Finding Love | ✔️

sixteen

/Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.” 
― Kahlil Gibran /

♡

"It's already been a month of you working here," Dave says, smiling at me. "I'm impressed you survived this long."

"I've survived through hell. This is nothing." I wink and climb over the bar to the side where Dave is.

"Can I have a drink?" I ask. I pull out the paper bag that contains my normal sneakers and exchange my counterfeit Jimmy Choo heels for the more comfortable option. My feet sink into the cushiony soles and immediately breathe.

"Two shots of vodka coming right up!" He passes one to me and we toast to the end of our shifts, which ends at the same time each Saturday. The club is still buzzing, but we're heading out now.

"Let me take you somewhere, Aprile." He croons.

This man is beautiful. But as much as I want to, I can't. He's twice my age and thus out-of-bounds.

"No thanks, Dave. I need to get home."

"I can take you there." By now, we're outside where his motorcycle is parked. He throws on his helmet and offers me one.

"Okay. Stop me at the Parker Building, I'll find my way from there."

He motions for me to get onto the bike. I suddenly become paralyzed, standing there like a constipated statue.

"It's okay, Aprile. It's safe."

It's just a bike ride. It's never that serious, I tell myself. My body finally obeys, and I walk over and sit behind him, clutching onto his waist and interlocking my fingers over his tummy.

He starts the engine. My heart is pounding, like it's about to explode out of my chest. Not even touching Dave's glorious abs can distract me from this one: I'm terrified.

"Dave, maybe this isn't such a good id - " But it's of no use. I'm cut short by the roar of the engine that follows the bike as it speeds through the empty city streets. Wind rushes past my face, and I close my eyes as he pushes on faster and faster.

"It's exhilarating!" He screams. I squeeze myself closer onto him, gripping my fingernails into his tummy. While my eyes are still shut, I try to think of happy things. Like Dave's eyes. Dave's hair. Dave's abs.

Stop it, April. He's too old for you.

Dave's smile...

"We're here." I realize that he's stopped. I hop off, a bit feeble and light-headed, but I manage a 'thank you' and walk away. He watches me for a second, and I know this because I turn back and wave. As I continue to walk away, the sound of a roaring engine fades away until there's silence.

I arrive at the parking lot - my home - to find Eli awake.

"Hey," I say, smiling.

"Why do you have to work so late?" Eli greets me with a small punch on my shoulder. We've become very good friends over the past few weeks. I ignore his question and sit next to him.

"What's the capital of..." I pause, and think. We always play this game because two days after I'd met him, he'd loudly boasted that he knew the capitals of all the countries in the world. Subsequently, I'd bought an atlas and learnt a few to ask him every day. Of which he got right, most of the time.

"Hungary?"

"Bucharest."

"Morocco?"

"Rabat."