Page 11 of Spark

“Mia, I…” He took a breath. “You’re right. We are strangers. You’re not my girlfriend yet; you’re right.”

Yet.

“Let’s start this over, okay?” He cleared his throat gently. “Hello, beautiful. How was your day?”

Mia let out a little chuckle, her lips curving into a smile. “Good, thank you.” She felt the air warm with the giggles they shared. “And for the record,” she added quickly, “it takes more than that to scare me.” She let out a small snicker, hearing him reciprocate.

“Good to know, beautiful,” Aurelio replied, his tone rich and deep. She felt the familiar tingle of warmth roll across her body. “So, tell me, beautiful, what else would you like to know about me?”

Without hesitation, Mia answered, “Everything.”

Chapter Six

Mia and Aurelio had stayed up much later than she thought either of them had intended. They both had skirted around questions about their past, choosing to discuss their hopes for a future. One that looked as if it could include one another. She told him about work, not mentioning the name of the diner, just saying it was close to school. She told him about her degree, and how close she was to finally being done for good. He told her about the shop, how he owned it outright and employed a few dozen people. He had laughed when she asked if being a mechanic was what he had always wanted to be. The hours had passed easily, the conversation bouncing between them. When the clock had told her it was almost 4 in the morning, she had begrudgingly hung up. Aurelio made her promise to call when she could. She had smiled as they argued about who would hang up first before she finally clicked the phone off and went to bed with the largest smile she had worn in a long time.

Days of texting and phone calls went by, Mia and Aurelio getting to know each other better and better. They both took turns, sharing little silly details about one another. Some how they began to discuss scars, Aurelio telling Mia there was no way her’s were worse then his. She protested, telling him about breaking her arm when she was 6 and how the line from where the bone had broken skin was still discolored. He had laughed,deep and robust as she had sat in silent grumpiness. After a moment her anger dissipated, rolling her eyes at her eagerness to have more blemish’s.

“Trust me beautiful, I bet your skin is perfect.” His deep voice brought a blush to her cheek. He had a way of causing her to tremble in all the best ways. She was ashamed to admit of how often she let her thoughts wander to him and his hands. The photos they had shared had remained pg 13, just a little bit of skin from either side. But the photos Mia had taken that first day sat in a folder marked maybe.

“You have a way with words, sir.” Mia said, her hands gripping the remote tightly. She heard the deep rumble of a laugh from him and closed her eyes. She pictured him as he spoke.

“I like talking to you, Mia.” His tone was quiet. “More then I should admit right now.” It had been barely a week and both were feeling this intense draw to one another.

“I was wondering.” His tone shifted slightly, Mia opening her eyes.

“Yes?” she prompted.

“Well, I was wondering if maybe we could try that date idea.” Their was a hint of trepidation in his tone. Mia cast her eyes about the room, the walls around her growing as she took in a deep breath. She breathed in the familiar scent of her home and calmed herself.

“Well.” She stood, the need to move to great with the weight if the words. “I mean.” She was stammering, stalling. She walked towards the kitchen, her eyes catching sight of ther door. The photos and memories pinned there drew her in. she caressed the photo of her brothers at the cemetery and far pitted in her stomach.

“I just don’t think we are there yet.” She said, clenching a fistful of her shirt by her stomach. Aurelio breathed out slowly. His disappointment seeming to come across through the phone and into the air before her. She could almost see the cloud of it hovering before her.

“I really like y, uh, talking with you.” She pushed out the words, filling the growing space. “This has been so wonderful, really.” She knew she was growing desperate for him to say something.

“Its okay, Mia.” He said, a coolness in his tone. “I understand.” Quiet began to grow again. Mia wanted to punch the awkwardness away.

“Aurelio,” she began but he cut her off.

“Its okay beautiful.” His voice returned to normal. “If your not ready. I wont push it. I just hope you get there.” It was like he was asking for a promise, but not with words. She felt the want, the need for her to respond.

“I will.” She said, and in her bones she knew she would.

Chapter Seven

By the end of the first month since they started talking, they had fallen into a routine. Phone calls between work and school. Late night chats keeping them both awake into the wee hours of the morning. Aurelio asked about her day, listening to the highs and lows. She told him about her coworkers, Mac and Flory. He listened eagerly, taking in every word like gospel. She would ask him about his day but he would always respond with simple ‘Work is boring, tell me about you.’ Or ‘I would rather listen to your voice then hear mine.’

Work and school always sucked; Mia was convinced. After all her late nights spent juggling classes and shifts, she was certain nothing could be worse. But the phone calls and text had added a ray of sunshine to other wise mundane tasks. The joy that would build in her belly as he shifts came to an end or when her class would let out had created her wearing a smile more often then not.

Her feet screamed in protest as she climbed the stairs to her loft. Aurelio hadn’t said a much while she cleaned the diner and closed. Mac had stayed with her again, the kid refusing to let her lock up alone. It had all started about 2 weeks ago. Out of nowhere, he’d appeared at the end of her shift, long after his own had ended. She had been mid phone call with Aurelio, although the call had been interrupted when Flory had left, Aureliohanging up for a few while she said goodbye and chatted with the older woman. When she was alone again, only a few patrons remaining anyway, Aurelio had called back. Earbuds in while she cleaned and finished handing out checks before locking the door, she had set down silverware to begin polishing. Mac had rolled in suddenly as Aurelio was telling her about a recent car show he had been too. She had given mac a raised eyebrow, telling Aurelio she would call back later when Mac gave her a little ‘Don’t mind me’ hand gesture and slid into the booth with the silverware and began to polish while she bussed the last few tables.

At first, Mia thought he was just bored, hoping to snag a free meal from either her, which both she and Flory always offered anytime he rolled in. But when she dropped the food he just smiled and mouthed a silent thank you. She raised a brow again and shrugged. When his plate was empty and he lingered for another 45 minutes, she finally asked, “What’s up?”

“Oh,” he stammered, a flush creeping across his pale, pimpled face, hands diving into the almost empty tub of silverware. “I figured I’d just hang out until you’re done and help you lock up.” Confusion stalled Mia’s response, so she shrugged and continued her work. Mia had thought it weird, telling Aurelio about it as she finished her side work. But he said it was great; he was glad she wasn’t alone in the diner and had someone to see her to her car safety.

From then on, whether scheduled or not, Mac was there, helping her clean and lock up. She eventually convinced him to stop working on nights he wasn’t clocked in—no sense in giving David, their manager, free labor when he was usually such a jerk.

The night had gone much the same, but as Mia trudged up the last few steps, the bright lights of her floor stinging her tired eyes, she felt disappointed. Aurelio had to hang up earlyand Mac had flown out the door behind her, his lights trailing off before she was even buckled. Her mind was too tired to think hard on it but she was hopefully to hear from Aurelio later, hopefully before she fell asleep.

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