“Yeah, I guess it has,” Hailey replied. “Today’s felt like a tangle of nerves, but that’s just me making it harder on myself. Stepping back, though, it turned out alright.”
As the coffee shop began to quiet down, the evening settling in around them, she realized they had been talking for almost an hour. She still needed to fit in her run and eat something substantial for the first time that day.
“It’s really nice running into another veteran,” she said, her enthusiasm returning. “Would you want to get together again sometime for coffee? Or!”
She reached into her bag, pulling out a slightly crumpled flyer. “There’s a Renaissance Fair.”
Grabbing a pen from her bag, she wrote her number on a napkin and slid it over to Max. “I gotta run—literally,” she added with a grin.
As she stood, gathering her belongings and her empty cup to toss on the way out, she looked at him. “Text me if you want to go, or not, whatever,” she said, waving goodbye.
Just as she turned to leave, she stopped in her tracks, suddenly turning back to face Max. Closing the distance quickly, she blurted, “Shit, yeah, I forgot that not everyone’s in my head. I just slid my number on a napkin to you... but... I just meant it as friends, I’m gay...”
She offered him a wary smile, a mix of embarrassment and sincerity. “Cool, good talk. Bye again!” With a wave, she headed out, probably leaving Max dazed by her strangeness. But what could she do? It's just who she was.
As the coffee shop began to quiet down, the evening settling in around them, she realized they had been talking for almost an hour. She still needed to fit in her run and eat something substantial for the first time that day.
“It’s really nice running into another veteran,” she said, her enthusiasm returning. “Would you want to get together again sometime for coffee? Or!”
She reached into her bag, pulling out a slightly crumpled flyer. “There’s a Renaissance Fair.”
Grabbing a pen from her bag, she wrote her number on a napkin and slid it over to Max. “I gotta run—literally,” she added with a grin.
As she stood, gathering her belongings and her empty cup to toss on the way out, she looked at him. “Text me if you want to go, or not, whatever,” she said, waving goodbye.
Just as she turned to leave, she stopped in her tracks, suddenly turning back to face Max. Closing the distance quickly, she blurted, “Shit, yeah, I forgot that not everyone’s in my head. I just slid my number on a napkin to you... but... I just meant it as friends, I’m gay...”
She offered him a wary smile, a mix of embarrassment and sincerity. “Cool, good talk. Bye again!” With a wave, she headed out, probably leaving Max dazed by her strangeness. But what could she do? It's just who she was.