Rachel and Zach: The Start of a Grand Adventure

He wears that same easy smile but this time it's not directed at her.

Rachel watches with the seedling of jealousy blossoming in her as he flashes that dangerous grin to Mrs.Erkel, who although has 3 grandchildren, blushes from the attention. She has no right to feel this way, she knows. He'd said he would be blowing through the town once or twice a month and she hadn't exactly planned on it leading anywhere. But...plans don't always work out. That one searing kiss after a late night at the bar is still imprinted in her mind. Despite being 'soul-mates' they'd both agreed the time isn't right. They've each got their own lives to sort out first and when the stars do align, they would settle down but that doesn't help the uneasy feeling coursing through Rachel's veins.

It seems subconsciously she's already claimed property of him and him strutting around the town fair making women giggle is gyrating on her nerves.
He has all this damn time to poke around the jam stalls and dunk a few willing volunteers but he can't even come and see her! Asshole.

Zach glances over to Rachel's stall, confusion flittering across his features as he catches the glare she throws at him. Of course, he'd spotted her a little while after arriving but he knows that if he goes over, he wouldn't be leaving and that would mean missing out on everything else. So, he'd taken the chance to first look around which turned out to take longer than he'd anticipated. The small town had readily welcomed him despite being a near stranger who occasionally stops by. After hearing about Ida's grandchildren, he heads straight for the stall with the prettiest woman he knows.

"Hey."

Rachel glances up to be met with that all American handsome face. God! He could be a model for those patriarchy posters.
"Hi," she stiffly replies, an awkwardness setting in.
She wants to be mad at him, but has no right to be.
"Think we can talk for a bit?" he asks lowly.
Rachel's heart skips a beat at the intensity in his expression. Thankfully, there's a customer behind him wanting to buy a peach pie, giving Rachel the perfect excuse to dismiss him.
"Hm...Sure, after the fair though."
He nods, "I'll catch you then."

Giving the customer their change, Rachel lets out a soft sigh as she glances at her watch and sees she only has about another 2 hours to sort her jumbled feelings out.

Austin folds the make-shift table leaving Rachel with nothing else to do. She anxiously watches as Zach draws closer, his tall build sauntering up to her in the soft glow of the evening sun.
"Almost done?" he asks.
She rises to her feet, dusting down the pink floral skirt of her summer dress before nodding and tightening her ponytail.
"Yep, let me just say bye to Austin."

"Austin," she calls.
He glances behind her shoulder to Zach, the friendliness from his eyes slipping into concern. To say he's not a big fan of the Carter man is an understatement. Despite her protests and denial, Austin still holds the suspicion that Rachel and Zach are more than just platonic friends. But those are just dark fantasies Rachel has to keep herself warm at night. In practice it's far too dangerous to her heart to allow such a connection when it wouldn't be there for months on end.
"We're just going to talk," she says before he can get a word in.

It placates him a little but not much, "okay, but don't do anything reckless, Rach. That's not you and you know he won't...he won't stick around."
"I'm going to talk to him, Austin. Not exchange vows. It'll be fine, you're such a big brother sometimes," she casually states with a roll of her eyes.
She may have slipped in the lie about it everything being fine but it's not something Austin should be concerning himself with. Not when he worries so much over other things he shouldn't be. Like her parents, and her rent and making sure she has food in her cupboards to survive on.
The big lug gives her a teasing shove before allowing her dismissal.



Zach is patient for her return and when she does they take a small stroll around the park, finding an empty bench on a quiet path.

"So..." she starts smoothing out her dress and awaiting whatever it is he has to say.
"How are you?" he begins.
"Good."
"And your parents?"
Her smile strains at that question. She hasn't told him about any of that yet. Actually they haven't talked about anything other than the superficial things.
"Fine."
"Are you...are you mad at me for some reason? Have I done something to-"

"No, no. I'm not...It's just been a long day."
Zach sighs, knowing there's no easy way to say this, "listen Rachel, I won't be visiting anymore. The business venture here, it's not going to work out and I have to go back. I don't know when I'll be able to visit again."

It's like an anvil to her heart. How could he do this to her? Come into her life full of promise and hope and just rip it away now. It's just cruel. Plain and simple. He's supposed to be her soulmate God dammit!
Woah. Woah...Okay, no. Wait right, they're just friends. It happens right? Friends move away and they carry on their lives. It's fine. It's cool. At least they didn't sleep together. That would have made things a whole lot more difficult but this? The constant question of 'what may have happened'? She can deal with that. Yeah, she can carry on the rest of her life in denial sparing only her night time thoughts to pondering that question.

"Oh?" she finally manages to choke out, "that's...Wow. That's great for you Zach. Really. Good luck on the business ventures. Maybe...I don't maybe I'll see you around someday."
She hurries to her feet, pushing through the slight temble of her knees. Despite her efforts to convince her it's not affecting her, she can feel her vision blurring.



"Rachel, wait," he snaps tugging her back by her wrist.
She can pinpoint the exact second he realizes she's about to become a waterfall and in that second his face crumples.
"Sweetheart..." he soothes his hand rising and cupping her cheek and draw her in.
One hand settles over her waist and as much as he longs to press her completely against him and have his sinful way with her...there's things they have to talk about first. Lots they have to talk about first.
"It's fine. Really, I'm just being hormonal at the minute. I know what we are. We both agreed we weren't going to start anything serious until we had our lives sorted and you...you deserve-"
"You," he interrupts. He can't allow her to finish that sentence and dismiss herself like that, especially when he knows that she is certainly much more fragile than his usual type.
"Zach..."
"Honey, hear me out there's more I wanted to say."
Rachel contemplates hearing him out. It would be so much easier on her if she just runs. Tells him to leave her be and go back to her own life. Her very mundane, lonely, sad life.

"Okay," she agrees taking a seat back on the bench.
"I know this is going to sound crazy and like it's a spur of the moment but I've thought about this a lot, sweetheart. And it's asking a lot from you and I completely understand why you wouldn't want to do it but...I really hope you chose to give it a shot."
"Zach," she calls, "you're being cryptic. We're friends right? You only need to ask if you need a favor."
"I do. I want you to come with me."


 The blunt statement is so unexpected she thinks she's misheard it for a moment.
"You...want me to come with you? To...where exactly?" she echoes with confusion.
He sighs. Okay, now it's all a matter of careful word choices and hopefully she won't run away from him screaming he's crazy and archaic.
"To come with me as my partner around America during my business endeavors.-"
She huffs in shock and outrage.
"And what would I be doing Zach?"
"It's not like that Rachel, I swear. You can do whatever you want. Take online classes or...Heck, I don't know honey. All I know is I can't leave here without knowing when I'm next going to be able to see the woman who is on my mind the whole damned time."

 Rachel certainly isn't immune enough to not melt at those words. But she does quickly pull herself back up and really think about the details. Her parents lived in the moment. And she has learnt to be a planner. Planning is more predictable.
"Zach that sounds...fun but let's be realistic here. I can't just leave the life I have here behind to follow a man around who's trying to establish his own life. And living like that...things could get messy Zach and I don't have the security you do. I will have nothing to return to."

"And I've thought it through Rachel. I want you-only you. But you're right. Ripping you apart from here is selfish. It's incredibly selfish of me however this might be the only chance we've got.-"
"It's not, Zach. It's really not. I'm always going to be here. I'm-" she gulps at that reality before continuing, "and you're young, you're travelling and you're going to meet lots of interesting people. You think you want me with you for it all but...you'll tire of me being there."
"I won't. I could never. But I understand your reluctance. This was a long shot anyway but you should know you don't need to have any worries about security Rachel. Whatever happens between us during that time, if you decide to leave, I will take care of you. I'll make sure you're compensated-"
She gasps at that. Is he seriously thinking of her like some sort of hooker?! Does he really think that she's desperate enough to drop her whole life to follow him around like some lost puppy because he has money?! Those thoughts make her sick to her stomach.


 
"-Not like that. Shit...This is not coming out right. I just meant that shouldn't have to worry about it if that happens. If you ever want to leave, I won't hold you back and I'll still help you out."
The more he talks, the more this idea doesn't seem as ridiculous. She's always wanted to travel and though her savings are now a sizable amount, it's reserved for actual emergencies, not for splashing out whenever she feels like it.


 "So...I'd be like your...girlfriend?" she asks slowly.
She needs to know that while he's out having fun, she won't be expected to just stay in his hotel suite waiting for him, like some dirty secret.
"Absolutely! But we can take...you know, that aspect of your relationship slow. I just want the opportunity to get to know you better and really give this is a shot. We're meant to be together Rachel. And I would just hate myself if in another 10 years time I come back and you already have a family and I didn't even have the courage to ask you this."
The idea of her having started a family in 10 years after knowing him just sounds ludicrous. She'll need at least 20 years to get over him.

"And what about you Zach? What if you want to have...fun?"
"I can do that with you can't I?" he asks simply with an easy smile.

 Well...she's not exactly a virgin but then again, she's not one to plunge into sexual intercourse with strangers and though she knows Zach quite well, she still doesn't know him that well. But she's no prude by any means. She has a healthy (or maybe unhealthy) dose of sexual fantasies she'd love to play out so maybe...maybe Zach is the perfect person for that.

"I don't mean just sight seeing Zach," she emphasizes.
His crystal blue orbs sear into her with a deep passion she's never seen in him before.
"Neither do I Rachel," he growls causing a very feminine shudder of lust to strike through her.
She needs a moment to regain herself after that which is the perfect opportunity he takes to shake those thoughts out of him mind for now.

 "Anyway, think about it, sweetheart. My cab arrives tomorrow at 12pm sharp and I'll book you a train ticket too. You know where I stay. If you come before, packed and ready before then that's great but if not...that's okay too."

It's his parting words and with a peck to her cheek, he glides past her, leaving her with a monumental decision to make.

*************************

Zach hopes but doesn't expect Rachel to follow him. Perhaps in his father and mother's time period, she would have been expected to mindlessly trail after him but he would never want that from her. He can only pray her decision is to join him in this new adventure, even if it means putting the life she knows on hold.

But it's so lonely going from one city to another by himself. He would much rather have company and one woman in particular.

He's packed and ready all that's left is the wait for Rachel or the cab, whichever comes first. At 10 minutes until 12, it's chance of either of them and opening the door, the pressure curling at Zach's heart is instantly relieved.

 "You came," he exhales with joy.
"You were right....I would hate it if I didn't take this opportunity."
She's been living safe for far too long. She's still young, in her early twenties. It's time she starts having more fun.
"I'm glad you're joining me," he grins hand coiling around her waist and bringing her in.

 He leans down, seeking permission for a moment before pressing his lips to her in a passionate embrace. This kiss...this kiss certainly blows away that previous peck they shared before. She's never felt such passion before in her life and now that she's tasted the tip of the sweet nectar, Rachel wants more and she intends to get it.

 "I drew up a list," she breathlessly tells him, handing over the piece of paper with her scribbling over it.
After arranging everything and packing her bags, she still couldn't sleep last night from being too wired with excitement. In a haste to dampen that, she'd made a list of things she'd love to do while with him. Some are....explicit in nature whereas others are more mundane. She hopes to cross of as many as she can while she has that time with him. 

 Zach's eyebrows rise at a few of those suggestions but they're certainly ones he'll happily help her out in. In fact, some he'd love to do right now but unfortunately with only a few minutes to go, it's not enough time.
"Wow...well, I have to say this trip got certainly a whole lot more adventurous." 

A/n Do people want more of them? I don't think I'll be doing a short book like I originally planned but I don't mind continuing on One-Shots of their 'adventures'. ;)