Silent Seduction.....a short story

She looks lovely sitting by the pane glass window, afternoon sunlight falling on her shoulder and lighting the side of her thin face. On the table before her is a faded and ragged paperback, and a large cup of some fifteen-syllable-$6.00 coffee only to be found in quaint out of the way shops like this or on any corner at the local Starbucks. Dreamily, she looks up from her book and stares out the window, a distant look in her eye.

Outside traffic flows unnoticed by her hazy blue gaze, and from the bar the man watches enchanted. For hours he thinks of ways to approach, worries over lame lines and public rejection. Twice now, he has summoned the waitor over ready to order her another coffee sent with his regards, but at the last moment it sounds tacky to him and he orders another black coffee for himself instead.

She lowers her eyes to her book again, a small secret smile just visible on her lips faint as a whispered secret. He is hypnotised by that smile and lost to fantasies of it's origins, inserting himself in each. He rises and sits at a table a little closer, hoping to draw her eye. She remains lost in her book, and his mind cajoles him for not going over to her.

He stands. For a moment that seems to draw on forever his feet refuse to move as suddnly the thought that this could very well be the one, his soul mate, fills his mind and all he can think of is ruining it before it starts and the terrible lonliness his life will be if he does. With unsteady steps, his feet finally lurch forward, bring him closer to the object of his new found fervent passion and dreams. She stirs slightly as he nears, and lifts her eyes to his for a moment. That secret smile flashes again, a ghostly trace and then is gone. His heart pounds joyously in his chest and he glides on oblivious to anything that can go wrong, that look, that single glance would be enough to give courage to the most frightened heart! He turns to ask her name and is startled to see her through the window of the store. In his excitment he's walked right passed her and into the summer sun.

With a dejected spirit he turns and walks toward home mourning the one that could have been.

Ramblin' Hoosier~