Have you ever had a moment when you felt as if your world stopped? I'm talking about that moment where everything that has ever happened to you doesn't matter. All that matters now is what is happening now and what might be to come.
That is what it felt like the moment I saw him. The moment that my eyes fell onto that face, those amber eyes. It was something I had never seen before. Part of me wanted to run. To run far, far, far away. But just as that part wanted to run another wanted to get closer. There was something there, something that made me want closer.
Looking down at my clothes, I suddenly became very aware of myself and those around me. Slowly I lifted my eyes to find his. He was looking back at me. Those amber eyes fixed on me. Of course this only made me more nervous. Why was he looking so hard? Did I spill something on me?
"Miss. Excuse me Miss." The waitress spoke. This brought me back to the actual world around me.
"I'm sorry. Did you say something?" I asked looking back at her as if she had actually spoken a foreign language or something.
"Can I get you anything?" She asked.
"Oh. Right." Looking back down at the menu quickly. My face becoming flush. Gazing off into space and staring at a complete stranger had caused me to forget my reason for being in the dinner in the first place. I was hungry. "Yes. Can I get a grilled chicken sandwich and fries please. Oh and a Dr. Pepper."
The waitress wrote down my order with a smile and walked off. Looking around I noticed that most seats were taken. It seemed that everyone had had the same idea I had. "Guess I'll have to take mine to go." I said to no one in particular, mainly to myself. That's when it happened.
"No. No you don't have to. Only if you want. You are more than welcomed to share my table with me."
I turned to face the voice. A look of astonishment had to fill my face. There was no way that this person was actually speaking to her. No way. "Uhm. Oh. Ok." Confusion filled me. Slowly I walked toward the table.
"Are you sure? I mean you don't even know me." I asked. I had to voice my confusion. Why was this total stranger offering to share his table with me.
I watched him. He seemed to be suddenly nervous or something very close to it. He kept his eyes down on the table, never looking up. "Just noticed most tables and the bar was full. Thought you might want to eat inside. It's too hot to eat outside. There is plenty of room." Just then it was as if everything changed again. He suddenly went very rigid. "Maybe it, this wasn't such a good idea."
It was my turn to become nervous. Before I realized what I had done, I reached out. Carefully and slowly, I reached out to touch his hand. With his face turned away, he never noticed what I was doing. Gently I laid my hand on his. It was cold and hard. Cold as ice and hard as marble.
"I'm sorry, Miss. I need to leave." The stranger said standing up quickly. So quickly that he knocked over his chair as he stood. His stride toward the door was just shy of a run. What had I done to cause him to run like that.
All of my instincts told me to stay. To stay where I was and not to follow. Some call it that instinct that tells you to fight or flee. This time it was telling me to follow. When did that happen? That wasn't a normal reaction.
Against every good reason, I stood and followed the stranger out of the dinner. Almost running to keep up with him. I expected to find the alley empty. To look for the stranger and find no one. As I turned the corner I was right. It was empty. "What were you expecting Bri?" I asked myself out loud. Shaking my head at my own self.
Turning to walk back inside, something stopped me. Not a voice or movement. But something more along the lines of a feeling. I turned to face the stranger. A sudden wash of calmness filled me. The feeling was something that I shouldn't have been feeling. What was causing it?
"You know, it was very foolish to follow me outside like that." The stranger said.
I looked for the source of the voice. I found him leaning against the wall of the dinner. I took a small step back. That one movement cause him to laugh.
"Don't worry. I won't hurt you. But you are interesting." He took a small step toward me with his hand outstretched. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Jasper, Jasper Hale."
I took the outstretched hand in mine. As before it was cold and hard. Nothing like a hand I had ever felt before. How could he possibly be this cold in the middle of the south during the summer.
"Hi. My name is Briania. Brinaia Kavangah. But most people just call me Bri. It's nice to meet you." I said in response with a smile. Taking that small step back. I was no longer nervous or worried.
The look on Jasper's face at first was a look of sheer pain. It didn't take long before it seemed to fall away. To be replaced with a look of calmness. To watch him relax seem to give me the chance to relax as well. It also brought a smile to my face.
A quick glance from both of us made us realize that we still held hands. It was something that I didn't normally do. I hated people touching me. But here I was. Here I was holding hands. But not just holding hands. Holding hands with a complete stranger.
A smile widen on Jasper's face. "I think we need to get back inside. You meal should be ready by now." He started toward the dinner.
I followed but didn't want to let go of his hand. There was something about holding it that put me at peace. "Only if you will join me."
"Of course M'lady."
With that one sentence I knew that this was the beginning. The beginning of something. Only time would tell what that something would be. But I was willing to relax and enjoy it.