By Chance

Chapter 1: The Meeting

"Sonny, please. Don't call me ma'am." She begins.

"Oh, I didn't mean to offend-" Lovely-voice-guy goes on.

"I'm clearly not a woman right off the elderly train. I'm fifty five, for god's sake."

I can only imagine her waving her arms about like she had with me all those months ago. This man still continues to intrigue me with his silky voice and character. Stepping down the aisle with wardrobes towering over the floor, I attempt to peak through the edges to catch a glimpse of him.

Maybe if I pull out one of the drawers and-

My foot slips from the wooden edge and I go stumbling into a circular rack holding mid sixties cassette tapes. I catch a few of them as they tumble to the floor, but a couple escape my grasp. My chest is pressed firmly against the cool metal holding each different genre and my face becomes inflamed when I see that the shop owner and the customer with the dreamy voice are both staring at me with bewildered looks on their faces.

"Um," I stutter. "I just couldn't pick which one." I force a fake toothy grin.

Clearing my throat, I advert my gaze to the floor where a Bruce Springsteen tape is laying on it's back. I snatch it into my hands, widening my eyes at the unfamiliar tracks before me.

"Want that one?" The owner asks. I should really get her name after all this time.

"Oh," I blush some more. Because, why not? That's what we do in front of attractive guys, right? "Yes, definitely."

Walking over to the counter, I put the cassette down on the counter, standing next to the man. He's only a few feet from my left arm and I make sure to keep my gaze focused on the woman.

"That'll be twenty two dollars." She pops open the cash register and bags the tape as I reach in my back pocket for the cash. I pull out a twenty and hand it over to her as I search for the last two dollars.

I become more red in the face when I realize that the twenty was the last source of money I had on me.

"Here, it's on me."

I see two crisp and clean one dollar bills slide across the counter along with a new twenty dollar bill. The guy takes my twenty from the shop owner and holds it in my vision. I widen my eyes and continue to avoid looking up at the guy.

"Thanks, man." I take the bill, shoving it into my wallet and grabbing the plastic store bag from the lady. "Thank you." I meet her gaze and she gives me a peculiar look.

I walk out the store without so much as a second glance at the guy. When I'm in the city's glaring lights, I make my way to the chinese take out restaurant by my apartment.

"That's it? That's where our story ends?" A smooth voice calls jokingly from behind me.

Freezing in my tracks, I feel the need to grab at the wall before my legs give out from under me. They feel too much like jelly right now.

I slowly turn around to face the guy. The bag swings in my hands, along with my sketch pad and other art supplies. Finally, I know he's someone my age.

"Your voice fits your face."

Oh, damn it. I'm such an idiot.

"Thanks, I was going for that." He chuckles and I feel my heart stutter when his lips pull into a grin. Oh, my.

"Thanks for buying me my tape." I look down, holding the bag up a bit higher.

"It was no problem." His grin widens a bit more when I look back up at him. He's wearing a nice, fine looking black and white suit; finished off with a black tie and everything. Business man, it says it all over his body. "Where are you heading in such a hurry?" He checks his watch and I almost groan when I see his arms flex from the swift motion.

"Dinner." I look over my shoulder to where the chinese place is located just a hundred feet from me. "Chinese tonight now that you've allowed me to keep my money and gain a Springsteen tape."

"Sounds fantastic," he tells me, his hands hooking on his pockets. "Were you on the steps before?"

"At city hall? Yeah, I like to sketch there." I bite on my lip as he takes a step closer to me, still only ten feet between us.

"I see you there almost everyday." He continues to talk with his hands as he verbally speaks.

Wow, he sees me? How could I miss him?

"Oh? You should come say hello next time." I grin at him boldly, this new sense of confidence taking over me.

"I think I will. Tomorrow's Saturday and I'm not working in the building."

"What building?" I mentally slap myself at the creepy stalkerish question.

"I work at city hall." He continues to grin.

My jaw drops at the news.

"What?" I ask dumbfoundedly. "You work in there?"

"Yeah, my dad is the mayor and he said that if I didn't find a job I liked by the time I was twenty five he would hire me there. Hence the fancy shmancy suit." He waves down at his attire.

"Makes so much sense now." I nod at him.

"Listen, how about I meet you at the steps tomorrow. You can show me your drawings and I can bring a portable cassette player. Sound like a plan?"

"Sounds fantastic!" I smile at him. "See you there..."

"Logan." He sticks his hand out for me to shake.

Fumbling with my supplies, bag and sketch book, I manage to shake his rough yet smooth hands. "I'm Caleb."

"Well, I'll be seeing you tomorrow, Caleb." He smiles at me one last time before stepping up to the curb and whistling to hail a cab. One stops for him and he slides in, mumbling directions to the driver. He waves out the open window to me and I salute him back as he makes his way down the street and into the busy nightlife.

*****
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