23
One day of good luck is enough to outweigh the last four bad days.
“Life happens when you're focused on something happening in another direction." That's what the book said, and sure enough, I was focusing on work, which has been good for me, but at the moment, my only focus is on the man walking next to me down the dim-lit street of the Financial District in Boston.
“You have this aura of confidence I didn't notice before," Wesley tells me.
“Oh, it's just makeup," I tell him. “Erin, the friend I was with at the bar is a makeup artist. She can create personalities through color pallets on someone's face. It's impressive."
Wesley laughs and scratches at his chin like I remember him doing when he was trying to come up with something witty in response. “I think you're referring to stage makeup if I'm not mistaken, and I'm familiar with the days of being portrayed in different lights with different colors, but there's one thing you have wrong, Maddy."
“What's that?"
“I got to know the real you last year—the good parts and the bad. It happened within a short period, but you didn't realize how much you were teaching me about myself while you were being true to yourself."
I can't tell if he's telling me my act tonight is fake or if it's the makeup I have on, or maybe he doesn't like the person I've become. I've grown up a lot throughout the last year and learned more about people—the people I should be around and those who aren‘t healthy to be around. “What do you see now, besides confidence?"
Wesley takes my hand as if no time has passed in the last year, and stops walking. He pulls me in front of him and slips his free hand under my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “I see a woman who has found herself. I recognize the happiness in your face after seeing the change within my reflection these past several months."
“I am happy," I tell him. It's true. I was on a mission to find happiness without influence so I would only have to rely on myself for inner strength.
“I'm happy too," he says, gazing deep into my eyes, so far I feel his thoughts within my soul. “I have a problem though."
“What kind of problem?" I question, feeling my face contort into a furrowed state of confusion.
“My personal life—I was happiest when being with you, and I considered that I might not be able to have it all—the job I want, success, and the woman of my dreams, but then I re-read that book."
“We are like foundations. Each new addition needs time to settle and breathe before anything else can fit within the proportionate space. If the structure is built too fast, the foundation can crack, and everything will fall back out of place, causing future troubles."
“Um," Wesley says, squinting one eye. “Were you remodeling a house this year? That wasn't in the book."
A smile tugs at my lips because he's right. “Yes, I helped my dad remodel parts of his house this year. It was in a different book, and I found a deeper meaning when learning about concrete."
“Wow," he says, “that book is insightful. I hope the remodeling worked out well."
“We had to hire someone," I confess.
“Yeah, well, if you were comparing your life to concrete, I can see where things might have gone wrong."
“It turns out that if a person has trouble walking without tripping, a hammer isn't the best tool to be carrying around."
“I could have told you that," Wesley says, snickering.
A calm, happy sigh spills out of Wesley's mouth. “Maddy, I think we ran into each other for a reason tonight."
“Yeah, I was trying my hand at picking up men at a bar in the way men try to pick up women at a bar," I tell him, covering my face from mild embarrassment.
“Is that what you were doing? I was wondering how you knew it was me and if so why you fell as soon as I turned toward you. I should have figured there was more to the story."
“My luck with men hasn't improved this past year. I can tell you that much."
“You were doing it all wrong," he tells me.
“I thought we are supposed to be positive," I rebuttal.
“You're right. I'm positive you suck at picking up men because you have been secretly waiting for me to show back up."
“I supposed it could be the reason for my year-long dry spell."
