Monday 24 February 2014

Reading the signs



I lingered at the door waiting for Mark to show up, he wasn’t late, I was early. My eyes swept the crowded bar looking for somewhere to sit. It was times like these that I wished Czech bars were like British ones - if there wasn’t a place to sit, then you could stand. But no in this country if there was nowhere to sit, you went somewhere else; but it was cold outside and the beer and fried cheese here was the best in the area - so I wanted to stay.  Mark came in bang on time, his cheery smile soon disappeared as he saw the heaving room.
            ‘Nowhere?’ He asked.
            ‘Nowhere’ I confirmed.
            ‘How about there?’ He nodded to the table at the back of the bar, slightly higher than the others, a bench one side for two people nothing on the other. I looked at Mark, the question ‘are you serious?’ etched into my face. It was a seat only suitable for loved up couples more interested in eating each others faces that eating fried cheese. 
            ‘What would you prefer, putting that scarf back on and traipsing off to another place or staying here?’ Mark asked.
It was all the encouragement I needed, we made our way to the back of the bar and hopped up onto the bench.
We felt a little like two of the three wise monkeys sitting there, purveying the bar from our slightly raised vantage point. Despite the awkwardness, it was the perfect people watching spot and the beer and friend cheese made up for the strange seating arrangements. Mark was half way through a story about his boss when I first noticed her; long straight hair that I believe is called strawberry blond, small, black rimmed, rectangular glasses sitting on a pretty nose and a tiny, toothy smile that seemed to be only for me. I examined her face and searched my database, so intently was she staring at me that I presumed I must have known her, was she a friend of my ex? Had we worked together somewhere? She didn’t look familiar.
            ‘Are you listening to me or what?’ I was jolted out of my thoughts by Mark’s angry voice.
            ‘Sorry mate, it’s just, well, do you know that girl?’
            Which one?’

I described her as subtly as I could and shifted slightly on my seat so Mark could have a look.
            ‘No I don’t, but she seems to like you.’ he said with a smile, ‘you’re in there I reckon.’
            ‘So it’s not just my imagination then?’ I said as I watched her some more, her eyes sparkling as she smiled. Her friend opposite her also looked round time to time and I felt my face go hot as they then discussed the view; me!
            ‘You should go and talk to her,’ Mark said. ‘Ask her out.’
            ‘I can’t,’ I said, ‘what if she says no. I’d look a fool.’
            ‘Mate she’s not going to say no, no way. Look at her  she’s into you.’ It was easy for him, he had a natural way with the ladies, flirtatious banter was his speciality.
I looked at her again, that pretty face, those cute glasses and her absolute fascination with me. It did seem like I should make a move.
            ‘You only regret the things you don’t do, and if you don’t talk to her I will.’
That was it, Mark had thrown down the challenge I took the bait. I slide off the bench and went across to the girl’s table.
            Hi,’ I said, pleased with how cool my voice sounded. ‘Do you speak English?’
Both girls looked at me like I was sometime alien from outer space.
            ‘A little,’ said the girl in glasses.
            ‘Um,’ I was beginning to feel uneasy, like there had been some kind of mistake. But surely not, she’d been staring at me for the best part of 20 minutes. They looked at me while I chose my words carefully.
            ‘I um, couldn’t help notice you’ve been watching me,’ I said, regretting the words as soon as they came out of my mouth. ‘and I just wondered if you’d maybe like to go for a drink with me some time?’ There I’d done it, I’d asked her out.
            ‘Watching you?’ she said, a puzzled look on her face.

            ‘Yeah I am sitting up there with my friend …’ As I pointed to my seat I saw it. Above Mark’s head was a huge, muted TV screen showing men with sticks skating around a rink. I simultaneously blushed and went pale as I realised that she hadn’t been staring at me, she’d been watching the Olympic ice hockey.

3 comments:

  1. He was just too fast - could have sent her some 'signs' too:) but it makes me think that some men really need such obvious signs like staring - they probably have some kind of dyslexia reading signs from women;) you are sending millions and ... Nothing:) or maybe they just don't care just like this girl;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, I think she might have got scared and didn't want to come across as a fool so very quickly made up the story about watching hockey:)

    ReplyDelete
  3. some men have dyslexia reading and must have everything spelled out in capital letters:)

    ReplyDelete