Heart Sparks: Tiny Stories of Love | ✓

9 • An Agented Blind Date

The park bench where we agreed to meet had already been taken by an elderly couple. Instead, I stood by the trees.

We had exchanged a few text messages, but other than the mandatory questions, we knew little about one another. The questions themselves were a necessary step for safety during assignments, not for socializing.

A man approached, suit and tie, but I didn't play close attention. Businessmen always held their client meetings at the park, desperate to show they were not out of touch, locked away in their corner offices. Curiosity got the better of me when I saw he wasn't wearing a nametag like most managers.

The fabric of his jacket fit perfectly around his upper body, lengthening his already broad shoulders. He could have been the subject of a statue. He stood like one.

He held a basket in his hand, fruit. Honeydew and melon.

As suspected, he was here for an outing with a client. A peace offering.

He stopped by the tree on the other side of the bench. He didn't fiddle or take out his phone, he simply stood, smiling at the elderly couple and returning their wave. As he turned, his eyes met mine and held.

The sound of a roaring engine came alive in the distance. It matched the sound of the heartbeat thudding in my ears. There wasn't any justice in this exchange. It all had to be one karmic joke.

I made my way over to his side, composing myself, and held out my hand.

"Katalina," I offered. His warm hand met mine, almost twice as large.

"Marcus," he replied, though I had already suspected.

He offered his arm and I held on to the crook as we started walking. I tried to gather the details in my head but my voice came out as a croak when I saw a brown lock of hair fall over his forehead. I cleared my throat.

"I've been tracking the subject's movements for the past 72 hours," I said, softly. "I've sent the latest coordinates to your phone. I think he may contine his move today."

"He's not expecting to stay here long," Marcus met my eyes again. I nodded.

He stopped walking, pulling me into the rose garden and putting down his basket. When a group of businessmen walked by, he brushed my hair back, leaving a caress across my cheek.

He leaned into my ear, his hands at my waist.

"How much time do we have?" he asked.

"Maybe six hours at most," I replied. "He landed this morning."

"Mmmm," he replied, low, staring deeply into my eyes. My heart thrummed again and my face warmed.

"Do you have backup?" I asked, when I caught my breath.

"Yes," he said, peering into my eyes. "You."

He had just met me but he trusted me. I would do the same.

I touched his cheek, as he pulled me closer against him, his hands slowly moving across the curve of my lower back. My lips were only an inch away from his own.

He moved to close the distance.

"Katalina," a voice said from behind us. I shut my eyes, willing the voice to disappear. It called again.

"Yes?" My voice clipped as I turned in Marcus's embrace.

"The subject is on the move," the junior agent said though I had given him specific instructions to wait in the car. "He's only a few miles away. We could tail him."

I slid the encrypted key in Marcus's pocket, transferring the data I had been tasked to do.

"Of course, I'll be there in a minute," I replied. The agent nodded, retracing his steps to the parked car with a jog step.

I looked helplessly into Marcus's eyes and stepped away. His arms pulled me back.

"Wait," he whispered.

He held my face in his hands, searching my eyes for only a moment, before he kissed me.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, responding eagerly. I ran my fingers through his hair, as one of his own hands moved up to hold my neck, angling me back to deepen the kiss.

When he slowed his movements to a stop, he gave a parting brush across my lips before he slipped away.