Page 10 of Spark

Later, around midnight, Mia sprawled on her couch, half-asleep and watching a rerun of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Her eyes shot open as her phone began to ring loudly, echoing through the loft. Scanning the darkened room, she spotted the discarded device glowing on the floor. Fumbling with tired fingers, she registered Aurelio’s face just before answering.

“Hello?” she said groggily, feigning innocence about the caller’s identity. She knew it was him, but the charade had become a ritual.

“Sorry, beautiful. Did I wake you?” His voice was a siren's song, melting the last remnants of sleep from her bones.

“No,” she lied, sleep still lingering on the horizon. “Just watching a little TV.” As if on cue, RuPaul’s laughter echoed across the line. Mia scrambled for the remote, hearing Aurelio’s soft chuckle through the tiny speaker. The old device was slow to respond, and just as RuPaul delivered his trademark line, the volume abruptly dropped, leaving a peaceful silence.

“Drag Race, huh?” Aurelio laughed, warm and luxurious. “Needed something to remind you of me while you waited?”

“Hey,” Mia protested, feigning outrage. “My love for RuPaul predates my feelings for you.”

“So, you have feelings for me, then?” His smug smile seemed to shine through the phone, making her cheeks heat with a deep blush.

“No, I didn’t—I mean…” Words tumbled out as she scrambled to recover. His laughter vibrated through the line again, and she frowned.

“Listen here, mister.” She summoned her temper, letting the blush shift from embarrassment to anger. “Keep trying to embarrass me, and this whole relationship can be over like that.” She snapped her fingers and placed a hand on her hip. He tried to stifle it, but she still heard another chuckle. Deflating, she rolled her eyes and relaxed back into the couch. In the silence, her gaze fell on the half-finished beer, and she contemplated it.

As she reached forward, Aurelio’s voice came through again. “I would never want to embarrass you, beautiful.” His words were simple, but the tone held much more. “I would never jeopardize this relationship.” His words echoed back to her, carrying weight and sincerity.

“Well, good.” That was all she could muster, her throat suddenly dry. She took a swig of beer, washing away the lump forming in her throat. Chatter from the TV filled the silence as they sat together in what felt like a mutual understanding.

There was something here.

There were feelings here.

A spark.

They both didn’t want to lose it.

“So,” Aurelio began, his voice returning to its usual velvety warmth. “Sorry I had to leave so quickly earlier.” A quiet strain entered his tone. Picking up on the shift, the air around Mia shifted from peaceful to awkward. “The shop’s in a bad part of the city, so we deal with shady characters regularly.” The airhung still as Mia sipped from the almost-empty bottle. What he said made sense, but something still felt off.

“Can you move?” was her first question. The chuckle she heard was an answer before he even replied.

“Unfortunately, not, beautiful,” Aurelio sighed. “The shop’s been there since my dad was my age.”

“Oh, wow.” Mia set the empty bottle down, wiping away the condensation before placing it on the table. “That’s incredible. But those were gunshots, right?” Doubt tinged her words.

Hesitation. She could hear him breathing; he was there, but the pause felt heavy.

“Aurelio?” she prompted.

“Yes, beautiful.” It was an answer that assuaged her doubts, but a new wave of nerves washed over her. “Why were there gunshots so close to you?” The question hung in the air, heavy and uninvited. Aurelio’s laughter rang out, but it was different—more spontaneous, as if her question had struck him as absurd.

Mouth falling open, Mia felt her cheeks flush with indignation. “What’s funny?” she demanded, an edge creeping into her tone.

Signal received. Aurelio cleared his throat, the moment stretching. “Sorry, that wasn’t funny. It’s just…” He paused, the air charged. “I hear more gunshots in a week than most people do all year.” His laugh was softer this time, and though it didn’t carry the same warmth, Mia felt herself cooling.

“Please don’t worry about me,” he added, but it was futile. She would worry.

Pushing past the topic, she pressed forward. “Okay, putting a pin in that.” She took a slow, calming breath. “Why didyou have to go? Was it something to do with you or the shop?” Her mind remained tangled. The shots had sounded so close, just beyond the phone. The sudden shift in his tone hinted at more. She knew it.

“Beautiful.” His voice was subtly strained, as if carrying a silent plea. “I promise I’m fine; the shop is fine. It was just a moment of the day.”

Mia pressed her lips into a thin line, disappointment and disbelief threading through her features. Biting her lip, she swallowed the hundred other questions and pulled her emotions in.

As if sensing her retreat, Aurelio let out a deep sigh. “I’m sorry if I scared you, Mia.” The way he said her name pulled her back to the present, causing the wall she had been silently rebuilding around her heart to crack. A breath, in and out. “I didn’t want to burden you with the chaos of my life, but then some random jerk with a gun decided otherwise. So…” He inhaled deeply and exhaled loudly. “I want to apologize for making you worry.”

“Aurelio…” Mia interrupted. She didn’t want him to feel he had to explain himself to her. “You don’t need to justify anything.” Internally chiding herself for her brattish behavior, she offered a soft laugh. “It’s not like I’m your girlfriend or anything. You don’t owe me an explanation or an apology. We just met.” The words hit her like a punch to the gut. They had just met. She owed him nothing, and he had no debt to her. They didn’t need to consider each other’s feelings—at least not beyond the politeness of strangers. Yet still, she felt worried for him. Scared for him. “We are just getting to know each other,” she finished, rubbing her chilled arms.

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