Page 62 of Spark

She sat up straight, watching him as he disappeared into the kitchen, and thought about what she could do with her afternoon. She grabbed her computer, opting to move up to her loft where she could clean a little and maybe do laundry. As she stood, the bell to the shop jingled. The man who walked in was someone she hadn't seen before, but she didn't know all the regulars anyway. She crinkled up her napkin, threw her bag over a shoulder, and grabbed her coffee before heading to the door leading to the lofts. She felt the man come up behind her, and her fingers balled into a fist. She turned, keeping her hands down. He was taller than her, maybe by 6 inches or so. His blonde hair was cut short, a similar style to Aurelio's, and his deep green eyes bore into hers.

“Hi.” She gave him an easy smile, using her hand with the cup to point towards the front. “Lines over there. Enjoy your coffee.” She turned away as he called behind her.

“You too, Mia.”

She froze, her heart hammering in her chest, and turned, smiling awkwardly as she looked him over. To her, he looked like he just walked out of an office building, but his smile was wolfish. Her stomach clenched as he moved closer, moving around a table that separated them. Mia stepped back on reflexbut stopped short. She wouldn't be cornered by this stranger just because he said her name.

“Do I know you?”

He placed his hands in his pockets, and the front of his suit jacket opened enough to show a gun holster. “Nah, but I know you.” He winked, unsettling her further.

“What does that mean?” She crossed her arms, leaning on one foot and hoping to put on a show of indifference despite her heart's erratic beat.

The man gave a sharp laugh and crossed his arms as well. “Means I know your name and that you live upstairs on the third floor, second loft to the left. You're the youngest of four, with three older brothers who all live back in the small town you're from. You're two weeks from graduating from UCLA with a doctorate in Psychology. And…” His face grew darker, almost angry. “…you're dating Aurelio Valen.”

Mia had no control over what happened next. At least, that is what she would claim. Later, when she apologized to Tony and explained the situation, she would claim she just blacked out. Truth was, she knew exactly what she was doing. She knew exactly what the man was trying to do, and she wasn't going to play his game.

Before he could react, Mia tossed her half-full coffee at his face and threw the hardest punch she could muster right at his nose. As he tried to deflect the hot liquid, her punch landed with a satisfying smack of skin on skin. The crunch under her fist let her know his nose was broken. Without a second glance, Mia took off out the door, not even stopping when the girl behind the counter yelled after her. She would apologize later, but at that moment, she had to move. She ran, her bag slapping against her side, unaware if the man was following her or not.

Turning down a couple of side streets, she headed for a little bookshop. Ducking inside, she allowed herself to look out the window and faded into a row of books among the other patrons milling around. Thankfully, she didn't see anyone running down the street. With a sigh, she walked further into the store, past the comic section and a kid rifling through a classic and under the stairs leading to the second floor, which was off-limits to patrons. After one more quick left, she found what she was looking for. The back room created the illusion of a solid wall at first glance, but if you got close enough, you could see a little alcove with a simple chair and table. No one usually came back so far, and most people were at work or school this time of day.

Pulling out her phone, Mia tried to calm her breathing, lungs still trying to pull in more oxygen. She let her heart slow as she unlocked the device and tapped Aurelio's name. The phone rang twice before his voice came through, soothing her wrecked nerves.

“Hey, beautiful. Listen, I can't really talk; I'm—”

“Aurelio, I think someone found me,” she spit out, her voice hushed.

“What?!” His tone shifted; she could tell he was already heading out the door. “Where are you?”

“I'm okay. I decked him and ran.”

“Wait. You what?”

“I punched him and ran away,” she repeated, annoyance in her voice.

“Of course you did.” Aurelio's baritone chuckle rumbled through her. “Where are you?” The beeping of Baby unlocking could be heard in the background.

“Stop. Don't do anything rash; I just needed to hear your voice.” She tried to keep a sense of calm; she didn't need him rushing to her and making matters worse.

“Listen, just tell me where you are or where we can meet so I can see you.” She realized the problem; he needed to see she was okay.

“I'm at a little bookstore a few blocks from the loft. But I can leave here and meet you at the park on third; it’s about a five-minute walk from here,” she said, realizing she still had no idea where he was. “Where are you?”

“I'm at the shop.”

Like that helped. She had asked to go to the shop several times, but he always refused because it was too dangerous. People came and went all the time, so he could not risk her being there when one connected to the boss rolled in.

“Oh, that helps,” she muttered sarcastically, making Aurelio laugh.

“Sorry, I know. I know the park you mean; I can be there soon.” He went quiet for a moment. “I love you.”

She sighed, adoring every time he said it. “I love you, too.”

The walk to the park was tense as Mia checked over her shoulder every few seconds. She tried to convince herself that she was being paranoid. But the thought that someone knew all that info about her despite having no idea who they had put her on edge. It had been years since she had felt his kind of fear. Her heart pounded as she imagined the shark here, waiting in the water to eat her alive.

She saw the park up ahead, where a small group of kids ran around as their moms sat in a yoga circle. She saw some free benches and headed to one, hoping to spot Aurelio as she approached. Mia sat down and pulled out her phone, not surewhat to do with herself while waiting. The tension in her body was too much; she felt like she could feel every hair on her body standing on end and the gaze of a stranger watching her secretly. She closed her eyes, urging her heart to slow and her anxiety to calm. She was spiraling; the thoughts she tried to suppress were threatening to overwhelm her. Her eyes snapped open; she had to move and go somewhere, anywhere. She stood, feeling exposed. Aurelio wasn't coming, she was all alone again. Her eyes began to water, her head spinning, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Mia screamed and swung a fist, connecting with a face.

“Mia!” It was Aurelio.

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