~ ~ ~ ~ ~
California,
December 1981
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
CJ was on town doing her last Christmas-shopping with Janine. It was only three days till Christmas Day and she still had most of her gifts to buy.
"Claudia, I've never understood why you're always waiting till last minute to do this," Janine said as they entered their favorite coffeehouse.
"Janine, haven't you always gotten your present on Christmas Day?" CJ asked and raised an eyebrow.
Janine didn't answer. "Yeah, whatever. It's just that I have other things to do than go Christmas-shopping with you three days before Christmas."
"No one's forcing you," CJ said loudly.
Janine leaned over the table and looked angrily at her. "Claudia Jean, keep your mouth shut." CJ sighed and did as she was told. She had gotten used to Janine telling her what to do. Janine took up another one of those magazines and CJ sighed.
"You know what?" CJ said. "I don't want coffee anymore. I think I'll go shopping instead. On my own."
Before Janine had the chance to say anything CJ was already out the door. She walked towards the bookstore. Books had always been her safe card to give away to her family. It was crowded in the bookstore but CJ felt freer than she had during the entire day with Janine. CJ couldn't help smiling to herself, as she thought about Janine alone at the coffeehouse.
When she was going to grab a book on a shelf someone pushed her on the side and she lost control of her balance and fell to the floor. A couple of books fell on her and everyone in the store stopped what they were doing and starred at her. CJ turned red and begun moving away the books. "Let me help you," a young man said and hurried towards her.
He bent down and helped her move away the books. Then he helped her up.
"Thanks," CJ said quietly, still very embarrassed.
She looked up at him and smiled slightly.
"Have we met before?" She asked after a while.
He slowly shook his head. "I don't think so, miss."
CJ was even more confused. It was something very familiar about him.
"I never forget a face," she said. "I'm afraid you're mistaken this time, though."
CJ slowly nodded, thinking she must have mistaken. "I'm sorry," she said. "Thanks for the help."
He smiled and walked away. She looked after him as he walked to a shelf in the back of the store. She could have sworn she had seen him somewhere else. She was still starring at him when he turned around. She quickly looked away but noticed that he was walking towards her.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to stare. It's just."
"You recognize me," he filled in and she nodded.
He just looked at her for a moment and for a brief moment he thought he recognized her as well. He suddenly realized he didn't want her to leave.
"I have a confession to make," he said without thinking. "It was I who pushed you. If it wasn't for me you wouldn't have fallen."
She laughed a little but didn't say anything.
Unconsciously he shrugged and did something he never would have had guts to do otherwise. "Listen, do you want to join me for a cup of coffee?"
She smiled slightly. "Are you trying to make up to me for pushing me?"
He shrugged and looked away briefly. "No. I'm asking simply because I want to have coffee with you."
She suddenly realized where she had seen this man before. She began smiling.
"Okay," she said. "Coffee sounds nice." As they left the bookstore she turned to him. "You didn't happen to be in New York this summer?"
TBC.
CJ was on town doing her last Christmas-shopping with Janine. It was only three days till Christmas Day and she still had most of her gifts to buy.
"Claudia, I've never understood why you're always waiting till last minute to do this," Janine said as they entered their favorite coffeehouse.
"Janine, haven't you always gotten your present on Christmas Day?" CJ asked and raised an eyebrow.
Janine didn't answer. "Yeah, whatever. It's just that I have other things to do than go Christmas-shopping with you three days before Christmas."
"No one's forcing you," CJ said loudly.
Janine leaned over the table and looked angrily at her. "Claudia Jean, keep your mouth shut." CJ sighed and did as she was told. She had gotten used to Janine telling her what to do. Janine took up another one of those magazines and CJ sighed.
"You know what?" CJ said. "I don't want coffee anymore. I think I'll go shopping instead. On my own."
Before Janine had the chance to say anything CJ was already out the door. She walked towards the bookstore. Books had always been her safe card to give away to her family. It was crowded in the bookstore but CJ felt freer than she had during the entire day with Janine. CJ couldn't help smiling to herself, as she thought about Janine alone at the coffeehouse.
When she was going to grab a book on a shelf someone pushed her on the side and she lost control of her balance and fell to the floor. A couple of books fell on her and everyone in the store stopped what they were doing and starred at her. CJ turned red and begun moving away the books. "Let me help you," a young man said and hurried towards her.
He bent down and helped her move away the books. Then he helped her up.
"Thanks," CJ said quietly, still very embarrassed.
She looked up at him and smiled slightly.
"Have we met before?" She asked after a while.
He slowly shook his head. "I don't think so, miss."
CJ was even more confused. It was something very familiar about him.
"I never forget a face," she said. "I'm afraid you're mistaken this time, though."
CJ slowly nodded, thinking she must have mistaken. "I'm sorry," she said. "Thanks for the help."
He smiled and walked away. She looked after him as he walked to a shelf in the back of the store. She could have sworn she had seen him somewhere else. She was still starring at him when he turned around. She quickly looked away but noticed that he was walking towards her.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to stare. It's just."
"You recognize me," he filled in and she nodded.
He just looked at her for a moment and for a brief moment he thought he recognized her as well. He suddenly realized he didn't want her to leave.
"I have a confession to make," he said without thinking. "It was I who pushed you. If it wasn't for me you wouldn't have fallen."
She laughed a little but didn't say anything.
Unconsciously he shrugged and did something he never would have had guts to do otherwise. "Listen, do you want to join me for a cup of coffee?"
She smiled slightly. "Are you trying to make up to me for pushing me?"
He shrugged and looked away briefly. "No. I'm asking simply because I want to have coffee with you."
She suddenly realized where she had seen this man before. She began smiling.
"Okay," she said. "Coffee sounds nice." As they left the bookstore she turned to him. "You didn't happen to be in New York this summer?"
TBC.