The Meeting

Toby looked down on the river from his vantage point high up over the town. This was his favourite view, he loved the juxtaposition of the old, man-made industrial buildings next to the natural beauty of the river. Not that the old buildings were ugly, quite the opposite, they were splendidly grand in a Victorian way.  But Toby wasn’t there to look at the view, he was there to meet a girl.

He was nervous, this was their first date and he couldn’t believe she had said yes to him. 
He’d first gone in the pub for a beer on his way home abuot three months ago. He’d been feeling kinda down and didn’t want to sit in his cold flat alone. So he popped into the pub and that’s when he first saw her.

Her smile had been the first thing he’d noticed, but not her mouth, her eyes. They sparkled, shone and smiled at him. Her mouth was vaguely lopsided, one side of her smile opened ever so slightly wider than the other. There was something about that smile, the combination of lopsided mouth and shining eyes and the cheeky charm of it that had Toby in a trance.

He went back to the pub regularly after that first visit; if he noticed she was working he’d pop in and spend an evening with her smile. He didn’t mind that she used the smile with the other customers, no he didn’t get jealous; as long as he could see her beautiful face and magic smile he was happy.

Eventually after many false dawns he got up the courage to ask her out. So sure was he that she was going to say no, that he hadn’t prepared where to take her. When amazingly she’d said yes, he’d panicked and suggested they met at this vantage point and go for a walk. A walk? That was hardly the most exciting idea for a first date, but there was no point in worrying about that now.

He turned around from his favourite view and saw his new favourite view coming towards him. The sunshine suited her, her summer dress hugged and released her body, showing her contours and then hanging free. His heart was beating and his stomach full of butterflies, but he was so pleased to see she’d brought her smile with her.