On Valentine's Day, he encounters the "perfect" woman.
ยฉ SouthernCrossfire - 2023. All rights reserved.
This story was written for the 2023 Valentine's Day Contest.
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Someone once said beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I think that applies even more so for those seeking the ideal known as perfection.
Some see perfection in certain shapes or patterns, some find it in certain mathematical ratios, and some even find it in symmetry while others delight equally in asymmetry. Then there are those who will persist in telling everyone that there is no such thing as perfection.
It took some luck and a long while to figure it out but I finally know the truth....
***
Someone left a light on at their workstation so I went back to flip it off and make sure there were no stragglers before I left for a quiet evening at home alone.
As I approached, I saw it was Lisa's station and I heard soft sobbing coming from within. I knocked gently to avoid scaring her.
"Hi, Lisa. It's Mr. Carter. Are you okay?" Surprised she was there, I added, "I thought you left early this evening."
On hearing my voice, she looked up and quickly wiped her tears as I came around the corner. She was trying to put on a good face.
"Uh, I did, sir, to meet Hogan and some friends for dinner at the restaurant across the street. We wanted to get there before the Valentine's Day crowds. Our friends showed up but he didn't. He sent me a text message instead, saying that he didn't think we should see each other anymore."
Ouch! I looked into her eyes, deep pools of tears over dark brown irises that normally seemed so playful as well as matching her hair. She was one of the most naturally vibrant and positive young people I knew, which made me want to cry inside for her on seeing her reduced to this pitiful state. Yes, she was a lovely young lady, twenty-seven or so, and in peak womanly form. If I were twenty years younger and not her boss....
Hogan, Lisa's boyfriend of the past year or so, was an idiot.
In the few times I'd met him, I'd liked him but he always seemed a bit shy for someone as outgoing as Lisa.
"Lisa, I'm so sorry. Why don't you head home," I suggested. "Anything here can wait until tomorrow."
"An empty apartment on Valentine's Day? If you don't mind, sir, with you leaving, I can cry here without disturbing anyone, I might even accomplish something, and I won't have a hangover in the morning. I'll be sure to lock up when I leave."
I stifled a chuckle at that but nodded. "Decent plan, I guess, but I might have a better idea. Be at my place at 8 with your pad with the photos from your trip to Germany and Austria. We'll fix a salad and grill a couple of steaks and we'll have one glass of wine each so we won't have to worry about that hangover. You can show me the photos, we can look for potential design features we can emulate, and you tell me about your trip. That way, you still can be home by 10 or so to get a good night's sleep."
I didn't add that it might get her mind off of Hogan.
"Mr. Carter, I don't want to impose on you...or depress you," she started, but I held up a hand.
"If you don't want to come, I understand; it's just an invitation that you can accept or decline. Either way, I don't have any plans for the evening so you won't depress me anymore than I might already be, and you being there might even help cheer me up. Lisa, I'll be glad to have you if you want to show up, but completely understand if you don't. Either way, I do want to see the pictures from your trip someday soon."
She looked at me for a moment before nodding. "Okay," she said. "I'll come."
***
Fifteen minutes later, I was making my way through the grocery store picking up a few things. When I asked Lisa to come over, I hadn't really considered that my refrigerator was almost empty.
As I made my way down an aisle, my eyes caught sight of a woman pushing a cart in my direction. She was about 5'-7 or so with long, wavy auburn hair held in place by a black scarf tied around it. It was cold outside so she had her form-fitting coat buttoned up tight over a pair of blue jeans and zip-up boots. She was even still wearing a pair of black leather gloves but the oddest thing was the dark sunglasses despite it being well after dark.
There was something about this woman, or maybe a lot of things, that screamed out to me that she was my ideal image of a woman, perfection in blue jeans and boots. As I got a better look, while being careful not to stare, I realized she actually reminded me of someone, someone I couldn't place at the moment, but someone I knew who'd once at least attracted me, if not more.
I thought back over the years but couldn't place her. College maybe? Grad school? A date before I met Leigh? I couldn't remember so I took another look.
I slipped up this time and she caught my glance. As we passed, I smiled and said, "Hello," keeping my eyes on her face, wondering what was hiding behind the dark tint of those glasses. She gave me a hint of a smile and kept going without a word.
And that was that.
I shook my head, unable to get her out of my mind and I laughed inside. I'd seen the perfect woman and she'd blown me off in public.
On Valentine's Day, nonetheless.
I started to whisper "FML" to myself but it wasn't true. While I wasn't going anywhere in the romance department, my life was actually quite good. My parents were retired and well; my children loved me, were now in and almost in high school, and were doing well; and my finances were in remarkably good shape. Besides, Lisa, who'd become one of my best employees in the three years she'd been with us, would be over and in need of positive reinforcement before long so I didn't need to be having negative thoughts.
Therefore, I put it all out of my mind.
I turned the corner to the next aisle and stopped to look for something only to hear a soft "Hi" a moment later. I looked up to see her smile at me and then continue on, turning at the end toward the next aisle. Realizing that maybe I still had a chance, I spotted what I needed on the back of the shelf, grabbed it, and made for the far end, turning to go down the next aisle.