Meet Cute Ch. 02

It pleased me that Daniel didn't offer to help with my baggage until I struggled. Once it was off the luggage rack, I managed fine, swinging my leather holdall over a shoulder, lining up its weight with the leg I still had.

My lightweight composite adjustable forearm crutches had solid handgrips that were simple to use and very effective. I was impressed that Daniel hovered close enough to rescue me if needed while giving the impression that was the last thing he would do.

"Where are you going from here?"

"I don't know, Ella."

"What do you mean?"

"I have five days off before my next flight to Thailand. The company hotel booking service will accommodate me anywhere I want."

We stood on the railway platform while other passengers rushed towards the exit or to find connecting trains. It was chilly and noisy with haunting echoes from powerful diesel locomotive engines reverberating off a vaulted iron girder and corrugated steel roof where pigeons flapped wildly.

The way we stood, isolated and facing each other, felt like homecoming or perhaps a fond farewell. I couldn't figure out which. My fingers trembled, and I was sure that for the first time in a week, my hormones surged, making me feel alive.

My heart thumped harder, as though stressing the tumultuous decision before me.

Does he get a chance with me?

Do I have a chance with him?

Can this actually work?

"I have to wait until the risk of someone bowling me over has passed by."

"That suits me too, Ella."

"Why though?"

"Because if you won't take my hint, the pain of failure is further away."

"You want me to tell you where I live so you can book a hotel nearby, right?"

I beamed, growing ever more fond of his kind and amusing nature. I could imagine us enjoying dinner, a peaceful walk, albeit a short one for now, and perhaps more.

"I hope it was romantically obvious, rather than me sounding like a stalker, Ella."

"Are you?"

"Romantic?"

"I can see that for myself, Daniel. What I don't know is whether you are a stalker?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment and that worried me. If a guy has to consider whether or not he is a stalker, then only a fool wouldn't feel the trepidation I did right now.

"Can you define your understanding of what is a stalker for me, please, Ella?"

"Hmm... I'll confess right now that you're on thin ice. Why don't you define how much of a stalker you might be?"

"Okay... okay... let me think for a minute."

He really did think quite hard about it and I was stuck somewhere between hopping away at full speed or laughing at his incredible comedic personality. I waited, unafraid because I am a fearless person anyway, but also, the platform had plenty of cops and other officials I could scream at for help.

"Okay, I've got it."

"Go ahead, Daniel, please. I'm somewhat in suspense."

I smiled encouragingly, with no idea what might come out of his mouth next.

"Can you imagine that our night of dancing leads to a second date and things go well between us?"

"Okay. I can picture that happening."

"Would it be fair to say that, in the future, I might reasonably declare my love for you and that you may reciprocate?"

"That isn't a stretch to believe, but where are you going with this?"

"So... if we argued one day, and you ran off somewhere, then I searched the entire world, tearing up mountains and draining oceans looking for you to make things right... would that be considered stalking?"

"Okay, Daniel. I live right here in Central. I'll give you my number. Please book your hotel and let me know when it's convenient for me to join you there for a drink."

"So I win a first date?"

"If you consider me a prize, then yes, Daniel, you win."

"I consider you the only prize, Ella."

If I were in a more stable frame of mind and in better control of my disabled condition, I might have bedded him on the platform. Daniel oozed confidence without being conceited and, based on early evidence only, was probably the most thoughtful guy I'd ever met. As we walked towards the ticket inspectors, I cursed my bad fortune at having lost a leg.

"You know Ella, we might not have met but for your injury."

"Yes. I was just thinking the same."

"I'm sure right now you'd swap this meet cute for that leg, but hopefully, I'll make an excellent boyfriend one day and you'll feel different."

I glanced sideways at him, impressed by the way he walked, standing completely erect, much the same way as he talked. He shot a smile back at me that warmed my heart.

"You'll tell me if I can help with the holdall, right?"

"I shall, and thank you for treating me as though I don't need help."

"That's because you really don't, although I'm itching to help."

"Why?"

"Because I want to please you. If you weren't injured, I would offer to carry your bag, and you'd probably accept, knowing it's more important for my sexual and romantic chemistry to woo you than the other way around."

I stopped and stared at him. We were definitely in double figures for the number of times Daniel had surprised me.

"Are you saying you'd feel better for carrying my luggage and I'd be doing you a favor in handing it over?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"Here you go then."

He looked gleeful when I handed him my holdall and I checked myself again for having been more aggressive and standoffish than I needed to be.

"I want to make you feel happy, Ella. I've just extended our relationship from the end of this platform to five days before I fly to Thailand."

"You made me happy already, Daniel. Thank you."

We reached the ticket inspector, who checked and stamped us both through.

"Thank you for your service, ma'am."

"You're welcome, sir."

We kept in step with each other, getting closer to the point we'd temporarily part company. Although it would only be a few hours, I still wanted to hang around with Daniel, who had definitely caught my interest.

While we stood at the taxi rank shivering, our mental chess game continued. I couldn't figure out who was winning and declared it a draw since we were still talking and I was having fun.

"Has anyone said you are an oddball, Daniel?"

"Only my shrink."

"Oh, I'm sure he has a wild time figuring you out."

"He was a she and we used to sleep together."

"Isn't that unethical?"

"I think it's very unethical not to sleep with a beautiful woman when she asks you, so long as neither you nor she is in another relationship."

I snorted with laughter, cupping my mouth with one hand to stifle the volume when other people queuing turned and stared disapprovingly.

"I'm not going to get much sense from you, am I?"

"I'm being totally honest with you, Ella."

"You really slept with your shrink?"

"Yeah, for two years. Those were the best of times. Making love to a strong woman that enjoys being inside your head without harming? What's not to like about that?"

"What happened between you two?"

"She fell in love with a serial killer and left me."

"That's fucking ridiculous. Come on, Daniel."

"Okay, he was a professional football player, but they're damn near the same thing."

I almost fell off my crutches, laughing at him. By the serious look on his face, the story was true except for his judgment of football players. I attracted the attention of everyone and the ire of some who preferred to queue in peace.

"I'm not a sociopath, narcissist, or suffering from any other serious mental psychosis, Ella. I'm a normal guy who flies the world's biggest passenger aircraft. I'm screened frequently for all kinds of health issues, including my psychological profile. If I was unstable, they wouldn't let me fly."

I nodded my head while scrutinizing his sincerity. Daniel was trying to reassure me of his intentions and convince me he was worth an investment of my time. I was pleased that he felt I was worthy of him.

"I hadn't considered that. It's the most interesting description of sanity a potential boyfriend has ever made to me."

I was pleased when our taxi arrived, more so when Daniel opened the door for me, telling the driver he'd walk. Not that I didn't want to share, but my female brain had kicked in and I wanted my potential suitor to yearn a little, as absence makes the heart grow fonder.

As he leaned through the open rear passenger's window, I kissed a cheek gently and he looked surprised. I nodded and smiled cutely at him.

"Never forget that wooing a girl is more important for your feelings than mine Daniel."

"I know that Ella. Do you always steal other people's philosophical insights?"

"Goodbye, Daniel."

"I'll see you in a few hours, Ella."

My driver pulled away, and I smiled, giggled a little, then bathed in the feminine spirit within me that Daniel had ignited. We were a couple of hundred meters away when I looked back up the road just as we turned left.

Daniel was standing where I had left him, watching my car disappear. I felt lifted by our encounter because what girl doesn't enjoy a little romantic attention?

When I got inside my apartment, and after dumping the holdall off, I flicked on my hot water and heating systems. I checked the fridge, pleased that Mom had stocked what I'd asked for. I hopped around the kitchen, balancing a small glass of wine in one hand while stabbing my crutch into the wooden floor.

I planted myself down on a sofa with great views through panorama windows over the city's great park and relaxed, sipping wine while reflecting on our meet cute. As I stared at the gap where my leg had once been, I felt less sad than usual.

My prosthetic leg would be ready in two weeks. Fitting, testing, and making adjustments would take at least another two after that before I was released. Intensive physiotherapy in my home city would follow, but my life would be back to relative normalcy from an aesthetic perspective soon.

Discharge from the Army, adjustments at home, life, and in finding a job had all crossed my mind, but I hadn't considered romance until now. I scrunched myself into the sofa, punching the air jubilantly while screaming softly.

A boy likes me.

My phone buzzed with a message. The number flashed up as unknown, so I knew it was Daniel because I gave him mine without asking for his.

Grosvenor Hotel. The top Floor has a restaurant in case you haven't eaten.

Sounds lovely... timings?

Lady's choice... I'll wait patiently in full-on wooing mode.

8 pm?

Perfect.

He made me laugh, and that was important. I was approaching thirty years old and figured he was of a similar age. I'd had lovers, both in the military and prior to that, but it never felt like my relationships were possessed of magic that others talk about.

I took my time showering, getting used to balancing on one leg, and washing all over, bending low to clean between my toes. My stump was tightly wrapped and still healing with stinging, shooting pains from nerve endings that still wondered what the fuck was going on.

I had to wear a dress or find some way to peg one leg of my jeans. The dress was easier, so I wore black, knee-length and looked in the mirror, pleased that I looked smart casual, determined not to seem to try too hard. If Daniel and I had legs, it wouldn't be because of make-up and perfume or clothing.

We'll win any three-legged race, that's for sure.

I rode a taxi to Daniel's hotel, still not confident of walking more than a mile on crutches, especially late at night in the city.

I hadn't expected Daniel to wait in the lobby but he was there, perfectly groomed and dressed in smart casual clothing with a delightful cow lick flick to his jet-black hair.

"I would have met you upstairs in the restaurant."

"I couldn't wait to see you. I wanted to be down here where there was hustle and bustle rather than stew in a room with awful piano jazz."

"Have you visited the restaurant yet?"

"No."

"I promise you the jazz in there is excellent. If you don't hear Dave Brubeck within two hours, I shall be surprised."

"Shall we go upstairs?"

I wanted to take the arm he offered and didn't pass a flippant comment when he looked embarrassed by the faux pas.

"It takes some getting used to, Daniel. Please don't feel awkward about offering your arm."

"I'm sorry."

"Within a month, my prosthetic will be fitted and I'll be able to take your arm."

"Well, that's promising Ella."

"Yeah, replacement limb technology is very advanced these days."

"No, sorry. I meant it's promising that you are already thinking about me being around a month from now."

I tapped his leg with my crutch, giggling. It felt like a date and for once; the pressure was off me to drag conversation from a guy who spent the night checking game scores on his phone.

"You're incorrigible, Daniel."

"And yet entirely redeemable in the right hands, Ella."