Devil's Desire {A BWLM Novella}

2

Three years later...

Three years. Three whole years since I let anyone close. Three years since I let myself even think about stepping back into the chaos that is dating. But tonight? Tonight felt different. Maybe it was the lingering summer heat, or maybe it was the way the city hummed with life, making me itch for something new, something bold. So, what did I do? I set up a profile on that stupid dating app that everyone kept pushing on me.

And just like that, I was back in the game. Well, sort of. I wasn't exactly holding my breath. If anything, I was bracing for the usual awkward small talk and cringy pick-up lines. But when my phone buzzed, I got something else entirely.

Stranger: Do you prefer to be wined and dined, or are you a straight-to-the-point kind of woman?

I had to read it twice. Who starts a conversation like that? My first instinct was to roll my eyes, but then curiosity got the better of me. I clicked on his profile, expecting some wannabe player with too much confidence and not enough substance.

But this guy? No. This man was a whole different story. His photos screamed danger—the kind of danger that made your heart skip a beat for all the wrong reasons. The kind of guy you know you should stay far, far away from... but your pulse picks up anyway. Great. Just great.

Athena: I thought this app screened for catfish scams.

Stranger:Ha! You think I'm a catfish?

Athena:Why else would you be messaging me? Trust me, I'm not your type.

Stranger: And what do you know about my type? Tell me. I'm intrigued.

I smirked. This guy thought he was smooth. Maybe he was. But I wasn't about to make it easy for him.

Athena:Let's see here... How about a BBL model with blowfish lips?

Stranger:😂 Not quite, try again.

Athena:How about Free Willy.

Stranger: A whale? Seriously!

Athena: 🤷🏾‍♀️

Stranger:Ouch! What's wrong with wanting to get to know a nice girl?

Athena:I think we've established I'm not nice.

Stranger:Fair enough. What a shame though, I eat nice girls for breakfast 💦👅...

Athena:You are a 👉🏽🤡

Stranger: How about you meet up with me and see for yourself that I'm not a catfish?

Athena:No thanks. I'd rather not.

Stranger:Devils' Kitchen @ 9:00 pm. I'll be there, and I'm hoping you will be too.

Devils' Kitchen? Seriously? That place is upscale to the point of being ridiculous. My stomach did this weird flip. Not because of him—I wasn't that easily swayed—but because of the idea of stepping into a place like that. A Michelin-starred restaurant wasn't exactly my normal scene, but the thought of experiencing that level of food? Yeah, that was tempting. Very tempting.

And if I was being honest with myself, there was a part of me that was curious. Just a tiny part. I closed the app, mentally convincing myself that it wasn't about him. It was about the food, the experience. That's all.

~~

After a long shift at the Cheesecake Factory—where I spent most of my time wishing I was doing something more with my culinary degree—I headed home. The shower felt like a reset button. I scrubbed away the grease and the exhaustion, letting the hot water work its magic. Then, I threw on my new pink Living Single sweatshirt. It was snug, but I liked the way it hugged my curves. Paired with black skinny jeans and my pink-and-black Jordans, I felt... comfortable. Not trying too hard, but not exactly slumming it, either. My wash and go was fresh and moisted, and a quick swipe of berry lip gloss had me feeling a little more like myself.