Owen noticed and recognized her before she noticed and recognized him. She had pushed her way from the back room and scanned the shop without letting her eyes settle on him. It left Owen with a few breathless and stunned moments to take in the woman he’d written a Craigslist ad to. All that curly hair and an apron emphasizing the shape of her body. As good as the first time he’d seen her. Twice now he had the advantage of noticing her before she noticed him. She dismissed the surly teenager to handle another task before addressing him.
Their eyes locked in a sort of fateful moment. Owen didn’t rush through the interaction. He wasn’t like other people who might have pretended not to have recognized a stranger once met in an awkward encounter. He wasn’t like other people who might have muscled through an awkward re-encounter with a vow to never return to the place to avoid future social anxiety.
Instead he leaned into the tension of the moment. He lived for such experiences. A half-smile pulled at the corner of his mouth revealing straight white teeth. His tongue passed over his upper lip in an attempt to hide how pleased he was to have found her again.
“It is me.” He agreed with a nod of his head confirming her recognition of him. He didn’t mind the way she said it. The slight incredulousness of it. A patient sort of smile played out in his eyes.“I did pay for your call. I remember that.”
For lack of anything to do with his hands, Owen reached into his back pocket and took out his wallet to lay it on the counter. He stared down at it a moment before itching the tip of his nose with his index finger.
“So you work here, huh?”
He glanced around the cafe as if the setting could tell him more about his mystery woman. He liked the milieu. He could see himself finding the appropriate head space to work in the environment.
“How serendipitous. To meet you again in a coffee shop of all places.” He dropped a hint at the date she’d agreed to give him. Her giggle was replaying in his mind. That little gesture now made sense.
He dropped his hint but wouldn’t hold her to the agreement. He figured she’d agreed out of politeness. That he’d sort of coerced it out of her. If she was committed to it, perhaps she’d bring it up herself. Otherwise he’d let it go for the moment. Plus, he liked the irony of her having agreed to let him buy her a coffee. And here he was about to buy a coffee from her. That past giggle of hers seemed to him now a stroke of genius.
He shook his head as if he couldn’t believe it himself. “Funny how things turn out. How’s your phone doing by the way?”
Their eyes locked in a sort of fateful moment. Owen didn’t rush through the interaction. He wasn’t like other people who might have pretended not to have recognized a stranger once met in an awkward encounter. He wasn’t like other people who might have muscled through an awkward re-encounter with a vow to never return to the place to avoid future social anxiety.
Instead he leaned into the tension of the moment. He lived for such experiences. A half-smile pulled at the corner of his mouth revealing straight white teeth. His tongue passed over his upper lip in an attempt to hide how pleased he was to have found her again.
“It is me.” He agreed with a nod of his head confirming her recognition of him. He didn’t mind the way she said it. The slight incredulousness of it. A patient sort of smile played out in his eyes.“I did pay for your call. I remember that.”
For lack of anything to do with his hands, Owen reached into his back pocket and took out his wallet to lay it on the counter. He stared down at it a moment before itching the tip of his nose with his index finger.
“So you work here, huh?”
He glanced around the cafe as if the setting could tell him more about his mystery woman. He liked the milieu. He could see himself finding the appropriate head space to work in the environment.
“How serendipitous. To meet you again in a coffee shop of all places.” He dropped a hint at the date she’d agreed to give him. Her giggle was replaying in his mind. That little gesture now made sense.
He dropped his hint but wouldn’t hold her to the agreement. He figured she’d agreed out of politeness. That he’d sort of coerced it out of her. If she was committed to it, perhaps she’d bring it up herself. Otherwise he’d let it go for the moment. Plus, he liked the irony of her having agreed to let him buy her a coffee. And here he was about to buy a coffee from her. That past giggle of hers seemed to him now a stroke of genius.
He shook his head as if he couldn’t believe it himself. “Funny how things turn out. How’s your phone doing by the way?”
Bitch, I'm limited edition.
The following 1 user Likes saronym's post: megs
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Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by megs - 04-16-2017, 01:38 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by megs - 04-16-2017, 01:45 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by saronym - 04-16-2017, 03:06 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by megs - 04-16-2017, 03:27 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by saronym - 04-16-2017, 04:10 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by megs - 04-16-2017, 07:17 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by saronym - 04-16-2017, 09:07 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by megs - 04-16-2017, 09:56 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by saronym - 04-16-2017, 10:45 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by megs - 04-17-2017, 10:01 AM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by saronym - 04-17-2017, 11:15 AM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by megs - 04-17-2017, 11:54 AM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by saronym - 04-17-2017, 12:46 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by megs - 04-17-2017, 01:17 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by saronym - 04-17-2017, 02:05 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by megs - 04-17-2017, 02:53 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by saronym - 04-17-2017, 07:15 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by megs - 04-17-2017, 08:43 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by saronym - 04-20-2017, 11:21 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by megs - 04-21-2017, 04:37 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by saronym - 04-23-2017, 02:50 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by megs - 05-07-2017, 05:14 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by saronym - 05-13-2017, 09:26 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by megs - 05-15-2017, 01:48 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by saronym - 05-16-2017, 12:44 AM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by megs - 05-21-2017, 12:54 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by saronym - 05-24-2017, 12:10 AM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by megs - 05-29-2017, 04:50 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by saronym - 05-30-2017, 07:51 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by megs - 06-24-2017, 09:38 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by saronym - 06-28-2017, 07:39 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by megs - 07-31-2017, 11:09 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by saronym - 08-29-2017, 12:16 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by megs - 09-29-2017, 07:04 PM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by saronym - 12-01-2017, 01:17 AM
RE: Variations on a Theme [Closed] - by megs - 08-04-2019, 12:06 PM