Sidewalk Collision, Manhattan

Sidewalk Collision, Manhattan

               “You should apologize, you know.”

               Sandra gathered her purse and her books from the ground where she knelt in the snow. Of all the places to fall down she was in Midtown Manhattan with thousands of people watching.

               “Oh. Alright. I’m very sorry I was standing here when you ran into me because you were looking in a different direction than you were walking.”

               Mark was standing now, brushing himself off and mentally checking himself for injuries.

               Her face flushed further as she reached for her phone which was just out of her reach. “Sir, that is the worst apology I’ve ever heard!”

               “Well, Miss, if I may call you that, that was the worst job of walking down a busy sidewalk I’ve ever seen!” He also felt self-conscious as he stood up and realized his hat had turned sideways on his head.

               Sandra struggled to stand up, balancing her belongings in her arms. She noticed his outstretched hand but didn’t want to give that man the satisfaction of accepting his help. As she arose, however, she looked at his face for the first time and had to turn away to keep from staring. He was exactly her type.

               She put her things into order, putting some in her purse and some in the tote bag she often carried. On it was embroidered a Jack Russell Terrier dog. “Well, maybe I was a little careless. It’s just that, well, there was a really cute dog across the street.”

               “That’s where I should have been. Across the street.” His tone was now more humorous than cranky.

               “Look, Sir… I really am sorry. Are you hurt at all?”

               “No. I just didn’t expect to be sitting in the snow this morning. It’s okay. I’m sorry I was a jerk giving you a hard time about it.”

               Sandra unfurled her knit scarf, exposing her face for the first time. Mark was taken aback to see that he had collided with a lovely girl. Her cheeks were red from the cold and embarrassment, he supposed, and her blue eyes looked up at him with a hint of a smile. Some snowflakes remained on her eyelashes, giving her a fairly-like aura. “Well, it’s okay.” She reached out her right hand. “My name is Sandra.”

               “Hi Sandra. I’m Mark. It’s nice to meet you.” He sensed a spark as their hands touched, even though she wore mittens. Mittens and a wool coat and knit hat. He’d always been a sucker for a pretty girl in that kind of winter outfit. The handshake lasted a little longer than either of them expected and they awkwardly let go.

               Nothing was said for a long moment. Sandra uncharacteristically took the initiative. “Mark, I would like to make a peace offering. Will you let me buy you lunch at someplace cheap?”

               “It sounds magical. Yes, I’d like that.”

               “Today?”

               “Today would be fine. It’s 11:30 now. Lead the way, Sandra.”

               As they walked along the sidewalk under the gray and brown buildings that towered above them, they started their lunch conversation early.

“Where do you work, Mark?”

“Oh, a few blocks from here. I own a business.”

“Wow. So, you probably own one of these buildings.”

“Not exactly. I have a one room office I can barely afford, but I’m optimistic.”

Sandra started to slip on an icy spot, and he grabbed her upper arm to keep her from falling. She felt warmth from his grasp. She was sorry when he let go.

               Sandra took Mark to a forgettable diner not far from Wall Street. They beat the lunch rush and had a nice booth looking out over the street. It was snowing harder now and people were trying to shield their faces from the flakes in order to see what was in front of them.

“If they aren’t careful, they’ll run into somebody.” Sandra said it deadpan, and Mark enjoyed her irony. They felt comfortable together and both felt the beginning of a relationship unfolding. What it would be neither of them knew. They laughed a lot at each other’s stories. They both thought that was a good sign.

After an hour they realized they were both late for meetings, but neither one wanted the lunch to end.

“Sandra, I can’t tell you how much fun this was. Especially since you’re paying.”

“Don’t get used to it, by which I mean, I hope you’ll call me. I’d like to do this, or something like it, again soon. And you can pay. And it doesn’t have to be cheap, but it’s okay if it is.”

Mark handed her his phone, and she entered her phone number in his contacts, and she tucked it into his front coat pocket as she stood up from the table. “I guess maybe we learned a lesson about first impressions.”

“I guess we did. I hope your second impression of me was better than your first.”

“I have no recollection of anything unpleasant that was said or done.”

“Me either. Just a couple of strangers who decided to have lunch together.”

“Right.”

They walked up to the counter, and she pulled out some cash to pay the bill. She hadn’t ever asked a man to lunch before and she felt very adult to be the one paying the check.

The man punching the numbers into the cash register was simultaneously speaking harshly to someone in the kitchen. Mark and Debra didn’t know what he was saying because it wasn’t in English. When he handed Debra her change, he suddenly smiled and said in perfect English, “Thank you very much!”

As they stepped out into the snow, they realized they were heading off in different directions. As they said goodbye Mark reached out his hand as before, but this time Sandra didn’t take it. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his chest and gave him one long squeeze. It took Mark by surprise, but he was happy to hug back.

“Don’t forget to call.” Debra took a few steps but then turned around and came back to Mark. “By the way, Mark, It was very nice running into you.”