"Welcome to the world's tackiest strip mall!" Maria flung her arms, welcoming Carey. "I buy my Christmas presents here."
Carey grinned as he eyed the strip mall. "Well, not only are you cute, funny, and exciting... but you're tacky."
"Tacky!" Maria proclaimed. "Is my middle name." Maria encircled Carey's waist with her arms, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Where else can you find electric blue tulips and dusty rose dresses?"
Carey made his best pondering look. "A yard sale?"
"A swap meet." Maria whispered in Carey's ear. "We're at the Las Cruses Swap Meet."
"And that is?" Carey asked, painting on his best pondering face. "What do you do there? Believe it or not, I have never been to one."
"Oh sweetie." Maria laughed. "Swap Meet...you swap, or in most cases buy other people's junk."
"Sounds like a yard sale to me." Carey muttered, looking around the area. "Or a auction, I've been to auctions, went to a few flea markets." Carey said, smiling.
Maria sighed. "Keep walking Bell, you're slowing me down." Maria chuckled. "Look over there." Maria slipped away from him, and ran to the comic book booth. Maria leaned against the pole and laughed.
Carey turned around to catch Maria running away from him, he smirked, shaking his head. "Spiderman versus superman, who will win? Who will lose?" Carey read the comic book cover, shaking his head. "You know I never got into these things."
"What about baby brother with the weird name?" Maria raised an eyebrow. "Look at helpless ol' Lois Lane."
"He doesn't have a weird name." Carey stated. "He loves comic books though." Carey smirked. "Lois Lane, she's supposed to be like the hottest chick out of all the comic book characters."
Maria snickered. "I'll keep that in mind."
"Just thought you would like to know, for some reason." Carey said, as he brushed his fingers against the items. "Where is the guitar stuff?"
"Over there." Maria pointed. "Right next to the jewerly." Maria grinned, locking her arm with his. "That's where I spend the most money, it's insane."
Carey smiled, pulling his wallet out. "Women dig jewerly."
"I got it Romeo." Maria called, running ahead of Carey.
Carey shook his head. "Well I was kinda going to spend this money on guitar stuff, you know me being the typical selfish macho pig male, but let's pretend you never heard that, and you continue thinking I'm a Romeo."
Maria laughed. "I've got you covered too." Maria threw her head back. "I wouldn't think any less of you."
Carey put his wallet back. "A women paying for me? Oh man, will you marry me?"
"Get a life Bell!" Maria turned her back. "Never in your life." Maria bit her lip, running her fingers over the glass display holding rings. "I don't even know you."
Carey laughed, and let his eyes lock on a black guitar. "You don't know what you're missing out on."
The woman watching Maria at the jewerly booth shook her head, laughing, amused by the two.
"Even she's laughing at you." Maria smirked.
"No, she's laughing at you." Carey replied, still looking at the guitar. "How old are these strings?" Carey asked the man by the booth.
"Hey!" Maria narrowed her eyes. "These are beautiful...."
"What are?" Carey asked, plucking at the guitar strings.
"Oh shush you." Maria called. "Mind your own business."
The woman shook her head, sitting back down in the lawn chair she had pulled out.
Carey picked up the guitar. "Well if you don't want me commenting on things you say, then shush yourself."
"I wasn't talking to you." Maria handed the woman a bill and walked over to Carey. "I was talking to her." Maria plopped down at Carey's feet.
"Oh." Carey turned to Maria, and grinned. "Isn't this the most beautiful thing you have ever seen? Look at the strings on this thing, this has to be like antique."
Maria nodded. "It's awesome." Maria stood up and dusted off her bottom, reaching for the sky blue acoustic. "But I like this one."
"That's pretty." Carey nodded. "Whoa, look how it's shaped, awesome." Carey pulled his wallet out. "Want it?" Carey smiled. "There is no way I am letting you pay for two guitars, and there is no way I am letting this beauty leave without me. What did you buy?"
"Some stuff, and I'm headed down there." Maria plucked a few strings. "I should learn to play the guitar one of these days."
"You don't know how to play a guitar?" Carey pulled out some money and gave it to the man. "But you sing right?"
"Yup." Maria nodded.
"I'll have to teach you to play one of these days, if you like." Carey fastened the guitar on his body. "Okay where to next DeLuca?"
"You're going to be in and out of Roswell before you know it... I like your good honest intentions."
"Then I'll have to teach you right now." Carey smirked.
Maria shook her head. "Stop trying to butter me up Mr. Rock and Roll man, we're going to see the vintage clothes, and there's nothing you can do about it!"
"Vintage?" Carey scrunched up his nose. "I guess I gotta do what the woman wants." Carey finally smirked. "Vintage huh?"
"I am strong, I am invincible, I am WOMAN." Maria laughed.
"Sounds like what a female Tarzan would say." Carey grinned.
"Ssshhh." Maria stood on her toes and kissed Carey quickly. "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that."
Carey cocked his head to the side. "Do you usually kiss guys you don't even know?" Carey smirked. "Because ahem, were you not the one that said that back there at that booth with the nosy lady?"
Maria laughed. "Depends on my mood." Maria took his hand and pulled him towards the clothes. "Look, a leather cowboy hat!"
"You don't expect me to jump up and down do you?" Carey smirked, grabbing the cowboy hat. "How do you know this is real leather?"
Maria rolled her eyes. "Excuse me Mr Antique Guitar strings." Maria pushed it farther down on Carey's head. "I KNOW."
Carey adjusted the cowboy hat, so he could look at Maria from underneath the hat. Carey grinned, as he flicked the edge of the cowboy hat; "You have no idea how painful this is for me right now."
"You have no idea how much fun I'm having right now." Maria laughed.
"Get me a country suit, and some cowboy boots, and I can be the next Garth Brooks, you know." Carey said tapping his feet, smiling.
"I run the risk of worsening your overinflated ego..." Maria flipped through the dresses. "But you look really hot in that hat."
Carey grinned. "How much is this hat?"
Maria rolled her eyes.
"Hey look at this." Carey pulled out a dress. "This is... cute."
Maria raised an eyebrow. "If I were a street walker maybe." Maria replied, grabbing it out of his hands and grinning.
"Well I was just trying to be good company, I thought it was... different." Carey replied, still staring at the dress.
"We'll see in a minute." Maria disappeared behind a curtained off area. "Oohhh, I dunno if I should come out there.." Maria teased.
Carey grinned. "If you don't, I'll come in there." Carey said, slowly.
"Why does that sound like a threat you won't follow up on?" Maria held her breath.
"Do you dare me? Because I will!" Carey said smirking, he cast a look at a few teenagers staring at him. "Oh don't mind us, my little lady in there is afraid to come out." Carey said loud enough to reach Maria's ears.
Maria bit her lip. "That's a dare."
Carey nodded. "Alright little lady, here I come." Carey grinned as he pushed his way past the curtained area. "Are there any other women in here besides you?" Carey asked, closing his eyes.
Maria laughed. "Stay in this curtain." Maria reached out and grabbed Carey's hands, resting them on her hips. "You can open them, but remeber you picked out the dress..."
Carey licked his lips and opened his eyes, his eyes glazed over for a few seconds and then he smirked. "You look, amazing." Carey laughed. "Well you looked amazing before, but you look even more amazing, not that without the dress you wouldn't look amazing..."
A slow blush creeped up Maria's cheeks. "I'm so hungry."
"Okay, take off the dress... I mean after I leave, and I'll buy it, my treat and we'll get something to eat." Carey said, blushing as well.
Maria raised an eyebrow,and lifted her arms over her head....
Carey turned around quickly. "I said once I leave... I'll be out there." Carey walked back outside.
Maria laughed. "Why wait?" Maria yanked the dress back down and waited a few minutes for pouring herself onto the small stool and resting her head in her hands. "Ohhh my god." Maria mumbled to herself.
Carey waited outside, flipping the cowboy hat in his hands, waiting for Maria. "Are you okay in there?" Carey asked from behind the counter, where he was looking at some more items.
"Yeah." Maria lifted the curtain up. "I'm fine." Maria smiled weakly at Carey. Her knees were shaking, and she could swear he could hear her heart racing in her chest.
Carey looked away from the items and smiled at Maria. "You sure?" Carey said, grabbing the dress. "So buy or leave behind?"
"You should have seen your face." Maria laughed. "I'm buying..."
Carey rolled his eyes. "Next time you plan on performing a striptease, tell me ahead of time, so I can be ready."
Maria winked, slowly pulling her tank top up to expose her belly button.
Carey rolled his eyes again. "Oh haha, so funny!" Carey put down some money for the cowboy hat. "Are we ready for some food?"
"It was funny!" Maria laughed. "You know it was... or you wouldn't be grinning so wide you goon."
"I am NO goon!" Carey crossed his arms across his chest. "And to think I was thinking of buying this hat, might as well put it back..."
Maria reached over and snatched it, smushing the hat down on her head. "I know a great Thai place..."
"Where?" Carey questioned, smirking.
"I'll take you there." Maria reached into her pocket for the keys. "Alex loves to order from there all the time..." Maria ran the car and waited for Carey to get in."Anytime Romeo.." she laughed, stepping on the gas.
Carey got in the car, and buckled his seatbelt. "Let's hit it."
Maria pushed the tape in. "Wish me luck." Maria tapped the dash board. "You're lucky, it's not that far away." Maria sang into the music, wearing a goofy grin. "I usually take Alex shopping with me."
"Which one was Alex?" Carey asked.
"The tall goofy one drooling over the small brunette that came with your crowd." Maria answered, screeching into the parking lot.
Carey's eyes widened. "Fi? Your friend likes Fi?" Carey laughed.
Maria shrugged, turning off the car. "Come on dude."
Carey unbuckled his seatbelt. "Coming, my dear."
Carey grinned as he eyed the strip mall. "Well, not only are you cute, funny, and exciting... but you're tacky."
"Tacky!" Maria proclaimed. "Is my middle name." Maria encircled Carey's waist with her arms, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Where else can you find electric blue tulips and dusty rose dresses?"
Carey made his best pondering look. "A yard sale?"
"A swap meet." Maria whispered in Carey's ear. "We're at the Las Cruses Swap Meet."
"And that is?" Carey asked, painting on his best pondering face. "What do you do there? Believe it or not, I have never been to one."
"Oh sweetie." Maria laughed. "Swap Meet...you swap, or in most cases buy other people's junk."
"Sounds like a yard sale to me." Carey muttered, looking around the area. "Or a auction, I've been to auctions, went to a few flea markets." Carey said, smiling.
Maria sighed. "Keep walking Bell, you're slowing me down." Maria chuckled. "Look over there." Maria slipped away from him, and ran to the comic book booth. Maria leaned against the pole and laughed.
Carey turned around to catch Maria running away from him, he smirked, shaking his head. "Spiderman versus superman, who will win? Who will lose?" Carey read the comic book cover, shaking his head. "You know I never got into these things."
"What about baby brother with the weird name?" Maria raised an eyebrow. "Look at helpless ol' Lois Lane."
"He doesn't have a weird name." Carey stated. "He loves comic books though." Carey smirked. "Lois Lane, she's supposed to be like the hottest chick out of all the comic book characters."
Maria snickered. "I'll keep that in mind."
"Just thought you would like to know, for some reason." Carey said, as he brushed his fingers against the items. "Where is the guitar stuff?"
"Over there." Maria pointed. "Right next to the jewerly." Maria grinned, locking her arm with his. "That's where I spend the most money, it's insane."
Carey smiled, pulling his wallet out. "Women dig jewerly."
"I got it Romeo." Maria called, running ahead of Carey.
Carey shook his head. "Well I was kinda going to spend this money on guitar stuff, you know me being the typical selfish macho pig male, but let's pretend you never heard that, and you continue thinking I'm a Romeo."
Maria laughed. "I've got you covered too." Maria threw her head back. "I wouldn't think any less of you."
Carey put his wallet back. "A women paying for me? Oh man, will you marry me?"
"Get a life Bell!" Maria turned her back. "Never in your life." Maria bit her lip, running her fingers over the glass display holding rings. "I don't even know you."
Carey laughed, and let his eyes lock on a black guitar. "You don't know what you're missing out on."
The woman watching Maria at the jewerly booth shook her head, laughing, amused by the two.
"Even she's laughing at you." Maria smirked.
"No, she's laughing at you." Carey replied, still looking at the guitar. "How old are these strings?" Carey asked the man by the booth.
"Hey!" Maria narrowed her eyes. "These are beautiful...."
"What are?" Carey asked, plucking at the guitar strings.
"Oh shush you." Maria called. "Mind your own business."
The woman shook her head, sitting back down in the lawn chair she had pulled out.
Carey picked up the guitar. "Well if you don't want me commenting on things you say, then shush yourself."
"I wasn't talking to you." Maria handed the woman a bill and walked over to Carey. "I was talking to her." Maria plopped down at Carey's feet.
"Oh." Carey turned to Maria, and grinned. "Isn't this the most beautiful thing you have ever seen? Look at the strings on this thing, this has to be like antique."
Maria nodded. "It's awesome." Maria stood up and dusted off her bottom, reaching for the sky blue acoustic. "But I like this one."
"That's pretty." Carey nodded. "Whoa, look how it's shaped, awesome." Carey pulled his wallet out. "Want it?" Carey smiled. "There is no way I am letting you pay for two guitars, and there is no way I am letting this beauty leave without me. What did you buy?"
"Some stuff, and I'm headed down there." Maria plucked a few strings. "I should learn to play the guitar one of these days."
"You don't know how to play a guitar?" Carey pulled out some money and gave it to the man. "But you sing right?"
"Yup." Maria nodded.
"I'll have to teach you to play one of these days, if you like." Carey fastened the guitar on his body. "Okay where to next DeLuca?"
"You're going to be in and out of Roswell before you know it... I like your good honest intentions."
"Then I'll have to teach you right now." Carey smirked.
Maria shook her head. "Stop trying to butter me up Mr. Rock and Roll man, we're going to see the vintage clothes, and there's nothing you can do about it!"
"Vintage?" Carey scrunched up his nose. "I guess I gotta do what the woman wants." Carey finally smirked. "Vintage huh?"
"I am strong, I am invincible, I am WOMAN." Maria laughed.
"Sounds like what a female Tarzan would say." Carey grinned.
"Ssshhh." Maria stood on her toes and kissed Carey quickly. "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that."
Carey cocked his head to the side. "Do you usually kiss guys you don't even know?" Carey smirked. "Because ahem, were you not the one that said that back there at that booth with the nosy lady?"
Maria laughed. "Depends on my mood." Maria took his hand and pulled him towards the clothes. "Look, a leather cowboy hat!"
"You don't expect me to jump up and down do you?" Carey smirked, grabbing the cowboy hat. "How do you know this is real leather?"
Maria rolled her eyes. "Excuse me Mr Antique Guitar strings." Maria pushed it farther down on Carey's head. "I KNOW."
Carey adjusted the cowboy hat, so he could look at Maria from underneath the hat. Carey grinned, as he flicked the edge of the cowboy hat; "You have no idea how painful this is for me right now."
"You have no idea how much fun I'm having right now." Maria laughed.
"Get me a country suit, and some cowboy boots, and I can be the next Garth Brooks, you know." Carey said tapping his feet, smiling.
"I run the risk of worsening your overinflated ego..." Maria flipped through the dresses. "But you look really hot in that hat."
Carey grinned. "How much is this hat?"
Maria rolled her eyes.
"Hey look at this." Carey pulled out a dress. "This is... cute."
Maria raised an eyebrow. "If I were a street walker maybe." Maria replied, grabbing it out of his hands and grinning.
"Well I was just trying to be good company, I thought it was... different." Carey replied, still staring at the dress.
"We'll see in a minute." Maria disappeared behind a curtained off area. "Oohhh, I dunno if I should come out there.." Maria teased.
Carey grinned. "If you don't, I'll come in there." Carey said, slowly.
"Why does that sound like a threat you won't follow up on?" Maria held her breath.
"Do you dare me? Because I will!" Carey said smirking, he cast a look at a few teenagers staring at him. "Oh don't mind us, my little lady in there is afraid to come out." Carey said loud enough to reach Maria's ears.
Maria bit her lip. "That's a dare."
Carey nodded. "Alright little lady, here I come." Carey grinned as he pushed his way past the curtained area. "Are there any other women in here besides you?" Carey asked, closing his eyes.
Maria laughed. "Stay in this curtain." Maria reached out and grabbed Carey's hands, resting them on her hips. "You can open them, but remeber you picked out the dress..."
Carey licked his lips and opened his eyes, his eyes glazed over for a few seconds and then he smirked. "You look, amazing." Carey laughed. "Well you looked amazing before, but you look even more amazing, not that without the dress you wouldn't look amazing..."
A slow blush creeped up Maria's cheeks. "I'm so hungry."
"Okay, take off the dress... I mean after I leave, and I'll buy it, my treat and we'll get something to eat." Carey said, blushing as well.
Maria raised an eyebrow,and lifted her arms over her head....
Carey turned around quickly. "I said once I leave... I'll be out there." Carey walked back outside.
Maria laughed. "Why wait?" Maria yanked the dress back down and waited a few minutes for pouring herself onto the small stool and resting her head in her hands. "Ohhh my god." Maria mumbled to herself.
Carey waited outside, flipping the cowboy hat in his hands, waiting for Maria. "Are you okay in there?" Carey asked from behind the counter, where he was looking at some more items.
"Yeah." Maria lifted the curtain up. "I'm fine." Maria smiled weakly at Carey. Her knees were shaking, and she could swear he could hear her heart racing in her chest.
Carey looked away from the items and smiled at Maria. "You sure?" Carey said, grabbing the dress. "So buy or leave behind?"
"You should have seen your face." Maria laughed. "I'm buying..."
Carey rolled his eyes. "Next time you plan on performing a striptease, tell me ahead of time, so I can be ready."
Maria winked, slowly pulling her tank top up to expose her belly button.
Carey rolled his eyes again. "Oh haha, so funny!" Carey put down some money for the cowboy hat. "Are we ready for some food?"
"It was funny!" Maria laughed. "You know it was... or you wouldn't be grinning so wide you goon."
"I am NO goon!" Carey crossed his arms across his chest. "And to think I was thinking of buying this hat, might as well put it back..."
Maria reached over and snatched it, smushing the hat down on her head. "I know a great Thai place..."
"Where?" Carey questioned, smirking.
"I'll take you there." Maria reached into her pocket for the keys. "Alex loves to order from there all the time..." Maria ran the car and waited for Carey to get in."Anytime Romeo.." she laughed, stepping on the gas.
Carey got in the car, and buckled his seatbelt. "Let's hit it."
Maria pushed the tape in. "Wish me luck." Maria tapped the dash board. "You're lucky, it's not that far away." Maria sang into the music, wearing a goofy grin. "I usually take Alex shopping with me."
"Which one was Alex?" Carey asked.
"The tall goofy one drooling over the small brunette that came with your crowd." Maria answered, screeching into the parking lot.
Carey's eyes widened. "Fi? Your friend likes Fi?" Carey laughed.
Maria shrugged, turning off the car. "Come on dude."
Carey unbuckled his seatbelt. "Coming, my dear."