“Oh my God!” Corinne squealed.

The green land stretched for miles around them. Wildlife, diverse and uncaged, trotted comfortably about creating a scene of paradise unlike anything Corinne had witnessed in the states.

“You said lions and elephants! This is…” she shook her head in disbelief. “Amazing.”

They were perched on the back of a mother elephant with Xavier’s arms wrapped around her waist. Antelope galloped through the field, while hippopotamus floated in the nearby lagoon. Xavier and Corinne scanned the land, taking note of a family of cheetahs not too far from their position.

“This is beautiful,” he said.

Corinne patted the sides of her shorts. “Where’s my phone, I have to take a picture of this!”

Xavier chuckled, pulling out her cell phone and handing it over to her.

Corinne peered up at him, and Xavier pushed his mouth to her ear and said, “You left it on top of the counter, when we… um, became distracted.”

Corinne giggled and fell to the side in an exuberant laugh. Xavier bit down on his lip with a smile lurking at the corners of his mouth.

“I don’t know what you’ve done to me,” Corinne said, “but I’ve never had this much sex in my life.”

Xavier wiggled his brows. “That’s good news, baby. I plan to be your first and last all-nighter.”

“Slash all-dayer, all-afternooner!” She giggled again, and Xavier nodded.

“Exactly!”

Shaking her head, Corinne lifted her cell phone and captured a few pictures making sure to get the neighborhood giraffes that stood upright eating leaves from a tall mimosa tree. She quickly switched to start a video. In it, she recorded the landscape, animals, and the elephant they sat upon.

“This is awesome,” she said, “my parents would love to see this.”

“Why don’t you show them?”

“I could never get them on the same schedule to come here. My mother’s busy with her catering business, and my father is busy with his construction company.”

Xavier tapped the phone. “So, show them, on live video.”

Corinne smiled. “A-ha!”

She dialed their number and placed the call on video. It rang a few times then Brenda Thomas answered the phone. Her face displayed across the screen while Corinne’s sat in the upper righthand corner.

“Hello, my beautiful child, you know your father’s been waiting for you to call.”

Brenda Thomas’s smile held elegance and grace, and her frosted strands of gray hair were pinned to the top of her small head.

“Hey Mom, is Daddy there now?”

“Daniel!” Brenda called.

Corinne could hear his heavy footfalls stomping through the house and seconds later, her phone was filled with his brown aging face.

“Sweet pea,” Daniel said. “I thought you had forgotten about us.”

Corinne pursed her lips. “You are so dramatic. Listen, I have someone I want you both to meet.”

“Who is it?”

“It’s someone special, and I didn’t want to introduce you this way, but we’re together, and I want you to experience something with us real quick.”

Corinne glanced over her shoulder, finding Xavier’s piercing gaze on her.

“You don’t mind, do you?” She whispered.

“Not at all.” His profound voice tingled her spine, and she blushed.

“Someone special…” Brenda Thomas oozed. “Well don’t keep us in suspense, who is it?”

“I’ve got an idea,” Daniel Thomas responded. He didn’t sound too pleased about it either. “It’s that Valentine you were seen all over the news with making out in that restaurant.”

Unease settled in Corinne’s stomach, but she shook it off and pushed forward.

“That Valentine is Xavier, and yes, you don’t think I’d be making out with just any blow joe off the street, do you?”

“I would hope not,” Daniel said. “Although I would’ve much preferred it if you didn’t make out at all until I met the fella.”

“Oh, Daddy, do you think you met the guys I made out with in high school?”

“This conversation is not going in a direction that I like,” Daniel said.

Brenda pursed her lips tight and tried to contain a hoot that wouldn’t be detained, sending her into a fit of laughter.

Daniel scowled at his wife. “I’m sorry, honey, it’s funny,” Brenda said.

Xavier’s face filled the screen next to Corinne’s. “Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas. I’m Xavier Valentine, and I too don’t like where this conversation is going.”

Corinne pursed her lips, eyed her mother, and they both fell into a round of laughter.

“Okay, okay, look.” Corinne waited for her mother’s amusement to subside. “Xavier and I are a couple, and I’ll be bringing him for dinner um…” she thought for a second. “Scratch that, you’ll meet him at Camilla’s wedding. I unfortunately don’t get any more time off until then.”

“Xavier,” Daniel said, “Since I don’t get to have the formal talk with you, I’ll just be straight with it. If you hurt my daughter…” he paused. “I’ll kill ya.”

“Daniel— Dad!” Brenda and Corinne screeched.

Xavier chuckled. “You have my word that I’ll take good care of her.” Xavier glanced at Corinne. “Always.”

Heat gathered in Corinne’s cheeks, and she shuffled to change the subject.

“Okay, Mom, Dad, I have something I want you to see.” Quickly, Corinne flipped the phone’s camera around, and the gasps she heard made her smile.

“Oh, dear heavens, where are you?” Brenda asked.

“We’re in Africa!”

“Africa!?” Her parents said concurrently.

“Yeah!”

Corinne continued to move the camera around the area, and with sudden surprise, the elephant moved.

“Ah!” Corinne screeched. “What’s happening, oh my God!”

“What is happening?” her parents asked.

Xavier chuckled. “You’re okay, we won’t go far.”

“Are you riding a horse?” Brenda asked.

“No, an elephant!”

Another sharp gasp rang through the phone.

“Corinne Thomas, you get down off that elephant right now, you know there’s an ongoing fuss about the safety for that animal!”

Xavier chuckled again. “Like mother, like daughter,” he said.

“We’re getting down now. I promise she’s not hurt, Mama.”

Brenda grumbled on the other end.

“That scenery is beautiful. What made you decide to go to Africa?” Daniel asked.

Corinne peered over her shoulder. “Someone special invited me, and I couldn’t resist.”

Xavier leaned forward and kissed her lips and then her cheek. The mother elephant-headed toward a Riverbed. Once she was there, the mother elephant sank her trunk into the water then tossed it back, splashing Corinne and Xavier.

“Oh my God!” Corinne screeched, and they both laughed harder than they’ve ever laughed before.

“She’s just hot, this is how she cools off!” Phillip the safari guide said, watching them from behind.

“No, she wants you to get off her back,” Brenda fussed, glaring through droplets of water that trickled down the phone.

The mother elephant repeated the water toss, but it only made Corinne and Xavier laugh harder.

“Okay! We’re sorry!” Corinne yelled. “Come on, babe, let’s get down.”

The duo laughed as they were sprayed a third time, and eventually, they were helped to the ground. They continued their adventure from the safari truck for the next few hours until they had no choice but to head to their hotel.