[chapter eight]
Disclaimer: If you've heard of
them, I don't own them. Everything else is mine, so no stealing, pretty please.
;-)
**
"Mia! Hi!" Faye said happily as she answered the front door a few evenings later. She kissed Mia's cheek as her friend stepped inside, taking her heavy bag and stowing it in the closet.
"Wow." Mia said. "You look amazing." She looked at Faye, who was decked in a tight black skirt, lacy black shirt and strappy sandals. She looked down at her own attire woefully.
"Thanks!" Faye enthused. "I dressed up to drive Jimmie nuts. No one else had to."
"Dressed up? This isn't dressed up." Mia said softly, tugging on her shirt and eyeing her khakis. "Okay, maybe it is for me." She added with a giggle, making Faye laugh.
"You look fine, sweetie." Faye reaffirmed, tugging on Mia's hand and leading her into the family room, where the other dinner guests were all assembled. Faye made introductions of everyone and Mia felt like she were a zoo animal on display as everyone looked at her.
Jimmie delivered drinks and the guests settled in for appetizers and pleasant conversation. Mia didn't say a word, instead choosing to study each person in the room in turn. Robbie: quiet and unassuming. Jeff: animated and friendly. Emma: adorable and flirty. Rachel: Kind and warm. Chad: Soft-spoken and intense. And of course, Jimmie and Faye, adorable to the end.
And Mia.
Mia: Conversationally timid and a painfully shy technogeek.
She sighed her way through dinner, barely saying a word, only occasionally smiling at her friends. After dessert, she managed to finally escape and stepped out onto the front porch for a breath of air and silence.
She sighed heavily as the door opened and closed behind her, and she spoke without turning around. "I'm fine, Faye. Just needed a minute to myself."
"I'm not Faye, but I can leave if you want." Chad's deep voice resonated in Mia's chest and she ducked her head in embarrassment.
"Sorry. No. It's okay. I just…I'm just not good at this." Mia tried to explain.
"At what? Standing?" Chad teased, coming to stand beside her.
Mia glanced at him, then out into the night. "Please don't make fun of me." She begged softly.
"Hey…hey…" Chad said, putting a hand on her arm. "I wasn't. I'm sorry. Are you okay?" He asked genuinely.
Mia nodded. "Sure. Like I said, I'm just not…I'm not good at this stuff. Being social, being the life of the party."
Chad watched her profile for the moment, watched her take a shuddering breath. "What would you be doing if you weren't here?" He asked.
Mia thought for a moment. "Probably writing some web code." She looked at Chad. "What would you be doing?"
"Probably crawling around under a racecar." Chad replied. "So why are you here?"
"Because Faye asked me to be. And she's my friend. Why are you here?"
"Because Jimmie and Faye are my best friends, and because Faye said there would be brownies." Chad deadpanned and Mia laughed, a genuine, throaty laugh that gave Chad a tingle down his spine.
Suddenly, he wanted to make this girl laugh a lot more.
"I'll cut you a deal. If it gets to be unbearable in there, you give me a signal, and we'll just grab the brownies and run like hell. Okay?" Chad said with a grin.
Mia laughed again. "What's the signal?"
"Huh?"
"The signal?"
"Oh. Um, pick your nose. I'll know it's time to bail." Chad teased and Mia giggled again. "Unless, you know, you do that normally."
"Ew."
"I didn't think so."
"Won't Faye be pissed if you take all the brownies?" Mia asked.
"I think she'll be more pissed that her friend picked her nose then ran out of the house." Chad smiled.
"We aren't very good guests, are we?" Mia asked.
"Evidently, no, since we're out here planning an escape instead of being in there and participating in sparkling conversation." Chad agreed.
"Sparkling." Mia snorted. "I have never been described as sparkling."
"Your eyes are." Chad said quietly, looking out into the night.
"Huh?" Mia said without thinking.
"Your eyes. They sparkle." Chad repeated. "I noticed at dinner."
"Uh…thanks." Mia stammered, her cheeks flushing. "Are you sure it's not just the glare from my glasses?" She added, unable to just accept the compliment.
"Nice try. No. It's your eyes." Chad reaffirmed.
Mia wanted to wrap up that compliment and tuck it under her pillow, but instead just nodded her thanks.
"They also sparkle while you demonically reprogram my computer. Which, by the way, seems to be fucked, I mean, uh, screwed up, again." Chad amended. "I meant to call you…"
Mia smiled, still glowing from the eyes comment. "I can stop by tomorrow, if you want. What time?"
Chad smiled. "Rock! How about noon?"
"I'll be there."
"Okay, ready to go back in?" Chad asked, steering her by the elbow towards the door. "Remember, nose pick then run."
"Got it." Mia giggled
as she pushed open the door, relishing the feel of Chad's warm hand on her
arm.