The Lucky Encounters
By: Victoria Flowers
DISCLAMIER: This novel is a work of fiction. Any references to real people, real events, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
It is a beautiful Monday morning in autumn, with trees turning to red and orange, and lovely light yellows and dark purples all around. You decide to get up early and take your sketch book to draw some of your favourite parts of the campus of your University before it starts, but first you decide to get a coffee from a Starbucks you recently discovered nearby it. Holding your scolding vanilla cappuccino in your hands, you hurry out of the busy place trying to remember which way you were supposed to turn, and not seeing the little step on the threshold, you stumble hard and painfully fall against a tall figure which appears in front of you that very second. Terrified, you watch in real life slow-motion as the entire contents of the cup splash over the jacket of the man.
Flushing pink with embarrassment, you immediately start to mop up the man's leather jacket with the napkins that were given with the drink, apologizing profusely, "Oh my goodness, I am so, so, so sorry. I just got confused and stammered on this step and I didn't even see you! I am so sorry; please I will pay for the clea..."
Your sentence is cut when the man catches hold of your hand and says, "It's quite alright, it was an accident, nothing to worry up."
Suddenly you take a quick gasp, you know that voice, that deep, baritone voice. Slowly, you look up and find yourself locking eyes with beautiful sea blue eyes; you see the perfectly cut cheekbones, the lean face, the mess of curly dark brown hair, and at that exact moment, you realize the man you have just spilled coffee on is in fact, Benedict Cumberbatch. At that exact moment, your eyes widen and you feel your whole face start to turn red, so that it takes you a while to get out, "But I'm really sorry, please your jacket looks expensive let me pay to get it cleaned."
In a daze you hear him reply, "No don't be silly there's no need for that, besides the way I see it, it was my fault I did just stand right in front of you, so I will be buying you another coffee."
"Please, don't be ridiculous, I bumped into you, it was my fault I will pay for your jacket's cleaning."
"May I suggest a compromise: I buy you a coffee, and then you can get my jacket cleaned; Deal?"
"Okay that seems fair, but no funny busy alright? I will be getting that jacket cleaned."
"Right, good, but this place, is a little too crowded for my liking; you wouldn't mind walking a little further to this little coffee shop I prefer would you? It's just down the road."
You reply, "Of course not, that's fine."
He starts walking, keeping half a step in front, and you find yourself hurrying your pace to keep up with his immensely long stride. You begin to take him in and notice he's wearing plain dark blue jeans and a grey t-shirt with a graphic design of a Brooklyn bridge on it under a dark blue zip-up hoodie, he was also now holding a black leather jacket that was coffee stained.
The both of you walk for a few minutes without saying anything; you begin to think: What if he's actually a serial killer or some weird rapist guy or something or if he's actually leading me somewhere to slit my throat? Or maybe I watch too many horror movies and just really paranoid? Then again that would be my luck… You struggle to think of what to say, luckily though, he begins first, "Terribly rude of me, I haven't introduced myself yet, I'm Benedict but you can call me Ben if you like, seeing as Benedict can be a bit of a mouthful sometimes. And you are?"
You introduce yourself and ask, "So where is it that we're headed off too?"
"Oh I'm not sure if you've heard it, it's called the London Review Cake Shop."
"I really can't say I have I've just moved here, and I'm still trying to get used to it and learning all the new places and things, I've only just found the Starbucks."
"It's really lovely because people who have lived here for their whole life don't know about it, so queues aren't long and it's not hard to get your food, and the food is excellent!"
"Well I'm certainly looking forward to the no lines, because I swear to God no one in this city has any patience in the morning whatsoever" he starts to laugh, and you can't help but smile, and think I made him laugh oh my goodness he has the most amazing laugh. Keep going please God don't let me do anything stupid and please stop my fucking rambling!
"I'm not kidding I remember the first time I tried to take the tube I couldn't figure out how to use the Oyster card, so I stopped for literally only 5 seconds there was a collective sigh and they all began to tap their foots at the same time. It was absolutely awful!"
"Please just shut up for two seconds! Please don't blow this, you think to yourself and chance a glance at him and you see he's still laughing, Thank God.
"So wait a minute, what did you do?"
"Well they all began to tut and tap, I was half expecting a jazzy number done by those flash mobs like you see in the American films, but then a very pissy attendant came over and said, 'What seems to be the problem miss' and I said 'I can't seem to figure out how to use the oyster card' and he just looked at me like I was an ape or something and said 'Give it here' and then just worked it out in 2 seconds, not explaining how to use them at all, so some help he was."
"So you still don't know how to use an oyster card?"
"Nope I've been walking and taking the taxi everywhere ever since, right now I'm waiting for my friend or just anybody to take me."
Still smiling he stops and says, "It's really not that difficult, I'm sure you will get it right after a proper demonstration, oh and we're just through here," and holds the door open for you to a small two story building with large windows to display all the books inside and London Review Bookshop titled above them on the first floor.
You walk in; he comes behind you and gestures broadly to the narrow lane in between the two long rows of bookshelves and says, "Shall we." You look confused, because this is not a coffee shop this is a bookshop, but you figure this must be leading somewhere, so you walk straight on in the lane to the end of the door, Benedict follows you and opens the door to find yourself in a small bakery with a glass showcase of all the baked goods being sold and the menu board above it advertising them, and other foods and drinks. There aren't that many people sitting at the table over to the left and back of the room, since it is late in the morning now everybody's off at work, or sitting in their first lecture, you remember with a little guilt.
Till you turn to see Benedict that is, you can't help but watch him, greeting the lady at the counter, ordering two Monmouth coffees, talking to people with so many different expressions and little characteristic twerks in his face, they seem like such extraordinary things when he does it, or at least loads more attractive. Ughh I'm becoming a stalker. Oh wait, he is talking to you now, "I'm sorry didn't quite catch that?"
"I was just wondering if you wanted to sit outside or inside."
"Umm, I think outside would be lovely."
"Alrighty, thank you Terry," he says to the lady behind the counter as he takes the coffees and a bag probably with some of the baked goods and pays,
"See ya round Ben, and you too miss," she says in an Australian accent and a smile too.
"Bye, thank you," you reply as you follow Benedict outside to a single table in a swarm all under a giant umbrella.
As you sit down, you begin to take in your surroundings: It really is very lovely. To be disclosed from the city's stressful sight of rushing people, lengthy traffic lines, the sounds of the car honks, car door slams, always moving trying to get somewhere. It was nice to stop in this small courtyard with the passing grey sky wide above, and the golden and auburn trees surrounding the walls from the outside with their branches leaning over them, their leaves glistening with rain drops from last night's downpour.
Mesmerized by some of the fallen leaves swirling around in complimentary colors, you can't help but say, "Damn, I want to draw this place."
"I'm sorry what?"
Benedict's light chuckle of bewilderment wakes you from your trance, "Ahhhhh it's nothing," you close your eyes and cover your face with your hands smiling to yourself at your own stupidity Idiot, you look up and see him still looking at you, "I just love to draw and doing those sorts of things and this place would be amazing to do and I'm sorry I'm an idiot."
You place your chin in between your hands and your elbows on your lap and hide your face, shaking your head slightly, you hear him say, "Clearly, you are," you look up quickly with surprise before he smiles and says, "I'm only kidding, but I don't know why you're sorry, there's nothing to be sorry for. If you want to draw, you should draw I'm not going to stop you I think it would be brilliant."
"No it's fine, I mean you bought me coffee and I haven't even started to drink it and―"
"Oh come on, I'm sure you're great. Just humor me why don't you?"
You look at him and see he's looking directly at you, waiting to see what you're going to do with his blue eyes sparkling intrigued and a playful smile toying at his mouth. You decide, "Alright then, but you should know," you say as you begin to reach into your satchel to pull out your sketchbook and pencils, "I plan on drawing all this. Every. Last. Bit."
"Okay…and what's that mean then?" a look of confusion crosses his face.
"You'll see."
"Eughh, I'm not sure if I like the sound of that," he laughs, 'although I know there really isn't anything to fuss over, but your devious smile does make me rather uneasy."
You laugh at him and reply, "I'm not quite sure how to respond to that except by saying just sit back, relax, and wait."
At first he does just that: sit, drink his coffee and start on the pastries he bought (you also take sips and bites here and there but you mainly focus on the drawing) but after 5 minutes or so he begins talking again, for Benedict was not the one to just sit and wait. Not that you mind though, he listens just as well as he speaks. You tell him how you're getting back to Uni after traveling after taking some time off. He asks you about you about your classes, and you tell him about what you are going back to study. You tell him about your professors, and you both joke about professors you've had, then talk about crazy pranks that happened at school and the best pranks each of you have ever pulled. You keep on talking, laughing going from one thing to the other, and somehow get talking about his work.
He tells you how he's beginning work for a new BBC show, "Sherlock". He couldn't really say much about it except it's supposed to be a modernization of the novels.
"We're about to start shooting the pilot, but we're also still not entirely sure if it's going to air or not."
"But isn't it like that with every show?"
"Yeah it's always up to whether the BBC likes it or not for all shows, so makes it a little more unnerving, because if they don't like it or there aren't enough viewers or something else that determines it, well then all the work was for nothing."
"But you must have some idea whether they'll air it or not."
"Well the producers and writers really think that it's going to work and they know the business inside and out, the only thing is we're not so sure on many viewers there will be."
"And what do you think."
"I agree with them I read the script and it is fantastic, then we did a read-through, and I thought it was really great. We also have really amazing people working on this, so I think once it's all put together everybody will really enjoy it hopefully."
"I'm sure they will and I can promise you one person will watch it, if it airs."
"Oh bless you, but please don't do it if you don't watch it if you won't enjoy it, I don't want to be forcing you into anything."
"You would not be forcing me into anything; it sounds really interesting, and I actually," you pause, just a second to think whether you should tell him or not. You look at his passive face looking at you, then down at the close-to-complete drawing and say, "I just recently saw Third Star, and I thought it was absolutely brilliant, all of it, the script, the cinematic, all of the actors were beautiful and well done, but especially you. I know what somebody struggling through cancer looks like and I thought you did it absolutely brilliantly really."
Towards the end you look up at him, but he looks down at his hands and says, "You're really too sweet, but thank you, and I'm very sorry you, er, had to go through any part of it, er, that, especially if it were a loved one."
No, eughh, you see what you did? You've made him feel uncomfortable! Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid… "Yeah well that's what I thought of the, er, film, and, don't, er, don't worry about it, you know, life goes on…" You drop your eyes down to the drawing, not sure what to say you let silence stretch.
After a couple moments of awkward silence he says in a quizzical expression, "Okay but just a minute."
You snap your eyes up to him, "What?"
"If you've seen Third Star, then you knew who I was this entire time. Why didn't you say anything?"
Completely caught off guard from this question you reply, "Why didn't you ask?" Really? Did you really just ask that?
"Oh that's just not fair," he replies with a smile, shaking his head.
"Well… It's not like I get a huge advantage. I mean just because I've seen one movie you're in doesn't mean I know you, it just means I know you're a good actor. It's not as if I know what kind of person you are or your whole life's story."
"True, but I still say you get the advantage of knowing my work, while I am hopelessly still waiting to see one effing drawing."
"Well you're just going to have to get used to me being one step ahead of you for now, but as for the drawing we're nearly there, so no need to lose your top." You smile slightly at his indignation and move on with the drawing. Benedict sits quietly with his legs crossed, his index finger gliding across light pink full lips, his right thumb beneath his chin, completely lost in thought. You both finish the last of the pastries and your coffees, and after Benedict asks if you mind him lighting a cigarette, you shrug concentrating on finishing the drawing.
Finally done and satisfied with it you say, "Allllllright, all done."
He replies eagerly, "Great! Let me see."
Just as you're about to turn it around and show him you, stop and say, "Er, hang on, can I ask you something first?"
He responds with, "I believe you just did. Now can I see?"
You laugh, "I believe you are a dork and that's not what I meant."
Benedict leans back and laughs in surprise, "I don't think I have been called a dork since… Primary school probably. Anyways seeing as I doubt you will let me see the drawing unless I answer your question, please ask away."
"Well, I was just wondering why, why did you stay, or rather why did you insist on getting me a coffee at all, I mean it's not like it was actually your fault."
"Why didn't you refuse, why did you stay?"
"I asked you first."
"I asked you second."
"Would you please just answer?"
Benedict sighs and smiled, but it seemed more to him. "Honestly, I don't really know. I have always thought about how it's easy for people to pump into one another on the journey from A to B and not even notice, and just think people should really take time to notice, enjoy and help each other. Knowing that, today when you bumped into me, you kept apologizing, said you would get my jacket cleaned, I couldn't help but think how many people might have just apologize and continue on with their lives some would, actually blame me, but you did none of those things. I could tell you seemed a bit lost, so how could I not ask to at least get you a new coffee. Surprisingly, you agreed, even more surprisingly you sat down with me for now a little over two hours talking to me. So I ask you why did you agree, why did you stay?"
"Oh gosh, I uhhh, I don't know, I think, well, I apologized and asked to get you're jacket cleaned because It's the polite thing to do and I felt really bad for spilling hot coffee on a leather jacket, and I was hoping to avoid much of the whole "this my favorite jacket and how could you have not seen me standing there" spiel. Then right where the speech would come in, you didn't do any of that, and then you telling me it was your fault or whatever, and you just. You just intrigue me Benedict. Although, I must admit had I not known some background information on you I most likely would not have gone at all."
"I suppose that's fair."
"Yeah…"
"So, erm, May I see the drawing now?"
"Uhmm, no actually, no you may not."
"And why the bloody hell not?"
"Because I have decided as insurance to make sure I can get your jacket cleaned and also give me some more time to make a few, er, adjustments, I will not show it to you till your jacket is cleaned."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, it is."
"I must say I am slightly offended that you don't trust me to just give you my jacket to clean."
"Sorry I'm not one for trusting strangers, especially the type who buy me coffee when I bump into them and spill coffee on them."
"I believe you're describing the pitying and charming type."
"Exactly, pitying and dorky."
He shakes his head and sighs. "Fine then, text me when they're ready."
The both of you stand, exchange phone numbers along with Benedict's jacket, and walk back into the store. You ask the lady behind the counter where the toilet is, and wave goodbye to Benedict. Your mind is racing over this encounter with the guy you have not stop thinking of since you first saw him on a cinema screen. You continue to go over all the parts of conversation until you walk in the lou and catch sight of yourself in the mirror and you see: your long, messy, curly, tawny-brown hair frame pointed your oval face, you sweep the bangs out of your hazel brown eyes, and take notice of your choice of clothing for today which is thick black tights, big comfy grey woolen sweater, with light brown leather satchel to cover your thin, rectangle figure. You sigh, of course I look like this the day I meet attractive, charming guys, just brilliant. Then, you remember even with you looking like this, he still stopped to talk to you. You grin at yourself that your eyes squint slightly and your white straight teeth, dimples and high cheekbones appear, and think, Pitying definitely.
When you walk out, Benedict is still there talking to the lady behind the counter and hear him call her Terry, apparently he was thanking her and saying bye and walks out before seeing you. You say goodbye to Terry as well, and walk out the shop after Benedict. He is still standing outside when you walk out.
"Just waiting for a cab?" you ask him.
"Yeah just called one, do you need one?"
"No, I am actually going in the opposite direction, I think still new here."
"Are you sure then."
"Yes, I'm more than sure, thank you for everything."
"It was my pleasure." He smiles at you and holds out his hand.
You take it and say, "It was nice meeting you Benedict."
"Likewise Anna," with that you let go of his hand, and turn your back and walk away in the opposite directing, smiling to yourself once more.