Afterglow ❃ l.m.j

• chapter forty eight •

Normani's lips stretched into the sweetest smile on Saturday night, a bouquet of gardenias in one hand and her phone in the other. When the door swung open, her eyes were wide with hope.

"Hi." She exhaled softly. The excitement I felt under her gaze only multiplied at the sound of her voice.

I did my best to hide my own smile, ultimately failing. "Hi."

The brunette called just a few hours prior that day to ask if I was going into work tonight. When I said no, there was no hesitation in her asking if she could come see me for our first official date.

I almost lost my mind looking for an outfit.

The brunette stretched her hand out, holding the gardenias to my face. My face lightened at the white flowers wrapped in colorful paper.

"Wow, thank you so much." I said, holding them close to my chest. She turned to close and lock my door while I found something to put them in.

When I turned back around, she was looking at her painting that I hung just outside of the hallway. She looked at me shyly.

"You hung it up." She pointed out.

I nodded, checking my hair again in the hall mirror. I put it up into a bun with a few hairs curled and framing my face.

"Of course."

She placed her hands in her pockets. "Thanks... I hung yours up too. It's in my room on my dresser."

I absentmindedly cleaned up the little things I left around the living room as I got dressed. She stood there calmly, alternating between looking at me and checking her phone. When I finally stopped, she chuckled.

"I should probably run this date by you before we have another paint and pour accident."

My hands were busy looking for my phone somewhere in the couch. It was the last place I could remember finding it. I laughed.

"Maybe. What did you have planned?"

"Do you like pizza?"

I finally found my phone in between one of the cushions. I held it up and turned to her with a goofy look.

"Who doesn't?"

She looked relieved. "Okay, good. So, then you'll either love this idea or really hate it." When I didn't answer, she continued. "I thought we could make a pizza together and watch movies at my place. I know it isn't a traditional date, but it's January and it's not exactly warm outside, and I haven't gotten a chance to really do something intimate with you that wasn't sex. You know, besides the paint and pour. And I really like homey things like cooking together. So maybe it's a little selfish for that to be our first date but I just—"

"Normani?"

"Yes."

"I love the idea."

She smiled at the floor, pursing her lips. I grinned, walking up to lay a swift kiss on her lips. I held her cheeks while she looked at me.

"I think it'd be a lot of fun. Besides, I make a really, really good pizza."

She grabbed one of my hands, kissing my palm. "Is that so?"