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“Millie, Mark is here,” calls Amara.
After one final look in the mirror as I apply my lipgloss, I grab my phone, keys, and jean jacket before heading down the hall. As soon as I enter the living room, I feel Mark’s eyes on me giving me a once over. I can’t help but blush as his grin deepens showing off his dimple.
“Hey, beautiful.” Mark wraps me into a side hug. Gosh, he smells good.
“Hey.”
“I brought you these.” Mark hands me a bouquet of white daisies, sheepishly he adds, “I wasn’t sure what your favorite flower was, but I saw them and thought of you.”
Suddenly I’m six years old again and I’ve just finished my first play. Everyone is surrounding me and Jonathan congratulating us on a great performance when Mark hands me a small bouquet of flowers.
I’m sixteen, and it’s my first show without Jonathan or Tori on the stage with me. They’re both behind the scenes, and I’m terrified I’ll mess everything up. A vase of white daisies is delivered with a card.
Good luck tonight, from Texas.
-Mark
“White daisies are my favorite. They’re perfect,” I say, shifting to the present and trying not to cry at the thoughtfulness. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a date bring me flowers.”
I turn and hand the flowers to Kiersten, who’s all but busting at the seams with a giant smile on her face.
“You ready?” Mark asks as he trails his hand down my arm causing my skin to erupt in goosebumps. He takes my hand in his as he leads me out the door.
“Are you finally going to tell me where we are going?” I give a little pout. He chuckles, as he runs his finger down the bridge of my nose. I scrunch up my face. I’m taking that as a no.
“Nope.” He opens the door giving my hand a light tug and leads me out towards the passenger seat.
Since he clearly isn’t going to tell me where we’re going then I’m going to play twenty questions the entire car ride until I either annoy him so much he has to tell me or until we arrive. It’s a game I used to play with my brothers when I was little. It has proven to be 95% effective. At this point I don’t care which comes first because either way I will know the answer. It would just be so much easier if he told me. It doesn’t take too long before I give up on my game. He’s finding too much amusement in my need to know. I’m not sure I like how much he likes being in control of the situation.
I try to guess where we are going based on the streets he turns on, but he caught on to me and has made multiple turns to make us go in a circle so that I can’t. I harumph in my seat and cross my arm trying to look annoyed, but Mark puts his hand on my knee and gives it a light squeeze and I can’t keep a straight face. A smile escapes me, and I start giggling. Which only encourages him further to try and tickle my side. I try to squirm away from his reach, but we’re in a car so there isn’t anywhere for me to go.
“Watch it, Mister Winters!”
He gives me a devilish grin. “What am I supposed to be watching?”
“The road!” I point ahead. “You’re driving.”
He dips his head in my direction, giving me a wink, then turns back forward. “Fine. Have it your way.”
He pulls my hand from my side and puts it in his, resting our entangled hands on the arm rest between us. As I give it a squeeze, I can’t help but revel in all that has happened in the last few days. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would be sitting in a car with Mark Winters. On a date. Holding hands. And NOT for the first time!
Finally, he pulls into the parking lot, and it takes me a minute to get my bearings on where we are. “The farmer’s market?”
“Is that okay?”
I smile up at him, “It’s perfect. And it’s Tuesday!”
His eyebrow quirks up.
“A lot of local artists and craftsmen come on Tuesdays,” I explain. “It’s sort of like a mini flea market within the farmer’s market.” I tug him forward. “Well, are we going in or are we just going to stand here all night?”
Mark follows my lead, then suddenly he steps away, my hand still in his and I’m spinning in towards him. I land right by his side with his arm around me, having never let go of his hand.
I nod my head at him. “Not a bad move.”
I use my free arm to reach around him and pinch his side making him squirm like he made me in the car. “But mine’s better,” I whisper in his ear, making his Adam’s apple bob as he gulps.
And that is how you take back control.
