𝑺𝑬𝑬 𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝑨𝑮𝑨𝑰𝑵, javon walton

021

The next morning, Mae woke up to the soft sunlight filtering through the curtains of her hotel room. It was Sunday, and that meant one thing—brunch. Despite her injured leg and the hassle of using crutches, she decided to put in a little effort. After all, she wasn't about to let a silly leg injury stop her from enjoying a good meal. She carefully picked out a floral dress, something light and airy, and slipped it on. Her leg throbbed a little as she moved, but she brushed it off. A good brunch always made things better.

"Right, let's do this," Mae muttered to herself, grabbing her crutches and making her way down to the hotel's restaurant. The corridors were wide and quiet, the usual hum of hotel guests still muted this early in the morning.

When she arrived at the restaurant, she was greeted by a smiling member of staff who quickly offered to assist her. "Miss, would you like us to bring the buffet to you? It might be a bit of a hassle with the crutches."

Mae grinned, appreciating the gesture. "That'd be lovely, actually. Can't exactly juggle a plate and these sticks, can I?"

The staff nodded and ushered her to a table near the windows. The view overlooked the hotel gardens, and it was peaceful, almost too perfect. Mae spotted Anya, Pierre, and her dad, Charles, already seated at a table not far off.

"There she is!" Anya exclaimed as soon as she saw Mae approach. "Looking stunning as always, even with a busted leg. How do you do it?"

Mae rolled her eyes, plopping down in the chair next to her. "It's called pretending I'm not in pain. Works wonders."

Charles leaned over, giving his daughter a warm smile. "Good to see you up and about. You sure you're alright?"

Mae waved off his concern. "I'm fine, Dad. You know me. Never let anything keep me down for too long."

Just as she was getting settled, a familiar group caught her eye. Across the room, the Walton family had arrived. Javon was there, along with his parents and a couple of siblings. They looked like the perfect family unit, all smiles and casual conversation. Mae felt a weird mix of excitement and nervousness seeing Javon again after last night.

Anya, ever the sharp one, immediately noticed where Mae's gaze had drifted. She leaned in, grinning slyly. "Oh, would you look at that. Walton family brunch. You should go say hi, Mae."

Mae gave her a playful shove. "Don't start."

"Oh, come on! You two are perfect for each other," Anya teased, not letting it drop. "I mean, the way you were looking at each other last night... sparks. Literal sparks."

"We've known each other for, what, two weeks? Fifteen days?" Mae shot back, trying to brush it off.

"Pshhh, who cares! Fifteen days, fifteen years. Doesn't matter. Chemistry is chemistry, babe, and trust me, you've got it bad." Anya wagged her eyebrows, clearly enjoying the conversation far more than Mae was.

Mae glanced back over at Javon, who had now spotted her. He gave a small wave, his signature grin spreading across his face. Despite herself, Mae smiled back and gave a little wave in return.

"See? What did I tell you?" Anya said, smugly leaning back in her chair. "That's not just a friendly wave. That's a 'I like you, come sit with me' wave."

Before Mae could respond, the staff returned with plates of food from the buffet, placing them down in front of her. "Here you go, miss. If you need anything else, just let us know."

"Thanks so much," Mae said, grateful for the distraction. She focused on her food, trying to ignore Anya's persistent smirk.

The conversation flowed naturally at the table. Pierre and Charles were deep in some business chat, while Anya, always the instigator, continued to pester Mae about Javon.