Eyes, Lunacy, and a Storm

Many weeks followed our second encounter.  We would be in the same company frequently; we both attended the same weekly activities, the same church congregation, a Mardi-Gras party, and some other neighborhood social gatherings.  In close proximity, we acted warmly towards each other.  In the very least, our body language was warm, though not much was ever said.  I don't remember exchanging anything more than a periodic stark greeting, "hi" and "how's it going?", however I do remember meeting his eyes from time to time.

It could have been my imagination, I thought, but then I would again notice a quick flit from those eyes in my direction and I'd have to wonder: was he looking at me?  I seemed to catch his glance more frequently as we progressed through that month.  Then again, maybe it was my imagination.

We found ourselves in the last week of February.  Monday the 23rd, we had our usual activity group.  We were making a short film and the set that night was my kitchen and the parking lot behind my building. The group was large and we were packed into my apartment.  After the filming was finished they all filed out the front door and I remember thinking I must have been crazy.  It seemed like every time I checked to see where his eyes were, I would meet them in the checking.  I determined that I needed to just stop checking.  It was possible that he thought I was looking at him, would periodically check and it was just a coincidence that we would meet in the middle.  I couldn't allow him to think I was furtively glimpsing, even if I suspected the same of him.

After classes on Tuesday, I went shopping with one of my roommates.  The trip took longer than I expected and encroached on an appointment I had with a friend to go for a run.  By the time I returned, the sky had started to spit water.  I thought we should leave quickly before heavy rain picked up.  She was waiting for me in my apartment.  I found her at the desk in my room using the computer there to show Patrick pictures of her family.  Patrick?!  In my room?!  Now I was surely a lunatic, most definitely hallucinating!  He looked up at me and opened his mouth, a stream of words flowing out, an explanation of his coming, an invitation to go out with him on Saturday.  The words hung there for a moment while I struggled to recognize them as reality and then muttered a "sure".  He left.  My friend stayed long enough to watch with me out the sliding glass door in my living room as a cold February rainstorm blew in.