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February 14, 2009 6:48 PM

Valentine's Day Thrills

I’m a sucker for a good romance. So, in honour of St. Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d post a (slightly abridged version) of one of my favourite romantic scenes from Mackenzie, Lost and Found. It’s the one where Mackenzie and Nasir talk and touch for the very first time.

Remember? Here’s an excerpt to refresh your memory…

We spoke! Oh my God! We spoke!

I stumbled up the street towards my apartment, praying my legs wouldn’t give out on me. My head was spinning, my heart was racing, my lip was sweating and there was a hot prickly feeling making its way up the back of my neck. I felt like I was going to faint. I sat down on the curb outside my building and put my head between my knees, willing myself to calm down as my mind went over the details of what had just happened.

Relax, Mack … relax! Get a grip on yourself!

But I couldn’t relax. I was a mess. A quivering, sweating, hopelessly romantic mess. The Arab boy and I finally spoke. Actually, we did more than speak: we touched. Well, he touched me. Oh my God, just thinking about it was making my stomach do flip-flops! It all started out so normal. I walked in to his store, picked out my daily pack of gum, and took it up to the counter to pay. I could feel those brown eyes of his studying me as I fished around in my purse for some money. He glanced around to see if anyone was watching, then leaned over the counter towards me.

“I see you in here a lot. You buy a lot of gum.”

My heart skipped in my chest. His voice was deep and smooth and, although he spoke with an accent, his English was perfect. Just like I’d imagined it would be.

“Um, well — it’s sugar-free, so my dentist doesn’t mind,” I stammered stupidly.

Great, Mack! Why don’t you tell him about your last fluoride treatment while you’re at it?!

He didn’t say anything; he just stared at me. Damn it! He must think I’m an idiot.

“Um, my name’s Mackenzie,” I said to ease the silence.

“Mack-en-zie,” he repeated. The way he said it sounded more like “Muck and Zee,” but I didn’t dare correct him. It was kind of cute.

“Nice to meet you, Muck-and-zee,” he said, flashing a smile of beautiful white teeth. “I’m Nasir. Nasir Hadad.”

“Hi,” I said shyly, willing my face not to blush a second time.

Nasir leaned forward a little more until we stood so close, I could hear his breathing over the hum of the ceiling fan. He smelled nice — like fresh laundry and toothpaste. For a split second I thought for sure he was going to kiss me. I hesitated while my brain toyed with the possibility.

Is this too early for kissing? Should I let him or should I push him away? What would Hailey Winthrop do in this situation?

I knew the answer even before I finished forming the thought. She’d kiss him. I closed my eyes, opened my lips, and waited. But then he spoke instead.

“Is your skin real?” he whispered. “Can I touch it?”

My eyes flew open. Was he joking? I was used to people teasing me about my skin, not asking to touch it. I smiled and waited another second for him to laugh — but he didn’t. He was serious.

“Um, okay.” I nodded slightly and held out my arm. But instead, he reached for my cheek. I gasped softly as his fingertips connected with my skin. I know it sounds totally cheesy, but the best word I can use to describe how it felt is electric.

His hand lingered there. I could feel his fingers trembling as they rested on my face. I wanted to tell him that it was all right. That he didn’t have to be nervous. That he could keep them there for as long as he wanted. But I’d lost my voice. And I’d lost my senses, too.

Suddenly, the door opened and a customer walked into the store. Nasir tore his hand away, scooped up the shekels on the counter, and practically hurled them into the cash register. He looked so guilty, like a kid caught sneaking cookies before dinner.

“You’d better go!” he whispered, pushing the package of gum towards me.

I felt guilty, too, even though I wasn’t exactly sure why. I nodded, turned on my heels, and fled out the door, up the street, and to the steps of my apartment. My cheek was still tingling on the spot where he’d touched me. I couldn’t get his face out of my head.

Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!

Slowly, I lifted my head up from my knees and took a long, deep breath. I thought about the return ticket I still had tucked away in my room upstairs. The three-month mark of our move to Israel was just two days away.

And then I thought about those incredible brown eyes. And the feel of his fingers on my face.

Okay … so maybe I’ll hang around this country a little bit longer.”

Phew! Even though I wrote it, this scene still gives me goose bumps everytime I read it.

So now it’s your turn…let’s hear about your most thrilling literary love scene.

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