Clark checked his watch again, and wondered if the battery was dead. No, the second hand moved, but is seemed to be very slow. Sitting in the lobby of her building, he tried to remember the last time he was this nervous about a first date. Granted, this was not a typical first date, any more than Jasmine was a typical girl. That she had even said yes to this was something of a small miracle.
They had met when Jasmine came to the University for her residency, and Clark was on faculty. When Jasmine expressed an interest in teaching, Clark found opportunities for her to lecture. They spoke frequently, and started having lunch together often. As time passed, Clark found himself attracted to her. Looking back, he was surprised it had taken as long as it had. She was incredibly smart, and made the most of every opportunity to learn. She loved music and books, and the two of them had exchanged more than a couple of things to listen to and read. And she was the most optimistic and genuinely happy person Clark had ever met. But they were very different – he was 39 and as Caucasian as his rural Indiana roots would suggest, and she was a 24 year-old East Indian Jersey girl. As the attraction grew stronger, Clark told her how he felt, and a brief but intense relationship developed. But he was in another relationship, and before he had decided to end it, Jasmine had moved on. Ultimately, she and her new boyfriend moved away, and she was no longer a part of his daily life. Gradually, the sadness gave way to acceptance, and lunch alone in his office became the norm. He wondered how she was from time to time, and learned through a late night Google stalking session that she had been promoted and was now board certified. And that was that.
Until July.
He was talking with a colleague in a convention center in New Orleans when he sensed her. It was almost imperceptible, like a gentle summer breeze, but it was as real to him as the conversation. As he turned, he saw Jasmine and her best friend Sasha walking in his direction. A half-hearted acknowledgement morphed into a testy text exchange, which became an apology dinner/reunion. Afterwards, they went for a walk, Jasmine had point blanked asked Clark if there had really been anything between them, or if she was just another conquest. A long conversation followed in which Clark tried to tell her that it was all "real", and that while they had both moved on, the feelings remained. This didn't seem to sit well with Jasmine, but at the end of the evening they said goodnight with a hug that felt more like a farewell embrace, and went their separate ways. And so, he thought, that was that.
Until the end of March.
He was in line for his Monday morning cup of coffee when he spotted her ahead of him. He thought it was her twin, until he heard her voice. Stunned, he approached her as they waited for their drinks. And that was where she informed him that she had moved back to take over the outpatient care center. Another round of contentious tests ensued – with a few extra "assholes" thrown in for good measure. When calmer heads prevailed, they agreed to have lunch.
"Jesus Jaz, you could have told me!", Clark exclaimed as soon as the waiter was out of earshot.
"And miss the look you gave me on Monday? No way; that was priceless. I wish I had my phone out. "
"Fine, But you should have said something. I could have written a letter of recommendation, or helped get things set up at the University."
"Not necessary. I'm all grown up now. Besides, I didn't want your help. I am really angry with you."
"What did I do this time? Was it something I said in New Orleans?"
"It was what you didn't say, asshole! Why did I have to hear from Sasha that you were single?"
"Guess what? I'm an adult too, and tell me, how would that conversation have gone? 'Hi Jasmine, it's me, Clark. Um, I don't have a girlfriend anymore. Wanna hang out sometime?' I'm sure that would have played well with 'Turquoise'."