Bevin hummed a happy tune as she placed the bread basket on the table. The spread before her was magnificent, complete with a heavenly aroma. Baked Ziti Casserole, soup, garden salad and fresh bread, along with a bottle of Château Margaux. The only thing more delicious than the ensemble on the table was Bevin herself. The sexy red mini with the plunging neckline clung to every womanly curve. She was a beauty and she knew it. The only thing missing was her dinner guest. Expecting the ring of the doorbell, instead Bevin heard the ring of the telephone as she ran to answer it.

"Hello," she purred cheerily into the mouth piece.

"Someone is in a good mood," Brooke Davis surmised on the other end of the line. "What's got you all giddy, Friend?"

"Nothing much. I'm just in the middle of preparing dinner."

Brooke frowned.

"You?"

"Yeah. I wanted to make sure the Ziti was perfect. Wouldn't want it to overcook and ruin the Château Margaux."

"Let me get this straight. You're cooking? Ziti?"

"Of course not, silly. I'm warming it up. I had it catered from that new Italian bistro in mid town."

"And what is the occasion? I thought your parents were out of town."

"They are. For the whole weekend."

"And that's why you're celebrating by catering dinner and busting out their 500 dollar bottle of wine?"

"It's for my guest and myself."

"And what guest would that be? Wait a minute…"

Bevin giggled. It had been two weeks since her fateful excursion over to the River Court where she had asked out Skills Taylor. He had accepted and the two had enjoyed a fun first date at the roller rink. Since that night, they had gone to see a movie, hung out at the mall and Bevin had become a regular fixture over at the River Court.

"Duh."

"You mean, Skills?"

"The one and only."

Brooke smiled. She had gotten to know Skills when she had dated Lucas. He was a nice guy and a lot of fun and she had really liked him, although she had never pictured he and Bevin in a dating sense.

"So I know you guys hung out once skating…"

"Oh that was the first time. We totally had a blast. Skills is so fine and you should have seen him trying to skate. He tried to pretend like he knew what he was doing but he fell so many times. It was adorable. Towards the end, he was holding onto the rail the whole time. And you should see my butt. It was black and blue from all the times I fell."

"You fell? Hold on a sec. Bev, you're one of the best skaters I know. Why did you fall?"

"On purpose of course. Eventually Skills got the hint and started catching me."

That was one way of getting a cute guy's attention.

"So you two have hung out since then?"

"A bunch of times. He's really funny."

"Do you like him?"

Bevin's eyes lit up.

"I really like him. He's a great guy, really different from all the others. It's funny we've been going to the same school all our lives and I never noticed him before. Normally he wasn't someone I'd be interested in but I got to know him and I love hanging out with him."

Brooke nodded. She could certainly understand that. And Skills was a good guy, anyone could and would vouch for that. If he and Bevin were happy together, so be it.

"Well, that's great. Who knows, maybe you and Skills can double date with Chase and me sometime."

"The cute Clean Teen, huh? Gosh, I feel like I haven't talked to you in forever, girlie. How is that going?"

Brooke leaned back on the couch with a dreamy sigh of her own.

"It's going really good, great actually…"

Bevin's doorbell rang.

"And you can tell me all about it tomorrow. I have to run. Skills is here."

"Okay," Brooke replied but she had already hung up.

Checking her reflection in the mirror one last time, Bevin happily sauntered over to the door.

"Hi," she said seductively, eyeing the handsome jock in front of her.

Skills licked his lips appreciatively.

"What's up, Ma?" he gave her a hug. "You look nice."

"Not bad yourself," she ushered him in. "Thanks for coming over."

"Thanks for inviting me."

"I thought we'd have a nice dinner and watch a move here tonight, if that's okay."

"That's cool," Skills looked around. "Nice crib."

"Thanks. Um, make yourself at home."

"Is it cool I'm over here like this? I mean, are your folks around?"

Bevin shook her head.

"They're out of town…all weekend," she added.

"Word. I ain't trying to have nobody trippin', if you know what I mean."

"Oh it's totally cool. We don't trip around here," she led him by hand to the dining area. "Would you like to eat in here or over by the TV?"

Skills nodded. It looked and smelled good.

"Damn, Shorty, you hooked all this up?"

"What can I say? I got skills."

"That you do," he flirted. "You mind if we take this out to the TV?"

"No prob," she grinned as he helped her set up their dinner in the family room.

They ate with the television playing in the background.

"This is good, Bevin," Skills said as he finished up.

"Glad you like it."

"It's okay except for this," he frowned at his glass.

"You don't like wine?"

"I never really had it before. It's okay, I guess. Y'all got any beer?"

"Sorry. But try the wine," she suggested as she cleared the table. "It brings out the flavor of a fine Italian meal."

Skills shrugged when she poured him another glass. Wine normally wasn't his thing but alcohol was alcohol and at least it was free. Leaning back on the comfortable couch with his belly full, Skills relaxed as a barefoot Bevin returned with a DVD and slipped it in before cuddling up next to him.

"So what we watching?" he asked. "I bet it's one of those chick flicks."

Bevin smiled.

"Nah. I decided to save that for next time…that is if there is gonna be a next time."

"This is pretty tight. I had fun."

"Really? Good because I have fun with you too. I was hoping we could hang out more."

"No doubt. That's cool."

"You're a nice guy, Skills. I really like you."

"I like you, too."

She rubbed his leg with one hand, using the other to operate the remote control to start the movie.

"You all comfy?" she asked.

"I'm good. Oh damn, we about to watch some Denzel. I hadn't seen this one yet but I heard it was good."

"Lots of…action. I figured you'd like it."

"You got good taste, Ma."

She looked in his eyes.

"Thanks, Pa."

Skills couldn't help but laugh. Sometimes Bevin said the damnest most off the wall things. They came from two different worlds and spoke two different languages but somehow it was all starting to mesh together perfectly. He had always dated girls the exact opposite of Bevin. Girls that weren't on the cheering squad, who did not drive expensive convertibles and Range Rovers. And usually he had dated girls who had the same skin color he did. He had barely noticed Bevin Maskey before that night he had defended her at TRIC. Afterwards, he had thought she was hot but had left it at that. Never in a million years would he have guessed that they would start hanging out and that he would actually start to like her.

"You're alright, Bevin, you know that? I like this. You showed a brotha a good time. Breakin' out the fancy meal and the wine, then the Denzel movie."

"So you were really interested in seeing the movie, huh?"

"Yeah. I heard it was a good one."

"Well, that's too bad," she pressed the play button.

"Why's that?"

Bevin swung her long legs over his.

"Because I was really hoping you'd rather watch me," she purred.

Looking into Skills' eyes, she tilted his face towards hers until their lips met. It happened softly at first, then with more passion as the kissing intensified. On the couch in the Maskey's family room, the two teenagers made out, barely coming up for air as they ignored the movie they were supposed to be watching. For Bevin, it was like taking a ride on cloud nine. She was really into Skills, thinking about him all the time, even when he wasn't around. They had a good time together and she dared to believe that the feeling was mutual.

"Yeah," Skills breathed in between kisses. "This is about the best movie I've watched in a long time."

"Glad you like it so much," she retorted, as their faces still came together.

His kisses and caresses were sweet and gentle and Bevin hadn't felt that comfortable in a while. Plus she had really missed making out. Lack of physical contact had been her personal choice of sacrifice based on recent and previous experiences. It felt good to be in someone's arms again, especially someone she liked so much. And Skills was a good kisser. She had an idea he would be good at other things as well and perhaps in due time she would find out…but not that night. She pulled away as his hand made its way up her thigh.

"Yo, what's the matter?"

"Nothing. Listen, Skills, I do like you and I hope you like me too. At least is seems that way."

"I like you."

"This is nice. I mean, I'm having fun but I don't want to have this much fun yet…if you get what I'm saying."

"It's cool," he pulled back.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I'm just chillin'. Whatever you're cool with, I'm cool with it too."

"I don't want you to think I'm a tease or anything because it's not like that."

Skills chuckled.

"I don't think that, Bevin. I know it's not like that."

"Good," she smiled. "Because I was hoping you'd want to stay and maybe actually watch the movie," she said with hope in her voice.

He leaned back and put an arm around her, giving her a real smile.

"I do want that," he said, grabbing the remote and starting the movie all over again. "I'd like that very much."

It hadn't been an intentional test or anything. Bevin was sincerely attracted to him and had thought about making him out with him for weeks. But she had put the brakes on the situation when it got too hot and heavy and Skills had been fine with that. He hadn't been angry or thought she was a tease like all the other guys had. For the first time she actually felt like someone liked her for her and for Bevin that was a welcome difference.