They met through a friend, back when she still had a boyfriend. She was cute and young, and she still had baby fat in the right places that made her inviting. At first it had been mostly phone calls after her boyfriend had left her house or her mom had gone to bed. Alex enjoyed talking to her, but only as a cheetah whispers to the gazelle he’s about to hunt. He continually drew the conversations away from writing, and music and dreams and closer to the outcome he dreamt of almost nightly. She was closed off at first but eventually her defenses broke down. Juliana was eighteen, barely, and she thought she was in love with her boyfriend. Alex made her wonder about that. She was surprised she began flirting back and even helped find a night they could meet.

"We should go grab a bite," Alex suggested. He ultimately didn’t care as long as they were alone.

"Alright, where?" The girl never made decisions, she just went along with it until she had to say no. She cradled the phone with her shoulder and pulled her shoulder-length blonde hair back into a ponytail. It bounced and sprang with her youth. Alex couldn’t see it but knew innocent and trusting Juliana could be, in her own way.

They decided on Mexican food and he picked her up four or five houses down the road from her parent’s house. She was wearing a dress, short and clingy, but it wasn’t tight. Alex tried containing himself as her legs got into the car. They smiled at each other and Juliana almost giggled.

"Ready?"

"Yep," and they were off. Juliana’s only request was they went somewhere that Carl wouldn’t’ be or go to. She didn’t feel like she was doing anything wrong, but she was exhilarated and her voice was caught in her throat. She watched the road swoon and curve, hoping they would have a good time. She smiled and this time did giggled as he opened the door for her at El Madre, a small homey places a few steps off the beaten path. It was busy, but there was room for a two-top in the corner. A few minutes later, the waitress came over and took their orders. Alex excused himself to the bathroom but actually went to the bar in the next room. He bought two strawberry margaritas for he and his under-aged friend. Juliana’s eyes widened and she giggle-smiled as she delicately took the margarita from him. Alex had his own smiled, one of confidence and excitement that only alcohol could bring. Anything could happen now.

They had been talking about stupid and immature things, about the high schools they had gone to, and a couple of people it turned out they both knew. Once Juliana had begun her second drink, they were talking about her and Carl, though Juliana loved Alex’s smile and they way he listened to her and looked in to her eyes. She looked down and swirled the drink with her straw.

"I don’t know," she said, smiling and moving the drink so that her food could be put on the table. The large, brightly-colored dressed woman smiled joyously and exclaimed what a cute couple they were. Neither of them corrected her.

"So?" Alex prodded. The tequila was treating him differently than it was for her.

"I don’t know." She was getting drunk but was trying to be firm.

"Alright," he said and dropped it. He had a chile relleno in front of him and Juliana had taquitos. She thought the place was really cool and new to her. Carl always seemed to take her to the same restaurants. She never really minded until she had gone to a new place, with a new person. Juliana was living a new life right then, as exciting as when a guy thinks himself a spy. So, they ate their dinner and the conversation receded meanwhile into silly things again. Alex figure that since she wanted to meet him privately the night would go well eventually and so he was in no hurry. They had another margarita before they left.

As Alex opened the car door for her, Juliana stood there for a second, swaying in the purple summer breeze. "Are you alright, Juliana?" God, he thought, I hope she’s not too drunk.

Her eyes focused on him bright and young. "Let’s go to the beach!" she exclaimed and nearly bounced while waiting for his response. Alex had a blanket, golf course and flask planned but he figured blanket, beach and flask would go just as well.

"Perfect!" he replied.

The drive was quiet and smooth. Somehow an important decision had been made in the last five minutes and now they both were condemned to it. Alex grabbed two blankets, the flask and some fruit he had bought before picking her up. It’s always better to be prepared than not, his older brother had taught him. Juliana was feeling good and did not notice the flask or the fruit. She was excited now, bouncing up and down a little and Alex glanced at the young, jiggling breasts and smiled. They walked hand in hand down to the beach as best they could because both his hands were full. She told Alex a story about going to the beach when she was a little girl.

"It was so cool, I had my little fluorescent pink and green one piece, making a sand castle with my brother."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she said, and then hopped in front of Alex, walking backwards to conclude the story. "And we had it almost perfect, with little sand crabs in our moat and everything."

"What happened?"

"The tide came up," she said, reliving the memory. "It washed away the castle, and it kind of melted into the sand. My brother and I tried to save it but it was gone." Juliana stopped walking aad Alex almost ran into her. She looked sad. He dropped the blankets, asked her to close her eyes, to which she smiled and asked coyly why and he just insisted she do it. She did and Alex pulled out a strawberry and some honey. He patiently squeezed some honey onto the end of the strawberry and told her to open her eyes. She did. "Oh God, Alex, I looooooove strawberries!" she squealed and her eyes shined like night jewels and softly chomped on the sweet red fruit.

"Good," he said modestly, and then his drunk date stood on her tiptoes and went to kiss him, strawberry, honey, tongue and all. Alex took it on, and they laughed, lips still locked as small, half-chewed pieces of strawberry fell out the sides. "Hey, we’re stoked, I got a lot of strawberries," he said and smiled. Then he picked up the blankets and continued along down to the black sound of the night ocean. They hit the sand and they were alone. Juliana kicked off her sandals and threw her arms in the air, spinning and gleeful to the moment. Alex spread the blankets out and took a quick swig from the flask. He called her over.

"What’s in here?"

"Rum."

"Oh yeah?" she asked. She loved the attention she was getting. This new life was much more interesting than her real one, she thought. Her real one. With Carl. Juliana stopped bouncing, spinning, smiling and her body sagged for a moment.

"Nothing," she answered, after Alex had asked her what was the matter. Juliana sat heavily on the blankets. "I shouldn’t be doing this."

"Doing what?" Oh God, Alex thought, she drank too much.

"I have a boyfriend, Alex" She was drunk but spoke officially. "This isn’t right."

"Juliana," he laughed, "we haven’t done anything wrong."

"I know, it just feels funny, that’s all."

"It’s ok, girl," he said and sat next to her on the blanket. The night was dark, the ocean was whispering and he could feel sand on the blanket.

"I know, I know." She looked away into the darkness. Her mind was racing with debates and arguments.

"Look at me Juliana," he demanded softly.

"What?"

"Have you had a good time tonight?" Alex decided he would start from the beginning.

"Yeah," she admitted and a flicker of a smile ignited on her face.

"Isn’t this great, here and now?" he asked. "The world is ours right now, this whole beach, and the night, and our thoughts. We own it all."

"Yeah." Juliana couldn’t decide what to do. Her legs were Indian crossed and even in the dark moonless night he could see a glint of her white panties. He needed it, wanted it and it motivated him to get them there to this point. Alex smiled and looked at her. She had been watching him and knew. "Maybe we should go, Alex," she said. They’re all the same, she thoguht, it doesn’t matter how cool they are at the start, they all want the same thing. She stood with some effort.

"Alright," he said, eating one of the strawberries. "You know what though, I’m gonna need a little time to sober up first." He drank from the brown flask.

"Ok."

"I’m not gonna try anything," he said sadly, bowing his head. They sat still and nearly motionless for an hour and itt was only then that they realized they had nothing in common. There were still nights though, where he was a spy and she was a new woman, but they never saw each other again.