Serendipitous: Louis' Story

An Invitation

“Hello?”

“Who is this, Melina did you catch a cold? And an accent?”

“No, I’m sorry this is Louis,” Louis said softly. 

“Louis, Louis, why does that sound, Louis, you’re the one from the other night!” Mrs. Hanas exclaimed, finally placing his name. “Why are you whispering or better yet why are you answering my daughter’s phone? Wait, Eva told me that Melina was on a date with some Darren…What is going on Louis?!” Mrs. Hanas demanded. 

“Um, uh,” Louis stuttered, his eyes wider than saucers. “Melina and I,um ,we-”

“Do you like my daughter?”

“Of course,” Louis answered quickly.

Mrs. Hanas was quite frankly really pleased with the rapid response but she had yet to meet this Louis.  “What is your last name?”

“Tomlinson.”

“Tomlinson,” she murmured. “You’re not Greek are you?”

“No, I’m actually British but I think I have family from Belgium.” Louis rambled, not having been quizzed since his school days. 

“British, British, not to stereotype, but are your teeth attractive?”

Louis blinked, “my teeth?”

“Yes! My sister is a dentist and once she had to go to England and she told me that British people had notorious dental hygiene.”

“Um well,” Louis unconsciously touched his mouth.  “I think I have pretty good set of teeth…”

“Good, good, and what do you plan to do with your life?”

“Um, I actually am in a band...” Louis trailed.

“Band, like Alabama?”

“I’m sorry who?” Louis asked not knowing who Mrs. Hanas was talking about.  He heard a gasp in the back ground.

“This is not good, then what kind of band are you in?”

“I’m in a boyband.”

“Boy band? Like the Back Street Boys?”

“Uh, um yes?”

There was silence at the other end.  “Louis, you sound like a very… very wonderful boy.”

“Thank you,” Louis said politely, unsure of how else to respond.

“But-” Mrs. Hanas was cut off however when Mr. Hanas took his wife’s phone before she could try her hand at match making again and pit poor Henry back into the arena for Melina. 

“Louis, are you free the day after thanksgiving?” Mr. Hanas asked, knowing a little about him through Melina’s rants.   He was going to put in his two cents and bet on the new one. 

“I can be.”

“Then, I’m offering you a chance to be a part of our traditional after Turkey Day family baseball game.”

~~~

Louis managed to carry Melina and her small purse the few feet her apartment was from the taxi. A part of him should have felt guilty that he knew what apartment she was in because he’d snooped on her cell phone, but he couldn’t get himself too.  If he hadn’t, he never would’ve truly met Melina, she would’ve been just another random girl on the subway.  But she wasn’t, she hadn’t been since the first call.  Everything about her drew him in, it was unexplainable.  She honestly didn’t fit his criteria for his type of girl, yet she blew by all of them, before he’d even met her that second time.