Page 55 of Angels Above

“See, you know me,” he said. “You see it because you look for it in people. You worry that you’re failing, but you’re not. You see what people need even when you're worrying you don’t.”

“Wow. My mother was right.”

“About what?” he asked.

“Letting you help me. That statement right there reminded me all the reasons I did what I had for years. And that I haven’t lost the need to do it. It doesn’t have to be in my career either.”

“That’s right,” he said, pulling her close. “You’re doing it for me. Your boyfriend.”

“We seem to talk so much with each other, but there are times I wonder if we don’t always say the important things. I think it’s because for as much as you talk, you’re very guarded.”

“I am,” he said. “I don’t let a lot of people in as much as many think.”

“Because you’re afraid of losing them too,” she said in wonder. Almost as if it just occurred to her.

“You’re not the only one that might be insecure, Mia,” he said softly. “Some people just hide it better than others.”

“I guess you’re right. Why don’t I go buy my wine, go home and get my laptop and a change of clothes? Do you care if I spend the night?”

“I’d love it if you spent the night,” he said.

“Do you have any food in your house for me to cook you dinner?”

A smile filled his face. “Not what you’d want, I’m sure. Tell me what you want to cook and I’ll stop and get it at the store.”

“You buy what you want to eat,” she said.

“Then go pack. Tell me the wine you want. I’ll just grab it. No reason to pay for it. I own the place.”

“I don’t know what I want. I’m not all that fussy. Get something that goes with whatever dinner you want.” She gave him one more kiss. “I’ll see you in an hour. Or do you need more time?”

“An hour is good,” he said, looking at his watch. It was only one at this point.

“See you at your house.”

He finished up his work, grabbed two bottles of wine. One red and one white. He’d cover his bases for when he got to the store to buy some food.

“I’m heading out now,” he told Mark, who was at the register. There were more people working on the floor. He was positive they’d seen him with Mia in the office.

“Everything okay?” Mark asked.

“Yes. Mia and I were just talking and now I’m heading home to meet her there.”

Mark lifted his eyebrow. “The girl you’re seeing?”

“Yes,” he said.

Mark grinned. “One of the customers earlier checked out and was chatting. She’s in here a lot. Said she knows you and is always trying to set you up and you said you were dating someone. She was trying to get information out of me.”

“And you had nothing to give. Her name is Mia and we’ve been seeing each other a little over a month. She’s an attorney who works with Brian. She moved here recently from Philly.”

“Makes sense,” Mark said. “You’re not someone to date a customer no matter how often they hit on you. This had to be someone you’d have more serious conversations with.”

“Something like that.” He’d said more than he planned but realized there was no reason not to let people know about Mia. It’d be making the rounds soon enough, he was positive.

He drove to the store, ran into four more people that wanted to stop and talk. It never bothered him before, but now when he had someone to get home to, he didn’t always want to shoot the shit.

He had pork chops in his hand, a bag of instant flavored rice and some carrots he picked up in produce as he walked through quickly. All easy enough things, he was sure.

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