The Unforgettable Stranger

A chance meeting with a stunning woman.

   

Have you ever passed a woman on the street who was so stunningly beautiful you wanted to politely stop them and tell them...no secret hidden agenda...no subtle hustle, just letting them know their beauty was noticed? She was like seeing a breathtaking painting in an art gallery...I didn't need to own or possess her. I was just taken by her beauty. I found it difficult not to stare. 

She chose a seat on the bus where no-one could sit between us.

 

I smiled and said hi, and in the friendliest tone she returned the hello. I married a beautiful woman, so I seldom found myself intimidated around nice looking women, but this strange attractive woman actually caused me to be a little nervous. After our brief exchange, I thought that would be the end of the stranger says hello to stranger encounter,and began reading the newspaper I had just bought.

 

"Do you read, a lot?" She asked,with a smile.

 

  "Only if its news about the end of the world," I said with a grin. She laughed. Even her laughter was magnetic; with it's lightness and sincerity. There was a slight pause, and then she spoke.

 

"Did you know there's bacteria on the lime they squeeze into your drink? I love living life on the edge."

 

 

She intentionally made the remark in an overly serious tone,one that really struck me funny. It was as if we were old friends. I couldn't believe the ease with which we were talking. We both laughed at the same things.I was surprised at how relaxed we had both become in such a short amount of time. I was happily married,but I loved the way my heart felt, talking with this amazingly beautiful young woman.

 

Finally,I asked her "Are you a model?"

After I asked the question,I wanted to take it back. 

She looked at me with her entrancing eyes, then, in an obvious, and playful way she replied. 

 

 "That's so ironic,I was about to ask you the same thing." She said with a sly grin. It was perfect timing, and we caught ourselves laughing, again. Then she said something that truly surprised me.

 

"Would you think me too forward if I asked you to share a cup of coffee with me? I know this nice outside cafe a few blocks from here, and I have a little time before I leave for the airport. I thought you were so friendly, and we hit it off...I wondered...if.."

 

Without thinking of anything else, I blurted out

 "I'd love, too." I wasn't trying to pick her up,but she was fascinating, and I wanted to know more about her. I wanted to hear her laugh more, talk more, feel this odd feeling just a little longer.

 

We sat outside on this beautiful morning, and talked almost non-stop. There were no awkward moments. I didn't feel as if she had a hidden agenda. It was two people, two total strangers who, for whatever reason, hit it off, and they seized the moment.

It was unforgettable, and I think she felt the same way. The time flew by. We had talked about a little of everything, then she looked at her watch.

 

"It's time, I can't believe we had so much fun, and were so relaxed doing it."

 

 "And, you didn't try once to hit on me," she laughed out loud, as she slid her chair back.

 "And finally, I didn't have to fend a woman off for a simple conversation." I said, smiling. There life had put us, for a second, I felt a twinge of sadness. I realized how rare such encounters were. I looked at her once more, as she prepared to leave. My God,she was striking,I thought to myself.

 

"Well,I guess I won't ever see you,again,but I just want to tell you what a pleasure it's been meeting you. You take care,and never,ever change that magnetic personality." I said, as she moved toward me.

 

Without warning, she laid her purse back on the table, wrapped her arms around me and gave me the sweetest, most heartfelt hug. She then tenderly kissed my cheek. I was caught off guard.

 

 

 

She picked up her purse...looked me in the eyes... then leaned in close to my ear, and whispered,

 "Good-bye, Dad, you were everything I've dreamed you would be." With that she walked to the street, and immediately a cab stopped. As she pulled away...she smiled, but it looked like she had a tear running down her cheek.

 

I stood there motionless, as my mind raced through summers past...

 

Reviews

[jenbem]

your stories make my heart hurt! in a good way.
this is very well written. I love these new prose/flash fiction pieces you've been writing, they suite you well.
I also love how I can't quite tell if any of your pieces are biographical or not, it takes a person who has many and deep life experiences to blur the lines between pure fiction and reality. It's why Hunter S. Thompson was so extraordinary (although he is on the opposite end of the spectrum from you!).
luck and best wishes,
jenbem

[G]

My reunion with my daughter didn't go like that. That was a surprise. Well done. You are my entertainment when I can't sleep. Of course it always at night, no I don't review your stories all the time the first time I read them, sometimes they inspire me to write. I hope no offense is taken I do not rate poems/stories. My ratings internal.
G

[Aspiring Angel]

You stories and work my friend is always, always, exceptional! I just finished a second read of this and loved it even more the second time around. I have told you I am adopted and know nothing about my birth family. I found that I put myself into your lady stranger (Not stunningly beautiful of course) at its ending, and thinking to myself, stranger things have happened in life. I am not sure if this is truth or fiction but it was yet another wonderful way to start my morning.

Blessings,
Lesa

[Angel Baby]

I find I really love your writing style, can't get enough of it....there's just something about it...you always seem to grab at my heart strings every time I read your work ....and this one really did a number on me...Loved the twist at the end. Thanks again, for allowing me to read another great write. PW

[Jane Doe]

I just read this for the second time, and I got goosebumps at the ending again. Thanks for sharing!

[Patient Poet (Yos)]

That is one of the beautiful stories I had read on here.... the tension was Beautifully build, as my heart start beating faster and faster, Is there any married man that was not in that situation before?... we never look for it, but when that happen, we let it go , walk on the safe edge... until we feel we getting over. Don't we all afried of that? but thats the thrill that make us leave... isn't it ?

I love the twisting ending, will be one of the finalist on my contest .... Thank you for posting Yossi

[Dave "Doc" Rogers]

Nice, Rain! I didn't see that coming. Good show!
I have grown to appreciate your writing style and have enjoyed watching it mature. This was a very well laid out story with a nice punch line at the end. I have no other critique to add.

Cheers!
Doc.

[Nathan Strange]

Good stuff my friends, this was deeply heartfelt. You're writing has improved since I last read, it was good back then but this was good. I thought when she grabbed you you might've got a bit turned on but after finding out she was your daughter I was hoping you didn't. A good write though. Powerful!

[Creepy Swine Guy]

I see I am late to the party here. This was an exceptional read. I noticed some technical glitches like no space after periods, but they are insignificant. The content of your story was so fabulous that no nitpicky hiccups could come close to derailing it. The end, subtle and open was perfect.

I guess this story hits me so close to home because I know how lost I would be if I didn't know my baby girl. I am putting this in my faves.

[Raef C. Boylan]

Holy crap! Ray - is this fiction?
There I was getting all smug about a world comprised of the asexual ideal...and it turns out there's a reason why it was all platonic [and good job our narrator didn't have the urge to hit on her, eh?]
Well told, Rain.

[mick weller]

I want to kick the narrator of this! He's so unreliable ...especially as he tells us (in past tense) what has happened..? and not what is happening as in present tense..? which would almost be more forgivable!
but it's clever: `It was as if we were old friends` - see we miss this - we just think they `click`
then there's this: `this strange woman actually made me nervous`
it works so well because the narrator IS unreliable
so she knows and he doesn't... but if it's a chance meeting how can she know - so the whole piece becomes a riddle! ha ha, nice one - maybe he has acute amnesia I don't know... he seems to be trying to make sense of it all with his mind racing `through summers past`...
Then I read it again... and think: No it doesn't work... but then maybe that's because I've thought about it too much trying to work it out - ha ha
this piece reminds us all of the beauty of 1st person narrative - they can tell us anything they want from their perspective and then leave us (the reader) to be judge and jury!
I think you manage to pull it off at the expense of the reader here... but only just, surely?