Page 37 of Spark

“This is stupid,” she announced out loud. Instead of calling back, she decided to add the numbers to her contacts. Detective Daniels was first; his name was paired with a badge emoji. Oliver's name was flanked by house and badge emojis. Finally, Mia added Aurelio's name. She stared at the little blinking line for a lot longer than she needed to. How would she describe him? An idea hit her, and she laughed as she added a little heart on one side and a rose on the other. “Poetic, I think.”

Her phone began to vibrate, the new name popping onto the screen. ?? My Aurelio ??

“Hello, my Aurelio.”

“Hello, beautiful,” he replied with a laugh. “I was going to leave a voicemail; I thought you said you were busy till tonight?”

“Yeah, I was supposed to be.”

“What happened? Is everything all right?” he asked, concern in his voice.

“Oh, yeah,” she said, pulling absently at her blouse. “The professor I T.A. for has to leave for the remainder of the year. I don't need to be in the classroom during this block anymore.”

“Uh-huh. I understood most of that.”

She giggled. “Sorry, it doesn't matter. Basically, I have this time free every day for the rest of the year.”

“And that would be how much time, exactly?” he asked. “Because I'm close to the college now if you have time to meet. Maybe we could get a little lunch.”

Mia glanced at the Hula clock on her dashboard. There was more than enough time to meet up with him.

“I've got a couple of hours; my shift isn't till four,” she said, a little giddy.

“Awesome, can you meet me downtown? Park near the fountain if you can.” She knew where he meant. The area was high end, all French bistro cafes and five-star dining. But she didn't want to waste any time arguing; she just wanted to see him.

“Okay, I will head there now. See you soon.”

“Can't wait.”

Aurelio hung up, and Mia pulled out of the lot. Quickly, she drove down the highway, letting the road in front of her unwind. She started breathing easier, and her nerves were less frantic. She turned onto the street toward the fountain and easily found a great parking spot.

She looked around for signs of the yellow Mustang but didn’t see anything until she suddenly spotted Aurelio walking along the sidewalk. He was as handsome as ever, wearing tight black slacks, a white button-down, and a black vest. He looked very dapper. Dark sunglasses hid his eyes, and a toothpick hung from the corner of his mouth. She suddenly realized how she was not nearly as put together as he was. She watched as his tall figure strode towards her, flicking the pick from his mouth and casually folding his sunglasses. With a smile, he grabbed her waist, pulling her to him and placing a soft kiss on her cheek.

“Hello, beautiful.” He pressed a kiss to her head, breathing her in deeply. “I love the way you smell.”

“I was thinking the same about you, but what do I smell like?”

“Fresh oranges and sunshine.” He grinned at her. “What do I smell like?”

She was not sure what sunshine smelled like, but she liked his answer. “Grease, leather, and pine.”

“I like it.” He pulled her closer, eyeing the bruise on her forehead. “Where did that come from?” he asked, gingerly grazing the edge.

“Oh, it's nothing,” she said, but he seemed unconvinced.

“Oliver didn’t hit you back when you decked him, right?” Aurelio asked, his eyes growing darker.

“God, no!”

He just looked at her, his brow raised in question.[HF9]

“I tripped and hit my head on the edge of my bathtub.” She cringed, remembering the fall.

“Really?” he smiled a little; the thought that she had given herself a bruise like that was apparently somehow amusing.

“Yes, really,” she sighed. Aurelio pulled a few inches away but reeled her back in to kiss the spot gently.

“Come on.” He placed his large hand on the small of her back, gently leading her to one of the restaurants. The valet, a barely sixteen-year-old kid, was busy parking cars out front.

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