The Girl Who Sat Next To Me

I still had two hours to go before my train departed the station. So, I ambled into the food court, grabbed a pizza and sat at the only free table in the area. Feeling that creative urge kicking inside me, I opened my laptop and began writing some random stuff. I was so engrossed in my writing that I didn’t notice a petite figure standing next to me.

“Excuse me.” The figure said in a very sweet and polite voice. Half annoyed that someone had disrupted my thoughts while writing, I looked up with a frown on my face. And my eyes met the blue and innocent eyes of a twenty-something blond girl. My frown vanished and my eyebrows almost reached the tips of my hair.

Why was this pretty girl standing next to me? Before she even continued speaking, a barrage of questions pounded my mind :

Was she about to complain that my suitcase was protruding out and impeding the walkway?

Was she here to ask directions?

Was she here to take some kind of a survey?

Before more questions could engulf my mind, the girl spoke out, “Would you mind if I sit here?”

Instinctively, I looked around. Almost all the tables in the food court were taken.

Typical Americans. Polite and courteous when talking to strangers, I thought. It was like one of those other moments of polite interactions that I had faced with strangers here, like the girl who asked me to come under her umbrella while I was waiting for the bus in the pouring rain, or the heavy set guy who held the door open for me and offered to help me with my luggage, as I pushed them through.

But then my eye caught a couple of vacant tables at the end.

The girl seemed to follow my gaze and shimmied on her toes nervously. I gave her a momentary inquisitive look and replied back, “Uhm…well…the people here a little creepy.” She let out a nervous laugh and continued, “I just thought I could sit next to you…and do my work.” She smiled.

Wow! A pretty stranger wants to sit next to me, because I’m not creepy! Isn’t that something!

“Sure. No problem.” I smiled back.

“Thanks.” She said and sat down next to me. From the corner of my eyes, I could see her open her Macbook and start typing away on her keyboard.

Both of us silently typed on our respective computers, oblivious to what the other was writing about. I couldn’t help get the feeling that the girl was shooting furtive glances at me, since I was doing the same as well! Perhaps, both of us were just too curious to peek into the screen of the other. But we diligently continued with our work for about half an hour, until the girl closed the lid of her laptop and slid the machine back into her bag. I looked up at the big digital clock mounted on the wall. The time read 2:45. It was time for me to leave as well. I packed my bag and got up at almost the same time as she did.

Again my eyes met hers. With a friendly smile on her face, she replied, “Have a nice day!”

I smiled back, “You too!”

With that, both of us headed our separate ways…