She wasn’t sitting alone on the bench today. Instead of loitering in the break room for the entirety of her lunch hour, Jamie had wandered out of the building, down the street, into a cab, and into Central Park. She honestly hadn’t planned on seeing Miles, but she couldn’t deny the fact that she had been grinning so hard it hurt since the moment she saw him.
He was petting his dog affectionately and not saying much. Jamie wasn’t sure if it was out of shyness or if he felt uneasy around her. They were still in the stranger lingering on acquaintance stage. What did she expect?
“So, what’s your dog’s name? She really is a cutie.” Jamie looked over at Miles tentatively.
Miles chuckled. “He, actually. His name is Bruiser. Tough name, but he really is a softy. You can pet him, he doesn’t bite. He’s great around strangers.”
Strangers.
Jamie reached over and pet Bruiser on the head. He panted happily and Jamie smiled.
“So,” Miles began, “you said you were on your lunch break, right? Where do you work?”
“I write a column for the New York Times… it’s in the Arts section. I write about different restaurants in New York, the culinary world. I like food.” Obviously, Jamie, or you wouldn’t write a column about food, she thought to herself.
Miles laughed again. His eyes seemed to dance.
“Well, Jamie, writer for the Times who likes food and my dog… I need to get going. I work from home… I’m a writer too, actually, and I feel the need to work all of the sudden.”
“You’re a writer too?” She didn’t want to seem too eager, but the fact that they had something as big as their careers in common was an excellent place to start.
“Yeah…” Miles seemed to clam up. “It’s kind of complicated. But hey, uh… I’m probably going to walk Bruiser around this time tomorrow too if you feel the need to see Bruiser’s smiling face…” He scratched his head nervously.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
He walked away, Bruiser almost pulling him along trying to get him to keep up. Jamie sighed, looked up at the clear blue high noon sky, and out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Miles glancing back.
(386 words, Ben Folds - Before Cologne)
2 comments:
For the first few moments I wasn't so sure about the song choice, but when I reread the scene again, seeing the nervousness, Jamie's self-deprecating thoughts, and Miles's equal shyness, the song worked for me. The music was soft and unobtrusive but carried a definite sense of tension with it. Nice choice. I enjoyed seeing how Jamie's mind worked, how she fixed on words the way writers do, and how Miles used Bruiser as an excuse to see her again. So real.
I think you really embody relationships at times. At least the way that many relationships go. The meeting, the shy stage. Wanting any excuse to see that person again. Wishing you didn't have to have an excuse.
I liked the song choice too.
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