Brief Encounters

The Strangers

On a subway; a young woman and man sits across from each other. The woman is pretty, tall, and has nice legs. She sits across from a man, he is also attractive with shoulder length hair, and has been staring at her intently.
The young woman glances at him briefly before finally catching the mans eye. When the man doesn't turn away, she stares back at him openly.
He was pretty.
In a -woman-wrote-him kind a way.
The man clears his throat and speaks:

"Hello."

"Hello."

"You're very attractive." The man says, matter of factly, without breaking eye contact.

Flustered, and pleasantly surprised, the woman replies "Thank you. So are you."

"Thank you."

Silence.
Then

"Are you single?" The man looks at the young woman curiously.
He speaks directly.
With intention.

"Yes." The woman says. She has a ghost of a smile on her face. Then just as quickly shoots back

"Are you?"

"Yes."
The man says. There's relief in his voice
A pause,
Before he speaks again.

"I guess we should go out to dinner."

The woman raises her eyebrows, amused. Curious.

"We should?"

The train stops, let a few people on. They flood into the car, crowding the middle, pausing the two strangers conversation. The next stop half those same people get off freeing seats to the eager standing passengers.

Aisle cleared. The young man clears his throat to get the young woman's attention again.
She grins as she looks up at him expectantly.

"Yes, we should."

"Why?"

The young woman was posing her questions like him now,—-free of judgement just blatant curiosity.

"Well generally when two people find each other attractive, they go out to dinner to see if a romance is a possibility between them."

He points to the two of them,

"We're two attractive people, attracted to each other; hergo we go to dinner; which may or may not equal a lifetime partner."

The girl smiles and shake her head, at the absurdity.

"Two people who have known each other for awhile, or have gotten to know each other go to dinner to explore a possible romance. Not two strangers, ppl need time to see if they like each other."

The man responds without hesitation;
"It doesn't take me that long for me to decide if I like someone."

At the young woman's silence, he follows up,

"Does it take you that long?"

She smiles.
And he smirks back.

The young woman sighs and rolls her eyes, defeated.
"No, it doesn't.""

"So? Dinner at 8 tomorrow at the little Italian place I'm fond of—-or do you not like me?"

She laughs, "Dinner at 8 tomorrow."

"Really?"

"Really."

The man gets up, and walk the two feet to sit beside her. They exchange numbers and names, before settling back into a comfortable silence.