Page 22 of Rough Night

"What are you smiling at?" Mia asked as she noticed the smile on his face.

"I'm just remembering the last time you were on my bike. That trip was torture with you constantly trying to tease me," he said as he mimicked her stretching.

"You knew the whole time?" she asked, shocked. Sage could tell she thought he didn't know what she was doing back then.

"Of course, I knew," he said.

"I thought I was being so clever," she said with a small laugh.

"You were being clever and extremely cheeky,” he replied with a chuckle. "You're a very distracting woman even when you're not trying."

Mia blushed and quickly placed her helmet on to hide it, but Sage already saw and smiled to himself.

They climbed onto the bike and left the house as Sage took off he took a quick scan of outside the house and was happy to see no law enforcement vehicle parked outside. He was pleased that the work he had done had helped in the long run. He knew he could enjoy his day with Mia without any worries.

Sage hadn't spent any one on one time with anyone for such a long time. He had tried to separate himself from those around him ever since the military because he didn't want to have to go through losing anyone again. When he thought back to that time it wasn't just that he had lost Laura, but he had lost a group of friends too. They were more than friends, they had been his family too. They had shared so much together, and their bonds had grown when they fought alongside each other. It wasn't just that he hadn't pictured himself with another woman, but he had spent years making sure he never got too close to anyone.

That had all changed though when Mia was constantly by his side. He found it easier to let himself go around her. He felt like he could be more himself than he had been in a long time. He wasn't healed from his past and of course, the likelihood of him ever being completely healed was too far fetched, but he felt something for Mia that made him smile and feel more at peace around her.

It didn't take Sage too long to find the cafe he had found in his search. He was happy with his choice because the cafe was cute and arty with cakes and pastries of all kinds to choose from.

He stopped the bike and hopped off, stretching his arm out so Mia could take his hand as she got off the bike behind him.

"This is so cute!" Mia exclaimed as she looked at the cafe. Sage was pleased with himself. He was glad he had known something about Mia's taste.

"I'm glad I chose correctly, I thought you'd like it," he replied.

They headed into the cafe. Both were greeted by a small chubby woman with bright red hair who directed them to a table and took their orders. They had a bit of small talk as they waited for their food, but the place was still quiet enough for the time of the day, so it didn't take long for their food to arrive. Within an hour, they were back on the bike and on their way for the next activity of the day.

It didn't take them long to arrive at the beach, and Sage knew instantly that it had been a perfect choice. They walked along the beach for a while with their shoes in their hands so their toes could sink into the sand beneath them. It was relaxing and peaceful as the beach was empty while they walked. Sage was grateful for the moment. He was grateful that Mia was by his side to share it with him. He had given her so many chances to walk away from him when he had tried to push her away, but she was a force of nature and would not settle for anything less than what she wanted. He was glad he was something she saw an interest in. He couldn't imagine what his life would be like without her.

They sat down after a while, and because there was a slight breeze in the air, they sat close together, feeling the warmth of each other's body heat. It felt good for both of them, it felt right.

Sage didn't think about much while they sat there, enjoying the view that was before them. His mind didn't wander back to his past, nor did he find himself trying to pull away. However, he felt at peace for the first time in a long time. He looked at Mia while she had her eyes closed, her face tilted toward the sun, and she looked breathtaking. She was so beautiful that Sage almost reached over so he could gently kiss her, but instead he just watched her. She seemed to smile softly as the breeze tickled her face. It had been a long time for both of them since they had been out of the house and still in each other's company. He could picture them going to the beach more often to get a break from work. It could be a new tradition they create for themselves as a couple. Sage smiled at the thought.

"It's so beautiful," Mia said as she opened her eyes and looked across the ocean. She watched the waves gently crash into each other. The smell of the ocean filled their noses, salty and fishy but still refreshing. They had been in the city for so long that a change in scenery was what they needed to get their minds off of the problems that had happened recently, even if it was just for the moment. The amount of drama that had happened recently had started to take a toll on both of them.

"It's hard to concentrate on the beauty of the sea when I'm sitting here next to you," Sage replied. He had continued to watch her out of the corner of his eye since they had sat down. Her hair gently floated around her face, sifting with the breeze that pricked at their faces.

"When did you become so soppy?" she asked teasingly as she gently nudged him with her elbow. It was a question Sage couldn't answer because he knew that deep down it had been since he had met her.

For him, there had been no other explanation for how he had started to act when she entered his life. He had never tried to force someone out of his life the way he had tried with her, but even when he had thought it was the right thing to do, there had been a part of him that still wanted her near.

"You've made it extremely hard to ignore you, you know," he replied. He didn't want to hold anything back from her. He knew he wouldn't go into his past, but he could still talk about how she made him feel in his life right now.

"I told you I always work hard for what I want, Sage," she said. He believed her, she had managed to grab his attention from the beginning, and he wanted to know everything there was to know about her. He hadn't allowed himself to feel anything for anyone in a long time so it was almost overwhelming to him that since Mia had appeared in his life, he really couldn't stop thinking about her.

"What are some things you want?" he asked.

"Well, I guess I've always wanted to be an artist which you already know, but I'd really like that to be a reality and not just a dream."

"Why don't you showcase some of your work?" he replied. He hadn't managed to see any of her work yet, but with how long she had started to spend painting in the office, he could only imagine how good she was.

"I'm terrified of people judging it and telling me that I'm not good enough. I'm so passionate about painting that I'm worried that with the wrong criticism I could stop altogether and I really don't want that to happen," she said.

He could tell she was serious, the look on her face showed just how scared she was.

"Can you show me your work some time?" he asked.