Girl Meets Boy (A Series of Short Stories)

Tweet

A Moment like This The small downtown pub filled up with grey smoke from the stranger’s tobacco that exuded from their mouths. The same people were always here at this downtown bar on a lonely Wednesday night. The people sat in their usual places, and they all drank their individual “pick me ups.” Once they became relaxed enough they would sob or get angry, and chat about their sorrowful lives for the next few hours to anyone who would listen. But one October Wednesday night, there was uproar of emotion that changed two individuals’ lives forever. Her long forefinger slid down her half drunken martini glass delicately. She sat alone at the corner of the bar top glancing up every now and then to get a glimpse of the gloomy people around her. She refused to be a whiner or have pity thrown upon her. But she also knew that if she were to discuss her current life complications, she would feel the bags of sand lift from her body. Her eyes stung with tears, but she clenched her eyelids shut to keep them away. She was now an older thirty-five year old woman who was still unaccompanied. She tucked her dark shoulder length hair behind her ear, and sipped down the last of her martini. She placed the glass down, and raised her hand at the bartender to make her a third one. On the other side of the bar top in the corner was a good looking dark haired man in his suit who slurped on his vodka rocks slowly. He radiated confidence, but looked unsettled about something. He took a puff from his thick Spanish cigar, and exhaled leisurely releasing his lungs of smoke. He was almost forty-five years old, and he had not fulfilled what he had wanted in his life. He keeps his anger, and sadness deep inside himself, so that no one would ever notice his pain. She surveyed the room trying to guess what person was going to fall over drunk as a pirate tonight. There were a couple of people who were pretty darn close. But then her green eyes stopped on a gentleman across the bar. He sat there looking at his glass, his eyes full of thoughts. She found him extremely attractive and familiar somehow. She also noticed that the ladies in the bar would glance up often to stare at the man with such mystery. But then they would quickly look back down to whom they were speaking to. She too was scared to look at him much longer herself. So she continued her game, and ate the olives attached to the toothpick. The man chugged down the last of his drink, and began to look around the room himself. He ignored all the loud, chattering people. Except for when he saw this one slender lady who sat across from him on the other side. Her pouting pink lips parted a little as she glanced around the room. Her beautiful dark green eyes that were painted with black coats of mascara and eyeliner, blinked every few seconds. As he was wondering why an exquisite woman like her was here, a tall drunk man walked up to her with huge goofy grin across his puffy red face. A waft of strong liquor swarmed into her nose. She ignored him, and turned her head the other way. The man asked if he could buy her a drink, she replied with a simple no. He pointed out that her glass was empty. Without looking at him she said she was going home. As she got up, and grabbed her coat draping behind the stool, she left the bartender a hefty tip. She squeezed herself through the crowd trying to make it to the door, when someone roughly grabbed her by the waist, and slammed her against the decaying wall. The drunken man spun her around so she faced him. He pinned her arms above her head with his bulky hands. She tried to kick him with her stiletto heel, but he blocked her. The man tightened his grip on her, and she spat on his face. He just smiled, and wiped the saliva off with the back of his hand. He roughly mushed his lips against hers while grasping at her body. Nobody was noticing the struggle that was going on by the exit. She then saw the mysterious man shoving through the heavy crowd towards her. He seemed to be looking at the drunken man with anger flashing in his eyes. The charming looking man swung his right fist into the side of the man’s skull. She heard the loud collision of bones ramming together. He fell to the floor with a loud moan, and still no one had noticed. He led her to the side, and asked if she was alright. “Um, yes.” She replied still shaking. He placed his heavy hand on her arm and rubbed her gently to help her stop shaking. She felt the tingles when he touched her arm. His chocolate eyes bore into her with concern. “My name is Bradley just so you know. I just saved your life, so I figured I should introduce myself.” He said with a smile. She laughed a little, and then was finally able to speak some more. “Well of course. Thank you for doing that. I was terribly afraid that it was going to go farther. But, uh my name is Hailie.” She stuck out her hand, and he shook it gently. There was a slight pause then Hailie spoke again. “I better head off toward home. I have to work early tomorrow.” Bradley looked down disappointed. He wasn’t trying to be forward; it’s just that when he saw her across the bar he couldn’t help but notice how lonely she looked, and how he realized that he was lonely too. But Bradley didn’t want to show his true feelings. This is something he had become rather good at. “Well Hailie it was indeed an eventful night and maybe I will see around.” Bradley took his winter coat off one the hooks near the front door, and slid it on before he turned back around to nod her goodbye. Hailie wasn’t really sure why she cut him off like that. Out of habit maybe to protect her heart? But as she was putting on her fur coat she realized what a mistake she just made. Bradley wasn’t the inconsiderate jerk who was trying to assault her; he was the one that saved her. It wouldn’t make sense for him to risk his life to just want to get into her pants. Hailie quickly walked out the pub door into the cold winter night where the city streets were being lightly salted with the first drops of snow. She slid her hands in her fluffy pockets, while she peered down every direction to see if she could find Bradley. No sight of him in either direction. Hailie's shoulders slumped down with regret, and began walking toward home. The wind began gusting through the naked trees, and making the flags sway rapidly. Finally Hailie had made it home before the storm really began to pick up. Her keys jingled as she tries to find her the silver key to let her inside the mini foyer. Hailie opened the door with ease, and hurried inside. As she was walking up the stairs a man was walking at the same pace in front of her. They both entered down the same hallway, and then she turned to her apartment door to unlock the door as well; when she looked up to see the man unlock his door, and to turn to close his door, “Bradley!?” Hailie asked out loud. The man glanced up and his chocolate eyes widen with surprise, “Hailie?!” He echoed back. They both stood there for a second realizing that they lived in the same building. “How, how come I’ve never seen you here before?” Hailie asked with surprise. “Well, this is my small place to come to when I need a break from the world.” He replied with a half-smile. “Oh! This is quite a coincidence! But, um since you’re here I would like to apologize for being so curt with you earlier this evening.” Hailie spoke feeling her cheeks turn a dark pink. “I’m not sure I was thinking very clearly.” Bradley left the door frame of his apartment and walked over to Hailie. “It’s alright. I understand why you did.” He said gently. Hailie felt relieved somehow. She wanted to say something but she wasn’t sure what to say to this man who made her speechless. Bradley moved closer to her, while Hailie lowered the keys she held in her hand. He cupped her face with his right hand, and pulled her head in toward his slowly. He pressed his lips effortlessly upon hers, and moved his lips to passage hers. Hailie began to kiss him back passionately. Bradley led her to his slightly open doorway, while still locking lips with Hailie. They both took off each other’s heavy coats, and moved out of the door way to the dark living room where they shut the door and threw their coats on the floor next to them. Bradley gradually began to unbutton her charcoal colored blouse, and unzipped her pencil skirt to slide it off her hips to the floor. He unhooked her undergarments with his warm hands, and he began kissing her neck and grasping her gently. Hailie tugged at his belt and let his pants slide down his legs while she unbuttoned his dress shirt quickly. They drifted toward the bed where she laid on bottom and he took control without even a word. Hailie grasped his back with her fingertips as he thrust into her. Every feeling she got were the ones she read about in romance novels. His touch singed her skin leaving her with a sensation that felt chilly. The rest of the night fell into an exotic fantasy, and they both fell asleep tightly in each other’s arms. The next day they knew that whatever feelings they had for each other was either a waterproof fire or it was something that glowed then would fizzle away as it had come. Bradley spoke to her as he was getting dressed while she lay nude underneath the sheets, “I think that we should test fate.” Hailie looked up at him curiously. “What do you mean by that?” “Well, at 2pm we should meet a Grand Central Station and take a train to Massachusetts. I have a wonderful little cottage that I only know of. But, if one of us does not show, then we would know for sure what this relationship is supposed to be.” Hailie thought about it and replied, “Okay.” She got out of bed, and was dressed in ten minutes. She kissed him on the cheek and whispered in his ear, “I hope to see you soon.” It was 1:45pm and Hailie stood waiting for the train she may or may not get on. She had a suitcase that was packed by her feet. The train station wasn’t as crowded as it usually was. Which is good because then she would be able to spot out Bradley, if he came. But still people managed to bump into her, and knock over her suitcase. Hailie glanced as her cellphone clock and it blinked 1:51pm. She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to be feeling. Hailie knew that she had to be prepared for anything. Now it was 1:56pm. She began to twist her suitcase deliberately between her fingers. 1:58pm. Hailie with a sigh picked up her suitcase. The disappointment coursed through her body. She started to head toward the nearest exit when someone tugged on her suitcase. Hailie spun around to face the person that made her heart pound like thunder. “It’s 2:00pm right on time, and here we are both standing here.” Bradley said full of smiles as he caressed Hailies cheek. Hailie could not control her laughter, and grinned wide. “Oh fate!” They embraced each other closely while kissing intimately as the train has schussed to a halt. The passengers filed in with Hailie and Bradley hand in hand behind them.