It was a hot and humid summer. It had been in the nineties for almost a week and it looked like it was just getting hotter. Eve heard her the alarm on her running app beep and she knew she could walk for the next minute. She took a deep breath and continued her training session.
Sweat was dripping down her back and her hair was matted. She had a goal in mind and although she was planning on running the half marathon in the fall, her current goal was getting back to her apartment so she could have a cool shower.
The minute went by quickly and she went back up to pace. Her blonde hair swayed in her ponytail and her pink t-shirt stuck tightly to her curvy body.
She used the bench outside the building to do her stretches. As she did this she noticed a larger man practically stumbling down the path. He was not only large but very tall and considering Eve was only five feet really anything could be perceived as tall.
"Hey", she called out.
"Oommmph," was all the man could get out.
He threw himself onto the bench, almost crushing her foot. She pulled away and smiled. He frowned.
"Did you have a good run today?" Eve inquired.
The man smiled. Eve was getting a little nervous. She was always nervous talking to men and she had the confidence to do so because he was not staring at her breasts. Almost every single man who ever saw her would stare at them. He was different and this made her relaxed.
"I walked. I can barely get to the end of the street and back, I'm Darren by the way."
He held out his hand and Eve shook it politely. She continued her stretches as he continued to breath deeply. Finally she got the courage to say something.
"I go running every morning at this time. Want to join me tomorrow?" Eve bit her lip nervously. She had no idea what had come over her but she had clearly just asked this man out on a date.
Darren's eyes lit up. Then he scowled. He stood up and Eve realized he must be at least a foot and a half taller then she. He glared at her and then simply walked into the building.
Eve watched and didn't say a word. Had she said something wrong? She was so distracted that she didn't realize she was going to be late for work. She rushed into the building and took the stairs up to her second floor apartment. Her morning routine was the same and thankfully she was only a few minutes late.
The next morning Eve woke up and got into her running gear. She put on her black shorts with a yellow top. She laced up her shoes and then walked down the hall to the elevator. As she entered the foyer she smiled. There was Darren.
"Hi Eve. I'm sorry about yesterday. I can't run but if you're willing to walk with me I'd like that."
Eve smiled. He was so cute and she could tell he was truly apologizing. She would even assume he was embarrassed by his behaviour.
"Sounds like a plan," Eve giggled and they went out the door and toward the sidewalk.
Their apartment building was on a busy road but thankfully there was a sidewalk on both sides. Eve turned left and began the walk up the hill. She would always stop at the third intersection, cross the street and then make her way back down. Then if she were tired she'd stop when she reached her apartment building, or she'd continue down to the second intersection and walk back.
For the first few minutes nothing was said and then Darren began talking.
"So I freaked because you're not the type to want to hang around with someone like me. And I figured you saw me struggling yesterday trying to get to the end of the street and back."
Eve slowed down her pace. She glanced at her phone and then decided she wasn't even going to track today's walk.
"Actually I didn't notice. Don't make assumptions about me." Her face was scrunched up, holding back both tears and anger. "So how long have you lived in the building?"
Eve looked straight ahead and walked a little faster. Inside her blood was boiling as she struggled with what he had said. Her fists clenched together and her perfectly manicures nails dug into the palms of her hands. Since when was she a 'type'? Since when did she have a guy tell her that she shouldn't be nice to people. What right did he have to say something like that?
Eve heard Darren panting but he kept up with her pace. At the third intersection they crossed and made their way back down the hill. Eve glanced over a few times and each time Darren would turn his head. It was a good ten minutes before the silence was broken.
"Five years. I work as an artist but also teach golf. I wasn't assuming anything. I was declaring to you how low my self-esteem is. You're sexy and gorgeous and I obviously can not behave normally in front of a woman I like."
Eve had no idea how to respond so she didn't. They simply continued their walk until they made the loop back to the front doors. She stretched while he sat on the bench next to her. He was pretty cute even though he was larger. She giggled as she caught him staring at her thighs as she stretched. Without saying a word she held his chin to raise his face up to hers. He was not at all tense or scared.
Time stopped. Everything stopped. His piercing blue eyes went straight through her and she realized that he was being sincere. She, on the other hand, was being a bitch. She had turned into a "type" and that made her angry. Right now as she held his face her mind was racing. Would he be brave enough to make the next move? Would she need to do something?
"I have to go to work," Darren blurted out. As he stood up she pulled away.
"Can we do this tomorrow?" Eve blurted out.
Darren just smiled.
***
And so the routine began. Every morning before work they'd do their short circuit of walking. Eve started tracking their speed and was impressed that slowly they built up to four miles an hour. They then started walking the loop twice. The conversation got easier. Eve told Darren all the things she had not told anyone, ever. Well almost everything.
It was almost the end of summer and they had just done their walk. As they waited for the elevator Darren suddenly started breathing hard. Eve wondered if he was having a heart attack. Eve looked over, eyes wide.
"Do you want to come over and have dinner with me?"
Eve laughed. He wasn't having a medical emergency. He was nervous. She bit her lip.
"Of course."
***
