The Perfect Stranger

The last of the three stories.

I’ve never approved of blind dates. I find that kind of arrangement too desperate and creepy. However, after almost a year of eating mac-and-cheese alone and playing solitaire on Friday nights, I decided to give it a try. Agreeing to it proved to be a wrong move though, because my date turned out to be total jackass. That’s why after “accidentally” spilling some wine on him, I sat on the bar alone. I don’t really drink, but it just felt like the appropriate thing to do at that time. So there I sat, thinking about the poor life choices I’ve made and how low I’ve sunk.

I’m not sure how much I drank that night, but somehow I must have been really drunk because at that time I witnessed an apparition. An angel appeared and sat beside me. He was really beautiful and was dressed to the nines. I could only gape at this marvellous creature that sat beside me and flashed me the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen.

I sat very still after that. I couldn’t concentrate on my drink. All I could think about was how awful I look sitting beside such beauty. I was a wreck and I should probably have left, but I couldn’t. I wanted to bask in the presence of this handsome demigod. He probably noticed how my hands were trembling because he turned to me and asked if I was okay. His sensual accent made it hard for me to move without effort. I could only turn my head halfway and smile meekly when I replied, “Could be better.” I probably should’ve just smiled at him and not bother to give him an actual answer as he was, I’m sure, just being nice and didn’t really care how I was feeling. However, I was caught off guard when he frowned a little and asked me to explain. Why would this man care?

For an hour or so we talked about how my life wasn’t going the way I hoped it would and how hard it was to find someone who’s actually worth my time. Every time he opens his mouth to say something, I find myself admiring him more. He was really smart and very nice – a killer combination. And when he laughs, God, I swear I could feel tingles on my toes. I was really into the guy. He was the man I’ve always dreamed of. Jackpot.

He was such a catch. Too good of a catch, in fact, that he’s taken. Oh, God, How could I have even thought I had a chance with the guy? Surely he was off the market! Plus I didn’t think I was his type so I guess I was just being entirely foolish thinking our little encounter would have lead to something more. He was only here for a week to surprise his wife for her birthday, which I thought was awfully sweet. They were supposed to meet in that same restaurant but it turned out that his wife had to finish something important and was running late.

Two hours have passed and still no sign of his wife. I began to wonder if maybe fate was giving me an opportunity to do what I’ve always wanted since this beautiful stranger came along. Maybe fate wanted me to take a chance before I wake up from the dream. So as he was explaining to me how they made their relationship work, I closed my eyes and took a leap of faith. I leaned into him and kissed him. I expected him to shove me off, but he didn’t. He didn’t kiss me back either, in case you were wondering. He just sat still and let me do what I wanted to do. When I realized how much of a fool I was making myself out to be, I let go. It was probably the most embarrassing thing I have ever done in my entire life and he just sat there and smiled.

After apologizing for what seemed like an eternity, he lifted up my chin and told me it was alright. He told me he’d be lying if he said he didn’t like it, but he knew he had boundaries he shouldn’t cross. Being the perfect gentleman that he is, he let me down slowly and told me what I wanted to hear. He told me how beautiful I really was and how much he adored my personality, but that there’s someone else out there for me. He told me how I should be patient and that someday I’d find someone who’d go out of his way to surprise me for my birthday as well. In his words, he told me how I didn’t deserve to be just a one-night stand to a married foreigner. I deserved so much more than that.

When the door of the restaurant swung open, a plain looking lady came in and waved at him. He told me his wife had arrived and offered to introduce me to her. I declined and said that I really had to go. We had a perfect two hours without even exchanging names, and I wanted to leave that wonderful moment the way it was.

On my way out of the restaurant, I thought about the blissful two hours we’ve shared. Tonight I met the perfect stranger and he turned out to be an angel. A French angel who was sent to lift my spirits up and restore my faith to the world. So before I started to walk home, I turned to look at him through the window and said, “Au revoir étranger.”