Ian's POV
I couldn't see Hailey's face clearly in the dim light, but her slow and steady breathing indicated that she had fallen asleep. Her body lay relaxed beside me, providing comforting warmth. Her words from before echoed in my mind, but I struggled to believe them. I didn't consider myself amazing, and I couldn't fathom why she would put in so much effort for someone like me. She didn't know me well enough to invest so much time and energy into pushing me out of my comfort zone.
I held her gently, savoring the simple pleasure of having someone beside me in bed without any romantic expectations. It felt peaceful and safe with Hailey nestled by my side. Soon, sleep enveloped me as well.
In my dream, I found myself submerged in a pool of dark, swirling liquid, desperately reaching out for help. Red appeared, but her attempts to rescue me fell short. Just as I felt myself sinking deeper, someone dove in beside me. They took hold of my hand and encouraged me to stand up, revealing that I had the power to save myself all along. To my surprise, it was Hailey who had come to my aid, her smile radiating warmth and reassurance. I awoke to the sound of a buzzing cell phone. Hailey groaned in annoyance, half asleep, as she stirred on my chest.
"Make it stop," she mumbled, her voice filled with drowsiness. I reached over to grab the vibrating phone, unsure of whose it was from this angle. When I saw "Papi" flashing on the screen, I realized it wasn't mine.
"Your dad is calling," I murmured, handing her the phone. She remained nestled against me, not quite ready to fully wake up.
"Hola, Papi. Que pasa? {Hello, Daddy. What's up?}" she answered, her voice heavy with sleep. "No, I already told you, I have a boyfriend." I sensed her frustration growing as the conversation continued. "I don't know, Papi. You were the one who decided to set us up. Figure it out yourself. Teach him a new recipe or go on a dinner date with him. Stop trying to push him onto me." I could barely make out her father's voice on the other end as he spoke a bit more. "Mira, Papi, I love you, but I'm serious about not seeing Juan today. I'll see you on Sunday for dinner. Bye." She ended the call with a sigh, rolling onto her back and playfully kicking her feet. "He can be so stubborn sometimes!"
"I'm sorry, Hailey," I said, expressing my sympathy.
"It's not your fault. In fact, thank you for helping me," she responded, stretching and flashing me that familiar smile. "Alright, we should grab something to eat, head to your apartment for a change of clothes, and then I need to share all the little details about myself that a new boyfriend should know. You have to pass Sunday dinner after all," she said, numbering off our tasks as she spoke. With a swift motion, she sat up and promptly removed the covers from me.
She rose from the bed, grabbing some clothes and changing in front of me once again. It was evident that Hailey was not shy. I got up and put on the clothes I had worn the previous day. As we stepped out, we were greeted by a young woman. She flashed Hailey a smile, playfully wiggling her eyebrows, and I instantly recognized her as the cousin Hailey had mentioned the previous night.
"Hey, by any chance, did you make breakfast?" Hailey inquired.
"Nope, I just woke up, too," she replied, shaking her head.
"Alright, then I suppose we'll grab something to eat on the way. Oh, by the way, this is Ian," Hailey introduced me, gesturing with her hand. "Ian, meet my cousin, Christin."
"Nice to meet you," I greeted with a polite smile, which she reciprocated with warmth. Her smile was just as infectious as Hailey's.
"I'll see you later, Tinita. Help yourself to anything you find, make yourself at home. You can borrow anything you like from the closet if you want. We'll go shopping tomorrow," Hailey informed her, pressing her cheek against Christin's and making a kissing sound. Christin did the same.
"Aye, aye, captain," Christin saluted, taking a sip of her coffee.
Without wasting any time, Hailey swiftly guided me out of her penthouse and towards the car she had prepared for us. We proceeded to my apartment, where Hailey followed me inside, making herself comfortable as she examined the pictures adorning my walls while I changed. When I emerged, I noticed her touching one of my plants, perhaps testing its authenticity. We then ventured to a nearby café, where we enjoyed a meal while Hailey engaged in lively conversation. She shared her fondness for salsa music, declaring it her top choice.
"Cubans make the best salsa music, you know. My dad immigrated to New York from Cuba when he was 20. Things are really tough there, but he often misses his home country. I can understand that. It's not easy to move to a new country with a different system and language. Despite the challenges, my dad became very successful, and I'm incredibly proud of him," she shared, her pride for her father evident as she picked at her croissant.
She went on to tell me about her career plans and the types of clothes she designs. She started designing in high school and even created her own prom dress during her senior year. She showed me a picture, and I was thoroughly impressed. Our conversation then shifted to her hobbies, which revolved around music. She enjoyed listening to music while designing, reading with mood music, and watching movies. It seemed like music was an integral part of her life.
"Music is life!" she exclaimed when I pointed out her strong connection to it. "It's too quiet without it. Besides, it helps me find inspiration and process emotions." Her passion for music made me wonder why she didn't pursue a career in it.
Leaving the café, we decided to take a stroll in Central Park. As we walked, she opened up about her mother. There was still some anger towards her for what she had done to her father and their family. Hailey blamed her mother for her own distrust of love. Interestingly, her mother also set her up on dates, but with the sole criteria that the person be Hispanic. Hailey then confessed that she couldn't cook at all.
"Not even eggs?" I asked, surprised. She shook her head in shame.
"I'm telling you, I'm cursed. The eggs always turn out burnt yet runny in the center," she shrugged.
"But didn't you mention that your dad is a chef who owns his own restaurants?"
"Trust me, I know, okay!" she groaned, embarrassed. I couldn't help but laugh, finding joy in discovering one of her quirks. I noticed that she didn't have many buttons to push. She was easygoing and accepting of many things.
When we grew tired of walking, we found a bench near a man playing the guitar with an open case. Hailey dropped a twenty-dollar bill into the case and settled back, enjoying the music. She took a deep breath, gazing up at the sky, and I found myself unable to look away from her. She intrigued me more than I had anticipated.
Her antics, attitude, and mannerisms made her so unlike the other women I have met in the past. Hailey could be a lot to handle at first, but if you can get past that first impression, you'll find that she's the most caring and compassionate person there is. Yet she doesn't take shit from anyone, and she pushes everyone around her to find their happiness and be a better version of themselves.
"Okay, I think you're ready enough. So let's stop talking about me and go do something fun." She jumped off the bench, grabbing my wrist and dragging me away, dropping another twenty in the man's case as we left.
"Where are we going?" I asked her, actually enjoying myself for a change. Red hadn't even crossed my mind for a few hours.
"You'll see," Hailey giggled as she continued her path across the park.
She had brought us to an art studio, paying a guy behind the counter. I hoped she wasn't trying to get me to paint. That's one thing I will forever be terrible at. I can't draw the simplest of things to save my life. The man led the way to a back room, and Hailey turned with a big smile, handing me darts.
"What are these for?" I asked, seeing her throw one at a large balloon taped to an even larger canvas, answering my question. The balloon popped, splashing paint all around the surrounding canvas.
"To make it more fun, the person who pops the most balloons gets a favor from the other to be redeemed whenever," she said, throwing another dart.
I didn't waste time asking questions, throwing the darts in succession, and popping three balloons in a row. She arched her brow, staring at me in surprise, before she nodded in acceptance and continued to throw her darts. Her darts were red and mine were black, and by the time we had run out, I had come out victorious by just one balloon.
"How'd you get so good?" she asked me as the studio worker took the darts off the canvas along with the balloon remnants. The painting could be collected later, once it had dried.
"A bar near my college. The guys liked to play darts a lot, and they realized I didn't know how, so they chose to challenge me a lot. I bought a dart board and started practicing so they would stop making me do stupid stuff when I lost the game," I explained, remembering Dustin constantly daring me to flirt with some redhead. I think he's the only person I've wanted to punch in my adult life.
"Poor innocent Ian, being taken advantage of," she laughed. We were headed to a food truck nearby to buy some lunch when Hailey suddenly stopped in her tracks.
"What's wrong?"
"It's my ex," she said, pointing to a man on the phone down the block.