February 23, 2007

The Lady in the Green Coat

Riding home on the N tonight, I looked up from my magazine to catch the eye of a pretty woman in a green coat. She smiles. I smile back. Hmmm... I wonder...

So for the next few minutes, I try to catch her eyes again. Each time, a shy, hesitant smile. Doors open, people come in, the bustle of the car, and I inch closer. She's hanging onto one of the center poles. Now I am too. I catch her looking at my magazine; she catches me looking at her eyes (they match her hair, a deep chestnut). More awkward smiles.

A few more stops before the end of the line. Is she getting off here? No? Ok, great - then go. "Do you have a pen?" I ask her, innocently. She does, and fishes it out for me. Her hands hold my attention, graceful fingers rummaging through her purse. More opportunity to really see her - her neck, long and pale, her ears small and tightly wound, and when she looks up, her smile again, reaching up to her eyes. I quickly jot my cell phone number on a corner of my magazine, and rip it off - putting it into my pocket. I hand her back her pen.

We talk. She's an actress, the Oscars this weekend, the movies she hasn't seen. "Which stop is this?" she asks me. "30th" I reply, "Which stop is yours?"

"Astoria Blvd." That's the next stop. I look into her eyes. and hold her gaze for a second.

"My name is Dan. Here's my number. You should call me. We can take in some of those movies you haven't seen yet."

Her eyes register her surprise. Already I know that her eyes are the key to her, like a poker player's tell - her eyes reveal her whole story. "Oh!" she stammers. "Ok..."

The train slows abruptly, and we shuffle and shift to regain our balance, but she's out of balance. Looking at me. The doors open, and she doesn't move. "Thank you" she stutters out. "Your stop - " I gesture to the door. "Okay..." And she's gone, but she's looking back.

She may not call. She may not care. She may be married. But right now, she's turned on, and so am I. It's been a few years since I felt like that, like I used to feel in college, like I did when I last owned my masculinity, before the slings and arrows of outrageous dating, job, disappointments. It's been years since I put myself out there like that, confident in what I have to offer, knowing that I'm bringing "man" to the party, and what are you bringing?

An hour later my phone rings. Her name is Katie. She wants to get coffee next week...

Dan's back.

5 Comments:

At 9:48 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"...slings and arrows of outrageous dating..."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Congratulations, you drama nerd.

 
At 3:47 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Woo hoo! I get knocked down, but I get up again.....

 
At 9:30 AM, Blogger adriaan said...

Wooohooo. Very nice. Very James Bondesque. I like it....I am turned on....Gotta call Willow.

 
At 12:02 AM, Blogger ad7am said...

Frickin' awesome.

 
At 12:45 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

So? When's the date?

 

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