Quixotic (2)

22

"Snow, I'm hungry." Mila complained, resting her head against Aria's waist as she stood to the right of the stool, "What are we leaving?" The child whined.

"Ten minutes, and we are gone." Aria answered. She lifted her camera into her hands, her eyes pausing on a picture of Brian with a bright grin on his lips. He seemed to be looking over the camera, but the smile on his lips was genuine.

"That's a nice picture." He hummed, and she was quick to look over her shoulder, "You've impressed me once again." There was a lack of inflection in his voice, he sounded tired.

"Thank you." She hummed, moving to stand as she tilted her chin down to hide her grin.

"Snow --." The child whined at her side, wrapping her small hands around the straps of her school bag, "Can we leave?" She complained, a frown pulling at her lips.

"In a minute, bug." Aria answered as she placed her equipment into her bag and zipped the top.

"So, are you prepared for the soiree?" He asked, and she watched as he forced a small grin on his lips, "Do you have a dress?"

"I don't." Aria answered as she pulled her camera bag over her shoulder and reached to hold Mila's hand, sighing, "We were going to go shopping tomorrow."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, handing her a card, "Here." He said, pushing it toward her, "Take it, and buy something nice."

"Are you serious?" She asked in disbelief, sighing, "Brian, I won't take your card."

"Come on." He said with a shrug, placing it in her hand, "You deserve a nice gift, and God knows I would buy something you'd hate."

"This isn't a gift, Brian, this is insanity!" She exclaimed with a laugh in her voice as she tried to hand the card back, "I won't use your money to buy an expensive dress!"

"Fine, then use it to buy dinner." He shrugged, telling her, "My offer still stands --." He shrugged, "If you're hungry, I can drive you to Murray's and we can stop by the food court on the way." There was a slight pause in the conversation, so he continued, saying with a smile, "You can use my card to pay."

Excitement sparked through her eyes as she watched the smirk pulling at his lips, and a nervous sigh escaped her lips, "You are --." A bright smile pulled at her lips as she shook her head. She pulled her wallet from her purse, and placed the card inside, "You're deal is too good to pass." She hummed with a nervous laugh, and took a step around him, a playful smirk on her lips as she glanced over her shoulder to say, "Come on."

-

"So, does this mean you like me again?" He asked with a smirk on his lips as he unloaded their suitcases from the back of his jeep. Rolling them toward the entrance, he leaned to unlock his front door, sighing, "You seemed eager to get out of Murray's place."

"Mila wanted to play with the kitty cats." Aria told him with a playful smirk, telling the child, "Go inside, and get ready for bed." She looked up to meet Brian's eyes, and her heart fluttered in her chest.

"Earlier, I remember, you mentioned you were interested in me --." He shrugged as Mila ran inside the house and let the door shut behind her. He took a slight step toward Aria, asking, "Has that changed?"

"Nope." She answered confidently, a nervous sigh escaping her lips as she lifted her chin toward him. 

"So, what does that mean?" He asked nervously as he slowly inched toward her. He placed his hands at her hips, and gently tugged her body toward him, sighing, "I'm, uh, I'm interested in you too." He said with a nod, slightly shrugging his shoulders.