A bike ride back home

Mia

I was just closing the doors when I heard footsteps heading my way.

"Library's closed come tomorrow. I'm really tired and I'll not charge you fine if that's what you are worried about. Now leave please." I grumbled without looking behind. This lock needs to be fixed. I'll talk to Mr.Smith about this. Didn't he care about this heaven?

"I'm not here was books. Just to borrow a stubborn little friend of mine who likes not to care about herself and who breaks promises." I recognized his voice, James was here.

"I do break promises," I mumbled.

I turned around and saw him in his uniform. Just got free from his shift I guess.

"Mia, what in the world are you doing here? You promised me that you wouldn't leave for work." He folded his hands in front of his chest, I could even the veins on his arms with the rolled up sleeves of his shirt. 

"James, I took enough rest and I was going crazy without doing anything. If I had taken anymore leaves I would have gone mad with all the work that's left here." I told him my theoretical answer which was of course true.

"Mia, you seem like you have exhausted yourself." He sighed.

"I'm fine. I'll sleep then I'll be good to go. What are you doing here by the way?"

"Came to pick you up since your car is still parked outside the apartment building." He came back all the way here to the library this late to pick me up?

"That's nice of you but I'll take a cab." I tried to decline his offer, it would not be nice for him to do this. He has already done so much.

"Why are you scared of riding my baby?" He teased me to distract me. 

"Who told you that? Mia is not scared of anything." I huffed and played along with him 

"It seems like you are, you are taking a cab and not my bike." He shrugged.

"You drive like a maniac. I have no intentions to die." I teased him back, two can play a game.

"I drive at a normal speed. You are just too afraid. If you would lift your head from my shoulders you would see that."

"I already know, James how well you drive. Don't try to fool me."

"Mia, come on now. I'll drive just as you desire. You tell me to slow down I'll slow down okay?"

He gave his best puppy dog eyes. It was quite funny. He looked so cute doing this.

Mia when will you stop doing that???? He is not cute. Not at all.

"Okay, I'll come with you."

"Oh yes!" He gave me a high five.

Correction he is cute.

The ride back home was pleasant and not like the first one when we visited the store. He could drive like a normal person if he wanted. But still, I didn't raise my head from his shoulder. His back was so comfortable. He could replace a mattress if he wanted.

Occasionally he would ask me if I was comfortable or not and I would just hum or nod.

"Are you scared, Mia?"

"I'm not scared, James. I told you before." I slightly raised my head from his shoulder and clutched his waist tighter.

I could feel his stomach vibrating. He cannot be laughing right now, can he? The vibrations are from this stupid bike. Why would he laugh?

Then we reached back to the apartment building. He parked his motorcycle and waited for me to realize that we reached our destination.

"James? Are we there?"

"Why don't you see it yourself?"

I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized the rollercoaster ride had ended.

He helped me get off the bike and together we entered the apartment building.

We reached our doors and we turned around to look at each other.

He smiled at me and I smiled back without even realizing it.

"Thanks for the ride James."

"Anytime, sugar."

We just stood there gazing at each other for minutes. No one saying anything. It felt so good. Then James broke the silence.

"Why don't you come over and have dinner with me?"

"James it's fine, I can have some noodles tonight. I'm not that hungry."

"Nonsense. Change and come over. I'll be waiting."

"James, I'm good really. I'm not that hungry." I insisted.

Just then my traitor of a stomach decided to growl in hunger.

"Your stomach says otherwise. Come we'll watch a movie or something."

"Okay. I'll be back."

For some reason, I just can't say no to him. I need to fix that.

I changed into my pj's and took my phone and knocked on James's door.

"Welcome, Madame. Make yourself home. Gourmet will be on your table within minutes."

He bowed and opened the door wide for me.

"You have a kind heart Monsieur." I mirrored his bow and entered.

While James served dinner, he asked me about my day and I asked about his. We were really tired today.

"James, I wanted to ask you something."

"Ask away sugar." He nodded.

"Why do you call me sugar?"

"You see I love sweet things and it was only fair if I call you sugar." He smirked.

"James." I smacked his arm.

"What? It's the truth miss. You are sweet."

"Where in the world you saw me as a sweet person? Tell me I need to fix that."

He looked at me like he was thinking about something and then he shook his head and laughed. A deep laugh rose from his chest that raised the hair on the back of my neck.

"Why are you laughing?"

"You are so adorable, sugar. You just don't know that." He brushed his hand against my cheek.

"A little burrito of anger and cuteness remember? You are just that."

"Stop comparing me to food, you big bear." I smacked his arm again.

"Well, you have a way with nicknames."

"Sometimes I wanna punch you in the face and remove that stupid smirk of yours. " I said smiling.

He smiled back at me.

After we had dinner, James suggested watching a movie. I agreed. Either way, I won't be able to sleep so why not watch a movie?

"I'll close my eyes and you shuffle the DVDs and I'll pick one and we'll watch it. Okay?"

"This is how you watch your movies?"

"Yes. This way the suspense remains and no problem in selecting a movie." He shrugged.

"That's a good idea actually."

"Yes, it is. Now shuffle."

I shuffled the DVDs thoroughly and James picked one.

He picked "The Shining."

Both of us didn't say anything for a long time.

I saw his face, he was terrorized and I'm pretty sure I had the same expressions.

I laughed nervously and he repeated the same.

"Are you sure James?"

"Yeah, yeah why wouldn't I be?" He laughed. Was that a nervous laugh? No, no.

"You wanna watch this movie right?"

"Umm."

"It might scare you."

"Nothing scares me."

"Yeah, I know that. But this movie..."

"Are you scared James?"

"No! No I'm not."

"So we'll watch it?"

"If you don't want to we won't. I don't want you to get scared."

"I won't get scared. Let's do this."

(Narrator:- They lied. Record scratch freeze-frame to James and Mia screaming.)

"I'm not going to watch a horror movie with you ever!" I screamed and hugged James.

"Well, sameies. I'm never doing this again." He hugged me tighter.

When the bear scene came we were laughing just to hide our fear.

"That's so creepy, isn't it?"

"Yeah, totally. So creepy."

When the Reddrum scene came and Danny was chanting "Reddrum" in his horrifying voice James asked me,

"You scared, Mia?"

"I'm good."

"You know this is the scariest movie ever."

"Yeah, thanks for the heads up. I didn't know about this." My voice dripped with sarcasm.

"You should be scared. Why aren't you scared?"

"Well, why are you not scared?" I spat.

Instead of replying, he screamed scaring me so I screamed too.

When the "come play with us" scene happened we were covering our eyes.  When the room 237 scene happened we were nearly cried out of fear.

"You are scared Mia, aren't you?"

"I'm just fine. What about you? You must be pissing right now?"

"Ha! You have a great sense of humor. I'm not scared. I told you. I'm good."

"So am I."

And we hugged each other and screamed.

Every scene brought us closer and closer.

When the credits came I didn't even realize I was practically sitting on James's lap and he had his arms all around me hugging me close.

I jumped out of the couch and stood there touching the hem of my PJ top.

"It was good, wasn't it?" James asked shaking his head.

" Yup. So great, very very great." I shook my head too. What is happening to my vocabulary?

"I should go."

"Hmm. Goodnight, Mia."

"As if I would be able to sleep after watching this." I laughed.

"Exactly. I feel you." He laughed too.