“Tannis.”

I look up from my cereal bowl to find my parents staring at me over their cups of coffee.

“What?” I ask.

My father chortles. “Oh, jeez,” he says.

He eyes my mother and she nods.

“What?” I ask again. “What’s up?”

“Nothing,” she says as she raises her mug.

I squint. “No, not nothing. What’d I miss?”

“During your daydream?” my father quips.

“I wasn’t daydreaming.”

“Looks like Ari has managed to get under your skin after all,” Mom says with a smile.

“No, he hasn’t!” I say. I tap my spoon against the inner wall of my empty bowl. “We’re just friends.”

“Just friends?”

“Well, we’re friendly,” I explain.

Dad grunts. “Friends don’t make out on my front porch.”

I glare at my mother and her eyes twitch away. Of course, she ended up telling him after all.

“Okay…” I clear my throat. “Friendlier than we were before, I guess.”

“And what exactly did he do on your second date to make you two so friendly all of a sudden?” my father asks, suspicious.

I swallow hard. I’m not quite sure which part would make this even more uncomfortable. There’s leaping out of a plane sans parachute. Or there’s the cabin.

Definitely won’t be saying a word about the dream trips to Ari’s bedroom.

The doorbell rings and I take the opportunity to shoot out of my chair.

“I’ll get it!” I shout as my chair legs scratch the floor beneath me.

I bolt out of the kitchen, ignoring their subtle, amused murmurs on my way to the door. Great. Real nice, Tannis. This is exactly how someone reacts when their friend shows up to go out and play.

I pause at the door to peek out the side window out of habit. Ari stands on the porch in his usual suit with his back to the door. That same black car awaits to take us... I have no idea where.

I grab my jacket from the closet and throw it on before opening the door. I quickly step out and close the door behind me before Ari turns around. When he does, his eyes instantly look me up and down. I’m not sure how I never noticed until now but every time he looks at me, he looks at me as if it’s the first time he ever has.

“Hey, Ari,” I greet.

He smiles and gives a short bow with his hands in his pockets. “Tannis,” he says. “How are you?”

“Uh...” I chuckle. “Strangely, feeling well-rested.”

He chuckles. “Good.”

I lick my lips. If we were a normal couple, this would be the part where he’d kiss me. Is he restraining out of respect?

Wait, a couple?

What are we even?

I clear my throat. “Ari, about last night…”

His smile doesn’t budge. “It’s all right.”

“No, I’m sorry,” I say over him. “I really didn’t mean to literally disappear like that while we were... I don’t know why that happened.”

“Because I sent you back,” he says.

I blink. “You did?”

Ari shifts a step and leans against the banister. “I did,” he confirms with a nod.

My chest clenches. “You… didn’t want me?”

“No, Tannis,” he says. “No, I wanted you very much.”

“Then what did I do wrong?”

“Nothing. You were…” His eyes travel me up and down. “You are perfect. I ended it because of me, not you.”

I cross my arms. “Okay…”

His lips twitch. “Tannis, I adore you. I admire you. Most of all, I respect you and I respect your parents — and if we…” He looks over my shoulder at the front door. “The last thing I want to do is betray their trust in me to take care of you and, as old-fashioned as it is, that includes the remaining pieces of your virtue so, I ended things before they went too far.”

I bite my cheek to hold back my grin. “Jeez, how old are you?” I joke.

He laughs hard. “Too old for you, some might say.”

“No kidding.” I smile. “But I get it.”

“You do?”

I nod. “And I appreciate you seeing me that way. That’s kinda sweet.”

“Thank you,” he says, bowing his head slightly.

My heart smiles. “So, what’s on the agenda today?” I ask. “Something casual? An extreme sport of some kind?”

Ari’s shoulders give a passive shrug. “Whatever you want,” he answers.

“Whatever I want?”

He nods. “Where would you like to go?” he asks. “What would you like to do? Say it and it’s yours, Tannis.”

“Anything at all?”

“Today is your day,” he simply says.

I smile wide as I draw nothing but blanks. Blanks?

A god has granted me a free day to do and experience anything I ever wanted and I’m drawing blanks?

A day with my friends? A day at Disneyland? Netflix and chill? I can mark Paris off, but how about New York City? Or Barcelona?

I can go anywhere in the world I want.

But, strangely, that’s not my first choice.

“You’ll take me anywhere in this world?” I ask. “Or yours?”

His breath hitches. “Mine?”

“I mean...” I tug a stray thread on my sleeve. “You said you wanted me to be queen, right? Shouldn’t I have some idea of what exactly I’m to be queen of?”

Ari flexes his jaw. “You make a good point.”

“And...” I pause, sensing a heavy weight on my tongue, “I want to know what you do. You said you’re an escort. I want to know what that means.”

Ari stares at me with a new level of fascination. “I offer you the world for a day and you choose to spend it in mine?” he asks.

I nod. “Yes.”

His head tilts. “Are you sure?”

A rock forms in my gut.

Am I sure?

Here I stand; Dorothy in front of the wizard. Am I sure I want to see what’s behind the curtain?

“Yes,” I answer. “I already know what it’s like to live in the dark. I want to know what it’s like to... know.”

Ari’s face softens, showing a hint of understanding. “As you wish, then,” he says.

He extends his hand to me and a cool chill travels down my spine.

“Take my hand. Close your eyes.” He locks on me with a piercing gaze. “Don’t let go.”

My stomach flutters, once again weighed down by the heavy rock taking hold of me but my curiosity instantly wins out.

I take his hand.

I close my eyes.

And we fall.