𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐋 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐘𝐎𝐔, kv

𝐯𝐢𝐢.

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"Got somebody, she is a beauty. Very special, really and truly. Take good care of me like it's her duty. Want you right by my side, night and dayyy."

Maelani's voice and laughter filled the air, a melodic sound that created a sense of comfort and warmth throughout the moving vehicle.

Dayvon couldn't help but steal glances at her every now and then, his focus battling between the road ahead of him and the enigmatic woman seated in the passenger seat beside him, singing loudly along to No letting go by Wayne Wonder.

The survey of his hotel ended a while ago, so after parting ways with her team, Maelani decided to hold up her promise, which was to let him take her out for lunch. She was hungry anyway.

Dayvon let out a low chuckle with a shake of his head before he decided to join in her antics. "No letting go, no holding back. Because you are my lady. When I'm with you, it's alla that. Girl, I'm so glad we dated."

A giggle erupted from her glossed lips as she glanced over at him, causing a weird flutter to appear in his chest.

"Soooo, where exactly are we going?"

"That's fa me to know, and fa you to dot, dot, dot."

He shot her a teasing smirk, his smirk growing when she rolled her eyes with a scoff.

"You so damn sassy."

"Man whateva." He waved her off, before gesturing to the touchscreen on his dashboard. "You can pick anotha' song to play next, ma."

She smiled excitedly, before reaching over to the touchscreen and searching up the sped up version of Locked out of heaven by Bruno Mars. She began snapping her fingers while strutting her shoulders as the familiar, nostalgic tunes began to fill the air.

"Never had much faith in love or miracles. Never wanna put my heart on the line. But swimmin in your love is something spiritual. I'm born again every time you spend the niiiightttt night."

She sung rather loudly yet slightly off key, causing an amused smile to form its way on his lips as his gaze flickered over to her once again. There was something so magnetic about her carefree spirit and vibrant energy that just continued to draw him in, almost as if he were a moth uncontrollably drawn to a flame. Her pin straight hair was pushed to one side of her shoulders, giving him a clear view of her perfectly crafted face which was quickly becoming one of his favorite sights.

Throughout the drive, Dayvon took note of the diversity in her music taste. It was clear that she had an ear for different songs from different genre's, and although he wouldn't normally listen to half of the songs that were playing, he enjoyed listening and just vibing along with her. It was a foreign experience that he secretly wanted to explore more with her.

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"Can I get a rack of ribs? Please make sure it's a rack and not half—I'm a big bitch with a lot of room in my stomach. Also, I want to get loaded mashed potatoes with bacon, cheese, and sour cream along with broccoli and a twelve ounce steak; medium-well. And lastly, could I get a fresh plate of fried shrimp with a side of cocktail sauce?"

Maelani shifted her attention from the menu to the waitress who harbored an amusement expression on her face as she jotted down the order, before nodding and walking away.

Von decided to take her to an eminent restaurant that seemed a little bit too fancy for just a lunch date, not that she was complaining though.

"Damnnn, yo ass shole can eat." Dayvon snickered from his seat across from her, making her gaze instantly flicker over to him.

"Are you calling me fat, Von?" She frowned jokingly with a tilt of her head—which he found adorable—watching as he tried to stifle his laughter.

"Of course not, ma. I'a neva do such a thing."

For the next twenty minutes or so, they dived into flowing conversations, laughing amongst themselves while learning a little bit more about each other as they waited on their meal. The intrigue that they felt toward one another—but tried to conceal—continued to grow with each passing minute and each word that fell from their lips.

"You eva' been in love befo?"

That question. That damn question. She had a feeling it would come up sooner or later, but it still made her internally sigh to herself as she knew her words would spiral into the first pieces of the puzzle that is her. The puzzle that she knew he wanted to put together.

He asked the sudden question with what seemed to be genuine curiosity, so she paused for a beat and pondered over her thoughts, trying to figure out what to say without saying too much.

"No, not really. I'm not even sure that I know how to love."

And that was the honest truth. Growing up with no examples of what true love should look and feel like, stirred a conflicted perception of love for her. Unlike most women, her dream wasn't to get swept up off her feet by her hypothetical Prince Charming and live a happily ever after in love until the end of time. She couldn't care less about that shit and quite frankly, she was too damaged for it.

Dayvon eyed her curiously for moment, wanting desperately to have even a peek inside the complexities of her mind. From the little time he's known her, she never struck him as a lover girl or anything of that sort like most women he's encountered. Perhaps that's why he felt drawn to her, she wasn't like most women.

"Maybe you jus' afraid to love."

He shrugged just as their eyes clashed. The way he spoke made Maelani feel as though he wasn't talking about just her anymore. Perhaps they were more alike than they realized. Based on both their experiences, loving someone gives you something to loose. And they didn't like losing.

"Yeah, maybe."

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