Adaeze

26

We'd finished eating a while ago and were back in the car.

I was honestly shocked at how well this was going. We didn't have a dry moment the entire time we ate. Granted when we got the check, I made a joke that I forgot my wallet. She almost hit me while she reached into her purse. But I told her I was kidding. I think she cursed at me in her native tongue which made me laugh. But I apologized and she told me I was lucky I'm cute.

I parallel parked on the side of the street in front of the entrance to the outdoor exhibit.

"Oh, what is this?" she asked as she stared out of the window.
"It's an exhibit for local artists. They can come and show their work like paintings, crafts, jewelry and stuff."
She gasped.
I snickered and got out of the car.

I walked around it and saw her door opening.
I jogged over to it.
"Put your leg back in." I instructed.
"Hm?"
"Put your leg back in the car."
She looked at her leg then put it back in the car and sat there.
I shut her door again.
She looked confused. It was cute.

I opened her door for her.
"Now you can get out." I permitted.
She giggled and got out of the car. "Thank you."
I shut her door.

She grabbed my hand and I looked down at it right before she started walking off towards the entrance.

The exhibit was lit by strings of lightbulbs dangling from the trees they used as decoration.

"Wow..." she sighed as we walked in.

There were people standing by their stuff for like a mile.

She looked at paintings people had made with large sparkly eyes.

Bro, I'm losing my mind. She's so cute, I wanna squeeze her face. I swear to god I'm not insane. I promise I'm not crazy. As a matter of fact, this is my first time experiencing this.

"Look at that one!" she said and with the hand that wasn't holding mine, she pointed at a realistic painting of a city landscape during rain.
"It's nice." I admitted.

"Excuse me." she said to the woman standing there.
"Hi." the woman smiled.
"Hi, how long did it take you to make that one?"
The woman looked. "The city landscape?"
Daisy nodded.
"Two weeks."
"Wow...it's beautiful."
"Thank you so much."

I let her lead the way to wherever else she wanted to look.

She stared at paintings and we talked about which ones grabbed our attention. She saw some jewelry pieces and talked to the creator about them.

"What do you think?" she asked me and held a pair of dangly wooden earrings up to her ears.
"Pretty." I stated.
Her eyes squinted. Then she held the earrings up to my ears and I snickered.
"I am not wearing these." I stated.
"Why not? Scared you'll be too sexy?"
I laughed and she put them back.

We started walking again.

I heard her gasp and looked in the same direction she did.

There was a guy that was doing caricatures.

"I've seen these before! I've always wanted to try it!" she stated.
"Do you wanna go over there?" I asked her.
She nodded. "Yes."
"Come on." I took her hand and pulled her behind me to the guy.

"Good evening." he smiled at us.
"Hey, man, how much for one of these?" I asked him.
"15 for a small one." He pointed at a big sheet of paper.
"Is that a good size?" I asked Adaeze.
She nodded.
"Can we get one?" I asked him.
"Yea, of course, man. Take a seat." he stated.

We sat down on the bench he had across from him.

"What's your guys' names?" he asked while he started getting his utensils together.
"Koda." I answered.
"Cool name, man."
"Thanks."
"And you are?" he asked her.
"Adaeze." She smiled.
"Adaeze. Beautiful. I'm gonna assume by the accent that you're not from here." he stated.
He started sketching.
"No. I'm Nigerian."
"Nigeria. That's awesome. How long is that flight?" he wondered.
"Too long." she snickered.
"Yea, I bet." He chuckled.

I looked at her while she answered all of his questions about how she liked the city so far and what made her want to come here.

The lighting lit her skin so well. It was like she was glowing in front of me.

She was so happy to answer his questions. She did it with a smile on her face. I don't think I've ever met a nicer person. In the three weeks I've known her she's been angelic.

"Koda?" I heard and Adaeze looked at me.
I looked at the guy that called my name. "What's up?"
"I was just asking how long you've been here."
"Oh. All my life. I mean I've been out of the state multiple times but I've only ever lived here." I explained.
"Ah, cool. You're a native."
"Yea."
"I actually moved here from Canada about a year or two ago." he told us.
"Most people move to Canada not from." I joked.
"Yea, I heard about that." he chuckled.
"I've wanted to visit Canada too." Adaeze spoke up.
I looked at her again.
"Oh really?" the guy asked.
"Yes, you all have the um...the really pretty waterfall. Niagara...?"
"Niagara Falls? Yea. It gets a lot of tourists." he stated.
"It seems very pretty."

We sat there for only a few more minutes while we talked. But I mostly listened to her answers. She knew a lot about other countries. They had a long conversation about Canadian history and landmarks that she wanted to see.

"And we're all done." he stated.

I stood up and pulled out my wallet to hand him a ten and a five.
"Thanks, man." he stated and took it.
He handed me the drawing and I looked at it.

It was a cartoon (obviously). Daisy stood in front of the bench we sat on with her leg out of her dress split and her arms cutely behind her back. He drew us with small bodies and big heads. She had curly hair and this cute expression of a wide and perfect smile with dimples and closed eyes. While I was sitting on the bench a bit behind her. And he drew me with heart shaped eyes staring at her like an in love looney tunes character.

I looked at him.

"Is this what I looked like the entire time?" I asked him quietly so she couldn't hear me.
"Yea." he snickered. "Nothing to be ashamed about. You're supposed to be with people you like." he stated. "You two are a cute couple."
I nodded and looked back at the drawing.

"Can I see?" Daisy asked.

I turned around to look at her and saw her standing there waiting.
I walked back over to her. "I'm kind of embarrassed." I admitted.
"Why? Is it bad?" she asked.
"Well-..."
"Let me see." She tried to peak and I hid it behind my back.
"Koda!" she giggled.
"Hm?"
"Let me see it!" She tried reaching behind my back and I dodged.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because I want to know how it came out."
"Ehhhhh..."
"Kodaaaa."
"Daisyyyy."
"Let me see." She reached around me again and I dodged again.
She pouted and I laughed. "I'm sorry."
"Then let me see it."
She tried walking around me but I just spun around in a circle so she couldn't.

We stopped and faced each other. She had a scowl.
"Are you upset with me?" I asked and bent down to her.
She looked away from me with her arms crossed.
I snickered. "Okay. Fine."
I handed her the drawing.

She looked at it.
I let her take it out my hand and hold it in hers.

She smiled at it.
"I like it." she stated.
I stood behind her and looked over her shoulder at it.
She turned her head and looked at me. "You're so cute." She smiled.