Kira huffed. “C’mon, Zack, it’s Dating 101. You never let a guy pick you up, even if you are one. What if you realize you can’t stand him and want to leave?”

“I could always jump out of the car. If James Dean had done that, he might still be alive.”

Kira growled.

“I’m just kidding, okay?”

“Just be safe, sweet. It’ll give Alexa and me some peace of mind.”

Zack pulled on his nicest pair of jeans and a tight white T-shirt before slipping the jacket over his shoulders. When he glanced in the mirror, he was a little taken aback. He looked good: elegant but with a hint of danger. The dark colors contrasted nicely with the white and complemented his swarthy features. Now he regretted all the times he’d worn the jacket with stuffy collared shirts. It was meant to be dressed down, just like Zack.

“And this is why all those hours in the gym were worth it.” Zack grabbed his phone. “All right, I’m dressed.”

“Send me a pic.”

Zack obediently took a photo of himself and sent it to Kira.

She whistled a moment later. “Damn, son. You clean up nice.”

“Let’s hope John thinks so too.”

Zack let Kira give him a few more sage words of advice and then hung up. He grabbed his things, patted Ziggy good-bye, and made his way to the bus station. Thirty minutes later, after an uneventful ride down the Metro Purple Line, Zack found himself in one of the nicer areas of East Hollywood: Melrose Hill.

The streets weren’t crowded, but there were plenty of people out and about: couples strolling down the sidewalks, friends sitting outside of cafés, and people who, judging by their clothes, were about to embark on a night on the town. He could smell cologne, hair spray, and fake tan on the air.

He strolled past a cluster of young women in vibrant cocktail dresses. He glanced their way and saw that a few of them were watching him. One woman with a mountain of beautiful, blonde hair piled on top of her head made eye contact and then smiled in a practiced way. Zack couldn’t resist. He winked rakishly. The women burst into giggles, talking to each other behind their hands. Zack strutted past.

Just as his confidence was on the rise, he turned a corner and spotted a bar called the Dime. That was where he was supposed to meet John.

Seeing it made it that much more real. He was going on a date. With John. Right now.

Apprehension flooded into him with all the force of a burst dam. If he screwed this up, he would lose the only guy he’d even remotely connected with in . . . Well, ever.