Welcome to my first literary offering. Writing is something I always wanted to do and I felt it was time to take the plunge. Fair warning -- this is a romance. If you're looking for a lot of hot and heavy XXX sexual encounters, you will be disappointed. This is completely fictional, and everyone is over 18.
I need to express my deepest thanks to NoraFares who helped me immeasurably. She helped turn the mess I created into something presentable. If you appreciate great writing, read her submissions.
Thanks for reading. I'd love to hear your comments!
© BarryJames1952 -- July 17, 2019
*****
It was one year ago today. A routine run to the grocery store enriched my life beyond my wildest dreams. It also nearly cost the life of my love and destroyed me.
I'm Amy Waters. At the time I was a third-year nursing student at Temple University in Philadelphia along with my two beautiful roommates Sami and Jenn. When I say they're beautiful, I'm talking swimsuit model beautiful. Both have long, flowing natural blonde hair, perfect facial structures, flawless complexions, and perfect shapes to drive every man in their path to distraction and an immediate erection.
I'm their ugly but bubbly sidekick. At least that's how I always saw myself. But in the spirit of objectivity, I'm more... cute, but ordinary. While my friends are suitable candidates for "Baywatch" -- I'm more the Food Network type. I'm told I look like a young Rachael Ray, but I think she's gorgeous and I'm not sure I measure up to her standards.
I'm not skinny, but not obese either. Cruel kids from high school liked to call me Miss Piggy, but I just considered the source and didn't let it bother me too much. I had plenty of real friends around me. Sure, I've held on to some baby fat, but I was fit and healthy -- so screw them! But I'm okay with being the "not pretty but cute" bubbly girl. I was comfortable with me -- even if some insecurities creep in on occasion.
All three roommates were fortunate in that our families totally supported our life at college. With money to live and eat never being an issue, it freed us up to study and even take summer courses rather than having to find jobs. We had the ideal environment to succeed in college, and with it came a comfortable routine with minimal stress - other than keeping up our grades. It also gave us appropriate time for social lives. All three of us were not really the type to party hard. You could safely say we willfully led appropriately balanced lives.
My roommates and I had a Saturday routine. After sleeping in we'd have a late breakfast at our favorite local diner. Then I'd go to the grocery store. I'm the only one of the three of us that can cook, so we split the grocery bill and they'd give me a break on rent to serve as the house cook. I paid 25% of the rent and expenses, while Sami and Jenn split the remaining 75%. It was a winning arrangement for all of us.
My Saturday, that day a year ago, started like every Saturday. We enjoyed our mid-morning breakfast with talk of classes and the wide disparity of the attributes exhibited by various professors. Dr. Jenkins is a pompous ass... Mz. Olney really seems to care and knows how to teach... you get the picture. But the bulk of the time is spent discussing friends -- especially boyfriends. Jenn and Sami were teasing me about being rather noncommittal regarding my boyfriend at that time, Hunter. To be honest, Hunter was failing miserably at being my ideal guy and I was struggling to find a way to let him go. Plus, without any real alternative at that point, there was no urgent need to cut him off.
Breakfast catchup ended, and it was time for my grocery run. I made my way to The Fresh Grocer in Progress Plaza, which was only a few blocks from our apartment. Jenn offered to go with me to help carry our goodies home. That week the order was going to be fairly sizable so I accepted her offer. She hated actually going into the store, so she did a little window shopping nearby then would meet me at a bench outside the store.
While walking in, my head was in the millennial march position -- looking down at my phone. I have an app that I used to organize my grocery list and I was planning my attack on the aisles that lay before me.
That's when my life changed.
As I entered the store, a woman bumped into me and I looked up to apologize. Instead of turning to look at her, my eyes transfixed on the face about 15 feet in front of me. It was a gorgeous face. His dark rusty red hair was attractively messy and highlighted his features that were somehow very manly, but boyish as well. He appeared to be about 6' tall and he seemed trim and fit - perhaps even athletic. His captivating blue/gray eyes were staring back at me as if he were in a hypnotic state. But most unusual, his mouth was open almost as if he'd seen a ghost. But not with fear. More like disbelief. I couldn't help but stare back.
Our mutual gaze seemed to last for hours, and yet it couldn't have been more than a few seconds. We both smiled rather sheepishly, and he turned with his cart to go into the store.
"What the heck just happened?" I thought to myself. "Did I recognize him from somewhere? Had he said something? I don't think so. Why did he feel so familiar?"
I willed myself to get a grip on the moment and start the weekly chore awaiting me. I didn't need anything from the first aisle, so I proceeded down aisle two. After gathering a few items, I approached the end of the aisle as my handsome vision turned to come past me from the other direction. Without slowing, we both locked eyes briefly, then looked down with silly grins as we passed. "Is it getting warm in here?" I thought to myself.
In Aisle three, we passed again with the same look, identical grins, and continued on our separate paths. "Get a hold of yourself, Amy!" I scolded myself.
I prepared to go down aisle four with a flurry of thoughts. "Will it happen again? What should I do? Should I say something? What should I say? Should I grab him and take him home like a lost puppy? What if he's not single? Do I care? Of course, I care! No, I don't. I really need to pee."
He turned into the aisle from the other end just as I entered from my side. We had a whole aisle to navigate while in each other's view. "Damn. He's gorgeous! Are we going to talk? Will he make the first move? Damn, I have to pee badly!"
The trip down the aisle seemed in slow motion. Our gazes were locked on each other. I wasn't sure if either of us blinked. I was mesmerized by his eye's and his smile. He had such intensity, and yet a softness at the same time. Everything about him was warm, friendly, inviting. They say when you die that your life flashes before you. My future in his arms flashed in my mind as if it were already history. Dating, mating, joining, growing old together -- all of it there as if our story was written. "At some point, we'll need to talk if any of that is to come true!" I thought.
My mind went into overdrive. "He's almost here! Say something -- anything. Is he trying to talk? He's thinking of what to say. I can see it. Should I say something? Why doesn't he say something? Say something! SAY SOMETHING!"
"I'm sorry." He mumbles in a throaty masculine voice. "I know I keep staring at you, and this is going to sound cheesy, but do we know each other?"
"Yes."
"We know each other? Where from?"
"No... I don't think we know each other."
"But, you said yes!" He looked totally confused.
"I said yes because that was totally cheesy." I smiled hoping he found that was funny.
"We've known each other for only a few seconds and already you're screwing with my head?" He smiled back.
"Just being honest. That wasn't the best pickup line I've ever heard."
"Can I try again?"
"Are you trying to pick me up?"
"If you want honesty, that wasn't my initial intent."
"So what is your intent?" I smiled. I wanted him to know I was comfortable even if my insides didn't agree.
My mind continued to process. 'And I really, really have to pee! I hope he doesn't say something to make me laugh too hard.'
"I felt like... well, like we somehow connected in some way. And if we really haven't met before, then I wanted to meet you and figure out this wild attraction I felt!"
"Now that was cheesy!" I smiled and walked on.
My brain when nuts. "What are you doing? You idiot! Don't play hard to get. You felt it too. Don't let him get away! Turn around! TURN AROUND! Damn -- He's turned the corner. Go to the next aisle and talk to him. Open your freaking mouth and talk to him. DAMN. I. HAVE. TO. PEE!"
He came down the next aisle at the same pace as the last aisle. I held his gaze again, then left my cart and walked up to the front of his cart. I looked into his eyes with a nervous smile.
"Me too!"
"What do you mean?"
"I had the same feeling I can't explain. Is that weird?"
"Absolutely weird. But I need to figure it out. What about you?"
I held out my hand. "I'm Amy. Amy Waters."
He took my hand to shake it. We touched and a sudden energy flowed between. It was as if... as if a circuit was completed that lit every corner of my being. I gasped. His eyes opened wider with a momentary look of surprise -- I think he felt it too!
"Amy Waters, I am sooo glad to meet you. I'm Mark Danton."
His smile was Cheshire-cat wide, his face glowed. His teeth sparkled. I swear -- they sparkled!
