Chance

Zak was on the off part of the Ghost Adventures season so he was just being normal. He was at the grocery store picking up things for his house, Gracie's dog food and anything else he needed. A tall, pretty dark haired girl made her way around the corner of the isle he was at. Seeing pretty girls was not an uncommon thing, but this girl, he didn't know what it was about her, but he had to talk to her. So, in least stalkerish way possible, he pushed his cart towards where he had seen her go. She had her back to him as she looked at something else. Casually, he turned around and went down another isle so he could look like they had run into one another by mistake. What he didn't expect was to actually bump something when he turned down the next isle. The pretty brunette looked at him surprised. He caught the first glimpse of her gorgeous green eyes.

There was only one problem. She had a kid. As soon as she looked away from him, she touched a little boy's face who had suddenly began to cry. Needless to say, Zak felt like an ass. He may not have meant to run into her at that time, but he had planned on doing it to start a conversation.

“I am so sorry,” he apologized.

“It's okay,” but she wasn't addressing him, she was talking to the young boy in her arms. Still, Zak couldn't help but notice that her voice was just as attractive as the rest of her. Once the crying child calmed down, she looked up at him. “It's alright, I'm sure you didn't mean to.”

“I still feel like an ass,” he admitted nervously.

“Don't worry about it.” She seemed like she was getting ready to finish her shopping, but Zak didn't want that.

“I'm Zak.”

“Maisie,” she nodded. “And this is Conner,” she picked up the boy again and he looked at Zak with green eyes that matched hers perfectly.

“Cute kid, he has your eyes,” Zak noted.

“He's my nephew, actually.” Zak couldn't help the slight smile that appeared on his face, it wasn't that he didn't like kids, but it kind of made it more likely that she was single. He found himself looking for a ring on her finger but didn't find one.

“I still feel like shit about this...How about I take you both out to lunch?” he offered.

“That's nice of you, but I have to get him back home. It's almost nap time. Besides, this really wasn't a big deal...” she looked at him and she wasn't sure what it was about him, but she let out a small breath before speaking again. “But maybe some other time?” she suggested.

“Yeah? That'd be good. Do you want to give me your number or...?”

“Yeah, sounds good,” she put Conner back in the cart again and pulled out her phone. She handed it to him as he gave her his. They exchanged again and he just smiled.

“I'm gonna call to make sure you didn't like give me the number to some pizza place or something.” He looked at the number that had an area code that he didn't recognize.

“I don't know any places around here, I just moved out here.”

“Where are you from originally?”

“Ohio actually, the desert's a big change.”

“Yeah, I used to live up in Michigan, I know what you mean. You'll be away from the cold at least.”

“That's always a plus, I'll talk to your later, Zak. I really need to get back.”

“Talk to you later, Maisie,” he nodded and they parted ways, for the time being anyway.

“Hey bro,” Aaron greeted his friend as he walked into the house. He, Zak, and Billy were going to be editing some of the latest film today, except, Zak was too busy with his phone to even notice Aaron. “Hey man, what's up G?” Still no reply.

“Zak,” Billy called. Eventually he looked up like a deer in headlights.

“What's so damn interesting?” Aaron questioned.

“I uh...I was...” Zak trailed off.

“It's a girl, isn't it?” Billy guessed.

“I met her at the grocery store today, man,” Zak admitted.

“What's she like?” Aaron took a seat on the couch, deciding that editing could wait. He could annoy Zak about his love life instead.

“Gorgeous. She's smart and funny too. I've been texting her all afternoon.”

“Oo,” Billy smirked. “What's her name?”

“Maisie, she just moved out here from Ohio and she works for her brother as a nanny.”

“So are you taking her out?” Aaron asked.

“I hope so.”

“How's my favorite little sister doing?” Marco asked, ruffling her hair as she sat on the couch. He had just gotten in from work and was more than ready to see his son.

“I'm good. How was work?” Maisie questioned, tucking her phone under her leg.

“Same old same old...” Marco had been a mess since his wife passed away two months after having Conner – who had just turned a year old.

“It'll get better, that's why we moved out here, right?” She had only moved because she knew how Marco was about his son, he wouldn't want anyone else to take care of him, except for family and because their parents had died when they were little, she was all the family he had. After the death of his wife, Daisy, her parents moved to Florida and stopped talking to anyone to top it all off.

“Yeah,” Marco sighed. “Is Conner napping?”

“Yep,” her phone dinged, signifying a text and she wanted so badly to answer it, knowing that it was Zak. She was surprised at how much she was starting to like him. Then, her phone began ringing for a phone call. “Excuse me,” she picked up the phone and walked outside. “Hello?”

“Hi, Maisie,” she recognized the voice and smiled. She had even liked his voice when they first met earlier.

“Hi Zak. What's up?”

“So, I didn't think that it would be proper to do this through text so...How does Friday night sound?”

“Sound for what?” she thought that she would play dumb, she did want to hear him say the words though.

“A date...”

Unfortunately, she remembered something about Friday. “I can't, my brother has a really important dinner and I need to watch Conner. I'm free Saturday though.”

“Saturday then. What time?”

“Doesn't matter to me.”

“How does six sound?”

“Great. I'll see you then.”

“Yes you will,” she could hear his smile and grinned herself.

“Bye, Zak.”

“Bye, Maisie.”

Saturday

“I still can't believe that you have a date,” Marco commented as his sister stood at the sink in her own bathroom putting on a little make up. “We've been here what? Two weeks?”

“I met him in the grocery store.”

“Cliché, much?”

“Yeah pretty much...How do I look? Not like a hooker, right?” Marco laughed a little but shook his head. She had on a pair of black heels with a deep red dress that came to her knees. It wasn't tight and it didn't show too much.

“I'm gonna meet him though.”

“Bullshit. I'm not sixteen anymore, Marco. Stay inside.”

“I'm still your older brother.”

“By five whole minutes!” they were fraternal twins and had been stuck with each other since birth.

“It still counts.”

“Whatever,” her phone buzzed in her small purse – she hated purses, but she didn't exactly have pockets so she didn't have much of a choice. She looked at it and saw a message from Zak.

“I'm here...I think...” She had sent him her address earlier on so she hurried down the steps.

“Bye Marco, don't cause too much trouble,” she called.

“Come back at a reasonable hour,” he called back. They may have both been the same age – twenty-seven but he took on the more mature role.

“We'll see about that,” she joked as she closed the door behind her. She was surprised to see the black sports car on the curb. It had red rims and she had to admit, it was gorgeous.

Zak stepped out of the car upon seeing her and smiled warmly at her. “You look beautiful,” he complimented. And she did, he really liked that she didn't look like she was uncomfortable. One thing that he noticed a lot was women would go though so much trouble to look good that they were uncomfortable with spandex clothes that showed a lot.

“Thanks, you look handsome,” she wasn't sure if she was supposed to comment on his appearance too, but he did look attractive in his dark blue buttoned shirt and black dress pants. He was clearly a man with nice muscles. She hadn't failed to notice the way his tones arms looked in his T-shirt at the grocery store.

He smiled in response and opened the door for her. She smiled gratefully and got in. He walked around the car and got in himself. “I need to ask you something very important,” she said, looking over at him. He looked right into her green eyes with his dark blue ones. “Are you a murderer, rapist, or another other type of criminal?” He gave her a half grin.

“No, I'm not,” he told her honestly. “Although I have been to prison a few times...” Her hand shot over to the door handle. “Not as an inmate,” he hurriedly explained. “I...for my job.”

“Oh...What do you do?” it kind of shocked her that she hadn't asked him that question. “Are you like a prison guard?” That could explain why he was so...muscular.

Zak hesitated. He hoped that she wouldn't be one of those people that told him that his job was silly and pointless. “I'm a paranormal investigator.”

“Really?” she asked. She didn't sound like she was being rude about it, she just sounded surprised. “How do you like get paid for that?” she had heard of shows like Ghost Hunters, they probably got paid pretty well but Zak didn't seem famous or anything like that. He just seemed like a normal guy.

“I'm on a TV show with a few of my friends, Ghost Adventures.”

“Oh, well that makes sense. I'm sorry, I don't watch a lot of TV...”

“No, it's...It's okay.” He liked that she didn't know who he was.

“That must be a lot of fun. You get to travel a lot, right?”

“All the time, but sometimes being in the car for hours on end isn't a lot of fun.” He loved Nick and Aaron like his brothers, but he sometimes, being on break was a relief because he could just relax.

“Well of course but...still. I would love to travel. I've been to Ohio, Kentucky, and here. That's it. Oh wait, we had a layover in Wyoming, but that doesn't really count...does it?”

“You could count it,” he shrugged. “What part of Ohio did you say you were from?”

“Uh Cincinnati area, well north of that actually.”

“We've been up to Mansfield.”

“Oh, that's north of Columbus, right?” Zak nodded as they pulled into the parking lot at the restaurant.

“Don't move,” he told her, she froze as he got out of the car and opened her door for her, she rolled her eyes in a playful way.

“And they say chivalry's dead,” she told him dramatically. He smiled at her, having the urge to take her hand as they walked, but he resisted because they still didn't know each other too well. He opened the restaurant door for her as well and they walked up to the hostess at her podium. Maisie looked around, feeling very out of place.

“Zak Bagans,” he said, he had made reservations earlier.

“Right this way, Mr. Bagans.” They followed the blonde and she sat two menus down as they took their seats. Maisie picked up the menu and began looking but frowned a little. This was not her kind of place.

“What's wrong?” Zak looked up at her and she shrugged, still frowning a little.

“This really isn't my kind of place, y'know? I'm more of the type to go to a restaurant that you can wear sweatpants to, if that makes sense.”

“You're serious?” he asked. She bit her lip and nodded, hoping that this wasn't like a deal breaker. “Thank God. Come on, I know just the place,” he got up from the table and followed his lead. This time, he took her hand as they hurried out to his car once more. He drove down the road, still thankful that she wasn't the kind of girl that liked to eat at those places and drink wine that cost thousands of dollars. He pulled into a different parking lot of something that looked little more Maisie's speed, the Nevada Chicken Cafe. “They've got amazing barbequed stuff.”

“Amazing!” she grinned excitedly. She followed him into the place and they sat themselves because it was trillion times more relaxed then the other place. They even grabbed their own menus before sitting. She looked at the back of the menu for drinks.

“They've got all kinds of mixed drinks and stuff,” Zak pointed out, showing her the inside page.

“They have beer, don't they?” she wasn't too big of a fan of mixed drinks. Most of them were too fruity for her taste. She would have the occasional pina colada, but tonight wasn't one of those nights.

Zak found himself liking her more and more as the night went on. “Right here,” he flipped the page over and she smirked at him, noticing for the first time the cross on he index finger.

“Do you have any other tattoos?” she asked.

“Yeah, I have this one,” he flipped over his wrist and showed her what looked like a modified Celtic cross. “I have–”

The waitress walked over. “What can I start you guys off with to drink?”

“Two beers,” Zak said, looking at her to be sure, she just smiled and nodded.

“Okay, great, I'll be right back.”

“This one,” he showed her his left bicep, flexing at the same time of course. This one was another Celtic cross. “This one,” he showed her the right bicep next.

“You're an Aries?” She guessed. He nodded. “I'm a Libra.”

“What day in October?”

“Thirty-first.”

“That's awesome, Halloween. My favorite holiday.”

“Mine too! I'm excited to take Conner trick or treating. What day in April?”

“The fifth. I've got another tattoo on my back, it's kind of hard to describe. I'd show you but...”

“You can show me when we're not in a restaurant full of people,” she smiled. The waitress brought their beer back and set it down. “Thank you,” Maisie said.

“You're welcome. Do you know what you want or would you like a few minutes?”

“I need a few minutes,” Maisie said, unsure of what Zak needed.

“Alright, I'll be back,” she walked off quickly.

“What do you suggest?” Maisie asked him.

“The ribs are amazing.”

“Sounds good to me...” she knew that it probably wasn't wise to eat something like that on a first date, but she would be fine.

“So do you have any tattoos?”

“Yeah, I have four,” she flipped over her left wrist and showed him a Celtic cross of her own, he smiled a bit at that one. “I have my parents initials on my right ankle, a four leaf clover,” she turned, moved her hair and the top of her dress to reveal it on the back side of her shoulder. “And, I have an Irish blessing right here,” she touched the right side of her ribs.” Zak couldn't stop the thought from entering his mind about how much he would love to actually see that tattoo.

The waitress came back over and took their order before leaving once again.

“I have a really important question for you,” Zak looked at her, leaning across the table, she leaned closer too and watched his eyes carefully. “Cats or dogs?” a smile spread across his features and she giggled a little.

“Dogs.”

“Good answer.”

“What if I would have said cats?” he quickly stood from the booth and pretended to walk away before quickly coming back, grinning.

“I'm just kidding, I wouldn't have done that.”

“Uh huh. You just wanted to make sure that I wasn't secretly some crazy cat lady.”

“Maybe.”

“Do you have a dog?”

“Yeah, her name is Gracie,” he pulled out his phone and pulled up a picture of the black and white dog.

“She is so adorable!” Maisie exclaimed.

“I taught her to hunt ghosts,” he smiled.

“That's so cool,” she smiled at him again. Zak felt like this date couldn't be going any better. As juvenile as it may have been, he lightly tagged her foot with his. She looked surprised for a moment before doing it back to him. “Don't kick me,” she said in mock appall. He did it again, smirking at her. She bit her lip to keep from smiling as she kicked his foot again.

When their food came, they had to settle down a little. Maisie inhaled deeply, loving the smell of the ribs. “Oh my God, this smells fantastic.” she decided to forget being ladylike because she wasn't really. She wiped off her lipstick and took a bite out of the ribs. She wiped the barbeque sauce off, hoping Zak hadn't seen it, but he had it all over his face too and she began giggling loudly, he smirked wiping his mouth.

“Alright, no judging for either of us, how about that?”

“Deal,” she took another bite of the delicious food, making more of a mess.

“Thank you for everything tonight,” Maisie told Zak as he parked outside of her house. “I'll be honest, this is probably the best first date I've ever had...”

“Me too,” he admitted. “I...Can we do this again.”

She nodded, trying not to smile as widely as she wanted to, she looked over at him, hinting for him to kiss her. “But, don't do that whole three day rule thing...Okay?”

“I don't think I could if I wanted to,” he grinned and pulled her in for the first kiss.