Page 44 of Fever: Love In Scrubs
The night market pulsed with life a block away from the restaurant. Soft old school R&B music drifted through the air like a flirtatious invitation. We followed the sounds, allowing our feet to take us in that direction. We found the source of the music to be a live band. A small crowd was gathered around them, some listening, some dancing to the melody.
I told Jaxson I wanted to stop back later, but right now, I wanted to see what this place had to offer. The market spilled out in a chaos of color and light with its neon signs, swaying paper lanterns, and strings of fairy lights tangled above uslike constellations. Faux grass and flower walls lined a section, making it the perfect backdrop for pictures. Of course, we stopped and snapped a few before making our way on through.
Even though we’d just eaten a full meal, my mouth watered as we stumbled upon the street food. The smells were intoxicating. Grilled meats. Cinnamon. Butter. Caramelized fruit. It didn’t help that someone was in front of each stand, offering samples that we both indulged in.
We stopped at a stall selling skewers of candied fruit glistening under the lights. Jaxson picked up one with peach slices and held it out to me.
“Try it.”
I leaned forward and took a bite, my lips brushing the edge of his fingers. The syrup stuck to my mouth like the sweetest honey.
“Oh my God,” I said, licking my lips. “That is amazing.”
Before I could hand it back, he bent down and kissed me, slow, tender, and deliberately sucking the essence from my lips. He tasted like the peach, sugar and something I was already starting to crave.
When he pulled back, the corners of his mouth tilted up.
“Yeah,” he said softly. “Definitely amazing.”
“Well damn,” the lady handing out samples said. “That made me hot. Here, take another one to go.”
We shared a laugh and thanked her before moving on.
We wandered deeper into the market, stopping at every stall that caught our attention. There was one with hand-stitched journals of which I bought two. Another held a plethora of handmade jewelry, one of my favorite things. I spent a good fifteen minutes searching for the perfect pieces for myself while Jaxson picked up a few for his daughter and niece.
I was still sifting through the bracelets after he made his purchase. Feeling his eyes on me, I glanced over at him.
“Am I taking too long?” I asked with a silly grin.
“Nah.” He grabbed my hand and kissed it. “I’m just admiring you.”
I blushed. “Admiring my indecisiveness?”
He shook his head, eyeing me carefully. “No. You just… you glow. Even when you don’t mean to.”
I didn’t respond right away. The words settled over me like warmth. That was probably the sweetest thing anybody had ever said to me.
I wagged my finger at him. “There’s that smooth talking I mentioned,” I jested.
He chuckled as I leaned in to peck his lips.
“Thank you.”
I tried to pay for my purchase, but he slapped my hand away as I went for my wallet. I didn’t argue with him. Just lifted my hands in surrender as he tapped his card. Hand in hand, we made our way back toward the area with the live band. They were playing a rendition of “Fatal Distraction” by Mario. People were dancing in the open square, some gracefully, some awkwardly, but no one seemed to care. It was all in good fun.
He turned to me. “Dance with me?”
I laughed. “You don’t know this, but I have two left feet.”
He pulled me into his arms. “So do I, but I’m willing to look foolish with you.”
Now how could I say no to that?
So, we danced. Badly. Clumsily. At one point he stepped on my toe, and profusely apologized. He held me close, swaying with the music, both of us laughing and bumping into each other like the rhythmless pair we were. As I stared up into his beautiful eyes, I had to admit to myself that I was fucking smitten that damn fast.
The night carried on for another hour or so. We danced horribly to a few more songs before making our way back to thecar, then to my house. When we pulled into my driveway, he got out and came around to let me out. With my arm linked through his, he walked me up to the front door.
“I really enjoyed your company tonight,” he said, smiling.
