Appaloosa

Silky blonde strands whipped around a gently freckled face, momentarily blocking dark blue eyes before leaping into another wild dance. Long, slender fingers reached for the door handle, alighted, then retreated.

“Don’t rock the boat,” she said out loud, hand hovering midway between her body and the restaurant door. “No, you should jump out of the boat. Go swimming!”

Someone sighed behind her. “You can do it, sweetie,” said an older woman.

“Oh, right. Sorry.” She grabbed the handle and swung the door open with gusto, stepping into a pleasantly subdued waiting area. Tropical plants draped down the wall, and the smell of roasted chicken warmed the air.

“Are you meeting Mr. Jones?” asked the hostess. She pointed toward the back. “He’s right over there.”

She wound her way through the dining area where glasses clinked and conversation lilted merrily. She smiled brightly at the man who rose to greet her, noticing their heights matched exactly.

He returned the smile and lifted both arms, but she reached for his right hand to shake it.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Anna.”

“Anya,” she corrected.

“Oh! I’m so sorry, I thought-”

“No, don’t apologize! People get it wrong about fifty percent of the time. I respond to either.” She waved him off with a laugh.

He pulled out her chair, and she glanced at him in surprise, his face close to hers. “Thank you, Mr. Jones,” she said softly.

“Please, call me Levi.” He took the seat across from her.

“Is that what your employees call you?”

A hint of uncertainty passed across his eyes. “Yep, most of them just call me Levi. My goal has always been to create a casual, close-knit culture in my company. Well, you made it here at 12 on the dot! I have to say, I love timeliness.”

“Me too. I prefer being early, but this will do.”

A young waitress set water glasses and menus on the table and left without saying a word.

“Please order whatever you want. I’m buying.”

“Thank you,” Anya said without even glancing at the menu.

Levi shifted nervously in his chair as she looked at him expectantly. “I have to admit, I’m a little unsure where to begin. I’m not really good at this sort of thing.”

Anya placed her hands flat on the table and leaned forward eagerly. “Well, it happens to be my specialty. How about we start off with an ice breaker exercise?”

“Like a game?” He smiled in amusement at the energy emanating from her.

“Yes, it’s my favorite way to get people to open up. It helps the conversation flow naturally.”

He frowned slightly. “You do this often?”

“All the time.” She talked with her hands; they flitted about like leaves in the breeze, and he found himself watching them.

“Be my guest- take the lead.”

“Okay, let’s play Would You Rather. Levi, would you rather skydive or scuba dive?”

“Scuba dive. I skydived two years ago, and it was torture.”

“Really? What was bad about it?”

“The wind in my mouth. Barely being able to breathe. Wondering if my parachute would work the whole way down.” His eyes were big as he relived the memory.

“Would you rath-”

“Woah, hold up! I’ll play as long as you answer, too.”

“Fair enough,” she said. “I would definitely scuba dive. I pretended I was a mermaid in the pool every summer as a kid, and you made a pretty scary case against skydiving. Next, would you rather be homeless with lots of friends or live in a mansion with no friends?”

“Easy- homeless with lots of friends.”

“Me, too. Maybe I would have some friends with money who could help me out.”

“It pays to be nice,” he grinned.

“Would you rather ride an elephant or a polar bear to work?” Anya asked.

Levi chuckled. “An elephant. Traffic would part as we rode through town, and I would never be late.”

“I would ride a polar bear because it would be more maneuverable, like an animal version of a motorcycle,” she said, her hand weaving a serpentine path across the table.

“No, no, no. I think what you’re looking for is a gorilla. Then you could climb over fences or up buildings, too.”

“You’re a good salesman- I’ll take it! How much?”

“We only barter here. One gorilla for one date.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Moving on. Hmm… let’s see… would you rather have the details of your financial life or love life be made public?”

“Whew, Anya, you’re making me sweat!” He took a sip of water and crossed his arms on the table. “Financial, obviously. The love life deserves to stay private, and business should always be done in a way that you’re not ashamed for the details to be made known.”

“I like that. Ditto,” she said. “Last one- would you rather jet ski through mangrove islands or snow ski in the Alps?”

“Dang, that’s a tough choice.” Levi leaned back in his chair and ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know, what would you pick?”

“I’ve actually done both, and they were amazing for different reasons.”

“No way, that’s incredible!”

“Yeah, my parents love to travel, so we’ve been to a lot of awesome places over the years.”

“Detour- tell me about your parents.”

“Well, my mom is this tall, fierce Russian lady, and my dad is a towheaded American, short and smiley. They’re adorable together.”

Levi studied the woman in front of him; her tall frame, the dimples in her cheeks, and her streaky blonde hair that shifted constantly as she spoke reminded him of sunshine. Everything she did exuded passion and warmth. “So you’re a happy mix of the two of them.” 

“I hope so.”

The waitress walked up just then. “Do you want to order?” she asked in a monotone voice.

“Chicken Caesar salad, please,” Anya said.

“Same.”

“Perfect.” The girl gathered their menus and trudged to the kitchen.

Levi leaned forward with a wicked grin. “Would you rather have her job or drive the bus every day?”

“Shhh…” Anya scolded, but her blue eyes sparkled. “Her job, but I would do it with more pep.”

“I’m sure you would. Is that what you do, Anya, make people smile?”

She nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, that’s the goal, I suppose, although not in a superficial way. But I do try to make people’s lives easier.” She sighed softly. “I almost talked myself out of this today.”

“Really?”

She nodded and sipped her water. “I said to myself, ‘Anya, why mess with something good?’ But I decided to be brave.”

He frowned. “Wait, you don’t have a boyfriend, do you?”

Her eyes widened at the subject. “Oh, gosh. Do you really care to know?”

He glanced down at his hands and dropped the napkin he had just twisted into a paper tornado. “Yes, if that’s okay. I- I’m very interested.”

“I’ve had my heart broken three times since I graduated college, but who’s counting?” She laughed it off, but a warm blush spread under her freckles and made her blue eyes darken. She took a deep breath and pushed through it. “The last one about ripped my heart out, but I decided to put it to good use. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to deal with personnel issues that stem from relationship problems, and my empathy really allows me to help them.”

“Wow, that’s a positive way to use a break up. But you’re not seeing anyone now...”

“No.”

The salads materialized in front of them. “Enjoy,” the waitress said without conviction.

Levi lifted his water glass to his lips, and his gaze followed movement across the room. Anya took the chance to study him without reserve. His sleek, graceful body made his suit look suave and ultra-comfy, but she imagined lanky teenage years with knobby knees and massive growth spurts, if only because she had personally experienced those. He was a handsome, confident man, and she realized she had a hard time not reciprocating his smiles. 

When his eyes met hers again, they twinkled with mischief. “My turn,” he said. “Where do you see yourself in five years, Anya?”

“I guess married, with a baby?” She covered her face. “That’s so embarrassing to say.”

“Uh uh. No shame here. I have thirty employees, and they all know that family should be their top priority. So, how do you balance your work and personal life?”

She tapped her lips with her finger as she deliberated. “Well, Mr. Jones, I never check my email at home, and I usually exercise after work to let off steam.”

“Have you taken the Enneagram test?”

“I’m a seven with a six-wing.”

“Ah, the entertainer. I’m not surprised.”

“Wow, you know your stuff!”

“How impulsive would you say you are, on a scale of 1 to 10?”

“9 on a bad day, 7 on a good day.”

He threw his head back and laughed. “So you make rash decisions when you’re in a bad mood?”

Anya giggled. “Basically, yeah.”

“Can you give me an example?”

“Yikes, that’s risky. Here’s a tame one: I found out I had a cavity a few months ago, and I was really mad about it. So when I got home, still loopy from the meds, I painted polka dots all over my bathroom wall.”

“Not black, I hope?”

“No, thank goodness. Light blue on a white wall. It turned out looking like bubbles instead of cavities.”

Levi grew serious and leaned forward. “Now, for the final question and the chance to win a million dollars: Anya, how would you create World Peace?”

“Donuts, Levi. Definitely donuts.”

“I’m sorry, that is the incorrect answer. That would only bring about cavities and more war!”

The waitress stopped at their table and stared at the untouched salads. “Is something wrong with your food?”

Anya and Levi looked at each other and grinned.

“To-go boxes, please. We’re in the middle of a huge meeting,” he explained.

“Monumental,” Anya added.

“Pivotal.”

“I’m currently pivoting.” They both snickered, encouraged by the deadpan stares and gaping silence.

The girl stared at them for another moment without blinking, then let out a gusty sigh. “Grownups are so weird.”

“Define grownup,” Levi said.

“No, thanks. I’ll leave that to you.” She spun on her heel- a truly exceptional pivot- and stalked off.

“Over 21, so for you that has been how long?” Anya asked.

“Sneaky. 9 years, but I say you’re a grownup once you start planning for your future.”

“Oh, I like counting it that way. That could vary widely for each person, so you’ll never know my age if I say 3 years since.” She drummed her fingers on the table, then leaned toward him. “I changed my mind. I’ll tell you my age because I want you to think I’m an honest person.”

He raised his eyebrows.

“Because I am an honest person! I’m 28,” she said with a laugh.

Levi moved their salads to the side and reached for the table’s centerpiece, a small glass vase that held three pink rose buds perched among greenery and baby’s breath.

“What are you doing?” Anya asked.

“I’m making them bloom for you.” His fingers gently slid between the petals and puffed them outward. He worked his way toward the middle until the rose spread out, full and lush. “My dad taught me this trick. He was an avid gardener, and we used to make huge bouquets for my mom. One day I’ll grow roses, too.”

His eyes flicked up to hers, and he slid the mini bouquet back to the middle of the table.

Anya reached out and touched the velvety edges of the nearest rose, then slowly dropped her hand to the table. Her fingertips touched Levi’s, and an electric current ran through them both, causing hearts to jump. He gently ran his fingers over her knuckles, and they avoided eye contact as they held their breaths, the noise of the restaurant fading away.

“You said ‘was,’” Anya whispered, holding perfectly still as his fingers explored hers. “Did your dad pass away?” 

Levi nodded. “He had a heart attack two years ago. I’m the youngest of three, and we were all devastated. Just didn’t see it coming.”

“I’m sorry.” She squeezed his hand gently. “I had a little brother who died a long time ago. It’s something that changes you forever.”

His eyes met hers, relieved to find them glistening with emotion like his. “You’re not what I expected,” he said softly as his fingers laced between hers and slid out again.

“And what were you expecting?” she asked.

“Petite and shy, but you are... full of personality.” He moved his fingertip from freckle to freckle on the top of her hand, drawing an invisible constellation. “I grew up out in the country, and our neighbor had horses. One was a Palomino Appaloosa- it had golden hair with white on its hips and rump that was covered in quarter-sized gold spots.”

“Are you suggesting I look like a horse?” Anya asked, trying to bite back a smile.

“Not just any horse- she was the queen of the pasture- flashy and full of spirit. The herd followed her everywhere. You remind me of her. I know that’s a weird thing to say to a woman, but I’ve never met anyone like you…”

“So, you like my freckles?” A giant smile escaped.

He smiled and nodded. “I like everything about you.”

“Levi...” Anya turned his hand over and traced the lines in his warm palm. “What’s your middle name?”

“It’s weird...”

“Try me,” she said.

“Ezzard.” He grinned sheepishly and shrugged. “My dad loved boxing. What’s yours?”

“Lubava.”

“Anya Lubava. That’s beautiful. What does it mean?”

The rose colored hue warmed her cheeks once again. “Affection.”

“And how do you feel about kisses on first dates?”

“I dodge them at all costs.”

He tipped his head sideways. “And what about on interviews?”

She pursed her lips, but her dimples gave her away. “So, Mr. Jones... When did you figure it out?”

“Well, my friends have been trying to set me up with ‘Anna’ for months, and you seemed to be on a mission. But I knew for sure when a blonde walked through at 12:20 searching for her date.”

She gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. “You should have said something.”

“No way! That would have been incredibly awkward, and I wasn’t about to interrupt what we had going on here.” He pointed at her and grinned. “You stole her spot, though. When did you know?”

“When you said you had thirty employees instead of 200. Hold on, let me check something.” She grabbed her phone and pulled up her email. “Ah, there it is," she said, holding it in front of his face, “an email from his secretary at 12:02 that Mr. Jones couldn’t make it today.”

“Grayson Jones.”

“Yeah, I didn’t pay attention to his first name.”

“Lucky for me.”

“It was supposed to be a lunch interview for the HR job. I got my Masters in Psychology, and I love working with people.”

“I can tell you’re good at it.”

Levi left cash by the check they hadn’t noticed, and they grabbed their bagged salads as they stood. “I’m sorry your interview didn’t happen.”

“I’m not. The crazy thing is, I like my job. I think I was just bored, looking for something like... well, like this.” She looked down at their hands, still linked together as they walked out the door. The sunshine beamed down on them, warming their skin and illuminating the sidewalk garden in splashy colors.

“Are you up for a second round of interviews tomorrow?” Levi asked.

"Definitely. I’m heading this way.” She poked her thumb over her shoulder.

"I’m the other direction."

They stood for a moment, grinning like kids, then parted ways.

Anya heard a familiar voice behind her as she walked.

"Glad you jumped out of the boat?"

She turned and blushed as the older woman gave her a knowing look. "Who would have thought Appaloosas could swim?"

The lady cackled and shook her head. "Proof that love makes you crazy."

Anya smiled and nodded with an uneaten lunch in her hands, for she had to agree.