He hasn’t taken his eyes off me since I sat down. Even when he takes a drink his eyes stay on me over the rim of his glass. His Adam’s apple bobs above the open collar.

I try not to watch him. But his lips wet with the moist drink . . . and his pink tongue flicks out to lick a drop off his bottom lip.

His fingers dwarf the glass but hold it so gently.

I find myself linking my lips and taking my bottom lip in my teeth. His right eyebrow rises as he watches. His friends must wonder what he’s doing. He hasn’t said a word to them since I sat down.

“Smile at him, Linda,” Rebecca said.

“What?”

She laughs. “Girl, smile at him so he knows he can come over or send a drink or something.”

I look at her. Amusement is in her eyes, wicked amusement. “Who are you talking about?”

“Mister Can’t-Take-His-Eyes-Off-You over there.”
I wave my hand at her. “No one sees me like that.”

“Linda, in that dress, looking like that, you need to get a clue. You’ve worked hard to be fit like that. And I know him from work. I’ve never seen him look at anyone before. He’s always been all business at work and only talks to his friends when he’s here. He must think you’re special.”

“You think so?”

“I’m saying it ain’t I?”

Rebecca isn’t the kind to lie to me.

“Well . . .”

“Oh ye of little faith,” she said.

“Old habits.

“Remember that Psych class we took, and we had to learn all those quotes?”
“Yeah.”

“One stuck with me; ‘As your faith is strengthened you will find that there is no longer the need to have a sense of control, that things will flow as they will, and that you will flow with them, to your great delight and benefit.’ It was by a Professor of Psychiatry, Emmanuel Teney.”

“So you are saying, I should just go with the flow?”
Her eyes flick over my shoulder and then back to me. “Girl, I think I should be going with the flow right now. Good luck.” With that, she takes her purse and leaves the table.

“Hello.”

I look up to see the man has moved from his table to mine.

“Hi.”

“Would you mind if we left this place and got a coffee, maybe somewhere a little quieter? Maybe you know a place you like to go to. I mean, I hope Rebecca said I was okay.”

I look past him and see Rebecca not far away, nodding and waving me to leave.

“She gave you an okay. And I know a place, not far from here. It’s a book store that’s also a coffee shop.”

He smiles and I catch my breath. “I know the place. I go there every day at lunch, just to deflate from the work day, otherwise I wouldn’t make it to the end.”

“Then let’s go.”

He pulls my chair out as I stand. Then he holds out his arm and escorts me across the room. I look back and Rebecca is standing there with her hands together in front of her and grinning. She holds up her phone and mouths ‘Call Me’.

I wink.

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The theme for this weeks Writer’s Quote Wednesday Writing Challenge, that I co-host with Colleen Chesebro of Silverthreading,com is Faith. Click HERE to see more entries based on the theme.

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