"I'm here."
She read the text on her phone once more. She held her phone and paused, still hesitant if she wanted to meet him in real life. She took one more deep breath before stepping into the coffee shop where they agreed to meet.
It's broad daylight. We're in a public space. It'll be fine. If he turns out to be a serial killer, well then. We'll cross that bridge when we get there.
She cautiously walked in and scanned the room for his face. She craned her neck to look around the hidden corners of the shop but didn't seem to find him. Suddenly, a voice behind her called her name, "Lana?"
Startled, she turned around so quickly, she almost knocked the two coffees out of his hands.
"Whoa! Hi."
"Hi! Ay!" She stammered as her eyes finally focused on the somewhat familiar face. He looked slightly different from his pictures, but from the sly, confident smile, it was definitely him.
"Umm... Allen. Nice to finally meet you in person," her heart pounding from the adrenaline.
"Yes, likewise. I hope you don't mind, but I got you a coffee. The line was crazy. Regular coffee, cream and sugar. It looks like the drink you usually post on IG."
"Oh my gosh, thank you!" She reached out with both hands to take the cup from him, slightly brushing his fingers, sending tiny tingles up her spine.
People bustled about around them. It was surprisingly loud for a coffee shop.
"It doesn't look like we'll get a seat anytime soon. Did you want to take a walk along the river instead?" he asked, his eyes never leaving hers.
"Um, sure."
He pushed the door open and motioned for her to step out first. He led her towards the pathway along the river. They occasionally bumped elbows and each time, she felt the hairs on her arms sticking up when their bodies made the slightest contact.
"So this is what you look like," he said, smiling.
"Ha! Yes, now you fully know what I look like," she laughed.
"Well, you never showed me a straight picture, so I was really just working off of a 'vibe' back at the coffee shop. I walked up to 3 other people and they thought I was crazy."
She stopped in her tracks and exclaimed, "Wait, really??"
He paused with a sly smile. "No," he chuckled, "I knew exactly who I was looking for."
Again, he held her gaze. She felt her face flush red.
"And I can't believe you actually look like your picture."
He chuckled. "I have nothing to hide."
She smiled, finally letting her guard down a little. "I see that."
They walked and talked, trying to recall the bits of conversation they had online, trying to fact-check what the other person had said.
"So, were you really a teacher? Because you just don't seem...very... " his hand motioned across her entire figure, "teacherly... No offense."
She chuckled lightly. "I only taught for two and a half years. And I realized I wasn't suited for it so I quit. And now I organize trainings and workshops for others."
"So," she continued, "Are YOU actually in the lighting business or is that just your fake identity and you are actually an underwear model slash international spy?"
He almost spit out his coffee from laughing at her question.
Once he recovered, he asked, "You still don't believe I run a lighting business?"
"Well, I find it even harder to believe you are still single."
"Heh, well," he looked up to see they had actually wandered very close to his office. He pointed up at one of the buildings.
"That's our office right there. You don't believe me, I can take you there and show you."
She was hesitant. Is this how murder stories start??
As if he read her mind, "I'm not a serial killer."
"Isn't that what a serial killer would say?" She retorted.
He walked up really close to her. She could hear her own heart beating. He looked pleadingly into her eyes, "Trust me. Just once."
Suddenly the sky down poured and neither of them had an umbrella.
"Come on! We'll go to the office to dry off and wait the rain out!" Before she could respond, he grabbed her hand and they ran towards his office building.
They were utterly drenched by the time they made it inside the lobby.
Both of them heaving from the run, he caught his breath and said, "Come on, I'll take you up to get dried off. I think I have some extra t-shirts upstairs too."