Poe looked over at Rey as she sat silently in the passenger seat of his Mustang. Poe rarely brought out the 2005 convertible, which he had bought as a junker shortly after settling in Jakku, working on it in his spare time. The black muscle car with orange highlights was his one non-horse oriented expense, and he didn't often let people know he had it. Rey had known, having seen him working on it one late Sunday evening several months ago, but she had still seemed surprised when he helped her sink down into the front seat rather than climb up in his pickup. The smile on her face as she settled in the seat had pleased him, but since then she had been quiet, casually playing with her folded up cane.

Music was playing softly on the radio and he knew it was a type she liked, but he was pretty sure it wasn't going to keep them both amused for the whole hour drive to Savannah.

Poe cleared his throat and Rey turned her head toward him. He hated small talk, and he knew she did, too, but he had to do something. "What did you do today since you didn't come to the barn?"

"Uhm, I actually worked on the computer," she told him. "I'm learning how to get back to working at my dad's place," she said. "Temporarily."

Poe felt joy and excitement fill him. Other than her riding, Rey had shown no real interest in anything from her previous life. "Why only temporarily?"

"Well…" she paused and gave a look in his direction. "I haven't told anyone, but I started writing again."

"Again?" he asked. He hadn't known she wrote.

Rey nodded, her expression excited. "Yeah, I wrote a lot in High School," she told him. "Won awards and contests and got A's on everything." She took a deep breath. "I really want to try and make money doing it, so I'm writing a novel." She shrugged. "I know the odds of it getting published are pretty slim, but I won't know until I try. Right?"

"Right," Poe agreed. "What genre?"

"Mystery," she said. "With a little romance, of course."

Poe grinned. "Of course."

There was a moment of silence, then Rey spoke. "What are you wearing?" she asked softly. "Tell me what you look like tonight so I can get a good picture in my head."

Poe was startled by her request, but then realized how much it made sense. "Well, I've got on a nice pair of black slacks, black oxfords, and a white button down."

"It's soft," Rey told him. "Your shirt."

"Yeah," Poe agreed quietly.

"And you shaved," Rey added.

"I… how did you know?" Before she could answer, he realized how. "You can smell my aftershave, can't you?"

Rey smiled, nodding. "Yeah. You've never had a heavy hand with it, but it's more noticeable now." She huffed a laugh. "I don't smell horse, though."

Poe looked at her. "I supposed I always smell like horse, huh?"

"Well, I usually see you at the barn, so yeah," she nodded. "That's not a bad thing, you know? I love that smell." She looked down, her expression coy.

"Well, guess I should have brought the truck," he told her. "Despite the name, the Mustang isn't very horsey."

"I actually feel pretty special," Rey told him, looking up again. "You don't bring her out very often, do you?"

"To be honest," Poe told her. "I don't think anyone has been in that seat since I got her."

Rey grinned, then tilted her head. "How do I look?" she asked. "I mean, I know what you said earlier. But what do you see? Describe me."

Poe was silent for a while, glancing at her once more. Her expression was earnest, curious. He licked his lips. "The green of your dress brings out the green in your eyes," he said. "And you fill it out nicely, where a month ago it probably would have looked baggy on you. You look fit and healthy." He paused. "I can tell you have makeup on, but Rose did a good job in making it subtle. I can still see your freckles, and that's important." Rey laughed softly and he could see color in her cheeks. "Your hair is soft and wavy and wearing it down makes you look younger, which in the grand scheme of things probably isn't a good thing." Rey snorted at that. "You look… different," Poe continued. "But you're still Rey."

She was silent for a moment, then looked away pensively. "I'm sorry about the age thing," she told him. "I'm sure they'll card me and then watch you like a hawk to make sure you don't offer me your drink." Poe knew she was still several months away from the legal drinking age.

"Oh, I won't be drinking," he told her.

"Why not?"

He shrugged automatically, even knowing she couldn't see it. "I haven't had alcohol since the accident." He glanced at her, not surprised to find her expression curious, encouraging him to go on. He sighed. "I know logistically the accident wasn't my fault," he continued. "I was in a crosswalk and had the right of way. But I was mildly drunk that night." He paused, focusing on the road in front of him. "I often wonder if I had been sober if I would have seen the car sooner. Been able to get out of the way."

Rey was silent for a moment. "You know, just before I was hit, my mind was wandering. I was in La-La land. The car behind me had to honk to get my attention when the light changed, then I just accelerated without looking. And…" she shrugged.

Poe frowned. "You had the light," he argued. "You shouldn't have had to look."

Rey faced him, her eyebrows raised, not saying anything. Poe realized that she knew that though he had been on foot, he had had a walk signal when he stepped into the road before being hit. That he shouldn't have had to look, either.

"All right, all right. Point taken."

She smiled softly. "That's why they're called accidents, Poe. There's no rhyme or reason to why they happen. Unless you think it's fate."

"Do you?"

She became serious. "I don't know that I do," she whispered. "I've always believed in free will. But…" she looked toward him again. "If you hadn't had your accident, I might never have met you. And if I hadn't had mine, we probably wouldn't be going out on this date together. So… fate, destiny, chance…" She shrugged. "Who knows?" She looked away suddenly. "And I think too much."

Poe grinned. "I like it," he told her honestly. "I like to hear what you're thinking and why." He took a deep breath. "Rey, you are one of the most down-to-earth people I know, and yet you're a dreamer, too. I love how you always keep me guessing."

Rey cast her eyes down, biting her lower lip, but smiling as she did so.

The rest of the drive was spent in comfortable conversation, mostly about horses, and when they reached the restaurant, Poe once more helped her take his arm and they walked into the building together. To any one paying attention to them, they would look like any other couple out for the evening; no one would notice that Rey couldn't see. While he felt no shame about being seen with a blind woman, he knew Rey would be more comfortable knowing she looked 'normal.' He knew he felt 'normal' without his cane, glad that his back was behaving tonight.

He helped her settle into her seat, then sat across from her, casually helping her pick up the menu. "Do you want me to read it to you?" he asked after the hostess left. "Or do you know what you want?"

She smiled a soft smile. "I appreciate the effort, Poe, but people are going to figure out eventually that I can't see."

"Let 'em wonder," he told her gruffly.

Her smile got bigger, then she licked her lips. "Well, let's start with the calamari appetizer," she said. "Then when you're ready to order, I'll have the Shrimp Three Ways."

"Is that what you always get?" Poe asked, amused.

"Not always," she told him, a sly smile on her lips. "I like to keep people guessing."

Poe laughed out loud.

XXXXXX