The Guy In the Blue Hoodie

JONRALE WAS NERVOUS AS HE WALKED INTO THE COFFEE SHOP. HE HAD BEEN CHATTING WITH MATT ONLINE FOR A FEW WEEKS, AND THEY HAD FINALLY AGREED TO MEET IN PERSON. JONRALE HAD SEEN MATT'S PICTURES, AND HE THOUGHT HE WAS HANDSOME, BUT HE WONDERED IF MATT WOULD LIKE HIM BACK.

HE SCANNED THE ROOM, LOOKING FOR THE GUY WITH THE BLUE HOODIE AND THE GLASSES. HE SPOTTED HIM AT A CORNER TABLE, READING A BOOK. HE FELT A SURGE OF EXCITEMENT AND ANXIETY AS HE APPROACHED HIM.

"HI, ARE YOU MATT?" HE ASKED, HOPING HE DIDN'T SOUND TOO AWKWARD.

MATT LOOKED UP AND SMILED. HE HAD A WARM AND FRIENDLY FACE, AND HIS EYES SPARKLED BEHIND HIS GLASSES.

"HI, YES, I'M MATT. AND YOU MUST BE JONRALE. IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU," HE SAID, STANDING UP AND SHAKING JONRALE'S HAND.

JONRALE FELT A JOLT OF ELECTRICITY AS THEIR HANDS TOUCHED. HE SMILED BACK AND SAT DOWN ACROSS FROM MATT.

"IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU TOO. I'M SORRY IF I'M LATE, I GOT STUCK IN TRAFFIC," HE SAID.

"NO WORRIES, I JUST GOT HERE MYSELF. SO, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DRINK?" MATT ASKED.

THEY ORDERED THEIR DRINKS AND STARTED CHATTING. THEY FOUND OUT THEY HAD A LOT IN COMMON: THEY BOTH LIKED SCI-FI MOVIES, INDIE MUSIC, AND VIDEO GAMES. THEY ALSO SHARED SOME PERSONAL STORIES: JONRALE TOLD MATT ABOUT HIS PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY AND HIS DREAM OF TRAVELING THE WORLD; MATT TOLD JONRALE ABOUT HIS LOVE FOR WRITING AND HIS GOAL OF PUBLISHING A NOVEL.

THEY LAUGHED AT EACH OTHER'S JOKES, COMPLIMENTED EACH OTHER'S INTERESTS, AND LISTENED ATTENTIVELY TO EACH OTHER'S WORDS. THEY FELT A CONNECTION THAT WAS RARE AND SPECIAL.

THEY LOST TRACK OF TIME AS THEY TALKED. THEY DIDN'T NOTICE THE OTHER CUSTOMERS COMING AND GOING, OR THE STAFF CLOSING THE SHOP. THEY ONLY NOTICED EACH OTHER.

FINALLY, MATT CHECKED HIS PHONE AND REALIZED HOW LATE IT WAS.

"WOW, IT'S ALREADY 10 PM. I CAN'T BELIEVE WE'VE BEEN TALKING FOR SO LONG," HE SAID.

"ME NEITHER. I GUESS TIME FLIES WHEN YOU'RE HAVING FUN," JONRALE SAID.

THEY BOTH SMILED, FEELING A MIX OF HAPPINESS AND SADNESS. THEY DIDN'T WANT THE NIGHT TO END, BUT THEY KNEW THEY HAD TO GO.

THEY GOT UP AND WALKED OUT OF THE COFFEE SHOP. THEY STOOD ON THE SIDEWALK, FACING EACH OTHER.

"SO, THIS WAS REALLY NICE," MATT SAID.

"YEAH, IT WAS," JONRALE AGREED.

THEY LOOKED INTO EACH OTHER'S EYES, FEELING A MUTUAL ATTRACTION. THEY BOTH WANTED TO KISS, BUT THEY WERE TOO SHY TO MAKE THE FIRST MOVE.

THEY HESITATED FOR A MOMENT, THEN MATT BROKE THE SILENCE.

"CAN I SEE YOU AGAIN?" HE ASKED.

JONRALE FELT A SURGE OF JOY. HE NODDED EAGERLY.

"YES, PLEASE," HE SAID.

MATT SMILED AND TOOK OUT HIS PHONE.

"CAN I HAVE YOUR NUMBER?" HE ASKED.

JONRALE GAVE HIM HIS NUMBER AND WATCHED AS MATT TYPED IT INTO HIS PHONE.

"GREAT. I'LL TEXT YOU SOON," MATT SAID.

HE PUT HIS PHONE AWAY AND LOOKED AT JONRALE AGAIN.

HE LEANED IN SLIGHTLY, HOPING JONRALE WOULD DO THE SAME.

JONRALE GOT THE HINT AND LEANED IN TOO.

THEY CLOSED THEIR EYES AND KISSED SOFTLY.

THEY FELT A SPARK OF MAGIC AS THEIR LIPS MET. THEY KISSED AGAIN, DEEPER THIS TIME.

THEY WRAPPED THEIR ARMS AROUND EACH OTHER AND HUGGED TIGHTLY.

THEY FELT A WARMTH IN THEIR HEARTS THAT THEY HAD NEVER FELT BEFORE.

THEY KNEW THEY HAD FOUND SOMETHING SPECIAL.

THEY KNEW THEY HAD FOUND LOVE.