A Chance Meeting

A Chance Meeting

He walked right by me. Maybe it was his cologne or the way he drifted past. He wasn't in a hurry as some guys are. He looks pretty pumped, too. I like a guy who works out. I know he had to have noticed me. I even did my signature hair flip as he looked my way.

"Excuse me," he said.

'It's kinda early,' I thought, 'to be giving him my phone number.'

"Do you have the time, Ma'am?" "That's my Mother's name."

"Sorry Miss." He then started to leave.

"Wait, the time - it's 2:10 P.M. If I sounded rude to you just then, it wasn't my intention.
My name is Chloe, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, my name is Raymond. You can call me Ray; all my friends do."
After this first meeting, Ray and I started seeing each-other. We would mix it up. Mornings we would do coffee together. Lunch was always a surprise. Once we did mini-golf and lunch. I enjoyed pizza as much as the next girl. Sometimes we would do soup and salad sandwich shops.

We had a few dinner meetings at various fine restaurants. We found out we both loved Chinese. Our next evening meeting was going to top all of the others. We would be headed for the Ironstone. Going there could require Ray to take out a loan. I couldn't believe we would be eating at the most plush place in town.

I was ready for it. I even bought a new dress for the occasion. This was the place for dinner. Little did I know, Ray was putting on his own finishing touches. He wanted to also look his dead-level best for me. Usually, when we went out to eat in the evening, we would meet each-other at the rendezvous place.

This time Ray was picking me up. The phone rang at approximately 6:15 P.M. "Will you be ready in a half an hour for our engagement at seven?"

'Wow, good choice of wording', I thought. I could see the ring on my finger already!

"I'll be ready for you at seven sharp. Thanks for the early reminder. I'm so looking forward to this."

"You and I both. Now you will have to tell me where you live; you usually meet me at these places."

"Mine is the only powder blue house on the street; 110 Walnut. Do you know where Walnut is?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end - then, "I sure do!"
At exactly 6:45 there was a knock on the door, and the pounding of my heart was almost as loud. There standing before me was a guy who looked somewhat different to me.

"Where is Ray; what have you done with him? Wow, you look great!" It had to be the hair and the suit that threw me. "You look especially handsome tonight."

"You're not looking too shabby yourself, Chloe! I love what you've done with your hair. Is that really you inside there?" We both then smiled at each-other. Then Ray kissed my cheek, "Let's go, I've got plans for us this evening." It was goose-bump city, and my heart did the drumming number again!

We then moved hand in hand down my sidewalk. "Where's your car? The restaurant is a mile down the road."

"I parked my car just three doors down."

"At a neighbor's house?"

"You bet, at a good neighbor's place; one of your favorite neighbors - me!"

"What, what did you just say?"

"I'm your neighbor; it's where I live; 116 Walnut."

"How can that be?"

He then walked me up to the passenger door of his car. "Your chariot awaits! I was just as surprised to learn this as you are right at this moment. When we spoke on the phone earlier, my heart skipped a beat when you said 110 Walnut Street."

"I can hardly believe this. We've been neighbors here a while, and are just now finding out this fact? Amazing!"

"I leave early each morning and arrive home late each night. I seldom see anyone in my coming and going that lives here on our block."

"So, you live alone?"

"I do, except for Cindy."

"This other girl; you never told me you were with someone else."

"I'm sorry, my bad. Cindy is my cat. She manages to wake me for work each day, when she bangs the cupboards for her breakfast at about 6 A.M."

"Oh. I thought...never mind what I thought. Now I remember. You have a beautiful Calico cat that sits in your window in the morning. I see her there when I leave later for work." I
had to chuckle. "I wonder who else lives on our block that we should get to know? I'm ashamed to say, I'm a bad neighbor."

"If you would like to, we could get a basket of fruit together, and start visiting and finding out who everyone is on our block."

I smiled at Ray, "Sure, I'm game if you are."

The dinner went off without a hitch. The service and food was to die for. After dinner, Ray left a nice tip for the waitress, and then whispered something in her ear. We both then headed out the door. He stopped and said, "Hey, we forgot something." Ray headed us back in the direction of our table. It was the right table, but there on the center of it was a bright burning candle. "I forgot earlier to request this candle for our table. I'd really love it, if you would join me also for coffee and a bit of dessert."

"I have plenty of room for dessert." On this magical night I would have done anything or gone anywhere with him; I trusted Ray completely. All I could think right then, was how wonderful and complete this evening was turning out.

Ray then read my mind and said as he looked straight into my eyes, "And this evening isn't over by a long shot. Do you like to dance?"

"Here? They don't even have a dance floor."

"I know, I had another special place picked out for us. We have reservations in half an hour; plenty of time to put away this dessert and head over there." Then to my complete surprise, he handed me a small velvet box, complete with ring. "Will you be mine?"

"Of course I will!" Little did he know I had fallen for him on the day we first laid eyes on one another.

Author Notes:
I romantic tale that puts a new spin on 'Love your neighbor'