You've heard the term "breathtakingly beautiful," right? You know -- the casual passing of someone who causes you to take a short, sharp breath at her beauty. Too often, it's a one shot, never seen again... geez, fantasy doesn't seem like the right word. Let me think about it. Anyway, this is a true tale about my chance encounter with one of those beauties.
My name is Jane. I'm tallish I guess -- 5 ft 9. Yeah, yeah -- I played sports -- until my knees gave out -- or up. I go back and forth with that one all the time. Whatever! At 42, it's challenging to keep my figure the way my mind thinks it should be -- way back when. I do okay, financially, but I'm not about to hire someone to beat me to a pulp -- no, NOT literally -- to maintain... oh never mind. I have people tell me I'm
very
good looking; some say it's my eyes -- very big and very blue -- pick a description. Some say it's... I dunno, to me, I'm just me. I've learned to just say "Thank You."
I work in advertising; it's good, it's challenging, and it's generally invigorating. To those closest to me -- I'm out. Yup -- gay. Don't carry a flag or a torch; again, just me. Sadly, no one in my life right now; I smile at times at the joke: Sometimes you're the bug, sometimes you're the windshield. It had gotten so we bugged each other. It was a shame -- Diana was somebody I really cared about a lot. I'm reading a book right now -- a really good writer -- so I'll borrow his words. "There's no dislike or trouble between us. It's just that the marriage is over." Substitute "marriage" and "relationship" and put a bunch more words in there ... but not here. It's just over. Sorry, don't mean to drone on.
I'm on the train on a snowy Friday a few months ago, reading said book, and I look up -- there she was. Winter sucks -- for a lot of reasons -- but one is layers and layers covering up those beautiful, slender, scrumptious -- yeah, I better stop there. She was one of them -- breathtaking I mean. And I could see - from the first glance - that she wasn't one who thought of herself that way. You know what I mean -- they look around, pretending to look at this or that, when they're really looking to see who's looking at them. Female, male -- doesn't matter.
She has blonde hair with different shades of color in it - not from a bottle, from God. Couldn't be more than... 25? Not too long, not too short. Huge blue eyes; liner and just a hint of eye shadow -- oh my, she is lovely. Tall too -- I stood next to her as the train pulled into my station; maybe an inch shorter than me. I stood and studied her in the car as the train rolled along -- slender, delicate, small hands. No polish. The ever-present phone... texting madly. What time will you come home to me, lover? I sighed. I stood within a foot of my beauty and, I swear, it took every last bit of discipline not to lean in and kiss her. I stepped off the train, walked downstairs and headed home.
She was with me at the dinner table; we talked softly, she smiled sweetly, and blushed demurely when I took her hand and kissed it. We had a wonderful, sweet, devastating lovemaking session and she fell asleep with my arms around her. My nose breathed in her delicate perfume as she lay with her head on my shoulder. I hugged the pillow and said good night, the vibe somewhere in the sheets.
That's how it goes when you see someone for an instant, or a minute, or the like in a city of millions. She was a vision of loveliness and I knew I'd never see her again. No biggie. The ocean is full of fish... like the commercial says, "Keep your heart open and love will find you." Waiting!! Wait! ing!
So I work, I exercise, I have dinners with friends, I go to movies, I watch TV, and do this "life" thing. That author I mentioned above -- I'm on another of his books. It was another Friday, another train ride, and just as snowy and cold. I had my nose in the book, laughing at some dialogue, thinking about plot at other times... drifting. I lifted my eyes during one of those drifts... OH MY GOD!! No, it's not possible. No, no, no... this kind of thing doesn't happen. Some dude somewhere has won his state lottery like three times -- those kinds of impossible odds. There she was!!
My mouth went dry, my... umm, other parts -- not so much. I don't know who ordered
those
flood gates open, but they were. Okay Jane -- you will NOT let this opportunity pass. I waited; my stop came and went. I waited; a seat opened next to her on the aisle. My heart thudded; I stood and walked, all casual-like, with my legs like jelly and my breath in short pants. I sat down. She turned, looked, smiled, and looked away. I made up my mind that moment.
She excused herself as she stood; I lied like a rug: "Oh! This is your stop too!" Smooth.
She smiled, nodded, and walked to the door. Me, like a puppy on an invisible leash - totally embarrassing. I smiled like the village idiot. I finally did it: "Umm, hey, I know we don't do this sort of thing in a city like this, but if you have a few minutes, how about a cup of coffee?" She sort of skidded to a stop. Her head whipped around and she looked at me -- as if for the first time. Helpless, I blushed. "My name's Jane. I promise I won't bite." I tried my best girlie smile. God love her, she laughed.
"Jane huh? Well I'm Mary, Jane." We both laughed. "Yeah sure; what the hell, it's Friday and my date is several hours later. Come on. There's a coffee shop on the corner." Date? Fuck! I followed. She ordered some sort of double latte yada yada. I ordered coffee -- the "barista" dude and Mary both stared. I sorta tried a shrug and smile. Lame, your name is Jane.
After we found seats, I started, "So, Mary, it's probably best I start with the truth. This isn't my stop; it was several stops ago. I saw you a couple months ago, thought you were absolutely breathtaking and simply couldn't not say hello this time -- and..." I turned my palms up and shrugged. She could have absolutely killed me with her words... or whatever. She was quiet for an hour that minute -- and her face slowly began to curl into the most dazzling, spell binding smile I'd seen in many a year.
"How cute! Honest? You really followed me? Oh my god!" She lowered her head, smiling. Then the smile faded; her eyes clouded -- she looked up and said, softly, "You're gay?" Thud!
"Yes, Mary -- very." Just say it. Let the chips fall where they may. She was still in the chair five seconds later; it's a start. "I gotta say this, whatever the risk. I don't do this. It's not me. And it was very forward of me to do what I did and if you want, you can get up and leave right now and I promise I..."
She smiled at my bumbling, rambling blather. "So let's have dinner some time, Jane." That I didn't faint, I think, is some sort of miracle -- or a sign.
"Umm, yeah... of course." I couldn't take my eyes off of her and I couldn't stop the flood between my legs. We exchanged email addresses -- easy. "Mary?"
"Yes?"
"I'm not going to even ask, okay. But this is just dinner. You have a date tonight. Hope... he takes you somewhere nice." She smiled.
"Don't worry kiddo. He'll take me wherever I want." She winked; we both giggled. I nodded. "And I'll take him - if he's lucky!" Two adult women giggling like teenagers. You go girl!
"It's okay Jane. This is very cool. I've never had a woman hit on me like this. I'm flattered. You're pretty cute yourself ya know." Let me slide under the table in embarrassment -- please!
"Thanks, that's very sweet of you. In return, I promise not to ask you to marry me until the second date." Gutsy!! She did stare for a few more seconds -- but the twinkle in my eye told her... she, we -- laughed again. Gawd -- I could learn to love -- umm, like -- that laugh. What would it sound like late at night, after we... stop!!
So that was it; we agreed to a day -- the following Tuesday. I wouldn't miss it unless I was bleeding or on fire. Time and place TBD. Yes, I wanted to kiss her; I'm sure she knew it -- or, at least, could sense it. She did give me a short little hug. Thank you God -- we said our goodbyes; I looped my scarf around a post to tether me to the train. Sigh. To other commuters and those I passed walking home I'm sure I looked either deranged or drunk. Sorta, yeah.