"Hey Paul," Maria smiles as she walks out of Max's video store. Her shift has just ended, and as usual, Paul is there waiting for her behind the store.
"Hey Maria," he gives a lusty smile back. They reenact this same scene every night. The script, the scenery, the actions never change. Paul is always sitting on his bike leaning on his handlebars; Maria always has her jacket slung across her arm as she locks the door behind her.
"You want a ride?" His eyebrows go up a little at the end of the question as he faintly nods indicating his bike.
"No thanks, I'm walking." She smiles and leans her back against the door. A passerby would see two very relaxed people talking to each other in the middle of the night. Nothing questionable going on. But inside, both are tense with stubbornness. They want the other to make the first move, but are too afraid to do it themselves.
"Are you sure? It's a nice night for a ride."
Maria's smile grows a little bigger. "It's also a nice night for a walk."
"Yeah but," its Paul's turn to take out a cigarette from behind his ear and dangle it between two fingers, "it's an even better night for a motorcycle ride." He breaks eye contact and watches the cigarette bounce up and down lightly.
It's now Maria's turn to put her hands behind her back and pick up her right foot to place it against the door. Paul looks up and gets a sly smile. With her head tilted slightly back she can look down at him in an irresistible way. He feels a hunger grow inside of him, but not for her blood.
"I like to walk."
"And I like to ride."
She sighs and looks to the right. "Looks like we're opposites."
"You know what they say about opposites, Maria." Paul purrs softly before lighting his cigarette and taking a puff.
"Mmm," she turns her head to the right so she can look at him out of the corner of her eyes. Every time she does this Paul feels his legs go weak. He has to rely on his kickstand.
"Do you want one?" He pulls out a pack from his jacket. She bites her lip as she thinks it over.
"I don't smoke. You're being a bad influence."
Paul gives off a deep chuckle he learned from Dwayne. "Then maybe you shouldn't be hanging around in a dark alley. Don't you know that's where all the bad boys hang out?"
"Well, maybe I'm attracted to bad boys."
Paul swallows; tonight she does something different. She emphasizes those two little words. He pauses; he can sense that threw her off.
"Well, maybe…" he's improvising it now, "bad boys are attracted to you." Their little 'game' they play every night is now over. Something's going to happen that will change them.
"Then maybe…those bad boys should offer to walk me home instead of driving me home."
"But what if the bad boys would rather have you wrap your arms tightly around them?"
Maria stops with her mouth slung open and blushes. "Paul?"
"Yeah?"
"Ask me again."
He doesn't have to think about what she means. His eyebrows go up a little as he faintly nods, indicating his bike. "You want a ride?"
She gives a genuine, happy smile. "Yeah, tonight's the perfect night for one."
A/N: I had this story up a long while ago, but took it down. It's back!