It was a cool fall day as Ava finished her run up one of her favorite wooded trails in northwest Portland. She was jogging down to a walk to cool down from her run as she walked to her usual post-run recovery spot: a small, out of the way coffee shop.
She ordered her usual drink and took a seat in the corner looking out the window. As she sipped her drink, she noticed two younger guys come in and get in line. They looked like they had just come in from a run as well, and Ava felt herself staring a bit too long at their athletic bodies. In fact, just as she pulled her eyes away one of them turned and caught her staring at the last minute. She made a point of staring very hard out the window, feeling her cheeks burning slightly, hoping he didn't think she was eyeing him up.
Eventually, Ava felt it was safe to glance around and noticed them sitting at a table talking. As she looked, the one who's face she could see turned his eyes and met hers. He smiled, and she smiled back this time, before he went back to looking at his running partner.
What is going on here? Ava thought to herself. Is this flirting? She wondered if she could push it any further. Just to see what would happen, she undid her ponytail and ran her hands through her hair a bit, leaning back in her chair and letting her sports bra stretch out a bit. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the cutie's eyes drifting a bit. She caught his eye and gave what she thought was a knowing smile, and he grinned back, blushing a little and looking back towards his friend.
Nothing to crazy happened after that, although she did feel like they played eye-tag a bit until the two stood up to go. She had been looking out the window at something when she noticed someones presence in front of her.
"Do you run the trails?" He asked in a deep, clear voice.
"Yes, often," she replied, smiling. "Where's your friend?"
"He took off. I dragged him out here, but it sounds like it's not really his scene. Looks like I'm looking for a running partner again. Adam, by the way." She shook his hand, which dwarfed her own, and felt a rush as his skin touched hers.
"Ava. I always come here after runs." Why did she reveal that?
"Ah, then we might cross paths again. I plan to do a decent amount of running out here."
Her brain buzzed a little at this information, although she wasn't sure why.
"Nice to meet you." And with that he was gone.
Ava realized her heart had picked up quite a pace as she stared at him walking out the door. He was clearly toned and athletic, with thick, dark hair and masculine features... he was also clearly in his 20s, she told herself, feeling a bit naughty.
--
A few days, later, Ava found herself reaching the cool down of another run, and as she was coming up on the coffee shop, a familiar voice called "hey, you!"
She turned, surprised, and saw Adam sweating and jogging in from across the street.
"Hey again," she called back. They made small talk about their runs as they walked in and ordered.
"May I join you?" Adam asked; she nodded.
Sitting across the small table together, she had the opportunity to examine Adam's body in a little more detail, from his big shoulders and chest to his deep brown eyes and tanned arms. She could feel a flutter in her chest as she sipped her drink and chit-chatted about trail running and their favorite locations.
She was really enjoying his company; she had never had a running partner and her husband had stopped really taking care of himself years ago, so she was glad to have someone young and attractive seeming interested in her.