Oddball Mabel has always been quirky. Maybe it's due to the fact that she was homeschooled or perhaps it was because of her parents who sheltered her a little too much from the world. Whatever it is, she's determined to make her college years count...
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I looked at Mabel's and my hand across the console, our fingers intertwined and I remembered for the umpteenth time how lucky I was that I was here. Not here here because I wouldn't have minded not driving around at midnight in search for the perfect donut (Mabel's idea of a good time, apparently), but supposedly when Mabel said "let's get donuts!" it meant upwards of an hour of driving.
Mabel wiggled her fingers around mine before clasping them back tightly again. She turned her head to shoot me a wide grin, "So you liiike me," She teased in a sing-songy voice.
I stopped at a red light before using my free hand to gesture for her to come closer. "Come'ere," I leaned forward as she brought her face closer and nipped at her nose with my teeth lightly just as she wrinkled it back at me in response "I like you," I emphasized as she smiled at me in return.
Her little fingers twisted against my hand again. Damn, this girl couldn't sit still.
"So, are we like on a date then?" She asked almost shyly. Mabel was never shy. In fact, I almost hated when she was shy around me because that meant that I had made her feel that way. And when Mabel wasn't confident and babbling a mile a minute, she wasn't my Mabel.
I brought our intertwined hands to my face and kissed the tips of her fingers. "This would be a pretty lousy date, Maybie." Maybe I was moving too fast, I reasoned. I just couldn't not touch her.
She frowned at me, "I think this is a spectacular date," She paused and shot me a playful smile, "But only if we find the best donuts I've ever had. Then I guess it'll just be a pretty lame get together."
I feigned offence, "We can't have that. I have a reputation to uphold and 'pretty lame get together' will never be it."
I pulled to the side of the road before tugging out my phone and googling reviews. What the hell had become of me? I hated sugar.
I paused on one shop that got raving reviews and got back on the road, "Best donut you've ever had coming up. And conveniently it's only twenty minutes away from here. Would ya look at that."
"Hmm," Mabel sighed, "I'll believe it when I see it. I have a theory that the best places are always the furthest away."
"You have a fetish for drivers that I should know about?"
"Not on the first date, Marcus," she responded sleepily as she tugged her legs up onto the chair, curling them against her body, setting her head on the seat as she smiled at me. "You have to wait until at least the third date for that kind of dirt." There was my confident Mabel.
"Well I better make this a pretty damn great date then," I replied.
"You know I'm just kidding, right? I like driving around with you. Or just talking to you," Mabel murmured, her eyes half closed at this point.
"I know, baby. Talking to you is the best part of my day," I admitted and it actually was. "You falling asleep there?"
"Never. Donuts first, sleep later," She whispered, her eyes completely shut now. "Neeeed sugar to operate," She mumbled.
