Do You Believe in Love At First Sight?

I had been waiting at the Starbucks for over an hour. Two frapps later, my confidence failed me. 'He isn't coming,' the thought pierced my mind as I held my sweaty palms together and pretended that it didn't bother me. Thankfully, I had brought my laptop with me to work on some new designs so the time had passed relatively quickly.

'Did he miss me because I had my face buried in my work?' I questioned myself as I ran a hand through my long red hair. The curls cascaded down to my houlders and laid gently on the white blouse that I had worn. I had thought I'd be hard to miss as the only red-head in the store yet here I was, alone and forgotten...or abandoned.

I picked up my phone and checked for missed messages but there were none. 'Do I text?' I wondered but my pride wouldn't allow me to subject myself to further humiliation by reaching out to the man who had clearly forgotten me. I pressed my fingers to the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes. The pressure soothed me and it helped to stop the tears that we threatening to fall.

"Excuse me?" a voice came from behind me and surprised by the voice I jumped and turned my head to see who belonged to that masculine voice. When I turned around our eyes met and I was stunned at the sight of him. His brown eyes appeared to dance and his strong cheek bones accuentuated the fullness of his lips. I couldn't help but take all of him in. It was the way his thick eyebrows seemed to be smiling and his dark brown hair cut military style seemed to flow in the breeze even though we were indoors.

I didn't even realize I hadn't said a word until he spoke again. "I'm sorry to disturb you. It is just...I couldn't help but notice your design. It's stunning, just like you." My crooked smile grew wide and my green eyes sparkled at the compliment. I struggled with my words but managed to form a complete sentence. "Thank you,"

His smile lit up the room and it felt as though time had stood still. Suddenly we were the only two people in the room. "Would you care to join me?" I asked before I realized how desperate that would sound.'Would be know that I was just stood up? Would he mock me for being a stupid woman? Did he feel sorry for me?'

The negative thoughts flooded me with doubt. "I'd love to...if that's alright," he said and it sounded like a choir to my ears. I smiled the widest smile I had ever given. "Yes, of course. Please sit." I said with a renewed confidence. There was something about the way he moved around me so gently and mindful that made me feel like I had been transported to another place.

"Thank you," he said. "My name is James," he reached out his hand to shake mine but I didn't want to shake his hand. I wanted to wrap myself in his embrace and let him hold me in his arms. I wanted to kiss those beautiful lips and hear the angels sing. It's Covid time so I hesitated and he pulled back his hand. "Right, I'm sorry. It's an old habit." he responded quickly. I could feel the tension in the room and suddenly I had wished that I had just reached out my hand because that would have given me the contact that I so deperately wanted.

"It's fine. Sometimes I forget too. It is such a different world these days. My name is Michelle" I said almost stuttering. My freckled cheeks blushed and I immediately became so aware of the fact that my white shirt wasn't entirely solid. I had worn it to show a little but not too much. The camie I was wearing was a light pink and could be seen ever so slightly through the button down shirt I had chosen.

I noticed his eyes wander and for a brief moment they stopped to take in as much of me as he could and I blushed again. I had to admit that his athletic form was pleasing to me as well. All of him felt perfect and the butterflies in my stomach rumbled. 'What is this feeling?' I wondered as I envisioned the rest of my life with him in a matter of seconds I had watched us fall in love, get married, have children and grow old together.

'Is this what it means when they say love at first sight?' I wondered to myself. "Michelle, may I ask you something that may sound a bit forward?" he asked with his head slightly tilted towards the side.

"Of course, James. Go for it." The sound of his name rolled off of my tongue and it felt so right that I couldn't understand what was happening.

"Do you believe in love at first sight?" his words hit me hard and suddenly the world that I used to know no longer existed.

"I do now."