M'Liyah POV

I don't know what it is that you've done to me
But it caused me to act in such a crazy way
Whatever it is that you do when you do what you're doing
It's a feeling that I don't understand
'Cause my heart starts beating triple time
With thoughts of loving you on my mind
I can't figure out just what to do
When the cause and cure is you
-SWV

"Thanks for inviting me to the party."

"Actually, I didn't invite you...Ginger did. I didn't think you would come because my mother scared you off."

He chuckled. "No, I don't scare that easy. Besides, it didn't matter what she asked me to do, I still wanted to see you again."

She did not want to know what her mother asked of him. Wait thirty days before he called her? No dating? No kissing? No sex? Oh, she was sure about the sex thing. Her mother wanted her to wait till she was married. She just wanted a boyfriend....with all the benefits. She was almost eighteen, she should be allowed to do whatever she wanted.

"What did my mother tell you?"

He grinned, "Well, that's between she and I, but I promised I would be a gentleman, and court you."

"Court me?" She sighed. Her mother really was behind the times.

"No, it's cute," he said. "You're worthy of that."

"I'm so embarrassed."

"Well, you're cute when you're embarrassed."

She groaned, hiding her face with her hands.

"Stop," he said, moving her hands. "Look, I know we both have crazy schedules and everything, and your mom discussed that with me as well. You're in LA in two weeks, can we go on a proper date? The movie I promised you?"

"Okay," she said, biting her lip. She had to wait a whole two weeks to see him again?

"Don't do that," he said, touching her lip. "Or I will want to kiss you right here."

Her stomach somersaulted, and then the cabbage patch, and then moonwalked in circles.

"I can't stay," he said, taking her hand. "Can you walk me out, or you think your mom-"

"No, let's go," she said, looking around to see if she saw her mother. Good thing the party was a dud and it was mostly people she did not know. Her mother wasn't even there.

They walked out of the building and there was paparazzi there. They had to been tipped off about the party because it was private.

"M'Liyah! Donnie! You two a couple now?" they shouted out.

"Damn sorry, I didn't know they followed me from the airport," he said, pulling her back inside. "My bad."

"It's okay. My mom will probably pay them off and not get those published."

"What? You don't wanna be seen with me," he said with a grin.

"N-no, I didn't mean-"

"I'm playing," he laughed. "I don't want it out there either till you are officially my girl."

Oh-kaaay! She smiled inside at that.

"I wish I didn't have to go and we could hang out more."

"Yeah, me too."

"I'll make sure we get enough time next time to really hang." He pulled her in his arms and hugged her. He planted his lips on her forehead, kissing it, holding his lips there for a moment.

There go those butterflies again. He was making her weak. Her knees were going to give. She breathed in his scent wanting to hold onto it for longer.

"Girl, you making it hard for me to pull away."

"Don't."

He kissed her forehead again. "Later, okay beautiful."

She sang a song in her head the rest of the day. She could not focus on anything else but Donnie and his soft lips and what they would feel like with a real kiss. She was snuggled up in bed when he texted her that he made it to his home in LA. She texted him back she couldn't wait to see him again.

He FaceTimed her. She smiled hard when she answered it.

"I didn't want you to have to wait two weeks to see me," he said, smiling at her hard.

"Aaw, you're sweet."

"And you're beautiful even with no make-up on. I like you even better. When you with me, can you just be natural?"

"What??" She laughed. "I'm a public figure, I have to stay ready for anybody to snap a picture of me. I don't wake up like this."

"I bet you do," he said. "Facetime me when you wake up."

"It'll be early there."

"I don't care," he said. "Let me let you get some sleep, I know it's late there. Talk to you in the morning, beautiful."

How could she sleep? She sat up in the bed and pulled out her notepad. She wrote a song, what she was feeling for Donnie. Yeah, that was going to be a nice song. If Spitfire got a nice beat for it.

In the morning, before she called Donnie, she took a couple of pictures of herself, trying to look cute like she was still half asleep. She wondered if she should put a filter on them. Yes, her skin was perfectly flawless with no make-up, but make-up enhanced her eyes and cheekbones. Ugh! She didn't think her pictures were that cute.

She sent them to Donnie and then FaceTimed him. It was nine her time in Atlanta, it was 5 a.m in LA, but he picked up and was shirtless. She was tongue-tied.

"I got your pics. That's gonna be my screensaver so I can see your face every day."

She giggled. "Send me a pic of you. Like now, just like that."

"A'ight, I got you." He took a picture with his phone while he was on his tablet. "I was working out wondering if you were gonna call me."

"I didn't want to wake you up too early."

"I get up early every day to get my workouts in. I have a busy day today this the only time I have to get it in," he said, putting his tablet down so she could watch him lift weights.

"Dear Lord, why is that man's body so fine? Why must it tempt me?" she thought to herself.

"I didn't want to keep you, I know you have work to do. Photoshoot, right?"

"I like that you know my schedule."

"I'll send you mine if you like, your mom has a copy."

"You don't have to."

"It's only fair."

"Ok, I have to go, talk to you later."

************************

Finally, the day arrived for her date with Donnie. She flew into LA with her mom and entourage (make-up artist, hairstylist, assistant, and publicist) because she was working with a fairly new singer who was interested in some of her songs. They were going to work out the deal and even record together. She was excited about that. It was the first time she was working without the girls. No, she never wanted to be solo, but she also wanted to know what it would be like doing something on her own.

"Tempo liked several of your songs Liy, I think this will be a great match-up for you to branch out," Her mother said while they flew on the private jet.

"Sure," she said, studying her phone in her hand, looking over pictures of Donnie.

Her mother looked over her shoulder.

"The man is fine," her mother said.

She smiled at her mother. "Mom!"

"He is. And he seems nice. Only the best for you my darling."

"Then don't scare him off, mother. I really like him."

"Good. He'll be good for your profile. An A-Lister on the rise."

Always business with her mother. She wasn't upset that her mother controlled her life because her mother was good at what she did. Before she managed Petite Trois, she owned and operated a real estate company in St. Louis dealing exclusively with high-end houses in the west-end area of the city. She came from money. She was a single parent by choice, having bought sperm to have her at thirty-five because she did not want to wait on a man. Her mother was her idol.

She would never know who her father was and that was okay because her mother was all she needed.

"After we make it to the hotel, you can get ready for your date and I'll have a car ready for you and Donnie."

"Mom, can we have a normal first date? Not like, anything extra or anything, just, I don't know, regular."

"Honey, ain't nothing regular about you, nor him."

She told her make-up artists to go light on the make-up, just accentuate her eyes and cheekbones. Her hairstylist braided her locs back. Her stylist dressed her in a nude-colored long tube dress with a black vinyl jacket. She was nervous as all get out.

She had two security guards with her as they got into a waiting limo. She groaned. Bodyguards? A limo? This was not going to be a normal date. She texted Donnie that she was meeting him at the movie theater. He was already there and waiting on her.

The butterflies came again when she saw him standing inside an empty theater.

"Where is everybody?"

"I think your mom shut it down. We have the whole place to ourselves. One staff person here, some guards," he said, taking her hand. "You look incredible."

"Thank you. I like what you're wearing."

"Want anything? Popcorn? Drinks?"

"I want it all! Why not, we can go crazy in here all by ourselves. I don't know when was the last time I've been at the movies."

"Next time you can come on the red carpet with me at my next premiere."

She smiled. Everyone would know they were together. That would be A-Maze-ing!

She got a large tub of popcorn, extra butter, extra salty, large icees, nachos, and a big box of raisinettes and Mike-n-Ike candy.

"This takes me back to when I was little in St. Louis," she said, opening the box of Mike-n-Ike's before they even made it inside the movie.

"Save me some!"

"Why? Just go get your own, it's all for us."

"A'ight, I see how you are," he said.

The guards stayed outside the auditorium, thankfully, so it was just the two of them in the large theater. She grabbed a row in the middle and took a spot in the recliner seats in the middle.

"So, do you take your shirt off in this movie?"

He grinned. "You really ain't seen my movie?"

"I saw some of your other ones. I've seen you on TV doing interviews."

"And here you got me I've seen everything you've ever done."

M'Liyah tilted the box of candy to her mouth and poured some in. Donnie just watched her and chuckled. "What?"

"You really gonna eat all them by yourself?"

"You want some?"

"Yes."

"Here," she said, holding one out to him. He reached over and she fed it to him.

"That's the best damn candy I've ever had in my life," he said, chewing it.

"Shhh, the movie is starting," she said, grabbing the popcorn.

"I already know what's gonna happen."

"Shhh!"

"I mean, we the only ones in here, we can talk during the movie."

"Oh look, there's your name! Right after Denzel. Wow!"

"Yeah, after, but it's really my movie," he said.

"Oh, okay Bigshot."

She was trying to get into the movie but also talking with Donnie and goofing off. The movie was good, but he kept distracting her.

"Can I get some popcorn or are you gonna eat that all up too?"

"Here," she said, feeding him popcorn. "I don't want all this buttery goodness to destroy all that muscle you work so hard for."

"My body is a machine, it can take a little butter," he said, grabbing her hand and licking her fingers.

She felt moistness somewhere in her nether region. She was sure her face was red if it would show through her brown skin.

Donnie grabbed the bucket of popcorn, grabbing a big handful.

"You don't like to share," he said, munching on it.

"He-ey!"

"Here," he said, throwing a few at her. She grabbed a handful of popcorn and threw it back at him.

"Wasting good popcorn."

"There's more where this came from," he said eating some more. "Hey look, don't get all jealous I'm about to kiss her."

"It's just acting, right?"

"Yeah."

She watched the scene where he and the lead actress finally kiss. She did feel some kind of way, even knowing it was fake.

"I'm a better kisser than that," he said.

"If you say so."

"Does kissing in movies make you wanna kiss?"

Was he asking her to kiss him? She had been wanting to do that since she first met him. She leaned over and quickly gave him a peck on the lips. That was all she could muster as her cheeks went flush.

"That's cute," he said. He leaned in closer to her and planted those soft, juicy lips on her, and started to really kiss her. She went with the flow, not knowing what she was doing, but following his lead. Her mouth opened so his tongue could go inside. Their tongues mingled together as his kiss got deeper

She touched his cheek, leaning into him. A groan escaped his mouth as he kissed her even deeper, his tongue licking across her lips before darting back into her mouth. They seemed to kiss for a full five minutes before they broke away.

Wow! He was a better kisser than that fake movie kiss. Her whole body was hot from head to toe. She wanted to do it again. She looked over at him, but he sat back in his seat and just quietly watched the movie.

She was confused. Why did he kiss her that way and now had gotten so quiet? He didn't like it? Was she a horrible kisser? She kept glancing his way, but he still would not say anything. She fought back tears thinking maybe she did something wrong. She was not experienced with these things. Too young. He could have any Hollywood starlet or singer or model or rich and famous person in the world.

As the movie was ending she didn't even care. She wanted Donnie to talk to her. They were having fun then they had to kiss.

"Is everything okay?" she finally asked him.

"Yeah, it's cool," he said.

"Donnie, what did I do? Just tell me. Did I kiss you wrong? I've never kissed a boy and maybe if I tried again-"

"What? No," he said, with a little laugh. "You've never been kissed? Are boys seriously that stupid?"

"Why aren't you talking to me anymore?"

He let out a sigh, pulled her up. "Come here." He pulled her on his lap. "That kiss just got me scared, Liy. I never felt this way about anybody. I mean, I've had lots of girlfriends, some I thought were more serious...it never ended well. I've had my heart broken. I just don't want that with you."

"I wouldn't do that," she said, rubbing his cheek.

"I want you to be mine. I want you on my arm wherever I go. I wanna make this work."

"Me too."

He kissed her.

"And for a rookie, girl, you a quick learner."

She giggled and kissed him. "I like kissing you."

"My girl?"

"I'm your girl."

They kept kissing all through the end credits and didn't stop when it ended.

"I don't want this date to be over," she said.

"I should have told your mom we wanted to see a double."

"Maybe we can just hang out in here till the guards come yelling at us."

"If I break any of your mom's rules, I'm banned from seeing you."

"About these rules...tell me."

"Nope. I respect your mom for wanting to protect you. It's all good."

After a few more kisses, they made their way out.

"I'm going to be super busy the rest of my stay in LA. Maybe if I have some free time-"

"No big deal, I understand. Long as I have you, I can wait and see you again."

"Ms. M'Liyah, your limo is ready. Your mother said we are late to your studio time," the guard said to her.

She groaned. "I have to go Donnie. I'll call you later."

"Okay," he said, giving her one last kiss.

A/N: I love these two together! The innocence contrast with Ginger's personality. Anybody wondering what Ms. Pamela's rules for dating her daughter are? That woman got this girl on lock, but I heard Matthew Knowles was something like this with Beyoncé back in the day.