Six minutes, a new life.

His hand was gently placed on the page of his book that he was reading. From what I could see his book seemed tattered, old, perhaps a classic; maybe his interest in literature was timeless. He grinned ever so slightly, amused by a line that he had probably read a thousand times over. His face wasn't made up of obviously beautiful features, but he was beautiful. A nose ring sat tight around his left nostril and a beanie balanced on his head like a beret. His eyes behind a pair of rounded glasses that sat on his perfectly balanced ears; one with a loop earring. 'Am I in love, again?' I thought. I looked down at what I was wearing; nothing exciting to look at. I became uncomfotable and shuffled my bum further away from him, sitting half on the seat and half balancing on nothing but sheer hope of not falling. I turned the volume of my music up and closed my eyes to try and focus.

The tap on my shoulder made me jump, which in turn made him grin, maybe he even laughed, I couldn't hear. I pulled one earphone out of my ear but held it close. "I'm getting off here." He said. I smiled and moved my body so he could shuffle past me. He was taller than I thought he'd be, and his scent lingered across my nose, fresh but not too fresh. As he got off I stared at him, wondering if he'd turn around to take a look at me, as if to say "I saw you watching me." But, he didn't. As the bus pulled away I shuffled back so my bum could occupy the full seat, sweet relief for my right cheek.

I glanced down to see a little black book on the seat where he sat. I sighed, do I pretend i didn't see it or do I pick it up and flick through? The latter, obviously. My thumb fell in between the pages as the book opened and closed from one side to the other. Pages full of ideas, doodles, quotes, memories, reminders, art, post it notes and cut outs. Fonts ever changing, some things in capital letters underlined heavily and somethings daintily articulated in the corner of an otherwise busy page. Was it a journal? Perhaps. But there was something in me that knew it was more than what it seemed. I pressed the button hoping that if I ran back I might spot him on the street. My day was suddenly exciting, in this moment I had purpose.

I leapt off the bus, my leather brogue boots were not made for running, but I was giving it my all, all of our sudden our lives rushed through my head. I give him his book, he thanks me and hugs me. He says "you'll never know what this meant" he goes in for a kiss and suddenly we're in the Bahamas laughing as we splash each other in the clear blue sea, my Goodness, it's our wedding day and I have reached the bus stop. I hold the stop sign as I keel over for breath. "God I'm unfit" i said aloud, chuckling to myself in what might have been seen as a state of hysteria. He could be anywhere. I hold the book in my hands the black leather frayed at the corners from being so well used. I open the cover to read "In case of loss, please return to: Jay Franks, 417 Lionel Way, London. As a reward: A drink on me.

I opened Google maps, he's a six minute walk from here. 'My life is potentially about to change.' I mused. Six minutes, felt like six hours. 'Why am I like this?' I brushed my jumper with my hands and pulled my hair from behind my ears. I knocked twice, hesitated and then knocked a third time and took a step back. As he opened the door he squinted at me, like he knew me from a lifetime ago but couldn't quite figure out how. "Hi." I managed. "I was sat next to you on the bus, just before."

"Hi, ok." he looked confused. I had forgotten the sole reason I was standing at this mans door. "Oh, you left this. It seemed important." I pulled the book from behind my back. "Oh my god!" His body relaxed, like one of those toys where the Giraffe stands on top and when you push it from underneath the Giraffe collapses. "It must have fallen out my pocket." He reached out his hand to take the book and then pulled me in for a hug. 'It's happening' I grinned. "Listen I know it says 'a drink on me as a reward but I'm crazy busy at the moment."

"It's fine." I interrupt, watching my future slip away. "No here, let me give you my number." He grabbed what looked like a scratch card from his pocket and a pen and wrote his number down. Does he know it's 2021, I could have just put it in my phone. As he handed me the card our fingers touched, was there a spark? I noticed the scratch card was brand new "you haven't played this." I said handing the card back to him. "Maybe we'll both be winners today." He joked sarcastically "want a penny?" I smiled and shrugged, I enjoyed this back and forth. He once again, put his hand back in his pocket and rummaged around pulling out an old two pence piece. He raised his eyebrows as he flicked the coin toward me which by some miracle I managed to catch. "Here goes nothing" I mocked. I could feel his eyes on me as I moved my fist back and forth against the foil of the card.

"Well?" he asked. I looked up at him, spat out a bubble of air and looked back at the card. Jay walked to me and looked over at the card, his head pressing gently against mine. We both stood there for a few seconds, our breath harmonising in perfect unison. My eyebrows in now a permanent confused position. "You've just won £20,000" he stated, very matter of fact. I looked up, overwhelmed, like I was there but I wasn't really there. I reached my hand out slowly in an attempt to give the winning card back to him. He waved his hand "No, it's yours." He smiled, we glared at each other alternating sighs of disbelief and laughs of nerves. "Drinks on you then."