A/N: I don't eat healthy by any means. Any and all things I say about nutrition and dieting are complete shots into the dark.

I turned the bottle over and proceeded to read the back, scanning the list with light skepticism – nowadays there are always more ingredients than needed. The soft, elevator music of the store hummed in the background as I repeated the process with a different bottle. Firm, but light footsteps approached and stopped next to me, but it wasn't until he spoke that I noticed.

"Claire?" Surprised, I looked up and immediately wished I hadn't.

Ace Kelly - his very name had left a sour taste in my mouth since our first introduction. A mutual friend had encouraged us out onto a blind date that had turned into a night full of arguing. At first, his drawling southern accent and rugged looks had charmed and endeared me... if only he hadn't opened his mouth. Our opinions had clashed on all manner of things, but that wasn't what ruined our date. Ace and I shared, it had seemed, only one thing in common: our relentless determination to convince others that our opinions were valid, if not completely to completely change their opinion.

Feigning cheerfulness, I managed to gasp out a greeting. "You look well," I told him, working hard to keep from sounding awkward.

"You too," he smiled out of reflex alone, his eyes and mind obviously concentrated on the bottle in my hand. I could tell he had a comment to make by the way his eyes gleamed and his smirk widened. My eyebrows rose up of their own accord, daring him to speak his mind. "...you buy that crap?"

Of course he'd knock being healthy, I mentally seethed. It was so very like him to have a strong opinion on something as simple as mineral supplements.

"Mineral supplements?" I hoped I sounded as condescending as I was trying to be. "Yes, I do. They're good for you, but I suppose you wouldn't know that." I had no idea if he would know that or not, but I sincerely hoped his opinion was pulled from thin air alone.

To my surprise, he laughed. It was the loud, booming kind that drew the attention of everyone within earshot and made them wish they knew what was so funny too. "Dahlin', that little act doesn't fool me. I'm perfectly healthy without supplementing my minerals and you are too. You've got to know that stuff is completely unnecessary."

I frowned and glanced reflexively down at the bottle in my hand. "What?" I snapped defensively, "You don't get enough minerals in a normal diet – this just makes up for that. I've been taking them my whole life." Ace put a large, warm hand on my shoulder as he leaned in to read the bottle. I tried to relax my suddenly tense muscles as he read aloud, breath tickling my ear.

"B12? You know that B12 does literally nothing for you, right? There are tests to prove that one, girl, Google it." He spoke lowly, seeming amused and surprised. "I didn't really take you for a health nut." That gave me pause because, if I were to be labeled anything, it would be a health-nut.

I wasn't sure whether to feel insulted by that or not, so I went with a neutral, not-insulted response. "I wouldn't call it being a health nut, I'm just conscious of my dietary decisions." I realized how stupid I sounded as I said it, but it poured out of my mouth regardless. There was another reason not to like Ace; around him, the filter between my brain and my mouth seemed to stop working. I hated being percieved as stupid.

Something in my face must have gotten to him, because his next words were much less competitve. "To what extent?" The tone of geniue interest had me lowering my guard, surprised and flustered. My diet was a fairly strict regime, but it was so ingrained into my routine that thinking of actual guidelines proved tricky. "I stay to a three-thousand-a-day calorie diet, I don't eat meat, I don't put anything extra on my foods like salt or ranch, and desserts and 'junk foods' aren't part of my diet at all."

Blinking, I looked up and realized that, although his hand had withdrawn, he was hovering close enough that I could tell which shade of 'green' his eyes were. Forest green eyes were staring at me with obvious skepticism; he seemed not to notice our proximity. "I'm probably leaving some things out... I don't really have to think about it, I've had the same diet forever. My whole family is like this." I'd been using 'like this' to explain to friends why I declined ice cream and birthday cake since I was a girl, but it came out sounding as if we all had a disease everytime.

"No meat? No desserts?" Ace asked, face full of incredulity. I began wandering slowly down the aisle, partly in an attempt to compose myself, but mostly because I still had shopping to do; he kept pace.

I picked up a sugar-free box of cereal and placed it in my basket. "Nope. I've never felt the need to try meat. As for desserts..." I paused, considering my words carefully as to not sound vapid, "- well, there's no real reason to ever eat them." I laughed, remembering countless attempts to force me into trying this or that – most unsuccessful. "What's so great about that junk, anyway?" I challenged with a playful roll of my eyes.

The look on Ace's face assured me that I had unknowingly made a mistake in my wording. I watched as a sly smirk slid across his lips. "You've been missing out and, being the nice guy that I am, I'll show you just how much. By the time I'm done with you, you'll be converted from your healthy ways." His tone suggested deeper meanings, but I dismissed it for paranoia.

"If you say so," I said lightly, not sure exactly how serious he was. We changed aisles in comfortable silence.

"Ice cream?" He questioned suddenly.

I glanced over with a bewildered smile. Too common to not have been forced down my throat at some point, I thought privately. With a snort, I told him, "Tried it once or twice."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw him frown as he carelessly looked around the shelves. I fully faced him when I heard an almost victorious 'aha!' "Hershey syrup?" He almost looked challenging, daring me to lie and say I'd had it before.

"Never had any," I admitted with a hapless shrug. His let his jaw drop for effect and shook his head in mock disbelief.

He saddled up close and set it in my basket. "You're trying this whether you buy it or I buy it, dear," his voice had lowered a very noticeable notch. As quickly as it came, it was gone. Ace moved on, picking up a pack of hot dogs and raising an eyebrow.

"Looked disgusting and I'm a vegetarian!" I defended myself quickly, knowing firsthand how incredulous people became at my never having a hot dog before. With an exasperated sigh, he tossed it in my basket, ignoring my huff. Was I going to pay for things he was attempting to force me into experiencing?

I stopped him in front of the fish section in large part amusement and small part annoyance. "Just how will you know I even tried any of this?" I couldn't contain my teasing smile.

He looked down at me with a full-watt grin that promised things I wouldn't like... or, perhaps things I'd like too much; either way, I was wary. "Easy, dahlin', you and I are having food-testing and movies at my place tonight," he spoke so casually that even I was momentarily fooled into thinking such gatherings were normal. Just as I made to decline and protest vigorously, Ace turned earnest eyes on me and asked, almost cautiously, "You will, won't you?"

I sighed, feeling distinctly bullied into the whole thing, but unable and perhaps unwilling to back out. "I guess..." I hedged, watching his lips quirk into a crooked smile. He turned more fully towards me and made me flush with his proximity – way too close for comfort, my senses told me as they went into overload.

Ace opened his mouth to say something, eyes dark, but was cut off by a furious buzzing. I watched as he fished out his cell phone and answered it with a fierce frown. He muttered too lowly to hear into the receiver, but made no move to walk away for privacy. I wondered, to myself, what that meant. "I've got to jet, but I'll pick you up around six – okay?" I wasn't sure that was okay at all, but his tone suggested that it wasn't really a question.

I tried not to breathe in his cologne as I replied in the affirmative, feeling dumbstruck and silly the moment he turned his back. Watching him saunter off, I was struck by the memory of our last, diasterous date. Even today, we'd been dangerously close to arguing - so why had I said yes to spending more time, alone, in his company? Swiftly, I was hit by a more pressing question: why had he wanted to spend more time in my company?

It wasn't until I was at the cashier that I realized he hadn't bought anything... and that sent my mind racing with even more unwanted questions.

This IS a chapter story, but I will not be working full-time on it until Swimming Backwards is completed. As always, reviews are very much appreciated.