She points to the Italian place across the road. “Pizza sound good to you?”
She must realize by this point that I have money. When women usually work that out they want to be spoiled, to go to fancy complicated places so I can prove my worth by how much I spend on them. But Mia isn’t like that, she isn’t fussy, she’s just normal.
“Pizza sounds amazing to me.”
I automatically hold out my hand to her and she slips her fingers through mine. Electricity shoots up my arm as we go which completely floods any rationality from my mind. With Mia, I just want to feel.
We take our seats opposite each other, surrounded by families and groups of friends, people having a laugh. It isn’t really a date like intimate atmosphere, but it still feels it with Mia. I have a feeling that I could be anywhere in the world with her and feel this way. She just does something to me.
We order quickly, both choosing pizza and soda, without thinking much about it. Then it’s time to start talking and as much as I know it’s the time to tell her that I don’t want to have anything serious, but I don’t.
“So, tell me more about these paintings,” I say instead. “Did you take a picture for me to see?”
“I have pictures but I don’t want to show you. It’s a bit personal, and I don’t think I’m ready for that.”
“Oh, come on. I think we’re close enough now, don’t you?”
I wiggle my eyebrows and flirt with her, loving the way she crumbles into giggles. I’m starting to know her now and I know that’s a sign she’s enjoying what we’re talking about.
“Don’t use that against me!”
“Oh no, I’m not. I just want to see them, that’s all. Come on, trust me.”
“Okay, I’ll show you, but just remember that this is the first thing that I’ve done in a very long time. I’m still just working it out. I’ve mostly just done these pieces for myself.”
“I understand and I won’t judge. I can’t judge, I have absolutely no relative talent at all.”
She sighs loudly and hands me her cell phone. The image on the screen actually takes my breath away. It completely strips from me and not just because I like this Mia, but because she’s really talented. Like, incredibly so. It makes me feel something deep inside as I look at them.
“I definitely want some of these for my gym.”
“No way! These are just early pieces, I’m practicing, getting back into my stride.”
“I will pay you for them. Seriously. I like them so much, even more than I thought I would. It’s exactly what I didn’t even know that I needed.” That’s a bit like her actually. “I love your work.”
“Really? I don’t know what to say about that.”
I scroll through the images, loving the raw emotion in each one. I feel like this shows me more about Mia than even talking to her. I can see right into her soul and she’s beautiful underneath.
Shit, I like her more. I like her too damn much. My insides swirl with it.
“I honestly won’t be able to work out if you have my work up. It will put me off exercising.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “You want to be an artist or not? Because if you do, you have to get used to seeing your work. It will be everywhere and you need to show pride in it.”
“I know and I’m going to get there, but I’m getting there.”
“Good, well once you are there, we can do some business.”
She darts her eyes downwards before gazing up at me through her eyelashes. “I suppose now that you’ve seen the pictures I don’t mind you seeing the real thing so much.”
“Ooh, Mia, is that you asking me back to your place?”
“Maybe,” she says after only the briefest pause. “Would that be an issue?”
My eyes almost bug out of my head. “No, not at all. That sounds amazing.”
The waiter comes over then bringing us our food, ending the conversation for us, but it’s still there, hanging in the air. Mia wants me to come back to her home after this and damn it I want to go.