Feel Special

22

"Seriously Matt, an arcade? I don't even know how to play half of these games" Dalia flayed her hands around, emphasizing her statement. Matthew had invited her out with the instruction to wear something casual. Dalia didn't expect to be taken to an arcade nor for Matthew to suggest they played against each other.
"You will enjoy yourself, it will be fun. Trust me" Matthew gently smiled at Dalia, slowly reaching out for her hand until he held it.
"I trust you" Dalia said, looking at Matthew directly in the eyes. She was really feeling things for him already and she was scared.

Dalia doesn't really want anyone near her. Sure, there was a person after Richard dumped her but he didn't stick around for long. Dalia had given him up for a friend's happiness. Dalia often wonders if she never gave him up, would they still be together? It didn't matter anymore though, the man and the woman were happy and she...she was just as single as ever but at least she has a courtship, something that's way better than just being the other girl in his life which she unfortunately is.

After walking around the arcade, the two decided to try a basketball machine since it didn't need that much of an experience, just throwing balls in the hoops. "Swipe the card" Dalia said, feeling excited all of a sudden. Matthew had a membership card for the arcade and whenever he wanted to okay, he could play with whatever money it had or add more and in this case, he added €7 to the card.
Matthew swiped the card before pressing start and the hoops began moving from right to left while the balls all lined up at arms reach.

The timer was ticking by and Dalia was really and I mean really trying to get at least one ball through the hoop but it always bounced on the edge it hit on top of it. With only a few seconds left, Dalia just carelessly threw the ball before the timer hit zero. She jumped for joy yelling in happiness.
"Matthew I scored! Did you see? I got it through!" She jumped around for a few seconds before noticing she only got two tickets. With a small huff, she watched Matthew play and he got in as many balls as he could before the time hit zero.

The couple moved to a few more games before they stumbled upon a claw machine. There was a small periwinkle kitten plushie that was on top of the many other prizes which immediately piqued Dalia's interest. She took the card from Matthew before swiping and trying to get that plushie. Dalia wanted it and what Dalia wants, she gets it - no MATTER WHAT.

"Noo! Come on! Matthew, please hand me the card again" Matthew just smiled and shook his head a no.
"There's no more money left, you finished it" Dalia narrowed her eyes at him, looking at the little mole that was next to his lips then onto the small dimple on his left cheek and finally his pink lips. Her body temperature was rising as she took in his smiling face, his pointed noise to his shining brown eyes and not forgetting his big and I mean big ears. He was so handsome and apart for his beautiful features, he was also so down-to-earth and sometimes too quiet. She liked him, she does and she is so afraid. The last time she felt like this was for Richard and that was years ago. She had casual relationships over the years and even had one that had a potential of being a long-term relationship but stuff happens.

"Why are you looking at me" Matthew asked after a few minutes, holding a periwinkle kitten plushie in his hands.
"You're so beautiful" Dalia unconsciously said.
"Thank you, you're very beautiful too. You're cute also and so short, I could confuse you with a university student" Matthew said, poking Dalia's rounding cheek.
"I'm tall, I'm 168cm thank you very much. You're not even that tall"
"I don't even know my height, I'm just living"
"I wouldn't know mine too but as a model, our height and weight were constantly checked and I'm too old to grow anymore." Dalia explained before her smile just completely vanished, those days. Those days she used to pose in front of cameras, she misses them though. She's bored out of her wits nowadays.
"Right~ you never told me why you stopped modelling..." Matthew trailed off giving Dalia a chance to talk if she wants to.
"My contract expired and I didn't renew it" Dalia simply said in a passive voice - one that screamed ‘I don't wanna talk about it’ - and Matthew didn't press it any further.

After driving Dalia to a walking distance to Audrey's house, Matthew turned and faced Dalia. He smiled when he saw the little tint on Dalia's cheeks. Matthew reached out to the backseat and instructed Dalia to shut her eyes and hold out her hands. Dalia did so without question and Matthew placed the plushie on Dalia's hands.
"Open your eyes" he said in a low voice. Dalia gently flicked her eyes open before gasping. The plushie she wanted was on her hands but what really made her gasp was the fact that the moon was casting its light down at Matthew and he looked ethereal.
"Thank you. I love it." Dalia wasn't sure if she loved her new plushie or if she loved the view of the man that'll haunt her dreams that night.
"Of course you do. I noticed you wanted this one in particular and I got it for you. Goodnight" Matthew said, not really liking the idea of parting ways but it was inevitable at that time.
"Goodnight" Dalia opened the door and the cold wind blew into the car. "It's a cold night" she said more to herself before looking back at Matthew and taking the leap of faith. She gave him a kiss on the cheek before scurrying out of the car.

Dalia was a blushing mess by the time she reached the house but hadn't expected to meet Bradley on the way in.
"Where were you today? I waited for you." Bradley was really not in a good mood and it was visible in the way he spoke with Dalia in such a stern voice.
"Out, I had company" Dalia never told Bradley that she saw her blind date time and time again and she didn't see the need to. It was her life and her relationship.
"Sure you did, tell me next time so I don't wait for you like a fool" Bradley brushed past Dalia who just rolled her eyes at him before skipping towards her room.

Meanwhile...as Matthew drove down the streets of Carbonia, he thought back to the little kiss Dalia gave him and he didn't feel a thing other than the lingering feelings of her small and warm lips.