In the Open

"Do you trust me?"

***Michael Trevino as Zayn***

"One round of shots please sir," Zayn says gleefully to the hesitant-looking bartender.

"I.D."

I start feeling nervous again, knowing that we're all under 21, but Zayn has no doubts as he swiftly pulls the small, laminated card from his back pocket.

The bartender skims over it for a second, then he starts grabbing shot glasses without a word.

"The power of fake I.D.'s is strong my love," Zayn chuckles quietly in my ear, his warm breath tickling my skin.

It is then that I realize we're alone. The guys are no where to be seen, even when I do a full 360 and scan every corner visible to my eyes.

"Where are the others?" I say to him as the bartender comes back to us with our shots lined up neatly on a large black tray.

Zayn takes it effortlessly, flashing the man a grateful smile and leading us to a back table.

"They're probably reeling in their fish for the night," he explains once we're seated across from each other in a warmly lit booth.

"Their fish?" I question with real confusion, not understanding what he means.

He looks at me long for a second, trying to see whether I'm kidding or serious, I presume.

Finally, he looks away with a small chuckle, and a smile that makes me smile back.

"You're so goddamn innocent Nadine."

The words sound as if they're mocking me, coaxing me to be a little less of what they're claiming. However, the way he says it, almost as if it's a praise, makes my stomach fill with butterflies and my heart with pride.

After a second of silence, he clears his throat and begins to explain, "By 'fish' I actually mean girl. They're trying to find their hookup for the night."

"Oh."

The thought doesn't make me mad, it just sort of disgusts me. I imagine them hunting, trying to find a girl that perfectly fits their tastes. It's like some sort of sick game to them.

"Come on. A shot for the lady in red," Zayn says, taking a shot glass off of the tray and holding it out to me.

"I don't really drink much. Thank you though."

"I respect that."

Zayn puts the glass down and pushes the tray aside, settling his focus on me.

"You don't have to stay sober just because I am," I say shyly, tucking a stubborn strand of hair behind my ear.

His eyes follow my action, and a small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.

"I wouldn't want you to get bored. It's fine, really. Plus, Nick will probably be too drunk to do anything, so I'll be the DD for tonight."

"Okay."

"So Nadine, tell me about yourself."

"Well, my full name-"

"Before you start telling me the regular cliche things that you see in movies, like your favorite color and song and whatnot, know that I don't want to know that yet. I want to know your interests, beliefs, and what you think of when you first wake up. I want to know you."

I can't stop my jaw from dropping down a little from surprise. No one has ever asked me anything like this. I've only been asked, like he said, the regular cliche things.