CHAPTER 7
Today the weather man said it was very likely to rain, so I carried my umbrella to the café.
I have tried not to think of the happenings of yesterday. I chickened out, there is no two ways about it. On my way home, I kept replaying the moment, wondering why I hadn't honored my commitment to speak to her. I really did not find anything of substantial magnitude that would make me chicken out. Perhaps it is just not meant to be, perhaps I am just meant to admire her from a distance.
Today, I took a taxi to the café, -I was in no mood for walking-. The kind doorman was about to get up from his stool to get the door for me, I presume. I raised my hand to him, to motion for him not to bother, I can get the door this time. I see a smile forming at the corner of his lips as he gives me a nod. I pity the doorman, how exhausting it must be for him to get up every single time to open the door for all coming in and going out. I deeply feel for this man.
I get in, my other friend, the waiter, is occupied with serving another table. I walk to my table that is unoccupied, as always, and for the very first time, I wonder why this is the case. As I sit, I ponder over this matter for a significant while. It is a magnificent table at a strategically magnificent spot in the café, so why don't people sit here? I am not certain but I think my waiter friend is playing a hand in that. Something tells me he reserves that specific table for me. -I will assume you'd like to know why I think this-. It is plainly because I have seen him do the same for the beautiful lady, I see him very politely direct people to other tables, saving it for her.
He brings me my usual order with a smile on his face, he carefully sets the two in front of me and walks away without a word. The scent from the latte and the croissant is very refreshing, as always. I take a small sip and get my book from my bag. I am starting a new book today, I am reading 'Anna Karenina' by Leo Tolstoy. -I have a deep fascination of Russian authors-.
The lady comes in at her usual time, 9:00 PM, sits at her usual table and repeats her usual routine. I watch all this, and later on go back to my reading when she starts working on her Mac. She seems upset today, she didn't even look at me- which, I tell myself, shouldn't matter. She doesn't have her usual flair, she doesn't have her usual smile. I try not to look her direction, lest she catches me and this infuriates her more. All this breaks my heart, breaks it even more knowing there is nothing I can do about it.
Forty minutes after her arrival, it starts drizzling. The weatherman had predicted correctly! The water spots on the glass next to me always amazes me, how everything is blurred, especially the lights. I can never bring myself to look away.
My waiter friend comes to clear my table, and this brings my attention back into the café. I get my wallet and give my usual pay, with a little extra on top for the waiter. I look over at the lady and she is packing her MacBook and her notebooks. She looks my way just as the waiter starts to walk away, gives me the faintest of smiles and I catch the smile.
She looks at her phone then outside the café and a cab is at the entrance. I go ahead to assume the cab is here to pick her up. I was more than ready to leave but decided to wait for her. I sit back and watch her pack everything, pick up her phone and walks towards the counter and I get to my feet, ready to bid this café goodbye.
It is a small café and in no more than a dozen steps I reach the counter. I can hear the lady struggle with French, from the little I gather, I can tell she is requesting for an umbrella to use to her cab . The cashier on the other side is fully French and is finding it hard to understand her, I step in.
"Excusez-moi mademoiselle, nous pourrions utiliser le mien." I offer my umbrella removing it from its clothing.
The lady looks at the umbrella then at me and I think I see her eyes light up, but maybe I'm just imagining it.
I assume she understood what I had said, for she gives a nod and turns towards the entrance. I get the door for her and pop my umbrella open and motion for her to go. She very slowly gets under the umbrella and I follow. My heart is racing, never in my many made up scenarios did I imagine myself this close to this beautiful lady.
I step forward and get the back left door of the cab for her and step back. I see her with a warm smile and this means everything to me. I smile back.
"Merci beaucoup monsieur!" She thanks me and steps into the cab and looks up at me, "Souhaitez-vous partager?" She wants to know if I would wish to share the cab.
This is very generous of her, and for some strange reason, I can almost not come up with a response. Once I find my tongue, I manage to say, "Merci mademoiselle, je vais prendre le prochain. Bonne nuit." Soon as those words leave my mouth, I instantly regret it! Why did I turn down such an offer? How could I?
She responds with a nod, I gently push the door shut and watch the cab drive away. Watching my once in a lifetime chance drive away.
Once out of sight, I flag down one for me and jump into the left, quickly fold up my umbrella and close my door.
HER P.O.V
Well, today was an absolute roller coaster.
First there was the whole incident at work but that is not what I wanna share today.
All I wanna tell you about is my encounter with the stranger man who sits in the corner booth all alone in that cozy café.
I arrived to the café around 9:00, which is the usual time I get here almost every other day. Everyday, I look at the booth as I walk to my table, just to make sure the stranger man is there, he's always there! Today, I skipped this routine, walked straight to my table and removed my Mac and started work right away.
Almost everyday, I always find myself stealing glances in the direction of the stranger man, just to see what he is doing. Many at times I find him with his nose buried deep in whatever book he is currently reading. Other times I find him looking outside and a couple of times I've caught him staring at me, before he quickly looks away in embarrassment. Today, I didn't look at him, not once. I wonder if he noticed, I'm sure he did, he strikes me as a man who pays attention to detail.
Less than an hour later, the rain hit. I can not begin to explain how angry I was about that. Although I will very reluctantly agree that my anger was misplaced, the rain is very much innocent.
I think it wise for me to go finish the rest of my work in my apartment. I grab my phone and request for a cab, then start packing. Halfway through, I look up in the direction of the stranger for the very first time tonight. The kind waiter is next to him, clearing the table. He walks away and I meet the stranger man's eyes. He has caught me staring, afraid of making it weird, I force a smile.
My phone pings and I shift my gaze from the man to attend to it, my cab is here! I look outside and sure enough it is right in front of the café. Soon as I finish packing, I get up and walk to the counter to request for an umbrella. I struggle to relay this request to the cashier in my poor French, she struggles to comprehend what I am saying.
Out of nowhere, the stranger man from the corner booth is standing next to me, offering his umbrella. I had never heard him speak before, his voice was so smooth, introspective, and almost melancholic.
I take him up on his offer and we walk out of the café. A true gentleman he was for getting the café door for me and later on the cab door. I offer to share my cab with him, a way to return his kind gesture. But if I am being honest with myself, it was more than that. A large part of me wanted to know him, and riding together in the back of that cab in the busy, rainy streets of Paris would help do just that.
Believe it or not, this man turned me down. It broke my heart but I managed to keep a straight face and gave him a nod. I want to assume he declined my offer He closed the door and took a step back.
As the cab drives away, I look back and there he is, watching after my cab. What a MAN!
Just as my cab disappears, I see him flag down a cab.
I really can not wait to see him again tomorrow.