Lingering Kiss

Chapter 5

Mia asked Fred to make a quick stop at the nearest supermarket to get some edibles and drinks for later throwing in her favorite chocolate, two recyclable cups, and a butter knife.

"What is all that?" Fred asked when she shut the car door and he pulled out of the parking lot.

"Just a light dinner." She said with a smile.

"You didn't have to. We could have gone somewhere to eat."

"No way." She said "This over fast food? This will always win."

"What's in the bag?" He asked with a smile on his face.

"A surprise." She said as she glanced at him while he drove.

"You're going to have to tell me where we're going," Fred said a moment later

"Nopes, but you will soon find out." She smiled at his impatience keeping her eyes on the road as they were almost there. "Slow down."

Fred glanced at her and did as she asked waiting for further instructions.

"You can pull up over there." She said pointing to the side of the quiet road.

It was all stores and they were all closed for the night; no one in sight.

Fred pulled up and turned the engine off then turned to look at her. Mia smiled at him.

"Let's go." She said as she grabbed her bag and the groceries.

Fred joined her and took the bag from her taking note of his surrounding, he shook his head and a laugh escaped him.

"I should have guessed."

Mia looked at him as she searched her bag for the key.
"Am I that predictable?"

"Well, from the little I know about you, not really."

"Not really?" She asked with a frown as she slid the key into the keyhole and turned the lock. "You need to come up with a better explanation than that."

Fred followed behind as she stepped into the building and shut the door behind them. Even in the dark, Mia knew her way around the building. She went to the wall near the counter and turned on the switch lighting the whole place up like a Christmas tree.

Mia turned to Fred to find him watching her with a smile which she returned back.

"I'm just going to text Harry and tell him we're here just in case one of his nosy neighbors tell him about the lights," Mia said as she joined Fred in front of the counter. "And..." She said as she typed the last word then sent it "Done." She looked up at him "Let's go."

Mia and Fred walked up the stairs of the library.

"I didn't know it was this big." Fred said as they made their way to the second floor

"Yea, that's why I love it." She said, "Most people barely make it to the second floor because they find what they're looking for in the first and the ground floors."

They reached the top of the stairs and Mia made a beeline to the floor to ceiling window at the back. She stood in the middle and looked out the window with a smile, sighing in contentment. Fred came to a stop behind her and took in the view before them.

"Wow." He said. There was a sort of carnival setting going on far away but close enough to see the crowd and the amazing lights and display of fireworks.

"This is my safe place." Mia said, "I come here when I have to get away from everything out there."

"It's beautiful."