When He Met Her

Jay was nothing but a heartbreaker when he met Emily. For the past six years, his relationships have lasted exactly four weeks. He perfected the short-term relationship into a science with an almost perfect formula from the first date to the breakup. Yet, if you were to ask any of the multitude of women he had broken up with, they would all take him back in a heartbeat. He is handsome, charming, funny, and caring, with eyes that can look into your soul. He knows what to say and how to say it, but most importantly, he makes any woman feel safe when she is with him. 

Emily did not know any of this. It is not that she was naive or inexperienced. After all, she just broke up with her boyfriend because she didn’t feel anything with him. She liked Matt and maybe even loved him, but after dating him for three years, she realized they were missing something. There was nothing wrong with him. There was something wrong with them together. Yes, she cried for days after the breakup and almost texted him a gazillion times, but after a week, she realized she wasn’t sad because she missed him. She was lonely. But she would rather be lonely than be with someone she did not love. So, after a week of moping around, she showered and decided to grab a coffee and take on whatever this day may bring—the day brought Jay. 

Summer was almost here, and Jay loved those days in late May before the heat, humidity, noise, and all the annoying tourists flooded Chicago. The sun rays, the air, and the trees always gave him this sense of serenity and possibility. He sat on his favorite bench in Millennium Park, not too far from the Bean but not too close, watching people as they went about their day. He watched as the sunlight danced across the Bean’s polished surface while a gentle breeze carried a sweet scent of freshly blooming flowers and the sound of children’s joyful giggles ringing like bells. The giggles were silenced when his AirPods announced that his mother was calling. He sighed and tapped to answer.

“Good morning, Mother.”

“Good morning, Jay; how is work ?”

“Work is fine, Mom. What’s up?” 

“ Oh, nothing, dear. Can’t I call you to check on you? Since you clearly can never do that.”

He rolled his eyes. 

“ Mom, it is Tuesday. I spent Sunday afternoon. I am asking because you never call me this early in the day.” 

“ Spent the afternoon? You call stopping by to drop off your laundry, spending the day with me? And I was unaware I needed a specific time to call my only son. You know I only carried you. .” He groaned and cut her off while laughing. 

“ Nine months, I know, Mom. I didn’t drop off my laundry. I did my own at your place since my dryer broke down. Now, tell me what’s going on, woman. Save the guilt trip for another call.”

“The dryer I told you needed to be changed. Can’t trust those Chinese machines. Well, as you know, Terry, a lot younger than you, is getting married, and your aunt, who is so lucky to see her son getting married, wanted to know if you could get that catering company you were telling her about.” 

Jay ignored all the blatant hints and said he would confirm it with his aunt by this weekend so she could cross it off her list. 

“Great. Thanks, honey. You are great and, dare I say, almost perfect. If you can find the one and get married already.” He can see her cheesy smile while saying this. 

“Don’t get started.” 

“Sweetie, not every girl out there will be like that ex who broke your heart. You can’t just keep dating random women, breaking their hearts, and expect this to make you feel better.”

“Mom, come on.” 

“You come on, honey. I wish you meet the right girl, and she makes you fall in love with her.” 

“You know what they say. Be careful what you wish for. Who else will you call this early in the morning when this imaginary girl whisks me away from my beautiful mother?” 

“I know you think this is so funny, but I am not getting any younger, Jay. I want to see your baby running around and. . .” Jay stopped listening as he watched this exchange between a street vendor and a woman but could not hear what was happening. He did not know why he felt this sudden urge to go there. 

“Okay, Mom, I am hanging up now.” He hung up and walked slowly as the exchange became more animated. 

“Are you crazy? I am not paying for anything,” the woman, whose back was turned to him, said while she stood gracefully in a dress adorned with delicate spaghetti straps. 

“Lady, you dropped and messed up my products!”

Jay drew nearer with a fixated gaze on the captivating figure before him. And if you looked closer in his eyes, they would reveal a mixture of determination and vulnerability.  

“What’s going on here?” Jay asked. 

The vendor did not say anything at first, surprised by this man's presence, of which he was unaware. As the woman turned to face Jay, a sense of wonder and awe enveloped him. Time paused, allowing him to behold her beauty in all its radiance. Her eyes, luminous and full of depth, met his with a knowing gaze that spoke to his soul. In that instant, Jay felt something that he could not understand. It felt like a spark ignited within him. He was immediately taken aback as he gazed at this woman’s delicate features that seemed to shimmer in the golden light of the sun with grace that captivated him. 

“She dropped my products.” The vendor finally responded and brought Jay back to the moment. 

“Okay, and? It’s just some clothes and magnets. Nothing is broken. Besides, I am pretty sure you don’t have a permit to be here. This is an A1C zone, and street vendors have a dedicated area outside. So I suggest you move along.”

“What are you, the Police? Can’t do nothing in this damn city.” The man did not wait for an answer and started packing to move. 

Emily smiled and looked at this man, who stood there calmly with an unwavering presence. His deep and enigmatic dark eyes met hers with a silent understanding that spoke volumes without uttering a single word. She didn’t know why, but his eyes offered a haven of reassurance and strength against all the turmoil and confusion she felt. A sense of gratitude and admiration quickly overtook her for his kindness in coming to her aid without being asked. She opened her mouth to speak but kept looking into his eyes, pools of unknown depth, captivating her with their unspoken promise of support. She wanted to thank him, but the words that came out were not that.

“I had it under control, you know.” She smiled awkwardly as she wondered why she would say something so stupid. 

“I think what you are trying to say is thank you.” He responded with a smile so charming she wanted to kiss him. 

“Is that right? Well, thank you, big, strong man, for coming to the rescue of this weak little girl who could not do this alone.”

“You are very welcome. Was that so hard? Thank you for noticing my guns,” he said while flexing his biceps under his rolled-up sleeves. She could not help but smile. She was drawn to him, not just for his physical appearance but for the kindness and compassion that radiated from his eyes, touching her soul in a way she had never felt before. 

They walked in the park, then on Michigan Avenue, and down the riverwalk without realizing where they were going or anything around them. They were completely engulfed in each other, floating in the air like a bubble, and everything else was distant noise. It was a surreal connection unlike anything else. They finally stopped to eat lunch at City Winery and watched boats pass by while discussing almost everything and learning about each other. The hours passed by like seconds. Lunch became dinner, and dinner turned into drinks, and by midnight, they were making love to each other so passionately that it felt like a spiritual experience. 

Serenity engulfed them as they lay in bed, intertwined, naked, feeling each other’s bodies. Nerves continued to jostle and dance within their bodies, echoing their shared intimacy. For a few moments, they lay silently, indulging in this blissful transcendent state. Jay caressed Emily's arms with the tip of his fingers, his touch a gentle whisper against her skin. A soft smile curved Emily’s lips as she felt a surreal sense of completeness, as if she were coming home to a place she had never known was missing.  

“Why are you so hard on yourself? ” Jay suddenly asked. 

“Woah, where did that come from? ” She asked as she smiled.

“I was just thinking about everything you told me about yourself, and I don’t see why you are hard on yourself. You are trying to figure out your life, which is difficult, so you should be proud of yourself.” 

“That is sweet. I appreciate it.” 

“I meant it. You are doing great.” 

“I guess I just don’t see it that way. I honestly don’t know what I am doing most of the time, and everything I do feels like a mistake lately.”  

“Everything?” 

“Yeah,” She responded with a contended sigh and nestled closer to him, her hand finding his to use a pillow as her eyelids grew heavy.

“I am sorry you feel that way. I guess I didn’t expect to hear that.”

She did not respond. In the safety of his embrace, she drifted into dreamland. Jay stayed awake while thoughts swirled in his head like restless shadows. He reflected on their conversations, the quiet moments of shared understanding, their laughter, and the cosmic dance of fate that brought them together.  

He felt her warm, soft skin against his one last time, then withdrew slowly so he wouldn't wake her. He stayed in bed for another minute, eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling, recalling her last words before she fell asleep: “Everything I do feels like a mistake lately.” Emotions swirled within him, and a tempest of hurt consumed his heart. Her words hung heavy in the air as they sliced through the tender fibers of his emotions. He did not know why he felt hurt. He barely met this woman. He is the master of breakups, and this should not affect him. But it did. He could not shake it off. He carefully removed himself from the warmth of the bed and rose silently while looking at her shape etched in the moon's soft light. 

The following day, Emily woke up disoriented as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings. She quickly pieced together the fragmented memories of the day before and smiled to herself. As she pushed the weaves of confusion away from her mind, she noticed a note resting on the bedside table. Written in impeccable handwriting, the note read with simple clarity- “ Had to leave for work. Help yourself to breakfast and make it a great day.”  

A whirlwind of emotions stirred within her as she read the note, a chaotic blend of longing, confusion, and vulnerability. Questions immediately jumped into her head: Did yesterday mean nothing? What did this note mean? Why was it so short? Why was it so emotionless? Should she wait for him? Should she slip away quietly? 

Emily’s heart quivered with indecision. She was torn between yearning for this unexpected connection and the vulnerability of being untangled in the unknown. With a heavy sigh, she rose from the bed, the weight of uncertainty settling like a shroud around her shoulders. She picked up her clothes off the floor and began to get dressed, and with each piece of clothing she put on, a sense of resolve settled within her. 

Emily took a deep breath and glanced around the room one last time. As she stepped out of the room, she hesitated. Something did not feel right within her. This connection and these feelings were too real and natural to walk away from. What was wrong with her? She threw away a three-year relationship in the blink of an eye, but now she could not walk away from someone she barely met. She was about to break down in tears when she suddenly heard the door opening. She froze, not knowing what to do, but then she saw him standing a few feet away. His face was blanketed with joy, longing, and guilt, all mixed into one expression.  

“It is still early in the morning. Do you like to hike?” 

She smiled with a tear in her eyes and nodded, “But coffee, first.”