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( CHAPTER ELEVEN: THE RIOTS ) April, 1992
❝ justice for rodney king! ❞
◯
Devon's smile gleamed in the sun, the young man's delighted gales of laughter flooding the quaint, empty dessert shop, laughing hysterically at Nikki's amusing comment. It was hard to believe how undeniably charming this woman was, despite the fact that Devon's mind has been a jumbled mess, she had such an uncanny ability to make all his worries go away.
Here he was, going on another date with her, and this time, it was a big improvement to their last encounter, where everything ended in shambles. This time Nikki took the liberty of showing Devon around South Central LA, in the neighbourhood where she grew up. They chatted, walked in the crisp afternoon air, discovering more about each other.
It was hard to believe that Devon was so hesitant to accept her offer for another date. She was everything he wanted in a woman, and he was willing to turn her down? Once again, Devon couldn't believe how blind he was when she was exactly what he needed in his life, she was a positive, vibrant and she made him happy. "Here, taste this," Nikki grinned, scooping up a piece of cake from her plate and pushing the utensil forward.
Devon leaned forward, his mouth sliding onto her spoon, allowing her to feed him as he excitedly consumed the dessert. "Not bad," Devon said, shifting his body in his seat so that he could face her. They sat side by side at a small table near the cafe window, allowing them to look out in the street. The neighbourhood bared a slight resemblance to Harlem, mainly due to the large African American presence that filtered through the streets.
"I use to come here all the time when I was a little girl," Nikki said, honeyed arms bent over the table, and Devon looked at her closely as her brown eyes shone with childlike joy. "I got a whole lotta cavities from this place, it fucked up my teeth," Nikki laughed, and Devon's face beamed at the sight of her smile.
"Can't tell," Devon mumbled in a sweet trance, "Your smile is beautiful." Nikki gave him a mischievous smirk, her bouncy mane of hair slipping past her smooth shoulders and stopping above her hips. "Yours is pretty cute too," Nikki mused, her thumb brushing along the deep indentation of Devon's dimple, the young man's cheek feeling warm underneath her touch.
"So, tell me," Nikki said, smacking her plump pair of lips together as she leaned forward, "How many girls had the pleasure of your company?" Nikki shifted forward, a smirk tailing the ends of her sweet lips as Devon suddenly grew uncomfortable. His history with relationships wasn't exactly a great topic for conversation, especially on a date with a girl that he really liked.
"Not many," Devon bleakly said, offering her an uneasy smile. "C'mon lover boy, tell the truth," Nikki teased, nudging him playfully. "I'm being honest," Devon replied, laughing off his brewing discomfort, reluctant to disclose such details about his personal life. However, Nikki was being persistent, and it appeared that she refused to drop the subject anytime soon.
