A Coffee and a Bagel

Lina Paredes

by Lina Paredes

Story

Let me tell you a secret – She started saying to him – I’ve never been able to let you leave me. I’ve never wanted to be honest. – She still had her hair short, her straightforward way of speaking, and that look. If she was brave a long time ago, now she was fearless. It was disturbing how much that turned him on. After all this time just hearing her talk could transform him into a basic animal that hasn’t hunted in days and finally has prey worthy of eating. It was ridiculous. – The thing is Alex, we never have the time to happen – She had said that to him before when he told her that due to his fucking promotion he wouldn’t be able to move to Colombia, and they couldn’t talk anymore – but all this time… 


She stopped for a moment. He knew she was trying to find the words. She did that often when they first met. She will look at the sky like trying to find the correct words in the air. He hadn’t had ever that problem. His life was words, most of the time the right ones. That’s why he had been successful, that’s why people trusted him to solve difficult shit. Shit that had cut their possible story short. Once upon a time. – You and I… this space – There it was, her favorite word – made me want to fly, and I did Alex – She was smiling – I fly – her eyes were watering. He had left too. Many times in fact. He never thought that he would hate the airport so much. He had done everything he had said to her, he was going to do before saying goodbyes. He had lived a great life and had zero regrets. Well, maybe one. Kind of.


He knew she had flown. He had read her articles, he had seen the success of her blog and her rise as an author. She had published to this date, four successful books that he might or not have in his house, one of which he really liked. The others were too sentimental for him, but he always appreciated she was her regardless of the audience and that was why she had success. Because she was incredible.- I had really hard times – she continued saying – but every time I thought of giving up I would remember – silence – I would remind myself that I met someone at some point in my life who told me that I was brilliant and that he wouldn’t be surprised if I ended up being famous – She was struggling not to cry – and if I ever met him again I wouldn’t forgive myself if I hadn’t tried everything to reach all my potential just as he did with himself. – She touched his hand. 


In the past when they were first speaking by the app, they asked each other if when they finally met in person would be a spark. There was. He liked her. A lot. – Thanks for that – she said and let go of his hand – I am really happy to see you again – She breathed deeply. He knew then. Finally, it was right the time for them. He wasn’t expecting all of this after finally deciding to call her and asked her if at the moment she was single to invite her for a coffee and a bagel. She hadn’t touched hers, which was a pity because the only right way to eat a bagel was fresh. She didn’t like coffee that much either. “Who cares,” he thought for a moment “No one is perfect” He smiled knowing that like that night he would kiss her many times – I am really happy too. – he answered.  


© Lina Paredes 2023-08-24

Genres
Novels & Stories
Moods
Emotional, Hopeful, Lighthearted
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