Cuter Than Normal

Hanita noticed that he was dressed so casually and looked hot at the same time. On the sweatshirt that he wore was a thick shawl that he'd thrown over his shoulders. He wore pants that one would know were tailored just for him. And his hair – Hanita had always liked the way the cut sat on his head making him look so in charge and giving him an aura of control. That was how she could put the feeling.

Hanita waved while Talik just kept staring at her.

Her phone beeped again and she took it out, not wanting to believe that it was Talik sending her a message again because she had seen him type something into his cell phone.

'Do you know how long I've been looking at you?'

"Why don't you just come over here?!" Hanita yelled in his direction, making the few people who were in the aisle that they were in look at her with a little shock on their faces. But Hanita couldn't care less.

Talik chuckled and walked toward her.

"Aren't you buying anything? Or you just came o the mall to check ladies out?" Hanita asked as she placed one of her hands on her waist and rested the other on the cart.

"Hi, Hanita…" Talik said first as he opened his arms a little for a hug.

"Tsk." Hanita leaned forward and entered Talik's arms. "Hey, trouble…"

"My cart is being watched by someone…" he said. "I couldn't resist the urge to follow you when I spotted you…"

"How can I not know that I was being watched?" Hanita asked with a little frown. "I have to pay attention more and be aware of my surroundings."

"There's some truth in that though… Are you done shopping?"

"Nope," Hanita responded. "I have one more thing to grab then I'll be done," he finished as she glanced at her already full cart. Hanita had the habit of over-buying and over-packing but this mall had the best prices and she wanted to utilize that.

"All these for you?"

"Yup!" Hanita said excitedly. "Was thinking since I won't have to worry about the excess luggage thingy…" she trailed off as she winked in Talik's direction.

He threw his head back a little and laughed.

"Come on, let's get that one last thing, shall we?"

When Hanita was done with her shopping, they walked side by side to where the cashier would bill their items.

"Excuse me," Talik said to Hanita as he moved to an area and slipped a teenager a $50 bill, and pulled the cart that the boy had been watching.

He returned to where Hanita was. "I'd like to ask you to step away from your cart…"

"Why?"

"Because the kind lady here would scan the items together…"

"I don't understand…"

"I'll pay for everything."

"No!" Hanita yelled. She looked around and some pairs of eyes were on her.

"They would wonder if you'd had something to drink today… and it's just afternoon," Talik said in a hushed tone as he leaned toward Hanita.

"I'll pay for my stuff."

"I know you can…But allow me to pay for these, please. I'd be so glad."

Hanita looked at Talik and he had a pleading expression on his face. She thought about it for a while then folded her arms in front of her with a little pout on her lips.

"That makes you look cuter than you are normally."

Hanita rolled her eyes. She would have insisted but the short time that she'd spent with Talik, she had noticed that he didn't give up on whatever he wanted to do. So, she allowed him this victory.

Hanita watched as Talik handed his credit card to the lady at the counter and they bagged all their things into separate paper bags.

"Did you come with a car?" Talik asked as he took an empty cart and arranged all the bags inside. He tapped on the back of Hanita's hand, stopping her from joining him in what he was doing.

Hanita withdrew her hand and her mouth fell agape. She stared at Talik's head with shock but when she gathered her thoughts, she replied to his question.

"No… I don't even drive."

Talik chuckled a bit but that had been involuntary. He looked at Hanita and noticed that she wasn't smiling then he apologized. "But why?" he asked as he began to push the cart out of the mall.

"Anxiety…" she replied. "It gives me anxiety."

"Hmm… I can understand that… I have a friend like that as well," he said as he looked ahead of him.

"Should I drop you off then?"

"No, Talik… honestly," Hanita said. She didn't want to be a burden nor take him out of his plan for that day.

"You have already paid for the things that I bought…Let me take myself home."

Talik looked at her and considered what she said. "I'll call you a taxi. Cool?"

Hanita smiled. "That would be great."

At the same time, Hanita didn't want her father to see Talik again. She knew that she would not hear the last of it and the next thing she would be hearing from her parents would be to invite Talik to the house for lunch or dinner. Hanita didn't want that as her parents didn't want to believe that he was only a friendly colleague.

After Talik had ordered a ride with his phone and was sure that the driver was only about two minutes away, he turned to Hanita and faced her directly. Talik towered over her so much so that he completely blocked out the sun and shaded her.

"I'll come get you from the house by 10 am tomorrow morning…" Talik said. "We will be airborne by 11."

Hanita looked up at him. She didn't have to cover her eyes looking up from that angle. He smelled nice and she liked that about him – in fact, she liked guys that paid attention to their hygiene and to details – and Hanita had seen that Talik checked those boxes.

"That's perfect…" Hanita said as they both heard the honk of a car.