Veronica still wasn't quite sure where she was, but anywhere was better than uptown. Her phone died shortly after her confrontation with the rude uptown man, and having no luck with getting anyone else to talk to her, she ended up giving a taxi driver $70 and told them to get her as close to the art district as they could. Even when they dropped her off, she wasn't sure how close they got, but they dropped her somewhere nice. Not uptown nice with its clean modern features, but nice as an absolutely stunning and just beautiful. Lovely is the only way to really describe it. She must have stumbled upon an event of sorts that even require the air to smell sweet.

She walked around, letting her feet follow the trail of rose petals on the sidewalk, and the lights lining it. The longer she traveled the trail, the sweeter the air smelled, the denser the population became, and the pinker the atmosphere seemed to get. There were so many people, all of them seeming to be couples and in love. They stood and laughed and kissed and drank wine, looking at one another with pure adoration in their eyes. It was beautiful.

Veronica's trail stopped at a massive plaza that seemed like the pot of rose at the end of the rainbow. There was just so much love. She wished she had a lover so that she could partake in this moment... Or at least a pen and paper so she could write about it.

She looked around hoping to find someone that didn't look like they were going home with someone and that would be willing to take her home. One man stood out. A sharp featured man sat across the plaza on a bench with a small drink in his hand. He sat alone but he smiled at everything around him – seeming to enjoy watching all the love as much as the lovers enjoyed being in love. He seemed like a lover of people, so she walked right up to him and requested to join.

"Hi there! Are you here with someone, or could I maybe take a seat?" The man gestured to the empty seat beside him and offered Veronica genuine smile.

"The seat is yours if you want it." She sat down in the empty space, finally still enough that she could finally take in this whole new world around her. She turned to the man beside her. As completely incomprehensible as the event was, it seemed even wilder that this handsome, dare she say beautiful, man was seated on a bench, removed and all alone.

"You're the first person I've seen here alone. What is with all these couples?" He gestured to a massive sign that said 'Semi-Annual Romance Festival' in big cursive lettering. She almost face palmed for not having seen it before.

"It's the Romance Festival. It's a really big deal around here. Just a time to celebrate true love. Around midnight this place becomes a mass of proposal after proposal. It's a sight to behold."

"So, what are you doing here?"

"Celebrating love like everyone else."

"Isn't it kind of lonely to watch all these couples when you're alone?" The man looked up at her house row of high-rise apartment complexes and blew a kiss. His eyes were so adoring Vee found herself longing for a relationship, so someone could think about her like that.

"Not lonely at all. My wife is at home nursing a cold, so she couldn't join me this evening, but I promised I would enjoy this enough for the both of us." He let a smile linger at the apartment buildings for a moment longer then turned to Veronica with an outstretched hand.

"I am Heath by the way. It's a pleasure to meet you..." He waited for Veronica fill in the blank with her name.

"I am Vee."

"Like the letter Vee?"

"Like short for Veronica, Vee." She took his hand, shook it, then let her hand fall from his. The two of them sat and talked, all the while she admired just how nice this clean put together man was. He looked no different from anyone she encountered in uptown, yet, somehow, he was unrelentingly kind while they were malicious and cruel. It was refreshing.

"So, what are you doing here alone, if you don't mind me asking." Heath ventured as the conversation steered toward Vee.

"I am very lost and stumbled upon the festival. I just moved to the city and I can't find my apartment. I'll be honest and saying I came over here looking for someone who could possibly take me home – or at least closer to it."

It's hard to imagine the relief that flooded over Veronica when he said he take her home with no hesitation. It was relief and gratefulness and so many blessings just wrapped into one feeling. So maybe she didn't know his name before he agreed to drive her three districts over – but he agreed. He was nice and a good man as far as Veronica was concerned. He was going to get her home.

"Did you want to go now? I could really use a bite to eat before we left, but if it's urgent then we can just go-"

"No, no, no, it's not like I have anyone there waiting on me." He stood up and offered a hand with his charming prince-like smile. His proper up bringing showed.

"Then will you join me for dinner?" Vee looked at his hand wanting to accept his offer, but she really couldn't afford spending any money that wasn't on groceries. The taxi ride drained her of any of her free spending money.

"Thanks Heath but I can't really – I mean I'm not really that hungry. I'll just wait here for you."

"Are you sure? Dinner is on me and I'm not letting you leave the festival until you've tried one of the cherry macarons. Let's go before they're all gone." His kindness almost made Vee want to cry.

"Why are you so nice? I don't even know you and you don't know me. I don't even know how to begin repaying you for your kindness."

"Repay me by joining me is all I ask in return." Veronica rolled her eyes because now there was no way she could possibly refuse him. Darn nice guys.

"Guilt tripping with kindness. I'm onto you Heath." He laughs at this, and Veronica willingly gave him her hand and allowed him to help her up.

Veronica felt lucky to have found Heath. Sure, she wishes she had met him earlier in the day – maybe then she would have an extra $70 in her pocket – but she had found him nonetheless. He was here. She knew he had a wife and that all was strictly platonic, but to experience the Romance Festival with someone was so different than viewing it alone.

As promised, Heath bought her a box of cherry macaroons from one of the food vendors surrounding the plaza, and a sleeve of french-fries from another. He ordered himself rice with some type of curry. They sat together at a table with other couples but Vee didn't spend much time examining them as Heath sat next to her. He was still watching the festival with glee- mentioning that it was nearly 12 o'clock and that the best part was going to start soon.

"Did you propose to your wife here?" Vee asked him. He responded with a nod.

"Two years and a few months ago. These happen a few times a year, so this isn't our anniversary or anything. It's just nice to watch other people begin their futures together the same way my wife and I did."

Vee glanced over the crowd hoping she could see a future beginning tonight, but instead her attention was captured by a face from her recent past.

Mr. Uptown, as Vee had taken to calling the man from earlier in the day, was strolling towards her seeming to have spotted her first. She glanced over to Heath who was completely oblivious to Veronica incoming issue. Mr. uptown took a seat right across from her, so she had to turn back towards the table to see him. She didn't care much for the smug smirk on his face.

"What a surprise to see you here. I see you found yourself a ride closer to home."

"Absolutely no thanks to you." His smug grin somehow got smugger.

"Randolph took you all the way to the Romance Festival for only $70. He usually charges double that to get anywhere on event day's - the traffic here is hell. What I think you mean is 'all thanks to you'".

It took a moment for Vee to process what he was saying. Did he pay off the taxi driver for her own reduced price? How could he even do that? Why would he even do that?

"Did you follow me here?" She questioned. It was her first coherent thought.

"Of course not. I'm not a liar. I had a meeting."

"But you knew I'd be here."

"Yes. I hoped that we would meet again, and I couldn't leave that to fate. I made sure your taxi driver got you here safely."

Frankly she was a bit creeped out that this man who refused to help her was not only helping her but stocking her as well. She sighed.

"If you really went through all that trouble to help me then thank you. Nice seeing you again creepy guy, and I can make it home from here." Veronica wasn't sure if she smiled or grimaced before she turned away from the table to see Heath still completely oblivious to the oddity of that conversation.

A bell ring out 12 times marking midnight and it seemed like nearly half of the crowd of people dropped to one knee and declarations of love filled the festival. It was heartwarming. Vee looked over at Heath who was sending a text to 'My Beloved' that said, "I love you honey". He smiled warmly at it then he pocketed the phone.

"Well then," he said stretching his legs out in front of him "it's been a lovely night." Vee reached up and stretched as well, but was shocked to see that Mr. uptown was still there watching her. Now she was downright uncomfortable. She turned to Heath.

"Ready to go?" Heath asked standing up to.

"Yeah"

"She's actually coming with me" the increasingly despised man said also standing from his seat. His eyes met with Heath's as if he was trying to scare him off, but Heath was too confused to feel threatened. Heath reluctantly looked away from him as if he might disappear if he left his range of sight, and look to Vee.

"A friend of yours?"

"I don't even know his name." She sneered causing the man to chuckle.

"Come on Vee, be smart. You hardly know this man."

"You say that like I know you any better. As I recall the only two things I know about you is that you're a creeper, and you told me yourself that you weren't a nice guy."

The cool smugness on the man's face quickly became one of anger; his eyebrows deeply furrowed and his grin making way for a hard-pressed line. The calmness in his voice gave her chills.

"I am not a very nice man very often, so when I am it's a good idea to except it. I am being kind enough to let you ride one of my cars home, so let's go before you make me change my mind."

The threat stunned Vee into silence. She had never been threatened before, but she was sure she didn't want to know what would happen if she declined his offer. Thankfully, Heath stepped in and declined offer for her.

"Perhaps you aren't used to rejection, however that's no way to talk to a lady. I will be taking her home, and hopefully she won't end up one of your scandals of the week. Let's go Vee, we've got a long ride ahead of us." When Veronica chanced Heath a look, she was baffled to see something that wasn't kindness take over him.

"Last chance Vee. Come with me." She felt lost between fear and safety, so she took Heath's arm and held it like a safety blanket as he guided her away. They walked in silence for a while until they were out of the thicket of people and towards the outskirts of the festival.

"Are you OK?" Heath asked seeming to finally let go of a long-held breath. "How did you get mixed up with Basu Adabi? That was pretty scary."

"You know him?"

"Everyone in the city does. He's kind of a big deal." Vee busied herself with looking over her shoulder, feeling paranoid that he might still be watching her.

"Is he famous?"

"Not quite. He's just very important. A lot of people don't know who he is, but if you live in the city or study business you know exactly who he is. Are you familiar with the Landgrabbs?" Everyone knew the Landgrabbs. They were a powerhouse family of big business. They owned most of the land in the country and others, but they were best known for owning nearly every big company. Vee nodded, hoping Heath would continue his explanation.

"Yeah, well, the Landgrabbs own everything, but Basu is the guy that actually runs and manages them." That made Vee uneasy. Being as powerful as Basu, he's probably never heard a 'no' in his life. Not until tonight at least. Vee held on to Heath a little tighter. When she realized what she was doing she dropped his arm quickly.

"Sorry." she muttered looking down at her boots and holding her own hand. Heath must've been very uncomfortable having another woman holding onto him so close when he had a wife at home.

"Don't worry about him too much. He's notorious for using his status to get people in his bed. He will find someone that's willing to sleep with him and he'll be over it. You just spent your first night in San Moirae at the Romance Festival, and you're finally headed home. All Basu-things aside, it's been a good night. Don't let him ruin it."

Veronica took Heath's words to heart and found herself really enjoying every minute of their long car ride together. He got her home safely and even offered to stay and help her get used to the place. As kind as the offer was, Veronica declined.

Instead he drove to the local store and bought her clean sheets and a blanket so that she could sleep on the questionable couch that was just about the only comfort furniture in the flat since the moving van wasn't coming until the morning. Heath left her his number before seeing himself out, mentioning that he hoped she would use it. She hoped the same. If the art district folks were anything as awful as the ones in uptown, then she was going to want to hold onto all the friends she could get.