Page 56 of Spark

“Mia. Please.”

Sighing, she lowered the menu, giving him a stern stare. “What?”

“You don't have to tell me how you feel about Aurelio, but he deserves to know.”

“Mac.” Her eyes softened; the wise kid had a good point. “I don't know how I feel.” She placed her elbows on the table, pressing the heels of her palms into her eyes behind her glasses. Her emotions were running wild; she was trying so hard to keep them in check and remain in control. She pulled her hands away from her face as Amy made her way over with two milkshakes on a tray and a plate of fries to share.

“Hey, guys!” Amy greeted, a bright smile on her face. She was cute, around the same age as Mac, with blonde curls circling her round face and eyes the color of the ocean after a storm. Amy was homeschooled by her mom, who felt a part-time job was good for understanding the world better. She smiled politely at Mia before her eyes moved to Mac, her smile turning more than friendly.

“He... hey, Amy,” Mac stammered. Both of them had goofy grins on their faces. Puppy love was heavy around the table.

“Thanks, Amy,” Mia interrupted, grabbing her peanut butter shake and a couple fries. “How was this morning?”

“Fine. I got here around nine. Flory has left already; there wasn’t enough going on for her to stay till four.”

“Are you working tonight, Mac?” Amy asked, shyly playing with the hem of her dress.

“Yeah, uh, me… and Mia, too.”

“Oh, cool.” Amy’s smile faltered a little as she looked from him to Mia and back again.

“Actually, Amy,” Mia said, sensing an opportunity. “I have so much schoolwork to do with my dissertation submission date right around the corner. Is there any chance you want my shift tonight?”

Her eyes seemed to light up a bit, her smile growing wide. Mac looked at Mia with fear in his eyes. She gave him a reassuring smile and turned to Amy.

“Oh, yeah! Of course!” she said happily, her face shining with glee as she eyed Mac. “I have to call my mom to let her know, but yeah, I would love to!”

“Great!” Mia exclaimed, feeling her own smile grow as she spotted Aurelio walking into the diner. He walked towards them, eyes focused on her. She could feel his gaze, like his hands on her body. She did the same; the photo of him in an orange jumpsuit and white tank could never hold a candle to how he looked in person. The suit was rolled up and tied at his waist, his biceps exposed. There was grease on his leg and across the white tank.

“Hey, beautiful,” he said, moving to stand in front of her and kissing her tenderly. She sighed into the kiss; the relief of having him near was overwhelming. He calmed her mind, eased her worries, and brought a smile to her lips without saying a word. She pulled back, and Aurelio's hand rested lightly on her waist. She took a deep breath and admitted the truth.

“I love you.”

The words hung in the air like a cartoon; she could see them hanging between them, blinking like a neon sign. Aurelio took an involuntary step back, his smile falling slightly. After a second, he pressed himself against her, pressing his lips to hers as he held her to his body. Mia's eyes closed, lost in the moment. She opened her eyes as Aurelio pulled back; his face split into a smile wider than she had ever seen.

“I love you, too, beautiful.” He kissed her again as the words sank into her skin. She was struck by the realization that she did, in fact, love him; time be damned.

“That's the best hello I have ever received,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

“For now, at least,” Mia replied.

Amy blushed, and Mac groaned, “Ugh, it's like watching your parents. Amy, do you want my milkshake?” His hands were on his stomach, feigning nausea.

Mia rolled her eyes and turned to the door, ready to leave with Aurelio, when she saw Detective Daniels pull into the parking lot.

“Shit,” she swore, dropping Aurelio's hand and catching a glare from him. “Please play along, I will explain later.” She returned to the booth, and Mac sat up straight. “Sit next to Mac, Aurelio,” she instructed, shooing Amy away. “Go call your mom. Make sure you can cover.”

“Oh, okay, right,” Amy said, frowning as she walked back behind the counter.

“Mia,” Aurelio said, still standing. “What's going on?”

“Please just let me talk and play along with what I say. Sit with Mac.” Relenting, he did just that. Mia pushed some fries in front of him and took a sip from her shake as the doorbell jingled.

“Hi! Welcome to Bird’s Eye Diner; sit anywhere!” Amy's chipper voice called out.

Mia did not look up as she reached into her bag, pulling out her emergency money. “Here you go,” she said loudly to Aurelio, sliding the bills to him.

Thankfully, his back was to Detective Daniels as he gave her a big frown, pushing them back.

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