The woman at the window
“I noticed her because she was laughing at something on her phone. Not loudly. Just enough to make the people around her smile too.”
I had been sitting alone for almost twenty minutes when she walked into the café. It was one of those rainy afternoons when everyone seemed to be moving slowly, carrying umbrellas and trying to escape the weather.
She ordered tea, looked around, and chose the table beside the window. I remember thinking that she seemed completely comfortable being alone. There was something attractive about that confidence.
A few minutes later, she looked over and caught me looking. Instead of immediately turning away, she smiled.
“You look like you're waiting for someone,” she said.
I laughed. “Maybe I am.”
“Are they late?”
“Very.”
She smiled again. “Then I hope they're worth waiting for.”
That was the beginning. We talked about music, travel, terrible first dates and the strange things people do when they are nervous around someone they like.
Eventually the rain stopped. Neither of us noticed.
When I finally stood up to leave, she looked disappointed. I felt the same way.
“Same time tomorrow?” she asked.
I smiled. “You could just ask for my number.”
She laughed, reached for her phone and said, “I was hoping you'd make it easy for me.”
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