Walking down the path toward the party were William and Lily. Both looked serious and uptight, extremely uncomfortable under the light of a hedonistic moon.
“So what’s their story? Are they a couple?” Zac hoped Niles had some knowledge.
“Not quite sure. He’s very definitely got the hots for her, but not sure if he’s bonking her.” He laughed a devious laugh, “There’s a bet amongst us project leaders if they’re doing the dirty or not.”
“Well, let me be a good host,” Zac said and grabbed two fresh beers and made his way over to William and Lily.
“Welcome to our Friday night soirée.” Smiling brightly, Zac handed them each a beer.
Clinking bottles with William, he all but ignored Liliana. Since William’s reaction on his very first night, Zac had avoided Lily like the plague. Seen everywhere with either the two German girls or Niles, Zac’s plan was for William to stop feeling threatened. Fucking small penis syndrome, Zac thought to himself.
“I’m hearing good things about you, Moore.”
“The whole thing is fascinating.” Zac changed his position so that Lily was cut out of the conversation and his entire focus was on William. “I love the integration of technology into what was a manual process for so long. It’s exciting stuff.”
Lily soon wandered off into the party while Zac and William continued to talk and move on to their next round of beers, as Niles and some of the other project leaders migrated into the conversation with William. Keeping a keen eye on her whereabouts, Zac hung out with the project leaders for a few more beers before making his way to the beer shack and not returning.
As he made his way through the party, Katje grabbed him and pulled him into a dance with her and Anneliese. The boom box now blasted some traditional tribal drum music. The heavy beats filled the sultry air and under the light of the full moon, sexual energy permeated the night. You could feel it. Every pound of the drum was like driving deep into someone, surrounded by more wet warmth. There’s going to be a lot of sex happening tonight, Zac laughed to himself.
As the German’s sandwiched Zac, he gave himself over to the atmosphere of the party and let the beat take him away. After a hard week out at the sites, it was great to let loose and celebrate all that they had accomplished. Anneliese was rubbing herself down the front of his body and Matt was on the other side of Anneliese. Zac knew the night could quickly descend into a full blown orgy and he didn’t want to be at the center of it. That would not serve his plans.
Catching her out of the corner of his eye, the moonlight glinted off her hair as she stood at the water’s edge, alone, seemingly transfixed on the trail of light the moon cast along the gentle wake. Still dancing, he watched her standing there so still, and he thought about what it would feel like to be there behind her, with his arms wrapped tightly around her, feeling her leaning against his chest.
Dancing away from Anneliese, Zac grabbed two beers. Checking on William’s whereabouts, he noted the man was deep in conversation with his back toward the water. Silently, Zac took his place alongside Lily and handed her the beer. Taking a long sip, she did the same, as they stood there looking out over the water.
Zac finally broke the silence, “We’re a long way from New England and even a longer ways away from Newport Beach.” He wasn’t just talking about mileage.
Lily nodded, “I hear you’re doing a great job on Niles’ sites.”
“I do my best.” His eyes remained trained on the water.
“Well, I’m hearing good things about you, Zac.”
Finally, he turned to look at her, “You sound surprised.”
A half-smile tugged at the corners of her lips, “Yeah, I am.”
“Wrote me off as a frat boy, huh?” He was fighting hard to suppress a smile.
“Maybe I did.” She was so serious in her honesty.
“Maybe you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.” His look was very pointed, his eye contact intense. And then with a half-smile of his own, he turned and headed back to the party, leaving Lily standing exactly where he had found her, but now with a cold beer in her hands and some new thoughts in her head.
Later that evening she would see him leave with the two German girls. The look on her face was one of pure disgust, indicating that she hadn’t initially judged him wrong, that he was a pig with women and to steer clear of him at all costs. But if Liliana Castillo had been even the slightest bit honest with herself that night, she would’ve had to admit that her displeasure was borne of pure jealousy, for she wanted the attention Zac was bestowing upon Katje and Anneliese, because she knew what it felt like to be wrapped up in his arms and the thought of him holding either one (or both) of them in the way that he held her on the night they danced, pissed her off to no end.
Without her knowing, Zac saw the look on Liliana’s face and his heart soared. If she didn’t give a shit about him, she wouldn’t have cared who he went home with that night. But it ticked her off and she couldn’t hide it. It was in that moment that Zac Moore knew his plan to win Lily’s heart was starting to work.
Realizing that sometimes less is more, his limited interaction with her appeared to be making her all the more curious about what he was doing and who he was doing. Inwardly he laughed, if you only knew how obsessed I am with you. If you only knew how much I want to feel you in my arms again. If you only knew…
Chapter Thirteen
Project Hydrate
Congo, Africa
William Bray was incredibly predictable in everything he did. His naturally methodical nature was the perfect skillset for ensuring that a multi-site project ran like clockwork. There were never any surprises with William Bray and that made figuring him out less than a challenge for Zac Moore.
Having never worked at “getting a woman,” Zac wondered if his behavior was duplicitous in his master plan to get Liliana Castillo or because he genuinely had feelings for Lily, if that made it OK. He wasn’t really sure. Getting Lily would have been a chess games as it was, but adding in the William component, made it a much more skilled match, if only just for the additional work and bullet dodging. He was going to get the girl and he was going to snatch her away right from under the other guy’s nose. And William’s predictability made it easier for Zac to map out his moves. Lily, on the other hand, was not quite so predictable, and that was the wildcard in the situation. Zac loved the challenge.
Phase one was much more focused on William and the work than it had been on Lily. He knew that removing all outward focus from Liliana would get William to stop seeing him as a threat. In doing so, the Brit would not go out of his way to keep them far apart.
It was during that time that Zac found his love for what he was doing was sincere. Throwing himself into the work, he truly exceeded everyone’s expectations, including his own. The immediate feedback of seeing children dancing around as the water pumps became operational was heartwarming. Knowing that the clean water he was helping to bring to them would ensure they lived longer, healthier lives filled him with a satisfaction he had never known. He was doing for others. And he loved it. With each success, he found himself more deeply entrenched. With each failure, he found himself more committed to finding a solution and turning it into a success. Doing for others, something he did not have a lot of experience with, gave Zac that elusive high he had sought in so many ways and never found. This was the thrill he had been seeking in all the wrong places.
Lying in his bed one night, exhausted from another day of physical labor in the near equatorial heat, he wrote a note to his father.
I now understand what your summer in Zambia after your freshman year in college meant to you. You’ve often told me that summer was the most transformative time in your life and provided the passion that became your direction and your future. I get it, Dad. I finally understand what you were saying to me. LOL, I was always thinking, oh geez, there he goes again with the Zambia story. But now I understand.
When I see the impact my work is having on
people’s lives, it feels amazing. I know what I’m doing is helping to give these kids I meet a chance to grow up and I can’t imagine doing anything else. They have so little, but yet, they are always filled with joy and they remind me so much of Nathaniel and Portia. Those two are just so happy with simple things. Like the joy they get sitting on the beach and digging up clams. They can do that for hours and they’re happy. And now I’m part of something that not only saves lives, but makes people happy and I can’t imagine doing anything else. Yes, this is me, your son, saying this. LOL, you can pick yourself up off the floor now. I guess I was listening to you. At least a little.
Time for me to go to sleep. Tell Heckle & Jeckle that I miss them big time and say hi to Mia. And let Dr. Castillo know that Lily is doing just fine.
Z-man
His dedication and passion did not go unnoticed, nor did his uncanny talent to isolate a problem and immediately develop and execute a solution. Zac Moore was truly meant for this type of work. It didn’t take long before he was named Assistant Project Leader, tasked with working in an itinerant role, traveling to the different sites and projects to assess issues and work with the locals and the teams on solution plans. In another environment, people would have been grumbling that the young, good looking American was getting special treatment, but Zac had proven himself more than worthy of the promotion.
Planning a Friday night Beach Rave, Zac donated a few pairs of LeBrons and DSquared2 sweatshirts that Brian had sent to him to barter for beer and other alcohol.
“We should be able to really let loose,” Matthew smiled, lying back on his bed.
“We always do,” Zac laughed at the odd statement.
“Yeah, we do. But even more so this Friday.”
“Why? What’s going on this Friday?”
“There’s some major donors coming in country and William is going to be off with them this weekend showing them different project sites and giving them the full Project Hydrate experience. He’s leaving Friday afternoon and won’t be back until Sunday afternoon.”
Most excellent, thought Zac. I can spend time with Lily without having to worry about him or about retribution.
Friday couldn’t come soon enough.
Buh-bye, William, have a great trip, dude.
Finally…
The moon was almost full on Friday adding to the energy charge around base camp. By Friday afternoon, the excitement for the night’s festivities was palpable.
Walking into the administrative office earlier in the afternoon to turn in his paperwork for the week, Zac was met with an odd twist of fate.
“Zac Moore? Is that you?” a woman’s surprised voice asked.
Turning to meet his unanticipated greeter, a dirty, sweaty Zac found himself face-to-face with one of America’s highest paid models and her producer husband. The couple had been longtime members of his father’s Brentwood, CA health club location - a location Zac had worked at for several summers through middle school and high school.
“How are you, darling?” The beautiful brunette kissed him on each dirty cheek.
Sticking his hand out for the husband, the man ignored it and embraced Zac in a warm hug.
“What are you doing here is what I want to know?”
Looking down at his dirty forearms, Zac smiled, “I’m here helping out in any way I can.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see William, arms across his chest, face tight. Damn you are an insecure little moron, thought Zac. I’m your ace in the donation hole, douche.
Knowing he had to play it just right, “When I had the opportunity to work with this man here,” he gestured to William, “I knew putting school on hold was the only thing I could do. You two are in for an amazing experience. What he has been able to execute for so many villages is really going to blow you away. You are going to be so proud of what your money is going to do,” he hit them with an assumptive close, “and this weekend you are going to meet the children that are going to be living to their fifth birthdays because of you.”
He paused and offhandedly asked, “How old are India and Oscar now?” The killing blow. He was just glad he was able pull those two names out of his ass.
“Four and seven,” the beauty responded.
Zac nodded solemnly, his eyes grave, “So, you know.” He continued to nod.
She nodded in agreement, her eyes already misting over.
Turning to William, “Well, I won’t hold you up anymore.” And then to the couple, “It was so great to see you. I can’t wait to tell my dad that you’re going to be a part of this. He’s going to love hearing that.” Try backing out of this now.
With last hugs, Zac left the administration hut. I should get a fucking Academy Award, making that douche look like a freaking hero to them and he’s going to look like a freaking hero to his boss when they write that big-assed check.
What does Lily see in that guy? he wondered.
The moon was still massive and low in the sky as the night’s festivities hit full throttle. A cleaned up Zac was looking bad boy hot in faded, ripped jeans and an untucked button down with the sleeves rolled halfway up his tan, muscular forearms, his irreverent lock of hair slashing across his forehead.
The talk around camp was about the hot model and her rich looking husband who had left with William on the donor trip and whether or not they’d be funding projects.
“They’re from California, do you know them?” Jake asked.
Practically spitting out his beer, “It’s a big state, mate, with like 38 million people.” Zac didn’t want to let on that he knew the prospective donors.
“Well, you knew Lily, and you’re both from California.”
“We’re actually from the same town and our dads are involved in a project together.”
“Were you friends with her?” Matt joined the conversation, sweaty cold beer in hand.
“We’d only met once before, a few years ago. Our town is close to 100,000 people and I was in school 3,000 miles away for high school.” Zac tried not to be conspicuous as he scanned the crowd for her.
Arianna Grande’s Break Free began to play and the makeshift dance floor immediately filled up. It had been a few weeks since their last dance party and the ups and downs of failed systems, repaired systems, functional systems, head-banging how the hell are we going to fix this systems all played out in hot, grinding moves in the night. The crew danced closer together than they needed to, as if they were in a packed nightclub. The energy of their body heat was insanely sexually charged, pounding to the heavy bass of the music.
Niles and one of his guys appeared with a small generator and what looked like a framed frosted glass panel with lights mounted on the bottom. Heading over to where the burly Brit was squatted next to his equipment, Zac went to check out what he was up to, stopping along the way to bring him and his helper each a cold beer.
“Hey, what’s this?” Zac squatted next to him.
“As soon as it gets a little darker, all will be revealed.” He focused on his beer.
“Looks like we’ve got some kind of light machine here,” Zac continued to check out the gadget. “You’re totally turning this into a rave, dude.”
“I’m trying.” Niles began to nurse his second beer, his spirits definitely on the lighter side than usual. “Ahh, they’re playing my song,” and he shuffled onto the dance floor as Afrojack’s Ten Feet Tall began to play, his huge frame lumbering awkwardly with total abandon.
As Zac watched the burly redhead, all he could think was, tonight is going to get awfully strange.
He felt her and smelled her before seeing her. When he looked down, she was standing silently by his side watching the raucous mess on the dance floor, an amused look on her face. Without saying anything, he stepped away, leaving her there. Turning back, the look on her face said, “Why are you leaving me?” Very reminiscent of the look on his face after their dance at his father’s wedding. He smiled and held up a finger indicating for her to wait a minute,
returning soon with two cold beers.
Handing her one, “To a fun night,” he toasted.
She clinked her bottle against his, “You’re all about fun, aren’t you?”
Bending down to hear her, he laughed. “I’d prefer to have fun than not have fun.”
She nodded and gave him a half smile.
At the song’s end, Niles came back to where they were standing and approached his machine. “It’s dark enough. Let the show begin,” he announced to Zac and Lily.
As the first strains of Coldplay’s A Sky Full of Stars filled the night, Niles flipped the switch on the generator and a collective “Ooooooo” rose from the crowd as the entire party area was bathed in thousands of tiny points of red and white twinkling lights. Lily looked up at Zac, an amused grin on her face.
Grabbing her free hand, Zac pulled her out onto the dance floor, “How could we not dance under the stars?” he asked.
Nodding, Lily began to dance as she drank her beer. Looking around, she was transfixed on the magic of the lights. “It feels like Christmas,” she yelled over the music.
Zac put his hand on her shoulder as he bent down to hear what she was saying. He nodded, yes.
Play a slow song next. I want to dance with her in my arms again. But the mix tape gods weren’t listening as a Shakira song was up next.
Katje and Anneliese made their way over to Zac and Lily and joined in the dance. As Anneliese began rubbing up on him from behind, it wasn’t her motion that he felt, it was the look on Lily’s face that hit his senses first. She wanted to run, he could feel it. The singer was daring the man to kiss her on the dance floor and before the Germans decided to act it out, Zac grabbed Lily by the hand and pulled her into him. Her reflex action was to pull away, but he held on tight and shook his head telling her not to go. With eyes locked on hers, they stood just inches apart. Both had stopped dancing.
Leaning forward, Zac yelled into Lily’s ear, “I need a beer. Want one?”
She nodded and he grabbed her hand and pulled her off the dance floor.
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