Chanced Encounter

She waited on a chair in the corner of the room, restless. The knee on her right leg shook uncontrollably as her mind wafted. There was a blue piece of thread on her khaki pants and she brushed it away in a careless manner. As her eyes lay down-trodden, she picked at the stitching of the floral-patterned chair underneath her.

All of these damn hotel chairs look the same, Jane thought. Dark red hues with fabric like a curtain. She had shifted seats three times prior and now was contemplating standing. Should he see her first, or her him? Should she be smiling, or looking sullen? Shouldn’t she be busy with something? She thought about doing her nails, but thought that would somehow send the wrong message. A few flight attendants trolled past and brusquely handed in their keys with freshly manicured hands. Just then, a painting of a horse on the opposite end of the room caught her eye.

She got up and confidently galloped across the lobby to admire any aspect of the piece that could possibly be called art. Her head soon shifted when the bellhop outside screamed for the chofer to return and pick up the remaining crew members. The van nearly ground to a screeching halt. Somehow she did hear the elevator door ring as it would when arriving on the called floor, but she didn’t immediately look up. In a heartbeat, the man Jane had been looking for, the man she had waited 7 months and 5 days to meet was nearly on top of her. The two of them avoided a grand collision but managed to set their eyes upon each other, a bit wobbly, for the first time.

“Satish?” Jane said.

“Jane,” he replied. “Nice to…..”

There wasn’t anything especially remarkable about this man, not to the naked eye anyway; but, she had bore her soul to him over the phone and through the text. There was nothing left to do, but fly unwittingly into his arms. He might have been a bit surprised, or maybe he was always this tense, but he felt like a rock under her. And she was like the water that flowed in, around, and through him. He stood motionless, holding her.

She sighed and loosened her hold. As she eased back, he thought he caught a glimpse of something familiar. Now feeling a bit uncomfortable at the spontaneity if it all, Jane giggled and said a very casual ‘hi’ before grabbing his hand and rushing him off. They didn’t have much time to catch up. She would have to be home soon enough.