She is Beautiful

She works at The Bagel Shop. She wears a loosely tight red shirt, tucked into her black casual slacks. Her shirt reads, “The Bagel Shop.” She wears her long, golden, brown hair in a ponytail. Sometimes she wears a visor. Her face is compact, and strikingly pretty. She has those eyes that allude. She has those eyes that spark curiosity. You know the ones that curve in just the right way. Her lips convex more than most. They’re a deeper shade of red. They have the ability to form multiple variations of smiles. The happy smile. The content smile. The lovely smile. All of them. Her cheeks seem to have a faint rosy tint, like all of those classic Hollywood beauties, that is absolutely exquisite. She’s tan, but not. You know, a kind of natural look. She releases a glow. She is slender, and perfect. She is somewhat short, but not too short. She is the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. He loves her.

But they have never met. Well they have, but not formally. He goes into The Bagel Shop everyday. He likes bagels, but not as much as one would assume. He likes her far more. He wonders what her name could be. He wonders where she might go to school. He wonders what her favorite color is. He wonders how someone he has never met could be so interesting. When he sees her, he smiles. This is not just any smile though; this is the smile. The smile that tells everything. The smile that alludes. The smile that knows. He gives her that smile everyday. And everyday she gives it right back.

He is not an outgoing person. He does not know how to approach girls, especially pretty ones, and especially beautiful ones. He much prefers to dream and hope. If he talks to her he might be disappointed. He would risk losing his love. But how could he love this girl that he didn’t know? He wonders constantly.

He has a life. He has friends. He has family. He has normality. But she exists outside of all this. She’s his escape. She’s so wonderfully her. He sees her scratch her ear. He knows that means she’s tired. She’s fidgeting because she wants to go on break. That big guy who bakes the bagels won’t let her again. The big guy always screws her out of her break. If he were her boyfriend he’d say something. He’d stand up for her. But she wouldn’t like that. She’s independent. She’d tell him to stop. But she’d smile and so would he. Just as they were doing now. She is so wonderful.

“Hi, can I help you?” That beautiful flowing voice. It’s distinct, her own, lovely in a particularly exciting way. “Turkey club on a plain bagel.” Smiling he orders the same thing again. “Toasted as usual?” She smiles at this. She knows him. “Yup.” He’s smiling too. They both know. How wonderful it all is.

He walks in. She’s not there. Where is she? He asks. “She quit.” The big guy responds in a surly tone. She quit. But how could she quit? What would he do? He moves away from the counter and sits down in a booth. He sits there for a while. He looks distant. And then he gets up and leaves.

He doesn’t go back for a long time. He doesn’t like to go there anymore. But then, one day, he decides he wants a bagel. There’s some new girl working there now. She’s not special. She’s not his. He orders and she doesn’t toast his sandwich. She would have toasted it. He goes to pay. He takes his “to-go” bag and goes to leave. “Hey, you, hold on a sec!” The big guy is calling him. Why would the big guy be calling him? “Sarah’s been looking for you.” Sarah. Who was Sarah? “She comes in here all the time. She says you used to come in here at three or something. Says she wants to talk. She should be here… she usually is.” He stops at this. He almost drops his “to-go” bag. The bag doesn’t seem too important. He sits down and stares at the door.

She walks in. She’s wearing a blue V-neck T-shirt. Her belly button is barely exposed. Her slender physique is accented beautifully. Her jeans are tight, but not too tight. They are that dirty color. Her shoes are hidden under the flared bottoms. She looks at him and he looks at her. She smiles. It’s the best one. It’s the smile. The smile that tells everything. The smile that alludes. The smile that knows.

A guy