ExposedNYC

I should have stopped to talk to you. You walked past me, tall, gorgeous, your clothes hanging off of your shoulders like a designer’s dream, but with an attitude that you could have cared less.

We caught eyes and you broke into a grin complete with a sparkle that made me swear I heard the “ping” of a cartoon- which in actuality was probably just the cash register. I had headphones in, blocking any opportunity to start a conversation, but for a moment your eyes stopped my heart.

I lowered mine immediately in return, having just come from the gym. You couldn’t possibly be smiling at me with my hair in a mildly sweaty ponytail and pants tucked into the backs of my sneakers to avoid the rain. The world is not that kind, and you wouldn’t be either. Maybe you were just amused imagining what I was listening to.

Maybe you were actually a celebrity, and for all I know you thought I recognized you. After turning down the bagel aisle and summoning my courage to look back, you were gone. I like to think you were swept away by burly bodyguards who spotted the paparazzi and whisked you outside to safety so as not to be seen buying Mike n Ikes and Coronas.

Did you give me a second thought, or are you one of those people that smiles like that at everyone? Or was it just that we were the only two people under fifty in the produce section and you felt a sense of kinship? Or maybe you were just a mirage, brought on by the ravishing hunger that follows going to the gym before having dinner.

I’ll admit, I spent the next few minutes walking in four circles, pretending to need some specific ingredient, and hoping for another glimpse of your pinstriped pants. I’d like to take this moment to thank you, if for nothing else, making each turn down a new aisle momentarily exhilarating. And I hope you found what you were looking for.

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