It was an ordinary day for Phillip. Well, an almost ordinary day. That is, if you didn't count the number of people that had congratulated him on his latest show. It was really quite annoying. "Mr Carlyle! An excellent show you had, I just had to bring my family along..."
ARGH.
"Yes, yes, thank you," Phillip hurriedly muttered. He twisted out of the handshake the man was forcing upon him, and almost ran up the busy street.
As he turned into a more quiet lane, he paused to take a deep breath, passing a hand across his handsome face.
That was obviously why he hadn't quite noticed the girl right in front of him walking beside her elderly grandfather until he collided with her.
The pair went rolling a little way down the street, until they stopped in front of a house, with the woman straddling him, trapping him underneath her.
Awkward, much?
"I'm so sorry!" she gasped, stumbling off him. And before Phillip knew what he was doing, he grasped her hand and said, "I'm sorry. What is your name?"
"A-Anne," she whispered.
"I'm Phillip," he replied. "Delighted to meet you. Although it wasn't exactly the ideal way to meet," he added ruefully, straightening.
She laughed.
And that one laugh- that little, tinkling sound, made Phillip's heart ache.
For her.
They studied each other, eyes taking in the other's appearance. Phillip saw that she was beautiful- and her beauty wasn't skin deep.
She was beauty itself.
Anne's grandfather caught up to the pair, eyes twinkling. "Sorry to interfere," he grinned, "but do you think I was too quick to catch up? I could always throw my cane to the opposite side of the lane to get it so you guys could have some more quality time together."
Phillip couldn't help but release a laugh. Anne joined in, and soon the trio were doubling over in laughter.
After they had calmed down, Anne commented, "You're the guy who makes those amazing shows, right?"
"Yes," Phillip agreed, smiling.
"Your last show was really good, I must say," she said.
Phillip decided it wasn't too bad hearing those words.
Especially since it came from her.
"Mr Barnum here," the grandfather said. "And hello to you too," he added, giving Phillip a jokingly pointed look.
"Oh sorry, I'm Mr Carlyle, a pleasure to meet you, Mr Barnum," Phillip said quickly, accepting the offered handshake.
"Maybe we should meet up another time," Anne put in hopefully.
"Yes, but right now we had better get home so your mother can squish you into another of those puffy ball gowns." Barnum's hand tightened on his cane as Anne supported him down the street, waving at Phillip. "Good bye, Mr Carlyle, hope we can meet again!"
"Same to you, madam. Same to you."