Hello, Stranger: Brief Encounters with Beautiful Women - "The Opposite Desk"

The Opposite Desk By Brandon Dues They sat in the library opposite one another. She had seen him walking around campus. He always seemed to run into her at the coffee shop. They knew each other’s name but were never formally introduced. On opposite sides of the same desk, they ignored their mutual attraction. He would find an excuse to walk by her and steal a glance. She would look up from her book and smile when their eyes met. . They both sensed a connection but were too afraid to say or do anything about it. The charade continued throughout the evening. Fake sneezes in hopes of initiating a conversation. Sly flirty smiles shot back and forth. When this failed to entice interaction, each resorted to unorthodox measures. Cracking knuckles. Soft mutterings. Fake laughs. Loud and boisterous yawns. There was a passing moment of brief small talk. Followed by an extended period silence. Defeated, they both retreated to their comfort zones. Nose down. Pencil in hand. Notebook open. They spent the rest of the night hiding behind their respective textbooks pretending to study and searching for ways to further break the ice. The night grew old and it came time for them to leave. Coincidently, they both left at the same time. In an attempt to avoid an awkward situation, they each took different routes to the parking lot. He cursed his shy personality She denounced her timid nature In the parking lot, their eyes met one last time. He waved to her. She waved back. A rush of happiness surged through both of them A smile crept on each of their faces as they entered their vehicles and remained until they reached their respective homes. They both went to bed intoxicated off of the promise of their next meeting.