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Marika bit her bottom lip. "Would you like to have ice cream with us? Be at Salty Sweet in ten minutes if you do."
Paulie nodded. "Yeah sounds like a plan." He said.
Marika came back over to her mom and Mermista. "He likes you." She said looking at her mother.
Marista rolled her eyes. "That's crazy."
Marika smiled. "I'm craving a milkshake! Come on let's go get one! This baby is wanting some suga like momma." She put a hand to her belly. In two days she'd know what she was expecting.
They all went to Salty Sweet. Their favortie booth in the left corner was occupied. So they sat on the right side by the window.
"Are we getting something new or whatever we want?" Mermista asked.
Marika shrugged. "Whatever you feel like." She stood up from the booth. "Let's go order. Mom, do you wanna be surprised?"
Marista nodded with a smile. "Sure, pick something for me." They went to stand in line. Only two people were in front of them. Yanca wasn't working today. It was the owner and manager, Chris. Two other employees were busy doing other things.
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Marika whispered to Mermista. "Paulie is coming in here any minute. I'm ordering him a drink too. We're gonna put the drinks down on the table and leave."
Mermista laughed. "You're really gonna set them up?"
Looking into Mermista's eyes Marika said, "Yes. She needs this. I'm tired of her being lonely."
The bell rang and voices were talking. The girl's looked back and panic set in. This wasn't good.
"My love." I said, kissing Mermista's cheek.
"Uh, SeaHawk, could you and the others wait outside." Mermista said to me. She leaned in close to Marika. "Get Paulie a vanilla milkshake with caramel. Put them on the table and leave. I'll send Paulie in here after you come out."
"Okay." Marika said with a hopeful smile.
Marista watched thinking this was odd for them to leave. "Marika, what's going on?"
"Bickering over some fish barrell." Marika made that up and added, "No one wants to hear them argue." She then ordered Paulie's drink and a strawberry cheesecake flavored milkshake for her mom.
It took a few minutes for Chris to get it all together. Marika told him to charge it to her account. She had to do the thumb device, give her birthdate and name for the transaction to go through.
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She then took the drinks over to the table. "Here ya go." She said and hurried toward the door.
Now Marista was even more confused. "What the heck is going on?"
Marika took a hand of Paulie's and took him away from the group. "Huh?" He said in confusion. He turned to face her. "Go inside now. Go!" Marika ordered. "Sit and talk to her!"
Paulie laughed. "Are you really telling me to go on a date with your mother? Like . . . right now?"
She opened the door. "Have a great first date."
"Marika." He said feeling forced and nervous.
Marika gave him a sad look. "I thought you liked her."
Paulie shook his head. "I just met her."
Meranda came over to them. They heard their mother call out to them. "Paulie, don't regret your choices like I have. At least talk to our mother."
Paulie went inside and saw Marista standing by the table with her arms crossed in anger.
"What's going on, Paulie?" She asked as the door shut.
Paulie sat down. "Have a seat. Let's talk."
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Marista laughed loudly. "You've got to be kidding me!" She leaned on the table. "Did they really just set us up?"
Paulie's feelings were hurt. "Is that so bad?"
She felt guilty for laughing now. "I'm sorry." She said and sat down. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."
Paulie sipped the drink. "Wow this is good. Try yours."
Marista already had. "Mine is good too." She took another sip. "Are we really gonna do this? If you don't want to be here you can leave."
Paulie wanted to be here. He wanted to get to know her better. "Yeah, I want to if you're cool with this."
Marista looked toward the front and everyone was looking at them. This made her feel angry. And motioned for them to leave. "This . . . I haven't been on a date in like five years." She said.
Paulie asked, "Why? Are you just not looking or have you just given up?"
Marista laughed to herself. "Both. After divorcing Donovan, I did go on a few dates. I was in a bad place and very sad. I just wanted him back. Even if the man is a serial cheater and liar." She told Paulie. "I don't want to feel sad right now. Let's talk about anything else."
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"I know I'm younger than you. Is that a problem?" Paulie asked her.
Marista grimaced. "It bothers me a little bit. I'm forty-one and you are how old?"
Paulie answered, "I'm thirty-one. I don't mind the age difference."
Ohh, okay! She was warming up to him a little more now. "Any siblings?" She asked, seeing their groupies again. "Excuse me." She got up from the table and they all scattered like flies. Going outside she yelled out, "Can we get some damn privacy? Go hang out elsewhere. If I see any of you staring at us again I'll feed you to a shark!"
Mermista grabbed Meranda's arm. "Come on crew let's go!"
Marista watched them all walk away.
"They just want you to be happy." Paulie said coming up behind her.
Marista jumped because she wasn't expecting him to be there. "I know I just don't know if I'm ready."
Paulie said, "It has been five years. You're still not ready to move on?"
Marista looked at his face. He was young and cute. She felt old and boring. "I'd like us to be friends. Right now that's all I can do."
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Paulie felt an invisible knife stab him. Ouch . . . "Yeah friends is a good place to start. Do you want to go back inside?"
Marista shook her head. "Not really. I'd rather sit out here."
Paulie nodded and went inside to get their drinks then came back out. They went over to one of the outdoor tables. "This is a good idea." He said as they sat across from each other. "To answer your question I do have a younger brother. His name is Jonny and he's twenty-five."
Marista smiled with her lips together and then spoke. "Mercia is older than me by a year and eight months. It was just us. We weren't very close when we were younger. It wasn't until he met Alina that he started to include me into anything. She was nearly fifteen when they met and she had Mermista not too long after that."
Paulie looked shocked. "I did not know that." Then he said, "Now I understand why Mercia was so hard on SeaHawk about Mermista. He doesn't want her to get pregnant like her mother did."
"Exactly. He sees a lot of himself in Sebastian. The way my brother loved Alina is a lot like the way Sebastian loves Mermista." Marista told him, not really knowing that kind of love.
Donovan loved her for a while, but found himself wanting other women. Now he had a history of them and he knew his repuation was talked about constantly. He was also remarried to a younger woman in her late twenties. They had two children together.
Paulie reached out and touched her hand. "Can I ask you something?"
