Page 2 of Spark

Aurelio:Being here now is the important part!

Mia:OK, I like your attitude. It's… different... interesting.

Aurelio:Even if it is an accident.

Mia found herself laughing at his response; her morning was looking better and better. He was confident, but she wanted to know more. Butterflies played in her stomach as she typed again.

Mia:Tell me more about yourself andyour profile. A motorcycle helmet, speed, buckle up?

She set the phone down for a moment. Her body tingled with anticipation. She had only said a few words to this person, and she felt like he was under her skin already. Thoughts of being too forward swirled in her brain. “Maybe I'm not ready,” she said aloud to the only living thing around to hear her, a dying Aloe Vera plant on her windowsill. The phone dinged, and she knew he had responded. Before her nerves could get the best of her, she lifted the phone, releasing a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.

Aurelio:Well, it's all about cars for me. Driving them. Fixing them. All of it.

A car guy, huh? That was definitely different from the college guys she was forced to be around all the time. Still, her sarcastic side came shining through.

Mia:Cars? A classic male interest.

Aurelio:Hahaha. It is a hobby for most, and that's it. Not for me. For me, it's life.

Mia:Okay, more than a hobby.

Aurelio:Yeah. In fact, I'm standing in front of a car right now. One anyone would kill to drive. But all I want to do… Is chat with you.

Mia's heart swooned a little at his words. Chiding herself, she took a moment to think how she could reel the conversation and her own feelings in.

Mia:Smooth. Real smooth. Are you really just a car salesman at a used lot?

Aurelio:Hahaha. No, not really. Not in a conventional sense.

“What does that mean?!”

“What does what mean?” The voice came from outside her door. Mia's older neighbor from across the hall would often leave her own loft to stand outside the other doors, listening in.

“Janet, seriously? It's six forty-five!”

“Excuse me. I was coming over to ask if you wanted a coffee from the bakery downstairs,” the lady huffed. That was her constant excuse, but who didn't mind free coffee?

“Sure. Sure. Thanks!”

Janet's feet shuffled off, and Mia turned her attention back to the phone with a smile. She reread the text. But just as she went to respond, a voice message popped up. Intrigued, she hit play.

A smooth, husky voice drawled from the speakers. It was deep but soothing. “Cars are everything to me: driving them, cleaning them, fixing them up. I guess that sounds like an obsession, but it's true. I want to be honest with you.”

Mia could feel herself swooning at his words; her hands tingled, and her teeth scraped lightly across the skin of her lip. Her mind was cloudy as she played the message once more. His baritone voice rang out across the small space. Her eyes closed as she listened to each syllable roll off his tongue. She abruptly caught herself as doubts crowded her mind. This was probably a game. What was she doing? Had she really been so lonely and desperate for connection that she was already trying to picture him here? With a steadying breath, she cleared her mind and focused on the conversation.

Mia:Whose car are you in front of now? You're not one of those people who take pics in front of a stranger's car? Are you?

Aurelio:Lol, no! It's mine.

Her smile returned. In her mind, she could picture the man behind the wheel of a car, driving fast and squeezing herthigh. Her heart sped up, and her skin warmed like he had just touched her. She was enjoying this more than she wanted to let on.

Mia:I must say, I enjoy your refreshing directness. Cars are your life. You're open and honest. I like it.

Aurelio:Thanks. I think honesty is important, especially if you're trying to build a relationship.

Trying to build a relationship.The words were stuck in Mia's mind. Was he here trying to build a relationship? Was she? She wanted to ask what he was hoping for but didn't want to answer when he asked her in return. Instead, she typed out a roundabout question.

Mia:I have to know. Have any of your previous relationships had trouble because of your car obsession?

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