A Short Love Story

A Short Love Story

It was a day like any other day except for a strong passion that I felt in my heart. It was put there by him - someone I saw all the time at work. I had no choice but to see him. He was the chef and I was the waitress at Lover's of Food restaurant. There weren't many chefs nor waiters as it was a small restaurant which made it so that we saw each other more.

At work my passion for him was stronger. He handed me the lemon cake someone had ordered with half a glance like normal. I wondered what he thought about me with no indication of my feelings in my expression as I walked away. I made sure not to keep staring at him. He would never know how I felt if I had anything to do with it. Maybe that was going to be my problem. Still, I didn't have the guts to show my feelings.

"It's time for you to tell him, Ameedah," said Cynthia my friend who was another waitress at Lover's of Food.

"I just can't do it. And you'd better not either!" I responded.

During the weekend, I was at a carnival when I saw him over by the ferris wheel with a blonde haired woman. My hair is black. My skin is brown. I'm African American. So is he. But he was with a caucasian. I wondered if he likes Black women. As I walked away, he disappeared into the crowd.

I didn't think I would see him again at the carnival. But I was wrong. "Oops! I am so sorry," he said when he bumped into me at a vending machine and spilled soda on my shirt.

"It's okay, Jameel. I can clean it up easy."

"Nice outfit," said his girlfriend at which point I thought she seemed very nice. It made me feel even more jealous.

Then, once again, they disappeared into the crowd.

Back home, all I did was think of him and hear the sound of his voice as he apologized to me. I heard the same voice say I love you. I saw the same face show affection towards me. I saw it as I was awake and then even in my dreams.

A few months later, I lay in bed and thoughts of him came to mind. And it's not like he was all I ever thought about; but he came to mind a large enough portion of every day. As I lay there, my doorbell rang. When I made it to my front door, to my surprise, he was standing there.

"Jameel! What a surprise! What brings you here?"

He had a look in his eyes as if he was searching my soul. "Um. Well, I just was in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop by and speak."

But there was something else. I could tell. It seemed he was looking for something, answers, in me. But answers to what?

"Oh. Well, what an honor! Come on in. Let me get you something to drink."

He came in and sat on the couch. He seemed somewhat awkward. And he was hiding something. What didn't he want to tell me?

I handed him some lemonade. Then as we talked, I figured it out. I was sure of it. Cynthia had told him I liked him. He was there to see if it was true. He didn't know how to ask me directly. He'd just observe me and my energy to see if he could find it out without asking. He, also, thought maybe it would come up out of me before he asked. Maybe, for some reason I'd mention it.

I decided to play along a little and ask a question which could have many interpretation. However he interpreted it was the answer to whatever he was hiding.

"She told you, didn't she? After I told her not to."

"Told me what?" he said. But he was way too obvious. She had definitely told him something; and he knew what it was. He wanted to smile; and it was in his eyes. I was blushing a little and my heart was doing flip flops. The look in his eyes seemed to suggest that he was pleased if it was true. And why else would he be here?

"She told you about me."

"What about you?"

I shook my head. "I did my part, Jameel. I admitted that I know she told you something. Now, you have to give something up. You have to be the one to say what she said."

He thought about it. Then he decided to play along as I did. "It has something to do with a crush."

"Whose crush?"

"Who do you think? It's your turn again."

"No. It's still you turn; because, I admitted she told you something and that she told you something about me."

"Okay. It's your crush."

I swallowed my pride. "Okay," I said taking a deep breath. But my head dropped. I couldn't look him in his eyes. "She told you about my crush on you, didn't she?" Then I lifted my head to look into his eyes. He was smiling and blushing. It, obviously, pleased him; and I couldn't stop my heart from flip flopping nor the passionate feeling growing in it. He was so cute and so charming.

He giggled. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

My head dropped again as I grinned and could not make eye contact. "I was too embarrassed."

"Well, I find you very attractive; and, if I knew you liked me, I guess I would have asked you out. But it never crossed my mind to show interest in you; because, I just saw you as someone I work with."

I couldn't stop blushing. "Well, maybe, we can go out sometime."

"That's an awesome idea. How about this weekend?"

"I'm available then."

That night, my dreams were filled with Jameel. As time passed, my time was filled with his companionship; and years later - 2 years to be exact - my life became graced with the permanence of his presence through marriage.

THE END