Page 17 of Spark

“Of course,” Mia continued. “Tell me more about it.” She shifted the phone slightly and addressed the old man. “If you can get it out without having to tow the old girl, I will be forever in your debt.” He smiled and focused on the key. Mia watched, phone pressed to her ear, as the old man jiggled the key this way and that.

“Mia?”

“Yeah, still here.”

“Did you call me your boyfriend?” Amusement colored Aurelio’s voice, making Mia feel her cheeks heat up once again.

“Huh?” she managed, taken aback.

“I’m not complaining, beautiful,” he chuckled. “Just thinking about what that means.”

“What?” Mia stuttered, caught off guard. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, if I’m your boyfriend, does that mean I get to hold your hand when we finally go out?”

“I guess.” The sun had set, darkness enveloping her, and the parking lot lights blinked to life.

“Place kisses on your cheek and pull you into my arms whenever I want.” His voice deepened again, sending shivers down Mia’s spine.

“I suppose,” she replied, her gaze darting back to the old man, still fiddling with the key.

“Pull your hips towards me, making you gasp as I kiss you.” Aurelio’s voice turned into a growl, and she could almost feel his rough hands on her skin, pulling her closer.

“Mhm,” was all she could manage.

“Rip off your clothes and have my way…”

“Got it!” the old man exclaimed, startling Mia once more. She heard Aurelio chuckle as her face flushed with embarrassment.

“Oh, wow,” she breathed, her mind spinning from the images Aurelio had conjured. The cool air felt refreshing against her heated skin as she pulled her thoughts from the gutter. The old man beamed, holding the key pinched between two wrinkled fingers.

“Here you are, my dear,” he said, handing her the key. “You should get that boyfriend of yours to take a look at that.” He pointed at the keyhole, then stepped back.

“Thank you!” Mia called after him, raising the phone to her ear once more, but Aurelio's raucous laughter made her pout.

“That was rude.” She slid the key into the door and smacked it shut before going through the ritual of getting in and starting the old girl. Aurelio, meanwhile, was busy apologizing, and she could picture the huge smile on his face.

“I’m going to hang up on you now.”

“Bye, girlfriend!” Aurelio called just as Mia slammed her thumb on the end call button.

Chapter Ten

Days turned to weeks and just as texting had transformed into phone calls, most of their interactions evolved into FaceTime. Waking up to the sound of Aurelio’s bright, cheery voice wishing her a “Good morning, beautiful” became the perfect start to her day. Her cheeks ached from smiling so much for so many weeks. Each conversation deepened the spark between them, growing brighter and stronger. Those initial feelings expanded beyond mere lust. And oh, how she had lusted. Many nights, in the solitude of her tub, beer in one hand and the other hidden beneath the bubbles, her mind would fill with his voice as he told her what to do. His image filling her mind, picturing his hands lingering in all the right places as she moaned out for him.

Yet, despite the heat they had built, Mia still couldn’t commit to an in-person meeting. Each time they discussed it, her heart raced, her breath coming in quick, shallow pants. What was wrong with her that the very idea of being with him terrified her? But today was a new day—a day off from school, but not work.

As the clock struck eleven, Mia gathered her belongings to head out. Her shift didn’t start until one, but she needed to escape the house. The morning FaceTime with Aurelio had not gone well. He had once again asked to meet up the comingweekend, and once again, she had brushed it off with an excuse. She felt the anger radiating through the phone, his tone shifting, disappointment seeping through.

“Listen, Mia,” Aurelio breathed, his long sigh echoed through the call. “I really like you, probably more than just like you.” His voice was soft, tinged with hurt.

Mia swallowed, a lump forming in her throat that made it hard to breathe.

The confession wasn’t out of the blue.

“I don’t understand why you don’t want to meet face-to-face.”

A rush of anger surged within Mia, only to be quickly quelled by his next words.

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