"Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?"

"No. I just, I don't know. People will talk."

"What are they going to say? That Jaxson James is having dinner with a beautiful woman? How would I recover from that?" He laughs at the thought.

"Point taken - and thanks for the complement."

We continue to stroll side by side down the block, toward town. I feel unsure, like I'm not supposed to be here. This is the way I pictured us having a date when I was a teenager - well, the beginning of the date anyway.

We round the corner and the main road is buzzing with weekend activity. Jaxson leads us into Buona Notte, the Italian restaurant, and probably the best pick of what's around. They seat us at a small corner table in the back. It seems we got here just in time, it's the last open table.

We haven't said too much since we left my house. It's very out of character. So far, this night isn't going how I thought it would. Then again, it's only just begun.

We order drinks which the waiter delivers along with a loaf of bread. We both reach our hand in the basket and tear a piece off. We've already decided what we're getting so the waiter takes our order. Jaxson looks at me with that crooked smile.

"What?" I ask, taking a bite of the warm bread.

"Nothing much. I'm just not used to seeing girls eat. Usually when they're around me they order a salad and take two bites. Here you are tearing into bread and ordering a whole meal."

I feel a little awkward. I haven't been on a date in a long time. I don't think Jax meant it as an insult, but still, I feel like I'm doing something wrong.

"Well, I'm not like most girls."

"I know. It's one of the things I like most about you." I blush. "And that."

"What?"

"The way you blush any time I say something nice."

"I can't help it."

"I know. I think it's cute."

"Stop complementing me or I'm going to be blushing all night," I joke.

The waiter delivers our food. Jax has a huge plate of steaming hot pasta in front of him.

"I used to love this dish back in the day."

"Oh? Did you come here a lot?"

"With my parents when I was younger. It was where we came on special occasions."

"Us too."

"How is it that we never met before?" Jax asks, loading his fork.

"You were too cool to notice me," I reply smugly.

"There's no way I didn't notice you."

"Well, you did once." I decide to come clean with Jax and tell him about the night we met.

"Once? And you remember that one time?"

"I do. It was at Summer Clark's party after the centennial celebration. The summer before we left for college," I begin. I can see Jax trying to think back on that night. It doesn't take long before it clicks.

"Holy shit. Sydney!"

"Yup. Still Sydney now too," I reply nervously.

"You looked so cute that night. Your hair was down, but I remember you always wore it up in a bun."

I blush again at his memory. "Yup. That was me."

"You stood me up," Jax says.

"I didn't."

"You did. We were supposed to meet up inside, but you never came."

"It's a long story, but I think it was just a misunderstanding."

"I knew I knew you from somewhere. It all makes sense now. Wow, fate really does work in mysterious ways."

"How so?"

"Well, had we hooked up that night, you probably would have hated me at some point later on, and we wouldn't be here tonight."

I laugh. "You strung that together pretty fast."

"I should have remembered you. I thought about you a lot after that night but things were... complicated."

"Yeah. Well, it was a long time ago."

"That's still no excuse. You're the sexiest girl in Mesquite. How could I not remember?"

"Oh, please."

"I think you know by now that I speak what's on my mind. I wouldn't say it if it weren't true, babe."

"That part is true - I mean the part about you being honest." I stumble over my words.

"It's all true." He chews a bite and swallows before continuing, "so. Tell me about this crush you had on me in high school."

I stare at him wide eyed. I should know his sense of humor by now, "what's to tell. Half the girls in school had a crush on you. I was just one of the many."

"Did you write my initials on your notebook?" he jokes.

"No...Yes." I admit.

"You should have asked me out."

I laugh, "yeah right. You were such a dick. You were so in love with yourself and the attention you got, you would have never given me the time of day."

"Why did you like me if I was such a dick?" he asks with a grin.

I blush again, shit, "I don't know. You were cute and...unattainable. We always want what we can't have, I guess."

"Looks like we've come full circle then, haven't we?"

"I don't know? Have we? I'm a woman now, not a teenager. I don't have a crush on you anymore." I lie. I can barely say it with a straight face.

Jax's eyes narrow. He looks right at me, "you are definitely a woman," he starts, slowly glancing down at my cleavage, "a beautiful, sexy, woman." Chills go through my body. I concentrate on chewing slowly so I don't choke. "and I know you want me - you told me you did," he ends in a self satisfied tone.

"Oh, please. I did not."

"You did. It's okay. I like that you have no problem being honest."

"You seem to like a lot of things about me," I reply in a sultry voice.

"I do. I think there's a hidden side of you too. Someone you're afraid to let out."

"Do you now?" I ask.

"I do."

"And what is this hidden side like?"

Jax leans in, "I think that under those uptight clothes you usually wear, your goody two shoes teacher persona, and the sarcastic banter you share with me, there is a very sexy bad girl that wants to come out. You just keep holding her back."

Check please.

Jaxson is right. He brings out a side of me I never knew existed. I am holding back. The way he's talking to me now and the things he's saying are making my panties wet. I want dinner to be over. I want to be at home in bed with him - if I can even make it back to the house without jumping him. If he keeps this up, I'm going to explode.

The smile on Jax's face and the clouded look in his eyes tell me he knows exactly what he's doing to me right now - and loving it. I remain quiet, unsure how to respond.

"For once, the snarky Ms. Hayes doesn't have a come back," Jax taunts me.

"I've never thought of myself as a 'bad girl'." Saying that out loud makes me giggle.

"Maybe you should," he replies devilishly.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Oh my God. Who is making these words come out of my mouth?

"Very much, but I like you as a good girl too." He winks.

I smile shyly, "I don't know. Just when I think you're being honest, you sound like you're trying to play me."

"Play you? Like I play football?"

"No. Like you play women. You're trying to get me all hot and bothered so I'll give you what you want, but then I'll never hear from you again once you get it."

"Are you hot and bothered, babe? Because I wasn't really trying," Jax kids. Then seriously, "is that what you really think?"

"Kind of. I'm not sure what I think."

"Syd, I can have any woman I want."

I roll my eyes.

"Okay, almost any woman. They throw themselves at me all the time. They don't want dinner, they don't want to talk, they just want to be able to say that they had sex with Jaxson James."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"Yes, because I haven't been with anyone since I met you. I don't want to be. I'm here, treating you to dinner with no expectations - other than hopefully getting to know you a little better."

That sounded very genuine. I think Jax is for real. I don't know how or why, but he really does seem to like me. As arrogant as he sounds, he's right.

"No expectations, huh?" I kid. His honest remarks made me uncomfortable.

"Nope. I don't expect anything from you - I want it - but I don't expect it."

"Fair enough."

A family of four approaches our table. They ask Jaxson if he would mind taking a picture with them. He happily agrees and then signs napkins for the two children. I'm thankful for the distraction. Our conversation was getting a little but intense. The scene causes some stares and more attention from the other patrons.

"Does this happen to you often?" I ask.

"Yeah. Kind of."

"That must be a little annoying."

"It is, but I don't want to upset the fans - not when they're kids."

I look at the table. Our glasses are empty and Jax finished his pasta.

"Want to get out of here?" I ask, realizing what it must sound like by the look on Jax's face, "I mean, go somewhere more private? Shit. No, I mean..."

"I get it, Syd. Let's go." Jax laughs.

He signals the waiter over and orders tiramisu to go. He pays the bill and we walk through the restaurant to the exit. Everyone in there glances up as we pass, getting a look at the famous Jaxson James - and me - but not everyone knows who I am. I'm sure they just assume I'm some chic he chose for the night. Whatever. They can think what they want.

We step out into the night air. It's much cooler than it was when we walked into town. We start walking toward my house. I shiver from the chill in the air - and the lack of clothing I have on. Without a word, Jaxson moves closer, puts his arm around me, and pulls me toward him. We continue to walk like that until we reach my house. It comes naturally, like we've been doing it for years.

Since Kelly announced that she wouldn't be home in front of Jax, I'm not really sure what to do now. My heart is telling me that spending the night together may not be a good idea, but my body is telling me otherwise. We stand in front of the door while I argue with myself in my head about what I should do.

"So, I have this tiramisu if you want to share it," Jaxson offers, holding up the bag.