"Maybe it's your gentle personality."
I fixed her with a glare that she again ignored. Linda and I had gotten closer over the last few months. I would even go so far as to call her a friend. She was a straight shooter, like me, but she probably carried a bit more tact with her words.
"I'm serious. I'm trying to attract nice guys who want to date long term, but everywhere I turn, they're either fuck boys or…or married."
My mind drifted back to Brian as it inevitably did in moments of self-reflection. I was annoyed at how often he crossed my mind. Our interaction was brief, yet it had left a lasting mark on me.
When he'd first approached my table, I felt an instant spark of attraction. He was boyishly handsome, probably in his early to mid-thirties, with warm eyes and a dimple that caught my eye. I was secretly thrilled but also wary. I wasn't in the mood for cheesy pickup lines anymore, nor did I want to waste my time on meaningless sex, so I instantly had my guard up.
I shook my head, anger seeping into me as I relived our meeting. I recalled the thrill I felt at finally making a genuineconnection with someone, only to plummet down from dizzying heights when I spied that photo.
"Who was married?" Linda quizzed.
"No one." I dropped my gaze from her shrewd stare and started tidying around my desk.
"Oh, c'mon!" she scoffed, planting her hands on my desk and leaning forward. "Who was married? You know me, I won't say a word."
A sound of annoyance bubbled out of me at her pushy insistence. "Actually, Idon'tknow you." The frustration, anger, and embarrassment I held over my situation removed my filter as I bluntly shot her down.
Linda's mouth dropped open a fraction before it snapped shut. Red tinged her face as she sat back in stunned silence. A stab of remorse hit me almost instantly, and I cursed myself for lashing out. Linda didn't deserve my attitude, especially since she was the only one who'd been nice to me lately.
Awkwardness seeped into the air. I knew she deserved an apology, but the words were caught in my throat. As the silence lingered and it became clear that I wasn't going to make the first gesture, Linda tightened her hands on the arms of her chair and rose. "I'll just -"
"I'm sorry," I finally blurted out.
Linda paused, half risen from her seat. "I'm sorry," I repeated. My face heated as the unfamiliar feeling of guilt and shame hit me. "I'm just having a bad day."
Linda sent me an unconvinced look, which had me rolling my eyes. "Week, month—whatever!" I threw my hands in the air at my confession.
My shoulders relaxed when Linda's lips tilted up and she sat back down. As much as I projected myself as an island, I was starting to enjoy Linda's friendship; I didn't want to lose it.
"I met someone," I slowly confessed. "Well, IthoughtI met someone. We had what I guess you would call a "meet cute.""
Linda leaned forward in her seat again, silently prodding me to continue.
I quickly described how Brian approached my table. I could visualize the uncertainty in his gaze when I met him unflinching, letting him know through my body language and words that I wasn't interested.
No matter how hot I thought he was.
I relayed how he confessed to needing to meet me and how that honest admission helped soften my attitude. I’d been long overdue at the salon, but I decided to take advantage of my position as boss and extend my break. Over a short period, we chatted nonstop, bonding over inane topics.
It wasn't long before I started picturing what it would be like to sit across from him on an actual date. Maybe he'd take me to a fancy restaurant. He'd hold out my chair and order a bottle of wine for the table. Perhaps we'd take a walk if the night wasn't too chilly. He'd wrap his jacket around my shoulders. Our hands would brush before they clasped together. He'd give me a searing kiss at my door before sending me a goodnight text.
When I knew that I absolutely needed to go back to work, I hesitated enough to make sure that our lunch would end with my number saved into his phone. And vice versa.
It just all felt so comfortable with Brian.
Real.
"Wow." Linda finally commented after I finished. "He was certainly bold with his approach. So, wait, how did you find out that he was married?"
I picked at an invisible spot on my desk. "He got a phone call, so stepped away from the table to take it. He was in the process of paying for lunch, so he left his wallet lying open on the tablewhile he took the call. There was a photo in there of him on his wedding day. Fucking smiling like a douche next to his bride."
It was probably his wife on the phone, asking him to pick up some milk on the way home from work. Oblivious to the fact that her hubby was flirting and sharing his fries with another woman.
Linda's eyes widened in shock before clouding over in anger. "Wow! What an asshole. So, did you confront him?"
I shook my head. My stomach had deflated like a lead balloon when I saw that picture. "I left money on the table for my lunch and hightailed out before he finished his call." I didn't tell her how embarrassed and stupid I felt.
