The Edge of the Rain by Patrick Councilor
David was sitting with Jonathan and Rachel "Rocky", his co-works, and his assistant, Lainie at Drip City Coffee on First Avenue. The conversation was light on work decisions and then it bled over to the anticipated concert of Damien Escobar.
"You bought two tickets, didn't you David?" Rocky, the dark complexion woman who wore her hair long and straight. "Who are you taking?"
"I haven't decided yet."
"I'll be your date." She obviously wanted to see the concert.
"I'll find someone."
"You know either one of us will be happy to go with you at a last minute's notice," Lainie added.
"Thanks ladies. I'll keep that in mind." He turned to Jonathan. "You taking Janice?"
"Absolutely. She's always got my back."
"You two are more than friends," Rocky tried to get him to admit.
"No, we're just good friends." Jonathan verbally countered.
"Come on," David said. "If there's any event we're looking forward to, you take her. You've dined with her, you've taken her sailing and dancing… what else?"
Rocky chimed in. "You've slept together."
Jonathan throw up his hands. "We fell asleep together on the couch at David's party. I don't call that sleeping together."
"There is a picture of her with her head on your chest on Facebook," Lainie added.
David nodded. "It's true. When you both were asleep on my couch."
"Really?!" Jonathan's face flushed a little.
"OMG," she said as she lowered her eyes from someone who just came into the café. OMG was code for the small group of friends. It used to be a warning "Here comes OH" or "OH alert". "OH" stood for Obnoxious Hamburglar. His actual name was Sam Wilson, the most annoying person from the office. He got his nickname from his wise cracks and the way he would steel other's ideas to promote himself. The OH alert shortened to "OMG OH" to just "OMG" after a while.
"Rocky!" he called out. "What a 'knock-out'." He smiled proudly at his comment.
Rocky rolled her eyes. "That's the first time I heard that this hour." She looked away from him.
"Hey, did you guys hear about the Dawson account? We got it."
"What?" Everybody perked up and the news of the biggest account of the quarter.
"Yeah, the boss man asked who should lead it up and I didn't hesitate to say you Dave."
David face flushed. "You're kidding? Sam that's wonderful. Thank you."
OH laughed. "You're such a dumb ass. I wouldn't let that slip through my hands. I'm leading it up." He pulled up a seat to their table. "You should have seen your expression. I'll be right back. I'm going to get my coffee." But when he returned with this coffee, all five seats were empty.
They were close enough to the office to walk when someone bumped into David as they went by. David turned to say he was sorry, after all, he wasn't looking where he was going either. A whiff of the most incredible perfume he had ever smelt caught his attention. His heart had some kind of magic power that he never knew. For when his heart picked up like it did on that day, everything else seemed to slow down. Her eyes blinked up at him. She had long, dark brown hair and beautiful freckles that whispered across the bridge of her nose and onto her cheeks. Her eyes were brown. Unlike any eyes he had ever seen. They seemed to carry a deeper meaning than any others.
He meant to apologize for bumping into her, but "I'm…" was the only word he got out. She smiled and turned to continue on her way.
He watched her go. He didn't know how long he stood there watching her, but she was long gone before he popped back to reality. His friends and colleagues were gone too. He must have been in complete awe so long that they gave up on waiting for him. He would never forget those eyes or that face. It was a moment stolen in his life that he would never forget.
"Sorry I'm late Dad." David walked up to the table. "Would you like another one?" He pointed to his coffee. "I'll pick it up."
"No, I said I would buy." He flipped out his wallet and handed his son a twenty.
He came back with two double espressos and put one down for his father. "Sorry about this afternoon."
"Oh, that's quite alright." He smiled when he witnessed David taking out his handkerchief and wiping down his seat before taking it.
"You remember the story of me bumping into Danielle?"
"Oh, we have a name now?"
"Yes, well last month, we were back at Drip City and I smelt that same perfume. When I turned to look, she was standing right there and joking asked if I was following her. We both apologized for bumping into each other the week before and introduced ourselves."
"Yes, and then what happened?"
"Can I buy you a drink?" he asked Danielle. "Are you here alone? Would you care to join us at our table?"
She smiled that smile again. "Yes, yes and if it's not any inconvenience."
"Of course not." David introduced his friends to her and had her sit while he quickly got her coffee for her. "So, Danielle, what do you do?"
"Oh, you know the breakfast restaurant at Pike Market?"
"Sure, you work there?"
"No, I own it."
"Oh how fascinating."
They talked for so long that his friends went back to work, leaving them to talk. He was very, very late for work that day.
"Would you like to have dinner with me?" he asked abruptly during their conversation.
"Wow, I didn't expect that."
He leaned in, closer to her. "Well, would you?"
She leaned in closer to him and smiled a playful smile. "I would love to."
"Tonight?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I can't tonight."
"Tomorrow night… lunch… midnight snack… anytime you're available…"
Her smile grew even larger. "Tomorrow night will be fine."
"Where shall I pick you up?"
"Let's meet at the restaurant. I don't know you all that well. You might be a serial killer," she joked.
David held up his hands. "You've got me there. I am a serial killer."
She smiled. "You are?"
"Why yes. Just the other week, I drowned my Frosted Flakes. And just the other day, I totally wiped out my Fruity Pebbles."
She started laughing. "A true 'cereal killer'."
"So, where shall we go?"
"Oh no, you pick out the place. And don't make it too expensive. Guys are always trying to impress girls on the first date."
"Alright. How about the Fado Irish Pub on 1st between Marion and Columbia."
"Irish, eh?"
"Why not? Do you drink beer?"
"I'm not much into beer. I'm more of a wine person."
"Me too."
She gave him a look. "Then why bring up beer?"
"Well, we got on the discussion of beer and the Irish. I was wondering if you've ever had a Guinness?"
"I've tried it. I didn't care for it that much."
"Are you aware that it doesn't travel well."
"Wait a minute, are you telling me that you've been to Ireland?"
"Actually I have. A few years back, I went with my family to Dublin."
"You've been to Dublin?" her tone dropped to a doubting level.
"That I have. Dad loves to travel."
"Well, where else have you been?"
"I've been around… London… Paris… Italy… "
"You've been to the Louvre?"
David smiled. "Yes, I have."
"You saw the Mona Lisa?"
He nodded with a smile. "But I didn't want to turn the conversation on me. What about you? Have you done much traveling?"
"Not quite as much as you. Just California, Oregon, and Arizona. Will you indulge me in a few questions?"
"Sure."
"Tell me about the Louvre. What was it like? What was your favorite piece?"
"The Mona Lisa was breathtaking, of course. It is much smaller than I expected it to be. It is protected by bullet proof glass. I really liked the Winged Victory of Samothrace the best. I wanted to find a replica, but the only replicas in the museum's gift shop were the Venus de Milos. Dad found me a dealer who deals in replicas and had a Winged Victory shipped from overseas."
"Shut up," she said playfully.
"No, really. It's in my apartment."
"That's incredible. Your father seems like a wonderful man."
"That he is."
