When a stranger stole my heart

Standing in a sports store staring at socks, from the corner of my eye I see him entering. I turn. Eye contact. A second of confusion as I thought he was a blast from the past. Uncanny resemblance. Turn away. Continue search for specific socks until seconds later in my left ear I hear, "do the socks really make a difference?" My nonchalant response, "so I've been told" might have been an attempt to kill potential conversation. But he wasn't going to be put off that easily, luckily. 

"So what do you play? Squash or tennis?" 

"Road running".

"Oh, another XYZ member."

Only at that point do I look up to see who has just offended me. "No, ABC actually."

He smiles. 

Be polite. Reciprocate. I ask what sport he's into. Squash and cricket he says. 

We chat briefly about where we play squash respectively. It's hard to concentrate on conversation because I'm trying to figure out if he's flirting with me, chatting me up. 

Finally my socks arrive. I say it's been nice chatting, take care. 

As I pay for my purchase I realise I need to complete registration forms for an upcoming race. During this time he also finds his way to the cashier, right beside me. 

We chat some more. While he punches in his pin code I ask the little girl beside him her name. She's cute. 

Again I say goodbye and walk out. Thinking that that had been nice, and that I'm slightly disappointed that its over. 

I leave the store and find my car. I admit I deliberately wasted some seconds fishing for my phone in my hand bag, just wondering if he was going to leave it at that. 

I was and I wasn't surprised when he turned from his car and walked over to mine. 

I roll down the window. 

He says, "listen, what's your number? How about we do coffee some time, chat or go play squash or something."

Loss for words. I say something about it being a bit weird having just met. He says he's old school and just thinks it would be nice to chat.

We chat some more in the windy parking lot. I try to see his left hand to check for a wedding ring but can't get a clear view. He asks about my marital status. That surprises me because I assumed I have that obviously married, over weight and over the hill look. I take the opportunity to return the question. He's divorced. FOUR kids!

Eventually I think what the heck and we exchange numbers. And just before I drive off he touches my cheek. I finally drive away feeling oddly elated. 

A text message minutes later tells me that he is keen to continue the conversation. 

I don't realise yet that I have just fallen in love. It takes days before I notice that he's all I think about. 

When we met I had no idea who much you would soon mean to me.