"Behind Closed Doors"

First Vibe

Chapter 1:

Kayla leaned back in her chair at the bar, watchin' Lena sip on her drink. The music was bumpin', the bass hittin' just right, and the crowd was lit. It was one of those Friday nights where everything felt like it could pop off, and Kayla was in the mood for somethin' different.

"I'm tellin' you, girl, you need to loosen up. You been workin' too hard," Lena said, smirking over the rim of her glass. "You gon' turn into a workaholic for real if you don't start havin' some fun."

Kayla rolled her eyes, but she knew Lena was right. Between school, work, and taking care of her little brothers when her mom was at work, she barely had time for herself. But tonight, she promised to let loose a bit.

"Aight, aight. I hear you," Kayla said, taking a sip of her own drink. "I'm out here, ain't I?"

Before Lena could say anything back, a smooth voice interrupted. "Yo, y'all good over here?"

Kayla turned to see a tall dude with a fresh cut and a clean outfit. His skin was the color of dark chocolate, and his smile was smooth, almost too smooth. She could tell right away that he was the type to turn heads wherever he went.

"We good, we good," Lena answered, giving him a quick once-over. But dude's eyes stayed on Kayla.

"I'm Devin," he said, flashing that smile again. "I seen you when y'all walked in. Couldn't let the night pass without comin' over to say somethin'."

Kayla raised an eyebrow. He was confident, she'd give him that. "Oh yeah? And what you got to say?"

Devin chuckled, leaning in closer. "Just that you look like the kinda woman a man would be lucky to know. You mind if I sit down?"

Kayla glanced at Lena, who shrugged like, Why not? She didn't see any harm in letting him sit, so she nodded, and Devin slid into the seat next to her. They started talkin', and at first, it was light. He asked about what she did, how her night was goin', typical stuff. But there was somethin' about the way he talked, the way he paid attention to her every word, that pulled her in.

He wasn't like the other dudes who came up to her in the club, all cocky and tryin' too hard. Devin was laid back, smooth with it. By the end of the night, Kayla was laughin' at his jokes, feelin' a little more relaxed than she had in a while.

"You mind if I get your number?" Devin asked when the night started winding down.

Kayla hesitated for a split second, but then figured, why not? He seemed cool enough. "Aight," she said, pullin' out her phone. "But don't be blowin' me up, now."

Devin laughed. "Nah, I'm cool with it. I'll hit you when it feels right."

Kayla exchanged numbers with him, feelin' a lil' buzz from the drinks and the attention. As she and Lena walked out of the bar, Lena nudged her with a grin.

"Well, look at you, miss 'I don't need no man'," Lena teased. "Dude got you smiling like that."

Kayla waved her off, laughing. "Nah, it's nothin'. He's just cool, that's all."

But deep down, Kayla felt a little somethin'. Maybe it was just the drinks or the vibe of the night, but there was somethin' about Devin that made her curious. She wasn't lookin' for anything serious, but a little fun wouldn't hurt, right?

As she got in the car with Lena, she glanced at her phone, seeing Devin's number saved under "D." She shook her head, tryin' not to overthink it. It was just a number. Just a dude she met at the bar. Nothin' serious.

Little did she know, that number would end up changin' everything.