"He fell into step beside me, so close his knuckles brushed mine. "I hear you had yourself a close encounter of the wild kind." "Um-hmm." "Morales said you've seen more mountain lions than anyone around here. Says they practically hang out on your doorstep hoping for a saucer of milk and a scratch behind the ears." He meant cougar--mountain lion is an American term. "I live in the park," I said. "I'm going to see a lot of wild animals." "Still, mountain lions...Never seen one myself." He slid a sidelong look my way. "Think you could fix that?" , I thought, but just kept walking. "Never been in your park either," he said. "What do you say I come over tonight? We can take a walk, look for big cats, watch the stars come out..." I laughed. "Do lines like that work?" He only smiled. "Can't blame a guy for trying."