A San Diego Romance. Kianna Alexander

tipped the employee, then started walking toward Front Street. “It turns out that if you make a generous donation to the zoo’s improvement fund, you can have the place all to yourself for a private tour.”

      She blinked a few times. “You mean...”

      “Yep. There aren’t any other visitors here.”

      Amazed, she asked, “What are we supposed to do in an empty zoo?”

      He chuckled. “It’s not like the animals and their caregivers went home, you know.”

      She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”

      He guided her down the footpath through Koalafornia Boardwalk. “I remembered how much you loved the koalas, so I thought we’d spend some time at the koala exhibit.”

      She felt the smile stretching her lips as they passed through the carnival-like section of the zoo that led to the koalas. “You remember that? That was ages ago.”

      They crossed through Bieler Plaza and into the Outback section where the koala exhibit was located. “Of course I do. Remember when we came here that summer after you came home from freshman year of college?”

      She smiled at the memory. “I remember. I was at the height of my koala obsession.” She found the animals adorable, and right now, she thought Chris was pretty cute, too. “You bought me that giant stuffed koala from the gift shop. I still have it...somewhere.”

      “You kept it all these years, huh?” He placed a hand over his heart. “I’m touched that you held on to it.”

      She couldn’t help laughing at his silliness.

      They approached the koala exhibit and were greeted by a uniformed employee who introduced herself with a smile. “I’m Alice, and I’ll be facilitating your experience tonight.”

      After greetings were exchanged, they were led behind the exhibit to a small building. Eliza was delighted as she and Chris were treated to a private, up-close look at the twenty or so koalas in the habitat. She watched them nibble eucalyptus leaves, saw them napping in quiet corners of the yard, and even saw a few joeys huddled against their mothers. As they watched the scene, Alice regaled them with many interesting facts about the cute furry creatures.

      By the time they left, Eliza felt gleeful. She’d never forget her experience tonight. Turning to Chris as they walked back to his car, she said genuinely, “Thank you for this. It was amazing.”

      “I did promise you’d enjoy it, didn’t I?” He reached for her hand.

      She let him hold her hand. After what he’d just done for her, he deserved that much. “I can’t believe you’d do all this for me.” The gesture had been incredibly sweet, and far beyond what any of her other boyfriends had ever done for her.

      “Why not, Eliza? This is how you deserve to be treated.”

      She looked up into his eyes, saw the sincerity there. Dragging her gaze away before she fell under his spell, she faked a yawn. “What time is it?”

      He looked at his wristwatch. “After ten.”

      “You can just drop me back at Ellicott’s. My car is there.”

      Once they were both strapped into their seats, he did as she asked.

      Back at the boutique, he walked her to her car. “I had a great time tonight, Eliza. And I’d really like to see you again.”

      Her breath caught when she heard his softly spoken words. Her heart pounded in her ears with all the intensity of a Max Roach drum solo. Parts of her were elated, but other parts of her were...unsure. “I don’t know, Chris.”

      “I don’t want to pressure you. But I had to let you know how I feel.”

      She exhaled slowly. “Tell you what. Let me think about it, and I’ll get back to you.”

      He offered a slight smile. “Fair enough. Good night, Eliza.”

      “Good night, Chris.”

      After she pulled out, she looked in her rearview mirror and saw him idling at the curb for a moment before he hung a U-turn and drove off into the night.