To my readers:
Some of my past stories have generated occasional comments from a few readers who feel compelled to bring to my attention the fact that I cannot spell worth a damn. To those compulsive few, I just want to point out here, that after nearly fifty years of writing, I have long been painfully aware of my inability to spell, and to effectively proof read my writing. I say this only to save such readers time and effort, as telling me what I already know, is pointless. It's not that I don't like comments -- I love them. But doesn't it make more since to say whether you liked my story, or hated it, and perhaps elucidate how it made you feel?
My only purpose contributing here is to hopefully give others some enjoyment, and maybe a little excitement; the same as I get reading other's contributions. So, I hope you enjoy this effort, in spite of the typos you are sure
to find. I re-read all my stories 6-8 times before submitting, but hey ... no one's perfect! LOL
Enjoy ...
Joan
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As soon as he put his head on the pillow and closed his eyes, it happened.
Brittany.
He pondered the name as he lay in bed ready for sleep. He saw in his mind's eye a cute young woman, blond, not tall -- rather short, in fact. With an up turned nose set on a round face, crystal clear blue eyes and full sensuous lips; that was the face he saw in his head. Her body appeared to him as slim and athletic, but her breasts seemed large for her slight frame; in his mind she was quite naked. Her hands were delicate with nails painted a pale rose. He knew somehow that she was coquettish.
Ah, to meet such a girl, he sighed mentally.
Where the name came from, he didn't know. It just popped into his head as he was about to fall asleep. It was odd, though, the clarity with which he saw the girl in his head; as if he knew her, had actually seen her. Then, he drifted off to sleep.
The next morning he got up and began his day; just another very typical day in a long succession of typical days. Nothing ever happened to him. Why? Because he was just an ordinary guy.
He went to the office, as usual. He was a programmer; he supported old code in obsolete languages, like COBOL. At lunch time, he had to remember to go to the bank and deposit a check. He figured he'd grab a sandwich after the bank and probably take it back to the office and eat at his desk. He did that a lot.
At the bank, there wasn't much of a line; it was unusually quiet. He grabbed a deposit slip and started filling it out as he stood in line; there was only one person ahead of him.
"Next customer in line, please." He heard the bank teller say.
He wrote in the amount of the check and the check number on the slip; then wrote in the date and his name. He drew a blank on the account number. He always did that. He was retrieving his check book from his coat pocket when he heard the teller again.
"Next in line, please."
He stepped up and set his check book on the counter and hurriedly wrote in the number.
"Take your time, sir, we're really slow today." She said as he finished filling in the form.
When he looked up, he almost had a heart attack.
"Oh my god! Brittany!" He said, stunned. He spoke her name before he saw the name tag pinned to her blouse above her full breast.
"Yep, that's my name. Nothing to get all excited about, ah, Mr. Bowers." She said, checking the deposit slip for his name; but also, giving him an odd look.
"I, ah, I'm sorry. It's just that I ... I know I've seen you before. Have we met someplace?" He said, still nonplussed by the spitting image of the girl he'd seen in his mind the previous night as he'd fallen asleep.
"Oh, Mr. Bowers, nice try. That's a very old line; but, ya know, it still makes a girl all tingly inside to hear it." She said and gave him a coy smile.
"Oh no, please, that's not it at all. I wasn't coming on to you. I really do think we've met before; I recognized you the second I looked up from finishing the deposit slip." He tried to explain.
"I don't know how that's possible. Today's my first day at this branch. I came from the Forrest Hills office. Perhaps you saw me there sometime." She said. "Will there be anything else Mr. Bowers?"
"I've never been in the Forrest Hills branch. I've never even been in Forrest Hills." He said.
"Oh my, that
is
odd." She said. "Sir, Margaret can take care of you, just go on over to her window." Brittany said as she looked around Mr. Bowers to someone waiting in line behind him.
"Look, I'm really sorry to be tying you up. You've got work to do and I should be going." He said.
"No, no, that's OK. Like I said, it's really dead in here today." She reassured him. "You know, I really believe in fate, and predestination, and well, supernatural things. Maybe you're supposed to meet me and that's why you think you know me."
"Really?" He said. He did not believe in such mumbo jumbo. "I never thought of that."
"Yeah, listen, I get off for lunch in five minutes. Would you like to meet me across the street at the sandwich shop? We could talk and see if we can figure out what this is all about. That is, if you'd like to." She said.
He was astounded. All of a sudden, he had a lunch date.
"Yes, yes, I'd like that; sandwich shop across the street, then. I'll go on ahead, would you like me to order you something? Save some time."
"Sure, a club sandwich, no fries, and a diet coke." She said.
"OK, see you in a few." He said and went across the street and ordered two sandwiches.
After he ordered, he found a table and waited for his ticket number to be called. Brittany came in a few minutes later and he waved to her.
"There you are." She said as she came over to the table and sat down opposite him.
"So tell me, how do you think you know me?" She asked as they waited for their food.
He told her about her name popping into his head the night before, followed immediately by a mental picture of her; accurate in the slightest detail -- he left out the part about her appearing naked to him. So that, he told her, was how he'd recognized her at the bank. While he told his story, their ticket was called and they went up to the counter to collect their food; and then they returned to their table.
"Oh my god, that's so weird." She said between bites of her sandwich after he finished telling his story.