* * *
Cole had pulled off the road in a town called Santa Cruz. He read an ad in the paper saying they were hiring for security at the Boardwalk. He interviewed and the job was his within a matter of minutes. They had been short on workers and the season was already in full swing. The woman who hired him also said that maybe they could have dinner sometime and that she would be glad to show him around town. Cole had taken her number politely and then threw it in the garbage when he stepped outside. He got a room at a motel called The Hitching Post and was due to start work that evening. He decided to rest for awhile as he still had a few hours before work began. As he lay down against the pillow he was surprised that the bed was so comfortable, for the price he was paying he didn't expect comfort to be part of the deal. Even though the bed was relaxing he couldn't seem to let go of his tenseness. The pull inside of him was so strong that he felt Arlana might be nearby. He had been holding his desire for her back, trying to keep it at a low simmer so that he wouldn't explode. He kept telling himself it would still be quite a while because he didn't want to be crushed by disappointment; he was trying to bring longevity to his hope. But the spark inside was so strong he felt like running outside and scouring the streets for her. He held himself back thinking that it was too good to be true… but then, what if it wasn't? He would only have a limited time to find her before they time shifted.