Lingering Kiss

Chapter 31

"Thank you very much for dinner, Flo."

They were all outside the house, about to leave.

"You come by anytime and bring this one with you." Flo said.

"Thanks for dinner, mum." Mia said as she hugged her mum.

"You should come home more often."

"I'll try."

"That's all I ask." Flo said. "When do you leave?"

Mia turned to Fred for an answer.

"Whenever you'd like."

"I'd like to stop by the library and the café tomorrow before we leave."

"I'm tagging along."

Mia smiled.
"We can leave afterward."

"Sounds good to me."

Flo couldn't help smiling at how in sync they were.

"Tomorrow then," Mia said.

"Ok," Flo said. "Safe travels."

"Thanks mum," Mia said kissing her mum on the cheek. "I love you."

"Love you too honey."

"It was a pleasure meeting you again Flo."

"You too Fred, don't be a stranger." Flo called as they both circled the car to get in.

Flo waited by the curb and waved them goodbye as the car drove off into the dark night.

Mia's head was against the headrest as she stared out the open window, the night breeze blowing against her face with Skylar Grey's Like Blood Like Honey played on the radio as they drove back to Leicester.

Fred had one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting on the console between them. He glanced at Mia in every night traffic and occasionally when he drove.

In silence, they arrived at her former apartment she shared with Izzy. Fred parked at the front of the apartment and turned the engine off, he looked at Mia to find her still sleeping peacefully with her head turned to his side. He took a minute or longer just staring at her before he leaned in closer, his hand reached out and brushed her hair away from her face. Mia sighed peacefully as she stirred in her sleep.

"Mia?" Fred called quietly as he caressed her face. "Mia?" He drawled out again.

Mia stirred even more as her eyes fluttered open and met Fred's.

"Hey." He smiled at her.

She smiled back.

"We're at the apartment."

Her eyes shifted from his and through the window behind him looking at the apartment. She looked at him.
"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry I slept off and didn't keep you company."

He smiled.
"It's ok. I loved watching you."

His finger ran down her cheek to her chin as they just stared at each other. Fred opened his door with his other hand and pulled away as he got out of the car. He made his way around to her side as Mia's eyes followed him. He opened her door and held out his hand. Mia took it and he helped her out of the car then he shut the door behind her. He walked her to the front door of the apartment and waited for her to get her keys and unlock the door.

Mia looked at him after she pushed the door open.
"Thank you."

"For what?" He asked.

"For..." taking me to see my mum, being around, being you. "everything." She said.

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be and nothing else I'd rather do than to just be with you." He took a step closer to her, his hand sliding round to the back of her neck as he leaned in. He placed a soft slow kiss on her forehead. Mia's eyes closed at the feeling of everything being so right. She smiled.

Fred pulled back just as her eyes slid open.
"Head in, Mia."

She took a moment to just look at him.
"Good night Fred."

"Goodnight." Fred took a step back as Mia stepped inside and turned around to look at him one last time before she shut the door.

Fred waited a second too long before he walked back down to his car and drove off into the night, back to his empty hotel room.

Mia made a stop at the café the next morning and spent just enough time to enjoy what she knew she would miss. She took in everything she could including the taste of her favorite drink, the cocoa latte the café made just right that made her want to moan with every sip she took. When she was done with her drink, she went to the library.

"Hi Harry," Mia said as she walked up to the counter.

Harry looked up from the book he was reading behind the counter as Mia reached there and placed her arms on the counter and smiled at him.
"Mia. I thought you'd gone back to Chicago."

"I'm heading back later today."

"What are you doing here?"

Mia frowned.
"To hang out at my favorite place before I leave and also to see you."

"Oh, you can't be serious."

"Oh, I'm pretty serious. Now that I've seen you, head on home and spend the day with Liza because I'm taking over."

"I couldn't ask you to..."

"You're not asking, I'm offering to do it."

"If you're sure."

"I'm sure."

Harry got up from his seat and walked around the counter to her.
"Here's an extra key..."

"I actually still have my old one. I forgot to return it when I left the last time."

Harry smiled at her.
"Good. Keep it and use it anytime you're back here."

"Thanks, Harry."

"Thank you."

Mia hugged him.
"I'll lock up so don't bother to come back."

"It's good to see you one last time before you leave."

Mia nodded.

"Take care, sweetheart," Harry said.

"You too, Harry." She said and watched him leave the library. Mia went to pick out a book before she went to sit behind the counter and attended to customers all day.

She checked her phone continuously unaware of it as she waited for a message or a call from Fred. She went to the café for lunch and then back to the library and continued her book which she didn't look up from until someone banged on the call bell on the counter.

Mia had no idea when the time went. She checked her phone again to find it was six in the evening and she still hadn't heard anything from him. He had said he would love to spend the day with her. She guessed he had things to take care of, but that didn't stop her from checking her phone for a message or something. She got back to her book.