My Kind of Woman

38. Could Heaven Ever Feel Like This?

After Mio came out of the bathroom, I trailed in after her, showering off the sweat from the day previous and brushing my teeth. Back in the bedroom, Mio had changed into another sundress, that day it being a pale pink colour, which was very flattering against her complexion. I changed afterwards, and we left the room in a tidy state, ready to get back on the road again.

I would become used to it; the travelling and the constant moving, right until summer ended. I didn't even care where we stayed, as long as she didn't leave me. I'd already become so attached to it.

In the car before we pulled away from the hotel, I told Mio:

"I'm really hungry, are you?"

She nodded, pressing her foot down on the gas, making the car rumble to a start. "Do you want to get something and then get out of town? Or eat out of town?"

"Let's get something and go," I said, kicking off my shoes in the foot-well. "I wanna see more than here."

It was a hot day again, and the leather of the seats was sticky, burning the backs of my arms. Mio was tapping her fingers on the steering wheel and humming sweetly, obviously as content as I was.
The hotel we'd stayed in had served as some kind of town centre landmark. It was the tallest building, and every other structure seemed to circle out from it like a solar system of concrete mass. We passed grocers, houses, tailors,  jewellery shops, but not many places to eat. I was keeping an eye out whilst Mio drove, only focused on the road. Then, just before the road thickened towards a town exit sign, I spotted a little cafe with an image of a croissant painted onto the front window. I said the word and Mio pulled up on the curb outside it.

The establishment was very old fashioned, with a bell that chimed upon entering and black and white diamond tiling on the floors. Behind a glass counter were pastries and cake slices under domes. Mio stood slightly behind me, hand massaging the back of my neck gently.

The place was eerily empty for a moment, until a pear-shaped older woman leaning on a stick appeared from a back room door. She had a pair of glasses hanging around her neck and very tired, mousy features. When she saw me and Mio, she smiled genuinely, leaning her weight against the inside of the counter. Mio's hand slipped from my neck.

"Morning, ladies, what can I get you?" The woman asked.

I ordered for myself, and then looked to Mio in encouragement, and she quietly gave her order. The woman smiled kindly, noting them down in a scrawl on a notepad, and continued glancing back at Mio. I found it odd at first, then I maybe thought it was rude, racially-charged perhaps - I was prepared to snap for her.

Then before the woman disappeared off to the grill, she said directly to me,

"Oh, your girlfriend is very beautiful. What a gem!"

My mouth fell open slightly, only in disbelief, and a smile sprung to my mouth. But I only stared at the woman, not quite knowing how to respond. My girlfriend, a way I'd only dreamed of introducing her.

The woman's eyebrows dipped in confusion. "Or wife? I'm sorry, dear, did I get it wrong?"

"No! No," I said, grinning, "yes, she's my girlfriend."

Mio squeezed my hand at our sides and said softly, "thank you."

Once the woman left to start making the food, Mio looked at me and raised her eyebrows teasingly. I only shrugged, feeling my cheeks warm - but any colouring that appeared I could just blame on the heat.

The room was filled with the smell of bacon, and the sound of crackling on the grill. Mio started to rub the back of my neck again. Each time I turned to look at her, she would smile very coyly and raise her eyebrows.