“You seem to be having fun at the counter, who is he? I saw you flirting,” Theresa yelled from one of the aisles.

“Oh, it was just a customer. I wasn’t flirting; he made me laugh, he wasㅡ.”

Eurydice felt as if she missed something essential; she suddenly got the impression of being lost.

Why did she feel as though someone had stolen something from her?

A sensitive being, Eurydice was overwhelmed by the urge to cry, like a child deprived of her favorite candy or toy.

“Eurydice, are you okay?” Theresa asked as she arrived at the counter.

“Oh, look, it seems like your customer forgot something, doctor Braxton Willams,” Theresa read, holding up the card.

“Theresa, his service card, he forgot it,” Eurydice snatched it and ran out of the store, hoping to see the doctor in the street, but he was gone.

In the meantime braxton arrived at work.

“Good morning, doctor Williams.”

“Good morning Pat, have I got any calls?”

“Yes, a certain Eurydice Nixon called and said you forgot your service card at her bookstore should I call tell her we’ll send a carrier?”

“No, tell her I’ll pick it up after my shift.”

Sometimes it’s worth forcing one’s luck, Braxton thought. Eurydice’s images floated in his mind, her small face, laugh, and finally, her long curly black hair she wore in a loose braid, allured him. The doctor liked the woman all at once.

“Eurydice, I don’t think he’ll come,” Theresa said.

The two women stood in front of the closed bookstore. The night was cold, the women shivered and stumped their feet to chase the chill.

“He will; I’m sure he will.”

Eurydice said the words hoping they were correct. Thoughts of the man distracted her all day. They only spoke a few minutes. Still, the doctor left a strong imprint, which made the woman’s heart flutter.

Theresa blew on her hands to warm them, “I’m going to be late for my date with Paul; I’m sorry, love, I can’t keep him waiting any longer.”

“Go, I’ll be fine,” Eurydice promoted. Theresa searched a long time for her perfect match, from blind dates to dating website the woman gave her all to find Paul the meticulous Chef.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, go,” Eurydice said as she redirected Theresa’s shoulders in the bus shelter’s direction.

Eurydice, on the other hand, preferred living love through the characters of the story she read. In relationships, she was always the one to get hurt. Time taught her to be patient; there was no use forcing destiny in her case. Theresa’s story gave Eurydice hope; perhaps there was someone for her too. Clumsy and shy by nature, she wished the person whoever he was would make the first step.

So she waited.

Theresa turned to give her a hug, “okay, see you tomorrow, take care and use a whistle if there’s a problem.”

“There won’t be any, and you needn’t come.”

“Hey, what kind of best friend would I be if I don’t help you out? See you tomorrow.”

Theresa trotted off, and Eurydice remained under the store’s pouch gazing at the stars.

“Pretty, aren’t they?” A voice that made her jump said,” sorry, I got caught up in traffic.”

“Gosh, I almost had a heart attack.”

“This must be providence, thank goodness I’m a doctor.”

Eurydice smiled, “here’s your card, Dr. Willams.”

“Call me, Braxton.”

“Emㅡ.”

“Braxton is my first name, even if it sounds like I’ve got two.”

“Butㅡ.”

“I insist.”

“Okay, Braxton, I’m Euryㅡ.”

“Eurydice.”

“You know my name.”

“Sorry, I heard it earlier on.”

“My name is so old fashioned; I’m surprised you didn’t forget.”

Braxton smiled, “it’s as unforgettable as the person it belongs to.”

The statement made the woman’s cheekbones rise to blush.

“Can I offer you a coffee or something I mean you stopped a world crisis by keeping my service card?” Braxton said.

Eurydice looked at him; he was tall, broad-shouldered, short hair, a soft voice, and dimples, he was attractive if not to say her type.

“It’s nothing.”

“Please, I insist you’re the prettiest woman I’ve seen in this decade, oh my, did I say that out loud.”

Eurydice nodded.

“Wow, I didn’t know I could embarrass myself twice this way; you must thinkㅡ.”

“I’ll have coffee.”

“Great. Terrific,” Braxton said all in glee.

There was something about the man which was reassuring, Eurydice felt drawn by him.

“Okay, we have a choice, we can have coffee here, or I could take you to the best coffee shop in the whole of Knight bridge it’s Jerry’s cafe.”

“I’ll go for the best.”

“Okay, my car is just there.”

They went to the car, and Braxton drove to the coffee, which was less than ten minutes away.

“I’ve got a confession to make,” Braxton said, turning to face Eurydice after cutting the engine.

“What is it?”

“I didn’t forget my service card; I left it.”

“What if someone else took it, what if I didn’t call?”

“I knew you’d call,” Braxton replied.

“Well, since we’re confessing everything, I ought to let you know I don’t drink coffee.”

They smiled at each other.

A minute passed where they stared at each other.

“What should we do now?”

“Can I kiss you?” Braxton asked spontaneously. Even though Braxton could only imagine how eager his request made him seem, the question was out. It was unexcepted, and it got an unexcepted response.

“In 3.2.1.”

Braxton leaned over when Eurydice finished her countdown and closed her eyes; his nose nudged hers lightly, before letting his lips graze hers.

How many hours during this same day had they thought of this exact moment when they would kiss?

And in this one kiss they knew, it was one of the kisses which quenched any thirst or hunger. A taste of salt hit Braxton’s lips, making the man pull away.

“Sorry, the cold makes my eyes tear up.”

The sentence was the only thing Eurydice came up with to cover up the fact that the man stirred something deep within her, which she could not express with words without appearing insane.

Braxton wiped the single tear which rolled down her left cheek.

They stared at each other once more. Braxton pushed back a curl from her face, caressed her cheek; he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her again.

The scent of his skin.

The softness of her lips.

The pricking of the sprouting hair around his one-day-old beard.

The taste of her lip gloss.

They knew these things well.

The kiss felt like a homecoming, where both kicked off their shoes and invested the place which was theirs.

There was no doubt Braxton had found her, the one person who could fill the space which made his heartache.

On the roof of an apartment across from their position, two keepers played peeping Toms.

Sariel shook her head and covered her eyes, “oh, I can’t watch this. Do these people know they can get arrested for such behavior?”

“Sariel.”

“Yes, Phaneul.”

“You know we’re not supposed to interfere.”

“And, tell me something I don’t know.”

The old man lifted a brow, “I thought you didn’t like doctor Willams.”

“I like him better than in his last life. He’s still clumsy, but he’s better than before for sure.”

“Still, you were not supposed to give him a hand that way.”

“I don’t see the problem. I was doing my job.”

Phaneul crossed his arms, “and what’s that?”

Sariel smiled and looked down on the couple who finally stepped out of the car and walked into the café for some hot chocolate, “making sure they live happily here, and after, forever and again.”

“Gosh, you are a romantic, little one.”

“Don’t call me little. I’m way older than you. Besides, someone had to make the two move along. There’s another little who has waited almost a century to meet the two.”

After the hot chocolate, which allowed the Braxton and Eurydice to get acquainted with each other by using words, Braxton took Eurydice back to her apartment, which happened to be above her bookstore.

Eurydice turned to unlock the door while Braxton watched.

“So, it’s goodnight?”

“Yeah, I guess, unless you want another hot chocolate, play Scrabble or something else,” Eurydice turned to the side pretending to knock her head in the door’s frame, “my mother would kill me if she heard what I just said, can I just crawl into a hole somewhere?”

Braxton laughed before giving Eurydice a mischievous smile,” don’t crawl anywhere; I’ll go for the Scrabble or the something else.”

“Look, Sariel; I don’t think River Song will have to wait much longer at this rate.”

“That hasn’t changed one bit. Braxton is always eager.”

“Let me remind you that it’s Eurydice whose inviting him inside.”

“Phaneul, don’t tell me you can’t whiff the pheromones or see all those obscene thoughts that Braxton is having. They always start backward because of him.”

“Yes, but it always gives a good fast forward to their love.”

Braxton sneezed.

“Someone must be talking about you, are you alright, Braxton?”

“Yeah, I thought I heard my name,ㅡnevermind, I’m fine, I’ve never felt better,” the man said as he stepped into Eurydice’s apartment where they forgot the Scrabble and played something else, whatever that was.