Can I say I went to LaLa Land with Diallo? If there is a place, I was there.

After the movie, we went to Chili's for dinner. Nothing fancy, but it wasn't Chipotle's or something lame that's on campus. I still felt some kind of way about him paying for everything, but I let him for our first date. Maybe I could offer the next date on me. I was sitting on all that money and I could use it however I wanted. Treating my boyfriend was on top of that list.

"You're not vegetarian like your sister?" I asked when he ordered grilled chicken, baked potato, and a side salad.

"No! My parents hate she eats like a rabbit," he said with a laugh. "I like to eat."

"Me too!"

"Food is magic. I like trying different things."

"Yet, you ordered chicken and a potato."

"And I also like what I like." He grinned at me. "And I like getting to know what you like. Tell me, other than Starbucks, what is your addiction?"

"Addiction? I don't..." I stopped myself from lying to the boy. "Reading."

"Reading? There's nothing wrong with that."

"Yeah well, the kind of books I like to read, maybe so."

"What kinds of books?"

It took everything I could to not blush and stutter my answer. "Silly romance, you wouldn't know-"

"What's silly about romance stories?" he said. "Some of the best books are romance books. Watching two people fall in love is pretty dope."

"You read them?"

"I have. It's pretty cool. I also read mysteries, thrillers, horror, dystopian, lots of memoirs, that's my stuff right there."

See, I was getting to know him a lot more and he still was perfect.

"So, do you believe in the happily ever after stories? When the girl and the guy are perfect together, everything works out in the end and they are in love and go on to live amazing lives, together. At least, that's what I assume happens."

"One, nothing is perfect. Two, I believe a happily ever after is a roller coaster, filled with ups and downs. I'm sure two people that commit themselves to forever with each other, sometimes can't stand the person, for a moment, maybe. Every day they wake up and probably wonder if this is it, am I happy enough. And if it is, they make it work and stay. If not...well, that's why there is a thing called divorce."

I could listen to him all day.

"My parents, far as I know are happy. Married for over twenty-five years now. Happy, at least that is what they show us. Now that they have us both out of the house, we shall see. Maybe they stayed together for us. They seem fine, don't get me wrong, but you never know what two people go through behind closed doors."

"My father and mother never married. One, because they were too young, only fifteen when they had me. Two, I don't think they were in love. Well, they say they were in love when they had me but they were so young. They had no clue what love was."

He shook his head at that. "First of all, age doesn't matter when it comes to love. You can be in love at fifteen. My parents were high school sweethearts, who met in junior high. So don't believe your parents weren't in love. They had you out of love and I know they love you."

Well, that was something for me to unload on another day. Not on our perfect date.

"Rave, you can have many loves of your life. If your parents didn't find it together, they can find it with someone else."

I nodded. "My dad found his happily ever after. And they are perfect together. My stepmother just compliments my father in every way. My daddy has always been so protective. Angel is so independent, but she still needs my father. I can tell they love each other deeply by how they look at each other. How they smile at each other. How my father gets when you simply say Angel's name to him. I saw him falling in love with her and it was magic."

"And it was just like that? Love at first sight, happily ever after, kumbaya?"

I laughed. "No way! Oh my gosh, I think they broke up several times. My head was spinning when I would ask my daddy where Angel was and he was like, we're done. Then she would come back, and then...I don't know. It wasn't easy dating when he had me and my little sister and then my mother she..." I was not ready to tell him about her lies and deception to try and get my father back. I was so embarrassed about that, that I told no one, not even my two closest friends.

"My mother always tells me my dad and her never fought." He thought on that for a moment. "I don't believe that. Maybe she means big fights where they broke up, but come on."

"You think we will fight?"

"Let's just say maybe we will have disagreements, but I don't want to make you unhappy Rayvn," he said and took my hand in his. "I like how we are right now. You're not like a lot of these other girls, I like that."

I had so many questions for him at the tip of my tongue. Things we had not discussed before, like his dating past. Was I brave enough to ask now?

"How many other girls...I mean, did you date a lot?"

He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it. "You really want to know?"

"Yes." I was scared. Maybe he had dozens of girlfriends. And was sexually active with all of them and expected that from me as well. Judging by how his sister was, he had to be sexually free as well. What was I going to say to that? He had to know I wasn't ready for all of that.

"I have had three girlfriends. Two in high school, one last year. None worked out, obviously."

Three, that was not insane. Except, that did not mean he did not collect other bodies he linked up with. In my high school, so many kids just had random sex with each other, they weren't even in relationships. Even here at college, Twyla and Gay, Donnell, and even Richie, they were just looking for sneaky links.

Diallo moved a little closer to me and whispered in my ear. "I'm still a virgin though."

Shut. The. Front. Door!

A/N: Getting to know each other...after they started the relationship. Red Flag!

Oh, and Rayvn going on about watching her father fall in love...sometimes as parents, we don't see how our kids are watching our every move. They know when we are falling in love before we do (I had this happen when I had a foster son, he blurted it out to the guy I was dating. Kids!)