Unrequited.

There he stood,

a smile fixed permanently

as he spoke about passionately,

the current bestseller

that hooked droves of people to this book fair.

He was indeed captivating,

commanding the attention of the entire room,

by his towering stature and resounding voice alone.

His handsome features rounded out a face

that only romance novels described,

looking smooth to the touch.

I stood off to the side, patiently waiting my turn,

until it dawned on me that I may not be able

to meet this extraordinary character;

I may not be able to say my peace,

lips sealed tight with the words on the tip of my tongue.

“Hello, I’m here!” I wanted to shout out.

Anxiety gripped me as I thought about

the stares I would receive if my words

segued into actions,

Before I exited,

I was careful to only allow one word

to escape from my lips,

“Goodbye.”