I stood back up and refilled his saucer with water and placed it in front of him and resumed getting ready. I pulled on the light yellow sundress I had allowed Sam to talk me into a few weeks ago that Mark had yet to see. The material was airy and flowed gently around me, making me feel more feminine than I had in a week. Training for hours every day after school was beginning to make me feel like a grunt, and very unladylike. I was anxious for Mark to actually see me dressed like a girl again.
Mark had indicated that we would be spending the day outside, so I gathered my hair together and pulled it into a high ponytail on top of my head so it wouldn’t become a mess after a few hours in the heat. After a light layer of lip gloss, a touch of eyeliner, and a spray of my favorite perfume, I was ready to go.
I walked through the house quietly leaving Feline behind to finish his water in the bathroom.
I found Mark on the patio watching the waves roll in.
"Hi," I said, walking up behind him and placing my hands on his shoulders.
"Hi yourself. Don't you look pretty today," he said, pulling me onto his lap. "Not that you're not pretty every day," he added quickly.
"Sure, sure I got you. Believe me I know I've looked like death this past week," I said grimacing.
"You could never look anything but beautiful," he said seriously, dragging his hand around the nape of my neck to pull me in for a kiss.
After making his point clear, he finally pulled back. "You ready to get out of here?" he asked.
"Most definitely," I said enthusiastically, hopping off his lap.
We drove with the windows down on the way to Mark's secret destination. The ocean breeze blew through the window filling the car with its briny smell. I inhaled the salty scent as the wind whipped my ponytail around. I loved living near the ocean.
"Okay, sooooo where are we going?" I asked for like the hundredth time.
"Can't say," he said, grinning at me mischievously.
I slid down in my seat, pretending to pout, but I couldn't help but grin. I was so excited to be out that we could be going to the dump and I would be perfectly happy with it.
As Mark turned up the radio, I closed my eyes and turned my face toward the window to soak up the warm rays of the morning sun. With my head relaxed against the headrest, the warm air blew across my face as the music from the radio surrounded us.
After half an hour, Mark pulled off the highway and made a series of turns, finally pulling into a sandy parking lot. By the look of the many outdoor tables and booths in the distance, it looked like we were at some kind outdoor market.
Jumping out of the vehicle, I took a look at the sights surrounding me. Mark came around the vehicle and joined me.
"You remembered," I said, throwing my arms around him. Weeks ago I had expressed my desire to someday visit a year-round outdoor market. Being from the arctic climate of Montana, an outdoor market was unheard of.
"Of course I remembered. I remember everything you’ve ever said to me," he said in a husky voice near my ear making me shiver in delight.
"I'm so excited," I said, grabbing onto his hand and dragging him toward the entrance.
The outdoor market was everything I had imagined and more. Each seller had their own wooden stand with long tables filled with their wares. Fruits, vegetables, and baked goods lined the majority of the tables. The sweet smell of every fruit imaginable hung succulent fragrances in the air making even a chocoholic like me, water at the mouth. Vendors from each side of us offered to cut open fruit from their stands hoping to entice buyers in.
I paused at one of the tables to try a fruit I had only read about in books. Accepting the small piece of passion fruit, I popped it into my mouth cautiously after eyeing the slimy yellow middle. I was pleasantly surprised at the flavors that burst in my mouth. I wasn’t overly crazy about the texture, but aside from that, the fruit was extremely tasty.
Moving on to the next stand, I paused to look at the pretty color of the porcelain hair clips that lined the bright, woven cloth. "How much?" I asked the old Mexican woman behind the table.
"Six dollars each, two for ten, or three for twelve," she said in a heavily accented voice.
Pleased at the price, I studied the hair clips and picked a pale pink one for myself, and a dark purple one that appeared black until the sun shined on it just right making the purple come alive, for Lynn. Finding one for Sam took much longer as I searched for something that she would like. I had it narrowed down to three when I finally had to ask Mark for his opinion.
"I think that one matches her the most," he said, pointing toward the swirl-colored one I had been leaning toward.
"I think that one's perfect too," I said, giving him a quick peck on the lips.
"So, are you trying for the perfect boyfriend award or are you really okay with this whole shopping thing?" I asked teasingly as we moved on.
"I enjoy shopping as much as the next guy, but spending the day with you totally makes it worth it," he answered, draping his arm across my shoulders.
"Well, I'll take it," I said, moving on to the next stand where a cute little boy who looked to be about three rushed around the table to proudly show me his truck. I squatted down to admire it.