People can’t help but stare when he walks down the street. It would be an understatement to say that he is easy on the eyes. But his magnetism goes beyond just a pretty face.

Within 5 minutes of meeting any woman, he charms his way into her heart.
Is it his smile? His bicuspids are white perfection.
His eyes? Chocolate heaven.
His silver tongue? He does have a way with words.
I can’t say its one thing in particular. It’s just. Him.

Ladies adore him and it is not just the young’ns. I’ve seen him make women twice his age giggle like school girls. They love him. Everyone loves him. Not just women, men too. Not love, love but… you know what I mean.
He’s a man’s man, shoulder-bumping, back slapping, I-don’t-wash-my-banana (the fruit, just so we’re clear ) kinda guy. The real deal.

He was perfect. Or more accurately,seemed perfect. So you can imagine my surprise when I saw this near-perfect specimen of a man making a bee-line to this light-years-away-from-perfect girl. Me, in case that wasn’t obvious enough.

What did he want? Was I seating in his booth? I was sure I wasn’t because his was right across from mine. Not that I noticed that he always sat in the same booth everyday. Or that he never ordered the same thing twice from the menu. Nope. That would be stalking.  Which I do not do. Much.

Be casual. Cool and calm. Breathe. In. Out. Onions! My breath smells like onions!! Darn you, krackles! Of all the days… this is a disaster!

‘Hi,’ he flashed one of his beguiling smiles.
‘Hi’
I could see the fumes as they left my mouth.
His smile seemed strained. I knew it. I had something in my teeth, didn’t I?
I pursed my lips and attempted to give an expectant look.
He shifted his weight nervously.  What was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I do anything right?

I reached for my menu, needing something, anything to keep my hands from tapping on the white-clothed table nervously. He should just walk away; save us both the embarrassment.
But when I looked up, he was still standing there.
I watched as the nervousness disappeared behind an invisible curtain. Mr. Charming had come out to play.
‘Uhm, this will sound weird but I’ve seen you here a couple of times. I just thought id come over and say hi. Hi.’
I’d seen him in action but to be on the other side of those words was everything I’d imagined it to be. Kind of. It was perfect. Too perfect.
I smiled. ‘Hi’.
I went back to looking through the menu, captivated by the beef sirloin. I caught a glimpse of his confused face.

But he still didn’t walk away. Then I noticed it. He was alone. He was never alone. There was always someone. The guys from work, an array of gorgeous women … never alone.

‘Would you like to join me for lunch?’
I was as shocked as he was as the words left my mouth.
He smiled with something akin to relief then slid across the table from me.

‘On one condition,’ I was on a roll here,’drop the act.’
He furrowed his brow.
‘The act? I’m not sure what you mean.’
He was good.
‘The Mr. Charming gig. Drop it. Don’t flirt with me.’
He began to protest.
‘And don’t even think of denying it. I’ve noticed you too.’ I looked at him meaningfully.
‘So lets just share a table. Cool?’

A part of me kicked myself for this sudden sensitivity. I could have gone with the flow, flirting outrageously with him and maybe given him my number. But who was I kidding? He’d never call. Maybe he had noticed me but not in the ‘hey, she’s cute kind of way’ but more like ‘what kind of person eats lunch alone everyday? Wierdo’. He didn’t need a love interest, he just needed not to eat lunch alone.

He looked surprised. But he picked up the other menu on the table.

‘Have you tried the beef sirloin?’ He asked,’ It is pretty good’.