Page 14

It's just a dinner—that's all.

Not a Date. I Swear.

Anyway... I had to wear Maya's blue mini-skirt, and to add a little color to my outfit, I chose a light-blue lace top and a denim jacket.

I won't lie... this skirt isn't my style. Or maybe... I was just scared to step out of my comfort zone.

I applied my pink lipstick, blush, and yeah— a bit of mascara. For my hair, I held the front with a small white daisy clip, letting the rest fall in soft waves.

Grabbing my purse, I nervously walked out of my room. I made sure to be on time—I didn't want to stress Maya out before we even started this... thing.

She was already standing at the bottom of the stairs. As I was coming down, she turned to face me, and her expression suddenly changed.

We both froze.

What started as annoyance turned into... was that a little smile? Or was I just imagining things?

I looked down—she was wearing my pink top, barely covering her hips since she was taller than me. And, of course, black pants to match her usual mood.

We kinda had the same idea, though...

"Uh, looks good on you..." I whispered, looking at her up and down.

What am I even saying?

What the hell is wrong with me?

"A little bit of light color..." I quickly corrected myself.

"I wasn't surprised," Maya said calmly, raising a brow. "I was bound to look good." She turned on her heels with a grin.

Of course the only compliment she'd give was about herself...

Can't relate to her confidence, honestly.

We walked out, but Maya stopped herself and stared at me—at my legs—before opening her driver's door.

"You pull it off better than I expected."

I stood still for a moment, unable to shake the tingling sensation in my stomach from her... odd compliment.

I slid into the passenger side and her scent filled my senses—warm, spicy with... vanilla, maybe.

Maya put on a playlist of pop songs. She definitely has good taste in music—I can't say otherwise.

"So, I'm also pretty good at making playlists, obviously," she said, amused.

I raised a brow, turning to her direction. "Is there something you can't do?"

"No. I can do whatever I want." A smirk tugged at the corner of her burgundy lips.

"Hm, by the way..." I purposely ignored her words. "Have you ever even been to a Taco Bell?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, Ohio, of course I've been to Taco Bell. Just because I've got money doesn't mean I'm above the fucking good stuff."

I shifted awkwardly in my seat. "Uh, yeah... I assumed that—"

She tightened her grip on the steering wheel and sighed nervously.

"You make a lot of assumptions about me."

She had a point, though...

"I—I'll try not to make them anymore."

She just nodded once and from her relieved expression I could tell she was satisfied with that. And I mean it too.

We arrived at the place, she parked, and we sat on the couches facing each other.

I felt a bit nervous, unsure of what to expect. If I should even expect... something.

I mean, sitting across from her, eating together, just the two of us, felt different—more intimate than what we were used to.

Maya insisted on ordering at least three appetizers, plus two tacos each with fries. I was okay with that.

"What's up, Ohio, why do you keep moving around?" she asked, noticing I couldn't find a comfortable position to sit.

I was actually shocked that she noticed so fast, because I was definitely not gonna say a word about this.

"This skirt doesn't fit right... and I feel like everyone's staring at me..." I sighed.

I looked around, but no one was actually staring at me... it was all in my insecure mind.

Embarrassing.

I'm sure Maya will make fun of me now.

She suddenly stood up and walked over to me instead.

"Move," she ordered.

I blinked a few times. "Uh?"

"Move to the inside. I'll sit in the corner of this couch."

I stared at her in shock. She motioned for me to move with her hand, and I did—sliding further into the couch as she sat to my left.

That was one of the sweetest things anyone's ever done for me, and the shocking part was that it was Maya who did it.

"Thanks... really," I whispered, looking into her eyes.

She shrugged. "It's okay."

Our food arrived and maybe it was the first time I saw Maya eating with pleasure. And that was definitely nice. Feeling more comfortable, I also took off my jacket.

"So..." she said calmly. "Are you some kind of artist or what?"

I widened my eyes in surprise. "Oh, no... no... I mean, I'd like to, but I don't think I'm that good." I laughed nervously.

"Those drawings were good," she said, then lowered her gaze. "What were you doing in Ohio?"

So she really thinks they were good...

"I worked as a graphic designer in an art agency..." I answered.

I was a little nervous that she seemed actually interested in that part of my life... but it was also... nice...

She was being nice.

I got caught up in her eyes. They were so dark brown, deep, and magnetic, with a warmth in them.

"Is this what you want to do?" She asked.

Her low, calming voice was almost... alluring.

"That was a good job, but..." I paused.

"But?" She insisted.

"I've always wanted to work in a museum... Or..." I let it slip

Damn. No. I can't say the other thing, no.

"Or?" She insisted.

I lowered my gaze as the words suddenly felt heavy to pronounce.

"A freelance artist... you know, living for making art..." I whispered, lowering my voice.

That's something I said out loud like two times.

"I see... so you're an artist," Maya said thoughtfully. "That's totally your mood, actually," she added softly.

I raised my gaze, and she smiled at me. Suddenly, I felt my heart skip a beat. Her smile was so genuine—it caught me off guard.

"What do you do?" I asked bluntly.

I was really interested.

"Senior year of college, studying to get into medical school," she said calmly.

My brain short-circuited.

That was so fucking unexpected.

Very, very interesting.

But I was right, though. She wasn't tangled up in her family's hotel business, or at least she didn't make it a priority.

Maya looked at me, probably sensing something was off.

"I'm on summer break right now..." she added.

I still wasn't saying anything. I was too caught in my own thoughts.

"Did you think the only point in my life was to live off my father's money?" she snapped, her tone suddenly annoyed and frustrated.

I firmly shook my head. "No. Definitely not. I just... didn't expect it, that's all." I smiled.

She just hummed sarcastically, avoiding my gaze.

"I'm serious, Maya. This is such a beautiful thing, very important too, and I do think it really suits you," I said, looking into her eyes, hoping she'd believe me.

She bit her lower lip and gave me a little soft smile, shrugging like she wasn't sure how to take my compliment.

"Wait..." I said, my eyes widened in realization. "That's why you knew about my anatomical heart drawings, right?!"

She smirked, then nodded, confirming it.

"That's a coincidence..." I murmured, rethinking about that moment with a warm feeling in my chest.

"Yeah, it is..." she bit her lips.

Then we both got caught in this long, intense stare, neither of us willing to look away. There was something in the way our eyes met—unspoken understanding, vulnerability.

It felt like we were both holding our breath too.

"You—you want to ask me something?" Maya interrupted the silence but not our staring.

I swallowed hard. "No..."

I shook my head, unsure how to put it. "I mean..."

"Tell me," she urged.

Our staring was becoming too intense, like it was pulling me in. My heart was fucking racing. She was expecting me to say something.

I wasn't sure if I had the right to ask her such an intimate question.

"You—uh, I mean... is there a reason you chose to study medicine?" I asked softly.

For the first time, she hesitated, shifting nervously in her seat.

"I'm sorry, Maya, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, let's just change the subject..." I quickly pulled back.

"I can answer," she said firmly.

I don't think she was ready to tell me, but I wasn't ready to stop her either.

"When my mom passed away, I decided I was going to become a doctor. That's the reason I started, but it's exactly what I like doing the most," she said, her eyes suddenly wavering for the first time.

I could feel the weight of her words, and my heart was aching for her.

"That's really strong of you," I said, my voice barely a whisper.

Maya smiled faintly, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Maybe," she replied, "or maybe not."

I was about to speak but she gently interrupted me.

"Let's just eat now, shall we?"

"Yeah," I said, sensing her vulnerability. "I'm starving," I smiled.

At that table, we were just a few inches apart, and every time we got too close—like our arms touching—I kinda froze.

Like... why did this feel so... electric? Like a spark ran through me every time our skin brushed, making my breath hitch for a second.

It wasn't anything big, just small, fleeting touches, but they were enough to send a tingling sensation through me.

I tried to focus on anything else—the food, the noise around us—but all I could think about was how close she was, how easy it would be to lean in just a little more.

Why am I EVEN thinking about this?

But I swear, I could feel, behind Maya's impassive look, that she was feeling the same way.

The way her gaze lingered just a little too long, the way her fingers trembled ever so slightly when our arms brushed—all hidden beneath her composed expression.

"Do you allow me to pay since I asked you to come?" She said when we finished eating, the slight hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Yeah, right..." I laughed, blushing.

We left Taco Bell and returned to her car.

I was feeling so... good... around her...

It was so unexpected.

I don't even want this night to end.

"Hey, would you maybe... grab a drink? If you feel like it..." I asked once I slid into the passenger seat.

Maya hesitated, and I could tell she wasn't in the mood. Too much interaction for us today... I can't blame her.

"It's okay, never mind," I pulled back.

"I can't. I have something to do..." she replied softly.

"That important 'something'?" My tone a bit sarcastic, remembering that she already used this excuse with me.

She strangerly stayed silent and the tension began rising.

"Honestly, if you're seeing someone, it's not a big deal," I said, trying to sound casual.

"I'm not seeing anyone," she corrected me, as if it was something she needed to make clear right then.

The rest of the car ride back home was quiet, almost too silent. We stole glances at each other, but neither of us dared to speak, like we were mad or something... I had no idea.

Why is this even happening? We were good five minutes ago...

We arrived home, and Maya parked, her movements slower than usual. I didn't wait—I opened the car door while she was still sitting.

"Ohio," she called out, standing up just as I reached the porch.

I rolled my eyes, but stopped walking.

"You wanna come with me?" she asked.

I paused, slowly turning around. "To do this important something?"

"Yes."

"You still won't tell me what it is..." I realized.

"What, huh?!" she leaned her back against the car. "You afraid I'm gonna get you into trouble?" she grinned, half-teasing.

Honestly, yes, but let's pretend not.

"Should I be?" I asked, walking back toward her car.

"Depends," she replied. I caught the small, smug smile as she watched me closely.

Oh, God, what the hell is this about?

I got into the passenger side again as Maya started the engine, which roared to life as we drove off to... well, I didn't even know where...

A/N

Hope you enjoyed their first real spark here ???? things are just getting started... you won't expect what's coming...