The weekend went by pretty quick. Mark spent time letting Laura practice driving. He could see she knew how to handle the Cherokee. He wanted her to get her license. He wasn't going to be home forever and she needed to be able to get around. He also let her drive the bike around some getting a feel for it. She was a quick learner and was doing great. Laura also insisted on cooking for him all weekend even though he protested. "I want to" she told him. "So hush." She just grinned at him and told him to go find something to do while she cooked. He wondered off mumbling something about bossy little girls. Mark also started his morning workout program again. He knew if he didn't he wouldn't be shape to go back to work. It was a grueling 3 hours every morning and took a lot out of him.
Laura stood in the door way of the gym and watched him work out. He was doing push-ups and damned if he didn't look good. Muscles rippling .Rivulets of sweat ran down his back. He had been at it for 3 hours now. Mark got up and did some cool down stretches. He looked up and seen Laura watching him. He grinned at her. "Whatcha doing, pretty Baby." He asked. "Nothing, just wanted to see if you were still alive." She said. "Yea I'm still kicking." he said. "Here, I brought you a cold bottle of water." She said handing it to him. Thanks, Sweet Thing." He said and bent over and kissed her cheek. "Damn that's good." he said taking a long swallow. "I'm going to take a shower, before you get any ideas about cooking tonight, were going out to eat." "Don't you like my cooking?" she said. "I love your cooking Baby Doll, but its Sunday, you been cooking all weekend. I'm taking you out." Mark said. "I'm going to take me a little nap, don't let me sleep past four." he said. "Okay, I'm going to go read for a while." Laura said.
Laura read for about an hour and decided to go take a shower and get dressed. Mark's door was open, she glanced in and seen him tossing and turning. She stepped in. "Can't ya sleep? She asked. "I think I strained a back muscle." He said. "It's hurting like hell." Laura went over and sat down on the bed. "Turn over, Ill rub it for you." She said. "It will be fine, don't worry about It." he said. "Hey don't be a wimp. I aint going to hurt ya." She said and grinned. Mark laughed. "Okay." He said. He pulled off his shirt and lay down on his stomach. Laura move over behind him and started to massage his back. "Oh Yeah baby, that's the spot." He moaned. Laura rubbed and kneaded his back. Mark was in heaven. Damn, that girl knew how to work a muscle out. "Baby that feels so good." He said. Laura kept rubbing his back; truthfully it felt as good to her as it did to him. She was having a great time touching him. She laughed at her own thoughts. Damn girl you're turning in to a pervert. Mark had relaxed and he turned over. She found her hands lying on his chest. Oh Damn Damn Damn, she thought. She didn't move her hands. She watched him, he appeared to be asleep. He was so handsome. He looked so sweet in sleep. His face was relaxed. Those sexy freckles you could barely see across the bridge of his nose. Those thick lashes. Stop Laura, she thought. She took one hand and gently brushed back his short hair. His hair felt so silky. Laura you had better stop she sternly told herself. Damn that goatee was cute; she loved the way it tickled when he kissed her. She wonders how much it would tickle her mouth. Okay I'm going to get up and leave she thought. But her body didn't move. Hell he's asleep Laura, one little kiss wont hurt nothing. She couldn't stop herself now if she wanted too. She slowly bent over and pressed her lips to his. There was nothing but innocence in her kiss as she held her lips to his for a moment then pulled away. Mark felt a jolt go through his whole body. He hadn't been asleep, just playing possum to see what she was up to. The innocence in her kiss affected him like no kiss ever had. He opened his eyes to look into her beautiful eyes. Laura was so startled that she jumped back and fell in the floor. Oh my god she thought, he's awake. Mark leaned over the edge of the bed. He couldn't keep the laughter out of his voice. "Ya alright Kid?" he asked. "Uhh Yea." She said. He grabbed her hand and pulled her back up to sit next to him. She looked down at her hands afraid to look at him. "Well I got to thank ya baby doll, I feel much better." He said. "No problem, anytime your back hurts let me know." She said. "Oh you mean the back rub, yea that was real nice too. But not as nice as that kiss." He said and grinned at her. Laura turned blood red. "Oh your impossible." She said and got up to leave. Mark grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Don't be mad baby, I was just having some fun with ya." He said. "Come on, Ya aint mad are ya?" Laura raised her head a little and peeked up at him. He had that really cute grin on his face. "Oh Jeez, you are so not cute." She said. "Come on baby, I'm sorry for teasing ya." He said. She looked back at him and couldn't resist his smile. She found herself grinning back at him. He lifted her chin up with his knuckle. "See, I knew my girl couldn't stay mad at me." "Don't press your luck buddy." She said. "I'm going to get dressed for dinner." "Okay, Ill be down in a few he said. After she left Mark lay there thinking. Okay so she kissed you, it doesn't really mean anything. It could just be a friendly kiss. Well ya big dummy it might be on her part, but not on yours. I feel like I just got hit by lightning he thought. And another thing if it was just a friendly kiss why did she wait to you was asleep to plant one on ya? Answer that. Well it don't matter right now, she's only 17 just keep repeating that to yourself. Mark sighed to himself and got up to get dressed.
Mark took her to Grady's. The food was great and they both had a good time. They laughed and cut up the whole night. Mark was convinced he had blown the kiss out of proportion. They got back home about 7:00. Laura went to the den and put on cartoons and plopped on the floor. "You nervous about school tomorrow? He asked. "No, not really." She said. "I think its gong to be cool." She laid there laughing at the antics of Ed, Edd and Eddie. Mark loved watching her. Mark was sitting on the couch. "Come sit with me baby." He said. Laura went and lay down on the couch and laid her head on his leg. "Will you scratch my back?" she asked. "Sure baby." Mark slipped his hand under her shirt and started scratching her back. "Mark, you aint mad cause I kissed ya are ya? She said. "No Baby, why would I be?" he asked. "I don't know, I just felt kinda weird about it. I don't want ya to think… Oh hell I don't even know what I think." She said. "Don't worry about it baby, you can kiss me anytime ya want, Like I said it was real nice." He said. She looked up at him and he had that shit eating grin on his face. She just laughed. "You're a nut." She said. He just laughed. She laid there a while longer. "I'm going to bed." She said. Mark leaned over and brushed his lips to hers. "Sweet dreams, little girl." He said. Laura got up and went to bed knowing she would have very sweet dreams.