She saw him from across the room. Too nervous to say hello, she planted herself on the bar stool, satisfied in observing him this way. In truth, she always noticed him. Every moment he walked passed her in the hallways; or they shared an elevator, their eyes would meet and tingles would shoot down her spine. He was the light in a darkened room. The sunlight shining through her window pane.
He drew everyone to him. Just like now, in his circle of friends, he was in the center, holding court, telling jokes and stories. She noticed the little things, like how he would throw his head back in laughter. Or the way his eyes gleamed mischievously, like he was filled to the brim with secrets. How she longed for him. How she dreamed of his kiss.
He broke away from the group and walked towards the bar. Her stomach tied itself in knots, she convinced herself that now was the time. It was time to finally speak candidly to him. Maybe even share her feelings for him. But did she have the strength to tell him? What would he even say to her?
He slapped some money on the counter and gave the bartender his order. He looked over to her and smiled a perfectly crooked smile. His eyes twinkled with recognition. Just as she was about to speak, someone called his name. Nodding back at his friend, he winked at her, threatening to linger a few minutes more before grabbing the drinks and disappearing back into the crowd.
She downed the last of her tequila, letting the sweet spicy nectar burn down her throat. She wiped away a little tear. Disappointed in herself, she snatched her phone out of her purse and slung it over her shoulders. She hastily made her way through the crowd, the air around her suddenly becoming stifling. Tears burned in her eyes again. She blew her one chance at telling him how she felt. Surely he would think she was a fool with nothing more than a school girl crush. Perhaps that’s exactly what she was, she thought to herself. Carrying on this infatuation with a man she barely knew.
When she got to the door, she turned around one last time to get a glimpse of him. She breathed a sigh of a relief and frustration when she didn’t see him. She walked out the door and the crisp cool air hit her face. Tiny drops of rain splashed her forehead, signifying that more rain was coming.
As she got closer to the taxi, she heard footsteps rapidly closing in on her from behind. She whipped around, her apartment key firmly lodged in between her index and middle fingers, ready to strike, but it was him.
Now the rain began to pelt down on them, but it was as though the two of them were suspended in time. She tried to move towards him but her feet were stuck, as though they were cemented in place. Yet she knew that this was the moment. This is what she was waiting for.
His blue eyes blazed against the moonlight. His dark curls unfurling under the weight of the heavy rain. A coy smile playing at the corners of his lips. He reached out his hand to her and she took it, without question, without hesitation.
Kim V. Poetry
Kim V. Poetry 