Zai insisted we talk in the bedroom, where he immediately began changing clothes. I kept my eyes on the floor to stay focused as he sat beside me on the bed, topless and sockless, wearing only black sweatpants. Then he pulled up my music video on his tablet.
"Are you ready?" he whispered.
I shook my head. "No! I'm so nervous!"
He kissed my forehead gently to soothe me. Thankfully, the video turned out spectacularly. My voice sounded so clear, I could hardly believe it was mine. I could tell Richard had pulled together the best bits of my recordings for the final cut.
But as the video came to a close, a blurred clip played—me and Zai kissing against the car. Wait—were the cameras still rolling?! Our heads were cropped out, but the way his hands roamed my body, how we grinded against each other—it was all on full display.
Some of the comments read:
"Wow, this video is spicy.""Michael didn't hold back! And this artist's voice is phenomenal."
That wasn't even Michael—it was Zai. But since all the other scenes featured just me or Michael, I could see why they'd think that. He even had a short insert in the song, which let them credit it as "Feat. Michael" for views. Still, most of the comments were positive, and in a few days, the full album would be available for download.
"Did you give them permission to use that clip of us?" I asked. My face burned—I had no idea we looked that passionate in public.
"I said I didn't care, just told them not to show my face," he replied.
So they did ask him. I rubbed my cheeks to clear my flustered thoughts.
"Does that bother you?" he asked, leaning in. I couldn't look him in the eye while he was half-naked, so I averted my gaze.
"I just wish you had warned me! I was so caught up in the moment... I can't believe we did that with people watching!"
Zai laughed and kissed my cheek. "So... how was the movie?"
I began telling him the plot, skipping the major spoilers. He watched my lips the whole time, nodding occasionally.
"Yeah," he said when I finished, "I'd like to watch that with you."
His voice had a slight growl behind it, which sent a shiver down my spine. I pressed my knees together and squeezed my eyes shut before blurting,
"I smelled blood on you... Did you kill someone?"
Silence.
"How... do you know what that smells like?" he asked, deflecting.
I answered anyway. "Growing up, I smelled it all the time… And even more recently, after your fight with Smoke."
I peeked at him. He was staring at the wall, no trace of a smile left on his face.
"I didn't need to kill anyone," he said finally. "So no. I was hired for a job. They just wanted me to scare their competition a little. Nothing too crazy, I promise."
"So... you hurt someone for money?" I clarified, trying to steady my tone.
"Not just one person," he admitted. "But yeah. Being a mercenary was the first job I could take when we got here. I was still accepting high-paying offers... but if you don't like it, I'll stop."
I sniffled, and he quickly pulled me into a hug.
"You can't just pull out of something like that!" I cried. Zai's life reminded me too much of the movie I'd just seen... and the consequences were still fresh in my mind.
"I can," he insisted. "It's not like they know anything about me. They think I'm part of a big organization. They don't know it's just me."
Our earlier conversation had been so lighthearted. We were drifting toward familiar territory, intimacy and laughter—but Zai had scars he still didn't want to talk about. Secrets he still felt the need to hide from me.
"That's why you didn't want me to know where your money came from," I murmured.
"...Starting a business takes money. We're the same age, but it felt like I had to be the big brother. Watching out for Rai, keeping us afloat. I had to make sure we were okay."
I could hear the honesty in his voice. It weighed on me, and I reached for his hand.
"I understand... I'd prefer you stop, but do it quietly. I don't want it to backfire."
He rubbed his thumb over my knuckles and nodded.
"Fine... I'll do that."
We sat in silence for a while. Then he asked, "Did you have fun with Rai?"
The question caught me off guard.
"Yeah... it was nice," I admitted. "But I was thinking of you the whole time. And honestly, he said something weird before we split up."
"Hm. I'll ask him about it later."
He looked at me then, and the moment our eyes met, I froze.
"Y-you... should hang out with him more," I stammered. "He misses you."
"…I'll do that later too," he murmured, pulling me into a kiss as he started helping me undress.
"I'm not over our conversation yet!" I squeaked, covering my chest with my arms.
"Oh… should I slow down?" he asked, as if stopping wasn't even on the table.
"…Don't put your life at risk," I told him, trying to stay serious.
He cupped my chin, brushing his thumb gently across my bottom lip.
"Let's go to that pastry shop I promised you—tomorrow."
His offer made me smile, but I narrowed my eyes, pouting to remind him not to change the subject.
He kissed me and said, "I promise... I'll be more careful from now on. Since I have someone worrying about me."
"…Okay, I'll accept that. But I want to know about all the shady stuff eventually. I don't want to be caught off guard later."
He hummed thoughtfully, eyes drifting back to the wall.
"Fine… as long as you're not hiding anything from me."
I nodded.
"Then I'll open up to you," he said softly. "Bit by bit."
And with that, his advances resumed, and I no longer had the heart to resist.
The next morning, Zai reminded me of our date plans. I dressed semi-casual: a long-sleeved, light-pink A-line dress and low heels. I wanted to look cute for him, even though he'd call me beautiful no matter what.
As soon as he saw me, he said, "You're so lovely, it's hard to believe you're real."
Classic Zai—but it still made me blush.
He wore a black ballcap with red lettering, a loose black button-up over a red tee, grey jeans, and black shoes with red and hot pink lightning designs. The red-to-pink gradient laces matched perfectly. He had on the earrings I gave him, and I wore the necklace he gave me.
The pastry shop, Hungry Kittens, specialized in adorable, kitty-themed desserts. Paw prints led to every table, and though the space was open and airy, the seating was arranged for privacy. Most of the staff were women, though I spotted three attractive male workers, but none could hold a candle to my husband.
"Oh wow, it's you again! Welcome back," the waitress said to Zai. I tensed immediately, but when she turned and smiled at me, some of my possessiveness faded. "Is this the girl you made the special order for?"
If I weren't, she'd have just ruined our date with that dry snitching.
"Yeah... she loved it," Zai said. "So I wanted to eat here with her this time instead of taking it to go."
"Hello! My name is Carol, and I'll be your Meow-tress today." She turned to me with a chipper smile. I had to suppress a laugh.
"Hey, thank you," I replied politely, keeping my head down.
She handed us menus. "I'll get your drinks while you decide on dessert. Our Kitty-Nilla Latte is really popular right now. We also have alcoholic drinks that pair well with sweets."
I skimmed the menu. "I want the Espresso Mewoca Milkshake."
"Me too," Zai said.
"I can bring you an extra-large with Couple Straws—they form a heart when placed in the glass together. And you get a free refill with that option."
Was it that obvious we were a couple? I was thrilled… but also unsure if I could sip from a heart straw in public.
"Yeah, let's do that," Zai said, grinning. Is anything too cheesy for him?
Once we were alone, he reached across the table and took my hand.
"It's so hard being so far away from you..." he said softly.
We were only a few feet apart… but I felt the same. My fingers curled around his instinctively.
"That pudding from last time isn't on the menu—it's a special item," Zai explained.
"Oh, that's okay! I'm interested in the Hot Fudge Purrfect Cake."
It was a warm cake drenched in fudge, served with pudding and a marshmallow kitten napping on top. Around $25, but still way less than the treat he bought me last time.
"Alright," he said. "I'll order something different so you can try mine too."
As he spoke, he gently interlaced our fingers again and again, like he never wanted to let go.