I couldn’t help myself. I watched her every morning for three weeks while she waited for her bus. Living just above the bus stop afforded me the ability to watch her in peace, in private, without prying eyes asking me what I was doing.
The first day I noticed her I was smoking on the roof. I wasn’t looking for her or anyone else, but there she was. Probably 5’3, frosty blonde hair, curvy body….at least I think. I’m bad about guessing weight and as far as her body shape, it’s the middle of winter and she’s wearing layers….it all gets a little vague at some point.
The point is, I was taken with her. She always listened to music or a pod cast or something. She had headphones in and kept her head up, she had good situational awareness. She was sensitive to movement and kept her head on a swivel. If I had to guess, she had a military father or brother.
I watched her for two weeks before I decided to meet her. On Tuesdays she is alone when she gets on the bus. Any other day of the week this guy and his girlfriend or wife wait with her but get on the next bus. I’m assuming they work together and Tuesday is their day off. So I waited for a Tuesday.
I got dressed, grabbed my smokes and headed down to the bus stop. I made sure I got there first, when she arrived she gave me a courtesy nod and sat on the opposite side of the bench from me. She kept her ear phones in.
I debated on forcing conversation and asking her some horrible question about whether or not this was the right bus stop for the 114. But I refrained.
When the bus came, I got on with her and sat in an aisle seat. It wasn’t crowded at all but at the next stop, a guy got on who let his backpack slam into me as he passed. It caused a little bit of a nose bleed. Nothing bad, just the right mix of dry winter air with getting slammed in the face.
She saw and rushed over with tissues. She sat across from me.
“I’m sorry, that’s a shitty way to start your day.” She said watching me with real genuine interest.
Thank you prick with a back pack, I mused.
“Yeah, right?” I said, pinching my nose at the bridge and holding the tissues. “I’m Jesse by the way.” I said offering my clean hand for a shake.
“Angie,” she said taking it. Her hands, so delicately soft. “Did you just move here or something? I’ve never seen you on this route before. Or at my stop.”
“Oh, yeah. Kind of. I don’t have a car and need to file some papers for my fathers building. The apartment building across from the bus stop, I’m the super there. I live in the top apartment. I’m just taking a bus tour I guess of the city before going downtown to file the paperwork.” I say taking my hand away.
“Well, welcome to Cleveland! It’s a wreck!” She said sarcastically, laughing at her own joke. She had a charming Rachel McAdams thing happening up close. Simply intoxicating.
“What do you do?” I ask noticing that she seems to have a shirt with a logo on it and has an apron around her waist.
“I bartend at this place down on Grant called, ‘Woodys.’ It’s a bar and grill. I open every day because I’m the shift manager. So, got to be there to get ready for prep and everything. We open at 12. You should come in and get a sandwich, we’ve got a great club if you like those.” She says casually. “You can tell me about your bus tour.”
What the fuck…is she flirting with me? This has gone horribly right.
“Maybe I will.” I say and touch my upper lip, there’s no more blood leaking from my nose but from the way Angie is looking at me, I’m sure there’s dry blood all over my mouth.
“Yeah, you’ll want to clean that up. No one will want to talk to you like that.” The bus came to a stop, her stop. She shrugged as she got up, “then again. Maybe that’s better if they leave you alone. See you later Jesse.” She said smiling as she got off the bus.
I sat stunned. She’s the sweetest girl. Fuck me.
Source: reddit.com/r/eroticliterature/comments/qao6lx/reluctant_engagements_watching_first_meetings