“Welcome to Sugar Hill, what can I get for you?” Marc looked at Mia and stood back to let Mia order.

Mia stared at Marc like she’d never seen him before; his eyes spoke to her, and gave her a small smile giving Mia a sense of calmness and complete comfortably. “Ah, I’d like the, ah, Harlem Sweeties, please.”

“Awesome choice, and Sir?”

“I’d like an ice cream sandwich with chocolate chip cookies and Rucker Park ice cream, thank you,” he said, nodding to the young woman and paid for their ice cream.

Marc joined Mia at the small, decorative, table with tons of napkins as he handed Mia her ice cream.

Swells of thoughts ran through both their minds as they ate their ice cream, they both said nothing as the ate; they both had nothing to say, not because they didn’t have anything to say, it’s because they didn’t want to ruin the moment—even if it was just a moment.

“Ok, so are you done?”

“Yes, thank you; it was delicious,” Mia said standing as she went through the door Marc held for her. Her inner Mia-motions were all in an uproar for various reasons.

Angry Mia: “Why the hell does he have to come in our lives now, we just got Josh out of our system, ugh I hate our life. I know, let’s piss him off so we don’t have to go through another heartbreak. I can tell him to go fly a kite, we don’t need him.”

Happy Mia: “I want to plant flowers and skip through the valley with chocolate kisses! Singing and dancing and just spreading joy to everyone!”

Angry Mia: “Shut the hell up, Happy, you make me sick!!”

Emotional Mia: “I just can’t stop crying! I’m so excited! He’s amazing!”

Fearful Mia: “I’m outta here! He can’t be this great. He’s a serial killer!”

Disgusted Mia: “All you guys suck. Do you see that ice cream stain on our damn blouse? I just can’t with all this…we have to present ourselves better than this!”

Overthinking Mia: “Ooh, my God! He likes us! I wonder if we could ask him up to discuss the other events we’re thinking of hiring him for. No, no, we can’t ask him that—he’s gonna think we want to sleep with him! Ooh no,that’s silly, he’s not feeling us like that, right!”

In charge Mia: “You guys need to get a grip, I swear I’ma put all you hoes out on the street.”

“Are you ok?”

“Yes, I was just thinking how great you’ll be able to work with me,” Mia said, getting comfortable in Marc’s car. “I’m so relieved having run into you.”

In charge Mia: “Shut your mouth Mia, you’re ruining it. Why are you saying this? Who’s messing with her? Overthinking—stop it!”

“I’m glad too! So you need to tell me where you live otherwise we could just ride around in circles if you like?”

“Ooh right, so it’s 250 Mercer St,” Mia finally said looking at her hands. “So do you have any ideas for the menu,” she said, needing to say something.

“Are we going to talk about work?”

“Umm, we haven’t spoken about much else, so I…”

“What would you like to know?”

Angry Mia: “Ask him to flip off!”

Emotional and Overthinking Mia said at the same time: “No, no, ask him if he’s single?”

Happy Mia: “No, we don’t want to know. Let’s not do that. I like not knowing…”

Fearful Mia: “No, ask him to drop us off at the station so we don’t die tonight.”

“I don’t know if this is appropriate to say or ask…”

In charge Mia: “Everyone hold on to something, we’re going off script!”

“Ok,” Marc said as he headed downtown New York City. He had an idea what Mia wanted to ask him, and he’d be happy to say that he’s single; he wanted to tell her while they ate their ice cream, but he didn’t want to ruin the moment.

“I don’t want to be presumptuous, but are you, ah, available,” Mia said and looked at Marc’s eyebrows go up. “I mean, I don’t usually do things like this, but from the moment this morning, I knew that I wanted to be with you beyond the kitchen…”

Emotional Mia: “Lawdamercy, she’s blowing it!”

In charge Mia: “Wait…have faith!”

“Mia,” Marc said, only giving Mia’s ears a reason to dance. “I understand what you’re saying and yes, I am available beyond the kitchen. But I want to make sure that you’re aware that being with me won’t be easy, sometimes my hours are longer than I prefer and you have to be ok with that?”

Happy Mia: “We’re fine, tell him girl,” she said, dancing like it’s a house party.

“I understand, I really do,” she said and Marc reached to hold her hand. 

As they rode to her home, they both hummed to the song playing something hot from Mary J. Blige and then Marc said, “Do you have a parking space or…”

“I do have a spot, it’s in the garage, I’ll have Michael open it when we get closer,” she said and started dancing in her seat to Robin Thicke’s song “Blurred Lines,” “Love this song,” she said really getting into it, but that was only because Happy Mia was now in charge.

“Isn’t that something,” Marc said. Mia looked at him a bit puzzled since he’s been pretty quiet. “Since I’ve met you this is the most relaxed you’ve been. You’ve been all business and now it seems like there’s a change in you.” And before she could say anything, Marc added, “I like it. I like you,” he said and leaned in to kiss Mia. 

Their eyes locked and began kissing again, until the honking, impatient, New Yorkers brought them back to reality.