She stood at the sink washing her hands slowly. Seeing a blur she looked up as a gentlemen walked in the bathroom. She raised her eyebrows, as did he.
"I think you're in the wrong restroom." They said together.
There was a moment of startled quiet and then she walked to the door and looked.
She smiled with chagrin, "Sorry."
He wanted to tell her to be more careful. He thought 'what if I had been in there... or if someone less savory had been in there' and suddenly his mind wandered in that direction. He pulled it back quickly as he noticed how pretty she was. Small with short hair, round in all the right places from what he could tell with a quick discrete glance.
He realized suddenly she was looking at him and he smiled back and surprised himself. "It's the most pleasant sight in a men's room in a long time." He said and watched her cheeks redden a little and a twinkly smile emerge around her eyes and he felt that familiar twinge beneath his belt.
He followed her out to the fast food counter where she ordered a tea and fries. He ordered a coffee and sandwich and then offered to pay for hers. His voice was quiet, calm, he noted with relief as it was unlike him to do this for someone he just met.
He watched her glance quickly at him from the corner of her eye and say, "You don't need to do that." She turned her face toward him, and he stood quietly watching the expression flash from uncertainty to a measured look to a decision.
She smiled, "But it would be nice."
"Would you like a sandwich as well?"
"No." she smiled, "That's alright. This is enough."
He didn't question it and they brought their food to a table by the window. The conversation began easily. She was local, he was visiting on business at a conference. He talked about how he left the conference to see a little bit of local color. They were both single. Parents. Not really seeing anyone.
She had her own business, she called it a curiosity shop. He worked in computer design. They talked easily for twenty minutes and he walked her to her shop and she thanked him for lunch. She stood watching him, wondering what would happen next.
"Why aren't you seeing anyone?"
"Too complicated. I like my life simple."
"Friendship is simple," he responded.
She smiled. "Yes. I guess it is."
He turned to go
"Wine is simple."
He looked surprised. Snowdrops were falling on her hair, the twinkle was back in her eye.
"Come by after your afternoon session if you like. I close at 6 and it takes a while to finish up. Usually am done by 7."
"What about your children?"
"Grown. At college."
"Sounds simple."
"One would hope." She looked at him, her eyes were a little dazed. He touched her shoulder and it felt warm under his hand. He realized he had not put on his gloves. She felt nice.
"I'll see you then." She said, feeling quite sure nothing at the conference would keep him.
Being the week before Christmas, it was busy and the shop didn't empty until 6:40. She turned the open sign to 'closed' and looked out. The street was emptying. She left the door unlocked and began counting out the cash register, entering data into the computer. She looked at the clock: 7:05. She shrugged. All afternoon she had wondered, she had thought, she had imagined. In a brief quiet time around 2:30 she had found the wine and special wine glasses.
"Bad luck to plan." She heard the word 'luck' in her mind...well it sounded like another word and that was in the back of her mind. She shrugged the thought away. It didn't look like it was going to happen. Too bad, she thought as she remembered him standing in the doorway. Nice. Sweet. Kind of quiet, comfortable, she sighed as she bent down, storing receipts. She forced her mind to the mundane and necessary and was lost in organization for the next morning when she heard the sound of a male voice and jumped up.
He stood there, a little disheveled.
"I was afraid you had locked up. The session went late. There were a lot of questions."
She realized that he was not attending the conference but presenting. She also realized he was in a quiet way letting her know. She liked that. Not pretentious, but nice to know.
She smiled, "Busy afternoon here too. How did your presentation go?"
He chatted about it as she locked the front door to future customers.
As he paused she said, "I have a little comfort room back here... and some wine, as I promised."
He raised an eyebrow as he walked back. He smiled as she poured out a wine. "It was a gift from a friend, homemade. Definitely fun. Not too high brow." She said looking at him out of the corner of her eye.
He thought he needed to watch himself here, watch out for that look.
"I have a friend that does that too. Makes wine. It is fun."
He shrugged out of his coat and she laid it over the counter and they drank the wine. He noticed the swell of her breasts as she moved back and poured wine. He almost heard the movement of her hips as she slid across her chair. He felt her movement within himself and his own sexuality stirred.
He watched her eyes sparkle with the wine and she touched his hand as they talked.
She flitted a bit like a bird until he took her hand in his and held it. She raised her eyes to his and smiled calmly. More than anything he wanted to touch her lips with his. He thought of touching more, of sliding his hands to her breast.
The telephone rang shrilly and she turned to answer it, leaning over the counter talking crisply, he could see the outline of her hips.
"Don't be silly." She answered. "It will be fine. I am fine."
"That's my neighbor and good friend. She saw you come in and was worried." She whispered.
He smiled and asked for directions to her bathroom, giving her time to talk to her friend. He smiled to himself, it was good someone watched over her.
When he returned, he asked her if she was hungry. She shrugged. She looked at a loss for words.
"You only ate french-fries for lunch." He reminded her.
"No. I make my own soups, but sometimes it is not enough. Usually I don't eat dinner."
