"LOVE'S A LONELY PLACE TO BE" (Excerpt)

By Rich Henry

Copyright 1995

...Miles Away... CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE

Overheard:

"I don't think he wants anyone to speak to him."

"Why not? That doesn't make any sense."

 

"I've given him plenty of opportunities. More than anyone

I've ever been interested in. I'm not going to ignore other

guys because I'm waiting for a shy, reticent, stranger to talk

to me," said Anna.

Sarah responded, "Maybe he isn't good at small talk and gets

really nervous when he sees you?"

"Then why is he always staring at me? How does he expect us

to become involved if he never utters a word to me?" Anna

answered, and then continued, "Since I've never spoken to him

either, I can hardly call him up to chat. What if he is always

staring at me because I remind him of someone else?"

"I don't know. I've seen him looking in your direction and

I've seen you do the same. Seeing you two stare at each other

for so long is scary. It's like looking straight into the sun,"

Sarah went on, "Then I see you turn away in a daze, exhausted.

And so far, you've never acknowledge the stares to anyone, even

to yourself."

"I can barely speak of him now, I'm always surprised when

our eyes meet and it happens," Anna said. "It leaves

exhausted. It's such an intense feeling, words can't describe it."

"Are you in love?"

"Yes," Anna said, surprised by her own admission.

"Wow."

"Yes, I know."

"I wonder if he makes love in total silence?" Sarah asked

quietly.

"I'm still wondering if he can speak."

"You have heard him talking haven't you?" Sarah asked,

"Didn't you go to a party and he was there?"

"Yes, but he only half-heartedly responded to other people's

conversations, with `oh's' and `hmmm's'. When I did say

something to him, he listened so intensely and hung on my every

word, that it got me so flustered that I couldn't speak

coherently."

"Didn't anybody notice this?" Sarah questioned. "Somebody

must have seen it and thought it strange; I mean if he was

staring and you were stuttering incoherently!"

"No. No one said anything to me," said Anna. "Afterwards,

I stood by myself, in hopes he would try talk to me again but a

line of people kept coming up and talking to me."

"You're so popular," Sarah said jokingly.

"No. You know what I mean. I separated myself just so he

could bump into me and we could try talking again. But he just

talked with other people and kept glancing in my direction to

make sure I hadn't left and we would hold the stare for an

eternity and then he'd join back in the conversation. He never

even tried to make a move in my direction," Anna explained.

"Weird," said Sarah. "He must be very shy and totally in

love with you. Because if he just wanted to scam on you he would

have just walked over and started talking like it was no big

deal."

"He seems confident, in a subtle sort of way. He never

brags or puts people down. I just can't believe I scared him so

much that he couldn't come over and speak to me."

"Maybe it's the way you look at him? When he gets close you

get a happy, but terrified look in your eyes. You look like you

can't breathe, it's really strange to see," Sarah explained

further. "He probably wants to talk to you but you strike the

fear of God into him and it scares him off."

"Did you notice him when he started working here?" Anna

asked.

"Yes. He's very good-looking and very polite. He is a bit

unnerving though, but I have talked to him, but he never gave any

of himself away," said Sarah.

"Have you....," Anna asked carefully, begging the question,

"ever seen him looking at me? Or heard him talking about me?"

"I've seen him looking at you and I have to say it looks

like he is so in love with you that he is about to break. And

when you are talking and laughing with other people, one can see

that it's breaking his heart. He wants to be the one you're talking

and laughing with. If he doesn't talk to you soon, he may die.

"That's all I've noticed," smiled Sarah.

"Not too much then?" Anna said ironically. "I think I feel

the same way. When he talks with other women I lose all sense of

touch and my heart aches in its emptiness."


All Works, Paintings, Images, Novels and Stage/Screen Plays & Text. Copyright 1995-2002 Rich Henry. May not be reproduced in any form, mechanical or electronic. All rights reserved. Any use in advertising or commerce is strictly prohibited.
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