All David heard as he ran was the pounding of his feet, the beating of his heart, and the asthmatic wheezing of his breath. The sun had been obscured by clouds, and the temperature had dropped even further, but David did not notice. He was thinking of her. Thinking of the day they had met.
David sat alone at a small table inside Delicious Deli. He drummed his fingers restlessly. It was eleven thirty-one. Admit it, he thought, she's not going to show up. In fact, she's probably sitting in a restaurant down the street right now, laughing to herself about the gullible idiot who thought he'd actually, for once in his life, get a date-
"Hey there handsome!"
He looked up, startled. No one had ever called him handsome.
The deli was packed with people on their lunch break, but he recognized her straight away. There was the voice, of course, but it was only the tip of the iceberg. She strode towards him confidently, her auburn curls bouncing with each step. Her smile was radiant. While almost everyone in the deli wore dark suits and button-down shirts, her slender figure was clad in a simple white cotton dress. Dozens of bangles adorned her arms, and her curly hair was untamed. She reminded David of a bird; free, wild, unburdened.
"H-how did you know who I was?" He asked, still awestruck.
She laughed that beautiful laugh. "I didn't. I guess you just looked like a David to me," she said. Katherine pulled out the other chair and sat down, then leaned towards him and clasped her hands under her chin.
"So, what do you recommend? I'm starving," she said.
David was smitten.
Lost in thought, David collided with display of bouquets in front of a flowershop. He quickly stood up, stepping gingerly over the squashed flowers. Why wasn't the florist yelling at him? Oh right, he thought. I'm not real to these people. A bouquet of lilies caught David's attention. Who knew? Maybe they could help. So he plucked a single blossom from its cellophane wrapper and kept running. The space between Katherine's office building and him was rapidly shrinking, but as he grew closer, David's fear increased. What would he find? A loving wife? A complete stranger? Or a woman who wasn't even aware of his existence?
He dashed through the revolving door and ran straight to the elevators. He pushed the call button several times. He paced nervously in front of the doors. It was an eternity before David heard the chime and metallic clank that accompanied the opening doors. He rushed in and pressed the '5' button. The elevator doors slid shut. Only then did he realize that he was sharing the cabin with two men wearing suits and ties. David tensed up immediately. This was why he always took the stairs.
"Say, Arnie, you watch the game last night?" asked one of the men, a slender fellow with a pink tie.
"That I did, and boy, let me tell ya, I can't believe the ref let them get away with all those cheap tricks!" said the one named Arnie.
David looked up at the floor indicator in silent agony. They had only reached the third. This was the last thing he needed.
"They awtta play fair, that's what," said Pink-Tie, "If they think they can get away with this all season, they've got another think coming!"
Arnie nodded his approval.
The elevator chimed, and David leapt out gratefully. Sports talk and cramped spaces were two of his worst fears. He looked around at the pastel hallway, disoriented. David had only visited Katherine's office a couple of times, so he picked a direction at random, hoping his memory was correct. Luckily, it was, as the door marked "Kathy & Krissy Events" was right at the end of the hallway. David slowly opened the door and stepped inside. He didn't bother with the receptionist, instead heading directly for Katherine's office.
The moment he saw Katherine, looking so calm and normal, relief washed over him. He clutched the lily tighter and walked over to her.
"Katherine?" he said hesitantly.
She looked up at him and her brow furrowed with concentration. "Is it...Davis? Davey? You seem familiar,"
David's heart sunk like a lead balloon.
"I should," he said bitterly, "I'm your husband,"
The woman looked at him warily. "But...I'm not even married."
"Please, Katherine, remember! For me! I proposed at the same deli across the street where we first met, and we got married two weeks later in Las Vegas, because you didn't want to wait. You refused to wear a white dress, since you thought it was tacky, and the only flowers you allowed were lilies!
Katherine now looked downright terrified. "Kristina?" she called, "can you come here for a second?"
By the time she arrived, Katherine had gone from scared to mildly confused. David leaned against the wall, tears sliding down his face. "Yeah hun, what is it?" said Kristina. Katherine rubbed her forehead pensively. "I'm...not sure," she admitted, "there was someone- a customer, i think- but he's gone now."
Her friend looked at her strangely. "Are you sure you've been getting enough sleep lately?"
"I don't know- maybe I should take a break."
"You do that, hun. I'll get you some coffee."
Well, this is it, David thought. I've lost everything. He looked at Katherine. Even stressed and confused, to him, she was the most beautiful woman in the world. The only hint of the passing years were faint laugh lines around her mouth and a streak of silver through her auburn locks.
David leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I love you," he said shakily. He dropped the lily on her desk and walked out.
After a few minutes, Katherine noticed the flower. A smile lit up her face. A lily! Her favourite! She wondered who it was from.
