As we stepped inside the event, my eyes were filled with a magical scene of flowers and twinkle lights surrounding women dressed in glamorous gowns and men in dapper tuxedos. Each face was dotted with mystery by the mask on their faces. It was just as I had always imagined the ball in Romeo and Juliet.

"Ugh, I have zero reception in here," Stina complained from beside me. "Let's hit up the bar; the odds are that's where Jay will be anyway."

As we stood in line for drinks, I let my eyes glance across the room. They paused on a twirling couple on the dancefloor that gazed longingly into each other's eyes. I felt a smile tip my lips as I watched them before tearing away to continue to survey the room.

That's when I saw him for the first time. He was there in a sea of tuxedos, but his brown hair and deep chocolate eyes drew me to him. He met my gaze, and instantly I felt a surge through me. He was a stranger, but somehow he was so familiar.

I was just about to float away from Stina to this hypnotic man when from behind me I heard in a low voice, "I am Batman."

"Too late," Stina giggled as she tapped Jay's chest playfully. "I already pulled that one in the limo, and it killed."

"Oh man, I thought I was the only one that thought of that," Jay said dejectedly.

"Great minds think alike," Stina shrugged.

"Though fools seldom differ," I said in unison with a voice said behind me.

I turned to see the chocolate brown eyes right behind me as his lips tipped in a flirty smile.

"How the hell would you know that?" Jay laughed. "I mean, from these two geeks, I expected it, but you?"

"I'm honestly not sure how I knew the full quote," the stranger shrugged as his smile went off-kilter to an alluring crook.

"Introductions!" Stina announced. "Sadie, this is Harris and Harris, this is Sadie."

"Ah, the elusive Sadie. I've heard rumors that you existed, but I was forced to start believing that Stina made you up, given no proof of your actual existence and the glowing stories I've heard."

"Glowing?" I raised an eyebrow at Stina.

"Hey, I got your back."

"Well, I guess that's better than leading with the Oscar the Grouch dress," I shrugged.

"Actually, I found that the green and pink set off your porcelain complexion," Harris teased.

"Jay, how could you?" Stina chided.

"I looked at my phone, he looked at my phone, what was I suppose to do. I didn't know that was what you were sending," Jay argued.

"Remind me never to sent you any nudes!" Stina shook her head at Jay.

"Oh, babe, don't be like that! I'll do better," Jay pleaded as they stepped up to the bar.

"It's very nice to meet you, Sadie. You look wonderful tonight," Harris dipped his face close to my ear so I could hear him over the noise of the party.

"Thank you, that's very kind of you to say."

"It'd be kind if it were a stretch; I only speak the truth."

"Well, aren't you the charmer?" I teased, causing him to dip his face further in a blush.

"Would you care to dance?" He offered after a moment as he lifted a hand to me.

"I'd love to," I smiled.

As we joined the dancefloor, the fluttering couple I had been entranced by earlier gave us an encouraging nod. Harris' hand slipped to the small of my back as I reach for his shoulder to stabilize myself. He let his other hand linger in the air as he waited for me to grasp it. When I did, he began to waltz deftly to the music.

"Wow, a man that knows how to waltz," I noted.

"Believe it or not, it's not a skill widely appreciated these days, but my nana insisted, and who am I to say no to Nana."

"Your nana sounds like a smart woman."

"Oh, she's intelligent, stubborn, opinionated. Quite the pain in the ass all and all, but I love her," he smiled down at me as I melted further into him.

As we continued to dance, Harris let our outstretched hands pull closer until the back of my hand was resting comfortably on his chest, and I was drawn even into him. As we twirled and chatted easily, I couldn't help but feel as though I had already met him, like I had already fallen for him once before.

"Are you getting tired?"

I let a sigh out and begrudgingly admitted, "yes."

"We could get a drink?" He offered.

"Mmhmm, but just a few more moments," I dreamily said as I let my head fall to his chest.

"I'll give you all the moments you want," he whispered, causing me to lift my face to him.

"There's something so familiar about you," my brow furrowed while I inspected him further.

As though he could read my mind, he reached up and pulled his mask from his face. I had the striking feeling that I had gazed into these deep pools before.

"May I?" He murmured as his hand lifted to the edge of my mask. I slightly nodded before he lifted my mask from my face. "You're so beautiful," he murmured as he let a finger glide down the side of my face. It sent a wave of heat through my body that resulted in a shiver. "Are you cold? I can give you my jacket?"

"No, no," I offered quickly. "I'm fine."

His face dipped closer to mine. "Maybe we should get that drink."

He was so close I could feel his peppermint-laden breath course over my face.

"Mmhmm, a drink," I absently agreed with no intention of pulling away from him.

"There's something so familiar about you," he mused to himself.

"Maybe we're fated," I offered with a teasing smile.

"Stina did say you were quite the Romeo and Juliet fan."

"Yeah, I want a Romeo, minus the death part."

"Oh, of course. No death is needed for us. The only family grudge my family has is between my nana and the neighborhood dry cleaners. One lost button, and the woman never forgets; meanwhile, I pee on her favorite dress when I'm three, she finds it adorable, and every girl I bring home hears about it."

"That's adorable," I smiled up at him.

"That seems to be the consensus. Like I said, my nana is a smart lady."

I let my head fall back to his chest. Through the sound of the music and chatter of the crowd, I could just make out the flutter of his heart.

"Your heart is beating fast," I noted.

"It is," he agreed.

"Do you want to stop dancing?"

"It's not the dancing that is making my heart race," he corrected, causing me to blush. "Sadie," his voice called to me, pulling my face up to meet his gaze, "may I kiss you?"

In a daze of emotion, "yes" slipped from my mouth. As our lips met, my mind tried to decern if this was really happening or if I was lost in some epic dream. After a moment, it didn't matter. As my lips danced with his and the warmth filled me, I didn't care if it was real or not. At that moment, I was in the arms of my Romeo. His hand lifted to cradle the back of my neck. Again my mind searched for the familiar moment, with no luck in placing it. Our lips parted as our tongues began to explore each other tentatively. Then, as quickly as it started, our lips separated, and his forehead leaned on mine.

"I like you, Sadie," he murmured as his warm breath flowed over my face.

"I like you too, Harris," I agreed readily. I closed my eyes and felt him against me as my mind continued to try to place how familiar it all was. As it whirled through random moments and vague recollections of dreams, the only coherent thought I could muster was, "thank you William Shakespeare."