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I lay awake in the dark staring toward the ceiling, even before my alarm went off. I relived the moment on the bus over and over in my mind.
Thank you so much. That's what she said to me as she passed by.
The sound of her voice—soft-spoken and appealing—was sweet like honey to my ears. Even though she was at the end of her work shift and a little out of breath from running for the bus, she smelled like vanilla and roses. My heart fluttered from the scent as it invaded my senses.
My heart still fluttered now, just from thinking about her.
The phone rang and I reached up to the shelf over my head to pick it up.
"Hey Jimin, what's up? You're calling early this morning."
"I couldn't sleep so I'm up already. I'll have time to swing by and pick you up for work today," he offered. "We could even make time for a quick breakfast at the diner across the street if you want to."
His voice sounded hopeful, but I was hesitant. What if today was the day I worked up the courage to talk to her?
I opened my mouth to tell him no thanks, but my mouth had a mind of its own.
"Yeah sure. That sounds great."
Obviously, my inner self had no confidence that I would ever speak to the girl, which was probably true. I would likely worship her from afar until it was too late to do anything else. I was too self-conscious and backwards, and I doubted that would ever change.
"Okay, great! I'll pick you up in an hour?" he chirped, happy with the change from the usual morning routine.
I mumbled something about that being fine and hung up, mad at myself for my lack of self-confidence.
An hour later, I was freshly showered and ready for the day. Leaning against the brick wall outside the diner, I waited for Jimin to show up. At this hour, the diner was empty and the street was deserted. I liked it this way—quiet, calm, peaceful. Taking a deep breath, I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. The indistinct buzz of the city lulled me into an idyllic serenity, allowing my normally restless mind to linger undisturbed.
"Did you fall asleep standing up?"
I cracked my eyes open to see Jimin's small frame in front of me. I smiled down at him as I pushed away from the wall and turned to go into the door of the diner.
"I wasn't asleep, just daydreaming," I answered as I followed him inside and through the maze of tables until he chose where he wanted to sit. Jimin liked to have a clear view of the waitress station. Unlike most people who wanted to stare out the window, he liked to look at the waitresses, even though he had a long-term girlfriend. He was never unfaithful; he just appreciated the beauty of all women.
"So who you daydreaming about now, JK? Who is the unlucky girl this time?"
I narrowed my eyes at him. He knew about my problem talking to women. He had tried to help me through it over the years, but usually just ended up talking to the girls for me, which never really worked out in my favor. Jimin was a charmer. Back in high school, girls just fell at his feet as soon as he opened his mouth. Now that he was an adult, it was no different.
