Looking back up at the stranger in blue jeans across the room I noticed that he had yet to take his eyes away from me. As he noticed my glance his smile grew, shocked at the fact he had caught me staring I turned my head quickly to the floor in front of me. “Oh no” I thought to myself as I concentrated on the dirty wood floor, “he saw me looking at him”, no not just looking staring, how embarrassing.
"Hello," a deep voice with a slight accent I could not place broke my concentration. "My name is Tayten," the voice grew louder as I raised my glace from the floor into his eyes; an emerald green ocean in which I was lost for several minutes.
"I'm sorry I've startled you," his voice ripped me back into consciousness, as I became more aware of what exactly had just happened his smile began to fade and he turned slightly.
"I'm sorry," I blurted out quite loudly. "I am so embarrassed, forgive me." There was a long pause, and just as I thought he was about to run to the other side of the room from this crazy women who he had gone out of his way to be nice to wouldn't even speak to him, he stopped.
"No need to apologize," he said with a smile. I truly had no intentions when leaving my apartment earlier that evening, of conversing with a complete stranger at a scummy bar. And truth be told, at that moment I felt less like speaking to anyone then I felt the need to plunge a pair of scissors deep into my eye.
“Do you mind if I sit down,” he said already pulling out the chair across from me, as though my answer didn’t much matter and he intended to sit anyway.
“No I guess not,” I replied as he settled himself in the chair while smiling at me. Among the numerous thoughts flying threw my head at the moment; the arrogance of this man assuming I’d like him to sit, the way I’d momentarily been lost in his beautiful eyes, came a thought that pardoned the rest. Perhaps right now, at this moment I need not be alone as I had been these past few days. Perhaps tonight I sit and talk to this stranger and forget the unfortunate events that led me here tonight.
“And may I ask your name?” the sound of his voice again broke my concentration. After hearing him speak again, I guessed his accent to be Spanish.
“Maria,” I shot back becoming aware that I needed to make conversation. “And I’m sorry, you are?”
“My name is Tayten,” he paused. “Are you okay?” With a look of concern he placed his hand on the back of the wooden chair he sat on and inched close to the edge as though about to stand.
“Yes I’m fine,” I answered. “Why do you ask?”
“Because I told you my name only a moment ago,” his look of concern turned to confusion and he froze awaiting my response.
“I apologize,” I responded quickly. “I’m absolutely horrible with names; I may ask you again in a moment.”
He laughed and eased back in his chair, taking a drink from his glass. I then recalled what the red haired waitress had said about him; I examined him for a moment and decided she wasn’t far off. He was some what attractive, straight dark hair messed atop his head, dark bronzed skin that further lead me to believe he was Spanish, a square jaw and supple lips that danced as he spoke.
“What brings you here?” Again he broke the silence.
“Uh, honestly it’s a long story, how about you?” I tried to change the subject.
“I was supposed to meet an old friend for drink, as luck would have it he called moments before you walked in to tell me he wouldn’t be making it,” his smile grew wider as he spoke. “And your story I’d love to hear it,” He said leaning forward and placing his arms on the table in front of him folding his hands. “I have all night now that my plans have been cancelled.”
