COACHELLA AIRBNB
indio, california
april 14, 2024
sunday
12pm

as i woke up, i looked at the time on my phone. it was almost 12pm, i realized that i had slept in much later than i thought i would. i checked my phone, looking to see if i had gotten a message from dom. i was hoping that he texted me, but nothing as of yet so i just kept waiting like a school girl.

after checking my phone one last time, i got up and started to get ready.

once i got myself together for the day, i walked into the living room to see all the girls already put together.

"there she is!" anaya said with a smile.

i smiled back, but kept refreshing my instagram inbox every now and then to see if he had messaged me.

"cmon let's go, we're running behind the schedule." zoë exclaimed. of course she had a schedule engraved in her mind. the girls and i all followed zoë as we left and headed to the venue.

"do i text first? i mean isn't it unethical for a girl to text first? and plus he said he'd message me." i said to raelynn as the two of us stayed towards the back.

"girl...text first, who cares...it's not like this is the first date, you two already kissed." raelynn said, she was the girl with answers especially when the question revolved around guys.

"okay you're right." i said as i pulled out my phone.

"ouuu someone's about to text their mans." shay called out which caused the group of girls to all giggle and snicker.

"yeah, okay whatever...." i said under my breath as i messaged him.

~~

INSTAGRAM
DIRECT MESSAGES

dominicfike

elainehooks
heyyy
did you still wanna
meet for lunch?

dominicfike
for sure. i actually just woke up
lmao, so let's do 2. that cool?

elainehooks
perfect.
where at?

dominicfike
we could meet at a little
food truck, on the coachella
grounds. i know heritage la
has some good food.

elainehooks
is that a food truck?

dominicfike
yeah it's close to the main
stage.

elainehooks
okay, i'll meet you there!

dominicfike
see you later, elaine.

~~

i looked back up at the girls. "so he answered me, and we're gonna meet at that food truck, heritage la to eat and i guess talk."

"of course he answered you, i knew he would. that man has got it bad for you." shay said playfully, earning a nod from raelynn.

"so this is like a date then?" anaya asked me.

"i'm assuming so, i mean he wouldn't ask me to eat with him after practically making out with him on just a friendly note, right?!" i responded.

"girl, please. he so wants you, everyone can see that." shay said as she giggled a bit.

"no seriously, you two were all over each other all night...i could feel the tension in the air. like a few minutes before he leaned in for the kiss, i saw it coming." raelynn said jokingly.

"you guys are the worst." i said sarcastically as i looked at the time to see it was now 1:30.

"look, we're just saying, we saw that coming a mile away. just saying...dominic wants you baaaaaad." raelynn said giggling.

as the girls continued to talk, i was keeping an eye on the time making sure that i was going to be on time for my 'date' with dom.

"i think we should walk elaine to the food truck just to make sure she gets there safely." zoë said.

the girls all agreed and began to follow me as we walked off to the food truck. after a few minutes of walking, we were finally near the food truck. i spotted dom standing right at the entrance, he looked so handsome as he was waiting for me.

as soon as i spotted him, my heart started to race, i waved goodbye to my friends and walked up to dominic.

"hello." i said to him as our eyes met. his eyes were so intense as they scanned me from head to toe. i felt as if i was melting the moment he looked at me.

after staring at me for what seemed like an eternity he finally spoke, "hey...you look beautiful as always." he replied as he reached for my hand.

"thank you dom, you look good too." i replied softly, while holding onto his hand.

"shall we?" he asked, gesturing towards the food truck as we walked over to it. we looked up at the menu displayed near the truck and ordered.

"i'll have the uh, california bowl." dominic ordered before looking at me to order.

"and i'll try the marinated chicken bowl...thank you." i said to the woman in the truck.

"no problem, any drinks?" she asked.

"i'm gonna just go with a miller lite." dominic ordered.

"just a water for me, please." i spoke softly.

after we both ordered, dominic whipped out his card and paid, before i could even reach my phone to use apple pay.

"you didn't have to do that." i said to him as we walked to a nearby table to wait for our food.

"i know, but i wanted to." he responded. "can't let the girl pick up the check on our second date." he added, his comment made me blush slightly.

"second date? wow dom, we're moving pretty fast." i playfully teased him as i sat down.

"am i wrong though?" he responded with a sly grin on his face, which only made me blush even more. he still hadn't taken his eyes off of me the entire time as he sat down as well. he then pulled his hand away from mine, to move his seat right next to mine.

the slight gesture made my heart ache with joy and excitement. to have him move even closer to me, made me feel giddy. "so are you going to see anyone's set today?" i asked him softly.

"i don't have any plans yet. i'm just kind of roaming around and catching whoever's sets i end up passing by. but i definitely wanna see frank ocean." i nodded and we stayed silent for a few seconds before he spoke again. "what about you? did you have any plans for tonight? or are you just following the girls around?" he asked as he placed his tattooed hand on my thigh.

as i felt his hand on my thigh, i felt a jolt of energy travel through my entire body. his touch was making every bit of stress and anxiety leave my body. i felt so safe in his presence, and his warm touch only made me feel closer to him.

"yeah i'm really just following the girls around. we all wanna see frank's set tonight..." i paused before adding on, "i can't wait to go back home and unwind honestly. this entire weekend has basically been back and forth between sets."

he laughed softly as he drew shapes on my thigh. "that's the point of coachella, elaine."

i smirked and rolled my eyes at him. "i'm fully aware, dom." i said playfully as i looked around a bit, scanning across our surroundings, looking out at the endless amounts of people walking around the festival. "and i still can't believe you found me in that crowd the other night."

"neither can i honestly, it really felt like fate for a minute when i found you," he smirked as he continued to draw small circles on my thigh. as he did, it made me blush even more.

we stayed quiet for a few seconds before i decided to ask the inevitable. "can i ask you a question?"

"of course, what is it?" he replied as he stopped drawing on my thigh and now giving me his full attention.

"is it way too soon for me to ask if i can see you in la, after coachella is over?" i asked.

he stayed silent for a few seconds as he pondered the question. i held my breath in anticipation to get an answer, i guess since i was used to getting turned down that i was nervous of the outcome...

after what felt like minutes, he finally spoke. "you mean like we keep in touch once i'm back in la or..."

"yeah, if that's how you wanna word it." i said with a shrug.

"yeah of course...i would love that." he replied with a small smile, once again making me blush. "so after coachella i'm going back to the hollywood hills, and you'll be in beverly hills, right?" he asked.

"oh, i think you got it mixed up. i'm from beverly hills, but i currently live in venice."

"oooh, okay i gotcha." he replied, nodding his head in acceptance. "venice is like a 45 minute drive from hollywood..." he muttered before speaking at a regular tone again. "but yeah, let me get your number because dming has been a pain in the ass." he said as he pulled out his phone.

once he brought up his new contact screen, he passed his phone to me so i can type in my phone number, which i did.

once i handed him back his phone, he nodded and thanked me.

"order for dominic!" the woman at the food truck announced.

i looked over at the truck and nodded in conformation. dominic walked up to the truck, and came back with both of our bowls as well as his beer and my water.

as we started eating, i waited until my mouth wasn't full before speaking. "you should come with me to the frank ocean tonight."

"is someone asking me on another date?" dominic teased with a smirk.

"yes. yes someone is." i responded with a grin as i continued to eat.

"well...then it's a yes." he replied as he continued to smile. he continued to take bites of his food as he watched me eat as well.

~~

once we finished, i looked at dominic. "did you enjoy your food?" i asked as he chugged the little bit of what was left of his beer.

"yes i did, it was delicious." he replied as he wiped his mouth off with a napkin. "i'll tell you what though, this might be even better." he said as he leaned in towards me, and pulled me into a gentle kiss.

when we pulled away, he jumped up from the table and grabbed our trash, jogging over to a trash can. the fact that dominic was taking the time to make sure that all our trash was cleaned up and put away, made my heart melt even more than when he had kissed me. once he came back over to the table, i smiled softly at him.

as i stared at him, i couldn't help but notice how handsome he was. his curly brown hair and tattoos gave him a bit of this 'bad boy' look, but at the same time he was very polite and well-mannered. it's like he could never stay in one category for too long.

"so what now?" i asked as i took a sip of my water.

dominic looked out at the crowd for what felt like a lifetime, his eyes scanning the various people that filled the coachella venue. finally he glanced back at me, as he sighed. "you could head back over to the girls...or we could just hang out and watch a few more sets until frank's. he doesn't perform until 11 tonight anyway."

"yeah...okay, let's go watch some performances." i said as i got up from the chair, dominic was already standing.

we walked out of the food truck area and began to explore the coachella grounds as we searched for some other sets to go to.

~~

a few hours passed by as we made our way to the various stages. it was now about 30 minutes until frank's set started and dominic looked at me as we were now next to the main stage.

"so now we wait for frank." dominic said as he looked around the busy crowd. we were so far back, it was sad.

"what a view." i said sarcastically.

"i know right? i was expecting to be way closer." he replied with a grin. "i got to see you at least, that's all that matters to me," he added as he smiled, and looked at me once again. "and trust me, if i get my hands on some backstage passes..."

"can't you get some better access or something? i mean, you're dominic fike." i said.

"i mean...yeah i probably could...but like..." he paused for a second before responding. "i wanted to experience a coachella concert just like any regular person. not like a performer...you know?"

i smiled and nodded. "yeah i get it." i looked at the stage ahead and decided to make the best of it. "we have a good view of the big screen though."

"that's true, we actually do." he said as he moved a bit closer to me. "i'm just glad i got to experience this entire weekend with you," he said, putting his arm around me, moving his hand from my back all the way down to my waist. i smiled as i looked at him, i still couldn't believe that he was this touchy in public.

"yeah, me too. this is a first time experience for me and you made the entire weekend so much more enjoyable." i replied, as dominic looked behind us, since we were so far back we were still pretty close to the different bars and pop ups.

"if i went to go grab something, will you be alright right here?" he asked me with raised eyebrows.

i nodded, "you go. i'll be fine, dom."

with an unsure expression on his face he kissed my forehead. "i'll be right back." he said before quickly running off.

not even three minutes later, he came back with two beer cans in his hand, handing me one and taking a huge gulp of his.

"thanks" i said as took a sip.

he nodded and we waited for a couple more minutes before frank ocean came on. he opened up with, 'novacane' and i nearly dropped the beer can since i didn't expect this song.

"i take it that you like this song?" dominic asked as he yelled over the music.

"i love this song!" i yelled back, but i couldn't help but notice that dominic's beer had already been chugged in such little timing. shrugging it off i danced to novacane.

i continued to dance to the song and i saw dominic watching me from the side and even though he was standing still and watching, the way his eyes were following me made me feel like i was actually the one performing on stage. after dancing for a little bit, the song ended and i saw dominic move his arms with the beat to the music. "wanna know something about me?" he yelled.

"tell me!" i yelled back.

he smirked. "i'm a huge frank ocean fan. like huge." he replied. "like you don't know how many times i've listened to this guy's tracks. i just love all of his music, like i swear my favorite song will always be ivy. i don't know it just speaks to me."

as he spoke on his love for frank ocean, i couldn't help but listen to his words. i was so interested in the fact that he actually knew most of frank's tracks. my smile grew wider and wider as he continued to elaborate.

then frank started playing 'ivy.' i looked up at dominic, "there's your song!"

as dominic realized what song was playing, his smile widened as he then swayed me left and right, making sure to twirl and spin me around. it was as if we were the only ones in the crowd. the combination of the love music and his hands on my body made me feel special. i could literally feel my heart start pumping as my body started heating up. my breath became shallow and my pulse felt like it was rising every passing minute.

after two hours of dancing and jamming out to frank's live set, it began to end. frank's last song was 'moon river.'

dominic and i danced together as the song played on, when the song ended, i found myself wrapped in dominic's arms, feeling so secure.

after the set ended, i felt completely entranced in dominic's arms. i felt as if i was living a dream. for some reason, i couldn't move from his grasp and i was okay with it. i let my mind wander as i listened to the crowd cheering all around us, then everyone started to leave as frank was officially done.

dominic slowly loosened his grip, letting me go, and pulling out his phone to check the time which read 1am. "are your friends around? i want you to get back to them in one piece."

"yeah they were watching frank's set, so i'm sure they're around here somewhere." i couldn't help but chuckle as i thought about the fact that he cared enough about me to make sure i returned back to my friends.

"well, i'm still not going to let you go alone. not a chance." he replied as he held my hand, interlocking the fingers of ours. "let's go find your friends."

together, dominic and i walked around and found the group of girls.

shay was obviously drunk, raelynn was on a phone call with someone, zoë had tears stains on her face from what i guessed was the crying she did during frank's set, and anaya seemed content and stable as she waved at us.

"looks like we found them." dominic said with a grin as our eyes met for a second before he broke our eye contact. i couldn't help but stare at him, just by looking at him, i felt like my cheeks and heart would explode. as we got closer to my friends, dom still held my hand.

all of a sudden, dominic let go and wrapped his arms around me from the back, this would be the last time i see him until we meet again in los angeles, since this is the last night of coachella.

"you better not ghost me when we both go back to los angeles, okay?" dominic said quietly so only i could hear, with a little grin on his face.

"i won't, i promise you that." i replied as he brought us a bit closer together. a smile of satisfaction was still painted on his face, and i couldn't help but blush.

"just make sure you take good care of yourself." he then whispered in my ear, and just like that- he let go.

"you take good care of yourself too, dominic." i said as i turned around to face him.

his smile became bigger as he looked at me and gave me a gentle nod. "text me when you get home." he said with a hint of seriousness.

"when i get back to my la home or my coachella airbnb home?" i asked.

"home, as in your la home." he replied back with a smile. "i'll be looking forward to that text."

i nodded once more, not even hesitating for one second. that man brought out the most vulnerable side of me. i knew i would message him first thing once i got home. "i'll see you sometime in la." i said softly.

"i hope so. see ya later, lainey." dominic said, i smiled at the nickname and waved.

"bye dom." i said as he waved goodbye, turning around and making his way to the exit. i watched as his figure disappeared into the sea of the humans. i sighed and turned around where all my friends were, as all my thoughts were focused on the interactions i had with dominic today. it's safe to say this weekend proved one thing, and that one thing was very clear with a big, fat, capitalized "D."

"i think i'm in love..." i said to the girls.

"are you serious?" shay slurred, "you've only known and talked with him for what, like two days? what if he's just playing with you?"

i shook my head. "i don't think so, he doesn't seem like the type." i said as we all walked out of the coachella grounds. "i mean he feels genuine. i don't know how to explain it, but he feels...right."

raelynn hung up her phone call and chimed in. "it's true, when you know...you just know...but, good for you, elaine! i mean, i think i'm in love with daniel." no one ever took her seriously when she said this because she's said it so many times, about so many different guys.

"oh really? it's going that well?" zoë asked raelynn as the two began to have their own side conversation.

we all made our way to the airbnb, and i kept thinking about one thing.

dominic fike.