Once again, I found myself running behind schedule. Brushing aside a loose strand of hair and grappling with my unwieldy bag, I finally made it through security. Despite my recurring resolution to pack light, I always end up with excessive luggage. As I sprinted to catch my flight, I received a notification on my phone just as I reached the gate that my departure had been postponed.
Frankly speaking, this news brought me relief and joy, as it allowed me to grab a much-needed coffee. After doing my happy dance, I went to a nearby café. The rich scent of coffee beans awakened my half-asleep senses, providing a much-needed energy boost. As always, I started scanning the menu, though I was unsure why I bother to check menu when I invariably order the same dark-roast black coffee every time. After placing my order, I settled in to wait for my coffee.
While browsing Greek mythology on my smartphone and awaiting my order, I stumbled upon the story of Echo. Engrossed in reading, a familiar deep voice suddenly caught my attention, requesting a dark-roast black coffee. Glancing up from my phone, I gazed through a space between my glasses and eyes and noticed... him.
As usual, he had his charming and youthful smile. He looked handsome and put together in his faded blue jeans, crisp white Nike shirt, and stylish denim jacket with a cozy white fur collar. His hair was neatly styled, and his glasses rested on the bridge of his nose. He conversed with the server while adjusting his small backpack, exuding an air of neatness and organization.
The server responded to him with a smile and a flutter of her eyelashes—cringe. This reminded me of her previous indifference and disinterest in taking my order—rude much. As I observed him, I became aware of my disorganized state. Despite my efforts to achieve an elegant airport look, I looked awkward, messy, and confused.
Strands of hair had escaped from my lengthy braids, my glasses teetered precariously on the tip of my nose, and I was lugging a bag that outweighed me and stood half my height. I'd rather not even mention my baggy GAP hoodie. This style doesn't suit me, although I try to make it work every time, failing miserably as usual. Reflecting on my appearance, I realized again that I'm a disorganized traveler and need to improve my travel organization skills.
As I attempted to reorganize my chaotic thoughts, I suddenly realized he was in front of me... looking this good. Oh my god!!! I hope he doesn't recognize me... Please... Please... In the midst of my silent pleas, I noticed he was beside me, waving to me with a surprised look. Realizing I had been staring at his face, I returned the gesture with a smile.
He casually asked me about my well-being and remarked about the weather, and I responded awkwardly. His interest in conversation puzzled me; this is not him. This is definitely not his regular self. Triggering a mental debate between my heart and mind. My subconscious began to imagine possibilities:
Heart: He's soooooo attractive 😍😍😍😍😍 and talking with us 😍😍😍😍😍😍. Awwwww 🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶
Brain: Stop daydreaming 🤨 and stop imagining that stupid music. He is not being his true self. Mr. Grumpy with attitude 😡.
Heart: He is not what you call him. He is just confident ☺️.
Brain: Confident or overconfident 😠?
Heart: So what? When you are doing a Ph.D. in biophysics, studying physics and biology, being a topper of the class, and then studying neurological disorders in the most prestigious lab, you get to do that.
Brain: So what? I am also pursuing my Ph.D. in Cancer Biology. I work in the Big Shot lab, and as you know, we recently published in Nature Medicine 💅.
Heart: Someone was talking about being overconfident.
Brain: No, I am not being overconfident... I am just saying I am not rude.....
Heart: Okay, I agree. You are not rude, but you have to agree that he is intelligent.
Brain: OkayOkay... OkayOkay.... He is intelligent 😏.....
Heart: And...
Brain: Smart 😏.
Heart: And...
Brain: Handsome 😏.
Heart: Aaaa...
Brain: That's enough 😠. I know he is good at everything he does, but that doesn't give him the right to be rude 😡😡.
Heart: It was just that one time, though 🥺.
Brain: I clearly remember. That day, I just asked him for an extra five minutes at the microscope. He said no 😱. On our face. How rude?😡😡😡
Heart: You are jealous because he is everyone's favorite, and every other girl adores him😌. By the way, your microscope booking was over, and it was his slot.
Brain: I know, but...
Heart: No, but just look at him. He's smart, intelligent, handsome, plays cricket, sings, plays guitar, and dances well 😍😍😍😍😍. 🎶🎶🎶
Brain: He is too good to be true 😖😖.
Heart: Nah, just look at him 😍. See, he is being nice to us 😍. He smiled at us 😍.
Brain: He smiled at that server too 😏.
Heart: Yes, but he waved at us and stood beside us 🥰...
Brain: Wait... he is saying something....
Heart: He is smiling and 🫣...
Brain: Wait... he is saying something...
Heart: But...
Brain: One seccccc...
My internal conflict between emotion and logic concluded with a bout of intense sneezing—and it was undoubtedly one and only me. Ladies and gentlemen, I had officially embarrassed myself in front of him. He was speaking about something unknown, and I interrupted him with a sneeze and wiped my nose with a tissue. What an extraordinary scene to witness!!!
I excused myself and asked him what he was saying. He nodded and asked again, "I am surprised to see you here. Our conference ended on Thursday, right? You stayed an additional four days after the conference. Any special plans?"
Yes, I was here for a scientific conference and decided to stay back for vacation. I simply replied the truth and asked him the same. His answer again justified his title. He stayed back to do one experiment at their collaborators' labs. That's typical of him—a show-off. He just can't be a normal human being.
Yes, I agree he excels at everything, which makes it difficult for me to accept. However, if you ask me right now, I'm not interested in his conversations and just want my coffee. I was eagerly waiting for my coffee so I could escape him and find a quiet spot to enjoy it. However, this individual had started discussing the city, its traffic, and our lives back at school.
Now, don't misunderstand me or think I'm being rude. I agree he's attractive, but a girl needs to enjoy her coffee. Thankfully, my order arrived just in time. I quickly took my coffee, thanked the barista, bid him farewell, and hurried out of the coffee shop. Hushhhh. Settling into the prime spot, I kept my bag on the next chair and savored my coffee while gazing at the snow-covered peaks. There's a unique comfort in the combination of chilly air, mountainous terrain, and a warm beverage.
Although I'd typically prefer to immerse myself in a romantic novel under these conditions, airports inspire different pastimes, such as people-watching. I looked around and started enjoying the airport scenes. Children were running between tables with their fathers in pursuit. A man in formal attire was reading a business magazine. A young boy with his Apple earphones was aggressively tapping on his phone with both hands. I assume he was playing a game, and people were hurrying to board their flights.
Group of friends were at the bar enjoying their morning beer. Airport personnel busily addressed visitors' inquiries. Some people with confused expressions like me struggled to find their way around. Overall, it was a quintessential airport scene, and I relished every moment of it alongside my coffee. As I finished my coffee, I heard the announcement for my flight and decided to head toward the gate.
I arrived at the gate just as boarding began. While waiting in line, I realized I had misplaced my boarding pass, likely leaving it at the coffee table. Upon reaching the front, I opened my phone to get a digital boarding pass. Walking through the jet bridge, I pondered where I might have left the physical pass.
Navigating the narrow aisle of the small aircraft, which had a 2 × 2 seating configuration, I made my way to my seat with difficulty. After a nice, adventurous holiday trip, I felt drained and longed for my own bed. After fastening my seatbelt and nearly drifting off, I noticed a familiar face in the aisle. He smiled and waved, which I reciprocated, albeit perplexed. I expected him to be on the same flight, But...
To my surprise, he came and sat right next to me. I was astonished by the coincidence of encountering him at an airport café while returning home and discovering he was seated next to me on the flight. As I pondered the probability of such an event, he unexpectedly handed me my boarding pass and my beloved pink scarf, which I had inadvertently left behind at the coffee shop.
Before I could inquire about how he knew these items were mine, I felt a flutter in my stomach as I expressed my gratitude. He then recounted how he had found the pass and scarf and realized we were on the same flight, seated together. I felt compelled to thank him once more for his kindness.
As the flight took off, he started with his school talk and science. He was discussing his excitement about returning home and joining the lab. Oddly, he is not like this in school. I don't remember talking to him for more than two minutes. I, usually talkative, was actually listening to his stories. Truthfully, I was so drained from my trip that it was difficult to keep my eyes open, and I fell asleep within minutes. I could hear his murmuring for a minute, but then I just dozed off in my dreamland.
The next thing I knew, we had landed, and people were already in the aisle. Don't judge me; I was exhausted. His attractiveness wasn't enough to keep me from my much-needed rest. I could barely hear his murmuring before I drifted into a deep slumber.
As soon as I woke up, I noticed him smiling. His wide grin was quite endearing. He didn't make things awkward for me; instead, he helped me with my bag. That was pretty cute. We deboarded our flight together. As we walked to the baggage claim, he was notably silent. I felt a sense of relief as he returned to his usual old self.
He asked how I was getting home and if I needed a ride. I politely declined, and he didn't push the issue. He helped me retrieve my bag from the belt, and I collected my luggage. I heard a quiet "bye." Before I could look up from my luggage, he had already left. I wanted to thank him, but he vanished into the airport crowd before I could call him.
Thinking about my stupidity, I booked my Uber and walked toward the pickup point. When I reached the pickup point, my Uber was waiting for me. Keeping my bag in the trunk, I settled in the car. I looked at my scarf and started fanning myself with my boarding pass while gazing out the window.
That's when my phone pinged with a new email. It was from him, asking if I wanted to grab coffee tomorrow in the school cafeteria. Only a geek like him would ask for a date through an email with the subject line reading "Coffee Date."
Brain: I think 🧐.....
Heart: Just shut up....The person you’re trying to reach is busy dreaming 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰.....
A smile spread across my lips, and I felt myself blush as I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear while typing my response: "Yes."
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