We Just Met

WE JUST MET

         We had met at a convention in a large city, two unknowns trying to simply learn more about our profession. She was very beautiful, but in an understated way. If you were to see her across the platform at a subway station, you would probably not look twice. Yet, if you were to look closely, you would notice a very beautiful woman that had carefully dressed down to avoid attention from unwanted eyes. She hid her sparkling blue eyes faintly shadowed by a powdery blue eyeshadow behind a pair of wire-rimmed glasses that you would see a public librarian wearing. She wore a large, nondescript khaki raincoat that covered most of her body, almost down to her ankles. She knew that to attract the wrong kind of attention in the city was to easily get into difficult situations. She was an old pro at handling difficult situations, but she was intelligent...she preferred to avoid them. Her blonde hair cascaded over the collar of the coat, flaxen against the canvas-like raincoat. She wore a floppy rain hat as well. I had briefly noticed her as I got out of the taxi in front of the convention center. Something about her made me glance back a second time. Only, she was already gone inside.
         I had just registered at the convention center welcome kiosk and grabbed my cup of coffee, when I saw her standing across the hall from where I was. She was talking to an old acquaintance of mine that I had tried to avoid. He was still hounding me to have me read an old manuscript of his. I considered his use of profanity in his conversation as an indication of his unenlightened mind, therefore prose written with that mind was a waste of my time, so I decided I'd rather not waste my time. I started my career out of college as a reading agent for a small publishing house outside of Sacramento, California. I guess that is why he thought he would get his work easily published through me. I briefly introduced myself, perhaps pausing a moment in surprise at the intensity her eyes revealed, but I didn't feel like chatting, so I went on to the main auditorium for the convention to get my seat. I wanted to hear the keynote speaker for the convention. I carefully chose a seat near the aisle, in case I had to leave for a cell phone emergency. I still wanted it close enough that I could see the speaker, so I was about 30 feet from the stage. I had previously scouted the restrooms, and the restroom was about 30 feet to the right, right outside the door to the service hall. I had just sat down, reading the program notes, when someone came up next to me in the aisle. I just noticed her black pumps and the hem to her conservative wool plaid dress. She asked me again, "Is that seat next to you taken?" I obviously hadn't heard her the first time she had asked me. I replied that it wasn't about the time I looked up, seeing the same person I had seen only moments ago. She was smiling down at me, probably amused that I was so engrossed in the program notes. I stuttered a moment, then replied again, "The seat is open." She had taken off her khaki raincoat, draping it over her left arm. I stood up, to let her pass me, and I briefly felt that I had met her before, only I am sure I hadn't. She had a familiarity about her, almost like that pair of jeans that you have that is finally broken in after about 30 washings. "I didn't want to miss hearing the speech this year, " she said as she settled in. It was almost the same thought I had had.