their backstage passes got them into. Zaz's digestive system then informed that he needed to take out the trash.

Zaz got Syler's attention.

"I'll meet you there. I need to use the restroom."

Syler nodded and continued walking. Zaz immediately started running to the what looked like might lead to a restroom. Luckily, he found one not too far away.

He opened the door and walked in. There stood another man, blood on his hands. The man breathed heavily as he examined his handiwork.

Zaz moved over to the wall so he wouldn't be seen. He peered around the corner to see what exactly had just transpired. Another man lay unconscious, possibly dead on the floor. He looked like he was in his mid-50s. He wore a white T-shirt which now was drenched with blood and torn into an odd pattern. The knife wounds made out a smiley face.

Shit. Just when I really needed to pee, too, Zaz thought.

He reached for his phone so he could text 911. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that the door had not quite shut and was just not getting ready to shut.

Zaz moved to stop the door but it was too late. The lock clicked loudly in place.

"Hey!"

Zaz turned to see a gruff, mid 30s man with a blond goatee, wearing a grey skull-knit cap. The knife was now hidden.

"I just want to use the restroom," Zaz said weakly.

The man growled." What did you see?"

"W-what do you mean?" Zaz asked, still trying to pretend that he didn't know anything.

The man took out his knife from behind him.

"I know you saw something, boy. You should've just walked away."

Zaz backed away slowly then the man charged. Zaz started to run and reached for the handle to the door. The man grabbed his arm and started to lunge the knife towards Zaz.

Zaz shifted out of the way of the knife and put his hand against the man's arm, pinning it against the wall. The man kneed Zaz's hip, forcing Zaz to loosen his grip on the knife arm. The man yanked his arm free. Zaz, off balanced, grabbed onto the man's arm so he wouldn't fall. The man smiled.

"You've just made a mistake,kid," the man sneered. Then he lunged his knife into Zaz's stomach.

Zaz grunted, the overwhelming pain preventing him from making much more sound than that. The man dropped Zaz onto the floor. Zaz grunted and tried to turn away, doing anything he can to get away. The man kicked him in his side and Zaz screamed.

Sirens started to fill the air. The man looked to the door.

"Shit," he muttered." Looks like you're lucky, punk." Then he ran out the door.

Zaz grasped his wound, desperately trying to stop the bleeding as much as he could. He struggled to roll himself onto his side then started crawling as best he as could to the door. He tried not to focus on the pain because he knew if he did that, it would be uncertain if he would remain conscious. Dying in a bathroom at a Tessa Sparks concert was not in his plans.

The pain from his wound flashed a brief sear of heat, enough to make him decide to rest. That was a mistake. The pain then started to flood his senses and he closed his eyes tightly, hoping the pain would pass in a moment.

Why hadn't help come yet? He had heard sirens. Something was wrong.

"Help!" He managed to yell, pain rising up to his throat.

The door shot open. A figure was there holding the door open. With the light coming through, it looked like an angel. Something seemed familiar about her face. He couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Are you alright?" Her voice rang familiar also.

Then he had it. It was the cute blonde. That's when he blacked out.