Adj. A sound that is sweet and smooth, pleasing to hear.

Callum MacBrady

The clock read 6:54.  I couldn't wait in the car any longer, my hands were shaking with the urge to knock on her door.  I hit the steering wheel once I'd made the decision to go inside.

Her house was just a step below mine in grandeur.  It made me feel like I had something I could show off to her.  I jogged up the steps, taking time to make sure my suit was perfect and smoothed down before I rang the doorbell. The silky gray three piece suit was tailored to fit me snug, putting all my muscles and toned form on display.  A thought occured to me that I never told her where we were going or how to dress.

I pushed the doorbell and waited. Half of me hoped she would answer and the other half wanted the help to.  The door swung open to reveal a short Hispanic woman.  "Mr. MacBrady.  Please come in, Miss James is just-"

"Right here." I heard Luna's angelic voice from the top of the stairs.  My face lit up at her presence.  From the moment I saw her I knew I needed to have her.  She was beautiful.  The only thing that made my smile fade was the sight of her tapping her fingernails on the banister in a bathrobe at seven o'clock.

"You look-" I began.

"Not ready.  I know, I'm sorry.  You never told me if it was a casual date or a classy date.  I have two outfits laying upstairs once you give me the green light." She looked nervous, I liked that I wasn't the only one.

My smile returned.  "I'd like to believe that every date with me is classy."

She pursed her lips and tapped her nails once more.  "Bathrobe it is then?"

I loved how adorable she looked pretending to be impatient.  "We're going out to a nice restaurant and maybe another nice place later." I watched in amusement as she raced back to her room, leaving me alone with the maid.  Luckily I wasn't left alone for long.  Luna returned with a dress that made my jaw drop.

A full length red dress that was the definition of form fitting was hugging every delicious curve of her body. She held the hem up around her silvery white high heels that couldn't have been thicker than my pinky. It dipped low to create a plunging neckline that had me wanting to see more.  She stepped down to the bottom and I noticed how she pulled the sides of her long hair up to showcase her diamond earrings that dangled elegantly from her lobes.  She had pulled sections of her curls forward to hide her bare shoulders.  I noticed the modest smile she held on her nude painted lips when she gauged my reaction and she spun slowly to show off her wardrobe. 

The back was barely more than a strip of fabric.  It rested at her lower back and proudly exhibited her flawless tanned skin.  "Will this do?" She asked in a small voice.

I cleared my throat and fixed my appearance.  "You look gorgeous." Was all I could think to say.

Her grin let me know she liked my answer.  "Shall we?" She clicked over to me.  "Thank you for staying late and helping me get ready.  I'll see you tomorrow." She dismissed the maid politely. 

It was difficult for me to not reach out and put an arm around her like an average date.  But I had to remind myself that she wasn't my typical date.  She was Luna James.  Luna James needed to be treated like a queen.  I opened the door for her and we walked side by side, her dress was tantalizing me at every move.

"So what restaurant are we going to?" She asked while walking down her myriad steps.

"It's a place I've been on occasion when I come to the states.  You'll see." I winked at her and received a light push.

"Is it nearby?" I could see her wheels turning in her pretty head.  Trying to guess where we were going.

"It's a little over two hours away." It wasn't a complete lie. 

"Are we going to New Orleans?" She looked mortified for some reason.  I had no intention of taking her to the city of Percevals.

"No.  I promise you it's far from that place." We reached the bottom step and she put her hand on my bicep with wide eyes.

"We're taking that?" She gaped at the choice of vehicle in awe.  My chrome Lamborghini was displayed with both doors raised up and ready for occupants.  The white leather interior was sleek and fresh looking.  She took quick steps forward and ran her hand over the seats.

"I can always have one of my other cars brought over if this is too much." I already knew the answer she was going to give me.  Pride swelled within me watching her admire the foreign car.

"No that's okay!" She looked back at me with a smirk and stood straight, recreating a calm exterior.  "I've never ridden in one before.  Is it fast?"

My hands twitched at her query.  "I can show you." I got closer to her to help her inside the low car.  Her head ducked under the top and she situated herself inside.  "If you're brave enough." I finished and shut the door.

The windows were tinted but I knew she was watching me walk around to my side.  I took care to make sure my back was straight and my steps were purposeful.  When I slid into the driver's seat she was staring at me curiously.  "I'm not afraid of your driving." She cocked a condescending brow at me and I laughed.  She was only encouraging me.

"Let's go then." I started the car and revved it up for her.  Her lips turned up and I revved harder.

"Show off." She shook her head humourously and buckled up.  I followed suit and shifted into first.

We took off down her smoothly paved driveway and made it to third gear before hitting the street.  Her grin only grew the higher we went.  We didn't see flashing lights until we hit two hundred.  "Oh shit." She looked nervously in the side mirror.  Her big doe eyes met mine with a sheen of regret.  I didn't like seeing that look on her at my expense.

"Relax.  Watch me work." I winked and she rolled her eyes.  I rolled down the window and listened to the sound of boots approaching the car.

"That's not unsettling." She mumbled and watched the cop approach. 

"Licence and registration." The male voice ordered.  I couldn't see his face, only his legs as he stood outside the Lamborghini.  I snatched them out of my console and handed them up.

His flashlight turned to check them and I heard him whisper, "No fucking way." His head bent down and he looked fully inside.  "Callum fucking MacBrady!" He shouted excitedly.

"Evening officer." I smiled and saluted him.  "I know I was going fast. I was just trying to show this beautiful creature next to me how well she handles at high speeds." I flexed my hands on the steering wheel to feel the white fabric beneath my palms. 

The cop peered over my chest to see who I chose to spend my night with.  "Holy shit.  Luna James?" His jaw dropped.  She really was a local celebrity.  I beamed, this was going to be easy. 

"Hi there officer.  I'm so sorry, I was egging him on. I just wanted to see how fast it went." I looked over at her in surprise.  I'd expected her to tease me or just smile and wave, not take the blame.

The policeman tipped his hat.  "I'm sure we can work this out, Miss James.  I'll tell you what," he looked back to me, "let's make a deal and pretend I didn't just clock you at two oh six." His yellow teeth peeked out from his thin lips.

I nodded my head, "That sounds good to me." It wasn't the first time I'd had to bribe my way out of a ticket. I had an unhealthy obsession of collecting cars and seeing how far I could push them on the road.

"I'll let you two off with a warning, if I can hop in and get a selfie with you." He pointed at me.  "My wife and I always watch the fights and we're huge fans of yours.  We'll be at the fight on Saturday." He rambled on.

I put my hand out the window and gave his a firm shake.  "Thanks, man.  I appreciate that."

"Of course.  But part two is that i have to hear her sing a verse of a Whitney Houston song.  Her choice." He grinned and folded his arms over the window.

"Now that's unfair.  No one can sing like Whitney." I laughed and looked over at my date.

"Deal." Luna smirked and threw me for a loop.  No way would I be caught singing in front of a stranger. I knew my limits and they ended in the shower or alone in the car.

"Awesome.  Do you mind if I record this?  My wife isn't going to believe me if I don't." He pulled out his cell phone.

"Hang on.  Luna, you can say no.  You don't have to have some blooper video passed around the internet of you." I tried to save her and give her an out.

She scoffed.  "Well i think somehow I'll survive the scandal." She hit my arm lightly.

I shrugged. "Alright."

"Yes." The officer cheered under his breath.  He readied his phone and I braced myself to be embarrassed for her.

She cleared her throat and straightened her posture.  Her full lips opened and my jaw dropped once more.  "If i should stay, I would only be in your way.  So I'll go, but I know, I'll think of you every step of the way."

I was sure the video was getting my reaction to her voice. I had no idea she sang, but it was clear that this wasn't just done by chance.  The policeman knew of her talent.  Only I was left on the dark. 

"And I will always love you, ooh. Will always love you, you. My darling, you. Mm-mmm" her eyes were shut as she finished.  A testament to how soulful her car performance was.

"That was so amazing!" The cop complimented her.  I couldn't form words.  I'd never heard such a beautiful voice, let alone one that could hit the notes that she was as if it was effortless. "How about that selfie?" He snapped me out of my stupor and waved his phone in my face.

"Hop in." I nodded to Luna to slide out for the picture, I was sure she didn't want our date publicized.

"Okay, one sec." She unbuckled and lifted the door open.

"You two are living the dream." The man commented when he came around.  Luna giggled and lifted her dress so it didn't get dirty on the side of the road. He took a seat and took off his hat.  Running his hand through his hair, he tried to fix his messy black mop. 

He held the phone out and got us both in the screen and smiled.  I forced myself to smile too, I was still dying to ask Luna what the hell that was.  He snapped the picture and pocketed his phone. "Awesome. Thanks." He got out and Luna jumped back in.

He walked back around to my window and put his hat back on.  "Have a good night guys.  You're a lucky man." He whistled and shook his head.  "Drive carefully, next time you might get pulled over by a Perceval fan." He jested.

I sucked in air through my teeth.  "I will officer." He went back to his car and drove off.

I looked at Luna who was covering her mouth.  "What?' I smiled.

"I can't believe you didn't get a ticket." She laughed openly now.  It was such a perfect sound I wanted it to never end.

"I'm Callum MacBrady." I bragged and shifted into gear.  We sped off and I flicked her shoulder.

"Ow!" she rubbed her twig of an arm.  "What was that for?"

"How did you do that?" I asked her seriously.  "Why aren't you doing that professionally?  You could make millions." I told her and I believed every word of it.

She shook her head.  "That isn't what I want.  I mean, I like to sing and I know I'm good at it, but I don't want to have a life like my parents.  They're constantly under a microscope and can't go anywhere without their life being recorded.  I like a little privacy once in a while." Luna turned her eyes to mine, looking up from her false eyelashes.  The light of the street lamps turned her irises a golden honey color everytime we passed under one.

"It's not so bad.  You can get out of tickets with pictures." I laughed lightly. 

She gave me a genuine smile.  "There are pros and cons to everything."

My hands were sweating from trying to keep a cool persona going.  I was jittery for what I was about to do.  I just wanted to impress her.  "Where are we?" I smirked while she looked around confused.

"Almost there." I answered.  She leaned forward and gazed at the air strip.  My private jet was already waiting for us to get on.  I'd made the arrangements with my pilot earlier to take us to where I needed to go.

"Are we going on a vacation somewhere?" She raised her brows.  "I thought you said it was two hours away."

"I did. And it is.  Just not by car, even at two hundred miles per hour." She looked skeptical of getting on the jet with me.  "Trust me.  I told you I wanted a second chance at a first impression.  I pulled out all the stops for you tonight." My tone was kept light, but it was true.  I wanted to make this night perfect, and I definitely had the money to do it.

"You didn't have to go all out for me." She assured me with a gentle hand on my forearm.  I flexed out of habit and her grip instinctively tightened to feel the muscles beneath.

"I wanted to.  After tonight you can decide to never talk to me again or we can go on a second date.  It'll be up to you and I swear not to pressure you into it.  But be warned that I am the most charming man alive." I shut off the engine and got out to open her door.

She was laughing with a big grin on her beautiful face.  "We'll see about that." She chided.

I took a chance and held out my arm to her, hoping that she'd take it.  I could see the flickering of hesitation in her eyes before she put a heeled foot on the ground and slipped her arm in mine.  Her skin was so smooth and soft in my touch.  I kept my head up so it didn't seem like I was staring.  "What happened here?" My eyes had already scanned her arm in mine and I saw a quarter sized bruise on her elbow.

She looked to the spot and shrugged.  "Who knows.  I had a couple drinks by myself last night and I woke up to see my nightstand moved and a lamp broke.  I probably just tripped over it." She spoke so nonchalantly but I erupted into laughter.

"You got drunk alone, broke a lamp, and fell?" I eyed her fragile form.  "That's impressive."

"It didn't feel impressive when I woke up this morning." She rubbed her temples.

The pilot met us at the top of the stairs and welcomed us inside.  I let her in first and let go of her once she boarded the plane.  "Wow." I heard her say when she took in the red interior.  A semi circle couch was in the center along with some seats with harnasses for emergencies.  Her dress blended in nicely with the cool toned crimson as she took her spot on the end with her arm propped on the arm rest.

"Do you like it?" I inquired and sat in the middle with my arms spread out on the back behind me.  "This was the first thing I bought when I made it big." She looked over at the gold sign hanging over the cockpit.

"What does 188 mean to you?" She asked when she read the number carved into the plaque.

"It's the amount of money I used to get on welfare before I got sponsored and started making a name for myself.  I have that number everywhere to remind me where I came from." I remembered very well how hard I worked to get where I was.  I didn't have a job but I would be at the gym all day training because I knew I was meant to fight.

"Wow.  I respect that." She said in a thoughtful tone.  Her brown eyes lingered over the sign for another moment before looking back at the pilot.  He was just shutting the door and gave me the signal to fasten our setbelts for take off. He'd been given explicit instructions not to make any announcements during the flight so Luna would still be surprised.

"Were you always so well off?" I asked when the plane began to move.  I noticed she held onto her belt with white knuckles.  "Are you afraid of flying?" My words were tainted with sarcasm.

"Just a little.  You think I'd be used to it by now but I hate taking off and I'm terrified of landing." She took a deep breath and blew it out her mouth.  "But to answer your question, yes.  My parents were already rich and famous when I was born."

"Luck of the draw I suppose." She nodded and inhaled deeply.  "It frightens you that much?" I scooted closer to her seat.  There were still two cushions separating us from one another. 

She laughed nervously.  "Sorry, I'm sure this isn't the greatest reaction you've gotten from a girl on your private jet."

I shrugged and inched closer.  "Makes no matter to me.  It's been awhile since I've taken anybody on here.  Normally it's just me and my team." I decided to take the small talk approach to distract her from her fear.  "When's the last time you were on a plane?"

She breathed in and out and opened her eyes to look at me.  "I was going on a family vacation to Milan, Italy." She seemed to relax a little.  "I've never been on a plane without my family.  Wow, that sounded really lame." She put her head down and smiled with a sense of amusement.

A new feeling stirred inside of me at her confession.  Pride? Want? I couldn't describe it with words.  All I knew was that now I felt a sudden urge to make sure she felt safe with me for the next few hours.  "What did you do in Milan?"

"A lot of shopping.  Looking at differences in American and Italian fashion." The plane did a miniscule jolt that made her hands fist into the seats and her eyes squeeze shut.  "We have a house there in Tuscany.  I used to call it the autumn home when I was little." Her eyes opened back up and her hands relaxed a bit.

"The autumn home?" I liked the name.  "Why that?"

She steadied her breathing before she answered.  "It was the house we'd always stay temporarily in the fall.  Italy is the prettiest in that season in my opinion.  There are so many colors and the temperatures aren't too cold.  It's always been my favorite season, but there it's just amazing."

I sat more into the couch and absorbed all the tiny details about her.  My brain was making a mental list of every little thing she said to me for future references.  "Have you ever seen Ireland in any season?" My homeland was by far the best in colors.

"No, actually.  I've been to England many times but I never went further west than that country." She furrowed her brows at the realization.  "What's it like?" I was hoping she would ask that question.

I shot up and swiveled to face her.  "Like nothing you've ever seen.  There are oceans of flowers that go from meadows to forests and take over for the grass.  The weather isn't too warm or too cold since our island is protected by the mountains and surrounded by the Atlantic." I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and opened my photos.  I scrolled down until I found the ones I took in the plane above the western beach.  The water fading from bright blue to dark against the rocky shore was one of my favorite sights.  I showed her another picture of my house in the outskirts of Dublin.  "This is my front porch." I told her and watched her face light up.

"Fuschias." She recognized the dozens of hanging baskets I had filled with the magenta flower.  "I love those, I have some in my backyard."

"In Ireland we call them Deora Da." I put the phone back in my pocket.

"Deora Da." She repeated thoughtfully.  "Does that mean fuschia in Irish?" She was adorable when she was thinking.

"Not exactly.  It means tears of God." Her smile was slow to reach her face, but it made it that much warmer.

"That's beautiful." She confessed.

"When did you realize you could sing?" I blurted out the question before I fully thought it through.

She slowly turned her head back to mine.  "You really didn't know I could sing before?" She asked with confusion.

"No." Truthfully I didn't know anything about her other than she was the daughter of Tobias and Alaina James and made small appearances as a trophy daughter for events.  I preferred it that way and it was only an added bonus that she in turn didn't know who I was right away.  "I prefer to hear about you from your own lips, not some tabloid magazine.  I haven't decided to Google you just yet." I teased.

The seatbelt light turned off and I stood up, holding my hand out to her.  "That's it?" She unbuckled herself and glanced our the window to see we were already in the air.

"That's it.  My pilot is a very smooth flyer." I comforted her and smiled when she took my hand so I could pull her to a stand.
 
"

You did a good job of distracting me." She stepped up to me.  Her heels brought her to my chest, right where I wanted her.  "Thank you.  I'm sorry I'm such a wimp."

I brought her closer so we were just an inch or so away from touching our bodies together.  "You're a cute wimp." I leaned down and gazed deep into her honey brown eyes.  I noticed the absence of lipstick on her and beamed inwardly.  A girl like her would only be void of lipstick if she was planning on being kissed, or so my sister always told me.  I didn't think it was the time to test that theory no matter how much I wanted to.  I scratched my beard and spun her around.

She gasped at the sudden change and fell neatly onto the couch.  "You could have just asked me to sit down, you know." She carefully fixed her dress to keep it from lifting up around her legs.  I had to forcibly keep myself from staring at the thigh high slit that opened visibly when she landed. 

"I'll remember that for next time." I reached up to the overhead compartment and felt around for the object I wanted.  My shirt lifted and exposed a strip of my skin.

"What's that?" Luna's question caught my attention.

"What's what?" I was still searching for the small box I needed.  I was a bit shocked when I felt her delicate fingertips trace my lower abdomen.  I looked down to see her staring intently at the patch of skin.  Under her touch was one of the first tattoos I'd gotten after my first big paycheck.  "That?" She nodded and let her hand drop slowly, aware of what she was doing.  Her hand on my skin had felt good. Her fingers were soft and dainty, not like my own calloused and bruised hands.  "It's a tiger." I lifted my shirt higher so she could see.

Her eyes raked over my abs until her gaze landed on something else.  "And this?" I pulled it up more.

"Assassin." I responded proudly.  "It's what the fans decided to name me."

"And why was that?" She sat back more and crossed her arms.   I was a little disappointed she didn't continue to find more on my body.

"Because I'm undefeated in my class.  They'd say that I was an assassin brought in the octagon to kill all the wannabe fighters." I chuckled darkly at the origin. I had hoped for something referring to my knockout power, but I wasn't unhappy with the one I'd adopted. 

"Undefeated, huh?" She ran her hand over the bottle of champagne I had chilling in a bucket of ice. 

I finally felt the box I needed and took her hint, carrying it in my back pocket while I went to open the bottle.  I popped the cork out and poured some in a flute for each of us.  I handed hers to her and sat in the chair directly across from her seat.  She took it with a smile and crossed her legs, the slit revealing more and more by the second.  "That's right.  I've lost a total of three matches in my life, none of which were professional.  It was my first three matches and I'm glad it happened that way.  I was blessed to make mistakes early and learn quick."

She took a sip and set down her glass on the table between us.  "I like that." I didn't know if she was referring to the champagne or the speech.  "So," she propped her head up on her curled fist, "how are you going to entertain me on our flight?  And am I allowed to know where we're going?" She batted her eyes and had me buzzing.

"Nope.  You can just sit tight for now and enjoy the ride." I set the box down on the table for her to see.

"What's that?" She finished her drink and set down the glass, scooting forward to the table.

"This," I tapped the box and opened it, "is my lucky deck of cards.  I'm going to kick your ass in a game or two of Irish switch.  Ever played?". She shook her head.  "Excellent.  It's similar to your American Uno."

"Well then in that case I'm going to kick your ass." She sat forward and rubbed her hands together to show she was eager to win.

"Slow down, lass." I started shuffling the cards and passing them out.  "There's a catch.  The winner of each round gets to ask the loser one question and they have to answer honestly."

She tapped a painted nail on her chin and feigned thought.  "Fine.  But the first round is a practice round so I can figure out how to play." I smiled and nodded.