Neither of us moved.
If we were in a movie, someone would’ve pushed pause; it was as if that moment was frozen. I became suddenly and keenly aware of his proximity to me. I noticed how warm his hands were on my arms, yet ironically I felt goosebumps. Odd, considering that it was quite warm today, in the high seventies. He was more than “not bad,” he was unarguably attractive. Very attractive. He had English boy good looks, sandy brown hair, and a gorgeous, slightly crooked smile. And those eyes looked so intensely that they pierced right through me, holding me helpless in his gaze. Hmm … and those lips …
He caught me looking at his mouth and he looked at mine in return. What? I licked my lips in an involuntary response, starting to feel flushed and a little off center. I felt breathless and I know my heart was thumping loud enough for him to hear. Maybe that car bumper hit me harder than I thought. Maybe it had hit me in the head as well.
“Here’s your laptop,” said the soccer player whom I’d just realized was still standing next to me.
Funny, I’d forgotten that anyone else was there. I nodded toward him and mumbled, “Thank you.”
He handed me my laptop. “The battery cover looks like it fell off, but it doesn’t seem otherwise damaged, at least as far as I can tell.”
The soccer player’s intrusion seemed to put the movie back on play. I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath until Mr. Blue Eyes released me and I exhaled. He looked as stunned as I felt. I’m not sure what force compelled me at that moment, but I softly caressed his right cheek with my hand. With gentle sternness, as if I were talking to a child, I whispered, “I’m okay.”
I’m not sure why I did that and the whole thing felt inappropriately intimate, but a strong need to reassure this man came over me. I don’t know why, since I was the one who’d been hit by the car, but for some reason, I felt the need to make him feel better. I wanted to reassure him and let him know that he hadn’t hurt me, so he could continue on with his day.
He backed up a few steps. He was tall, probably six feet plus an inch or two. It seemed like we’d been standing there for several minutes, but in reality it was probably no more than thirty seconds.
I dazedly noticed traffic was starting to back up a little around the intersection with inquisitive faces peering from behind their steering wheels. In a moment of clarity, I remembered my interview.
“Oh shit!” I exclaimed. “I’m going to be late!” I quickly gathered my things, said my thank yous to both the soccer guy and Mr. Blue Eyes, and ran off.
I’m not sure why, but I turned around to take one last look at the scene of the accident. I guess I just wanted to reassure Mr. Blue Eyes again that I was okay. I waved goodbye with a few of my fingers and gave him a little smile. He looked surprised and perplexed by my erratic behavior and sudden departure. He probably thought I was nuts. His head was cocked a little to the left and his mouth was slightly open. I thought I heard a sort of gasping chuckle come out of his mouth. Ironically, the look on his face was that of someone trying to figure out what the hell had just run him over.
I thought I was the one that had just been hit by a car.
A few days later, on a Thursday afternoon, I got the call. It was Catherine Galer, the hiring manager for my potential new job. I began tapping my foot nervously under my desk.
You know how you sometimes just sense when something went really well and the situation was totally in your favor? After my interviews, that was the feeling I had walking out of Catherine’s door. Despite my little accident, I had made it to the interview on time, and I never did get any of those “gotcha!” questions I had worried so much about.
“Hi, Julia, I’m calling to give you some good news,” Catherine said. I could almost hear the smile on her face. “Our team discussed the interview and we’ve unanimously agreed that you’re the most qualified candidate for the role. If you’re still interested in the position, I would like to formally extend you an offer.”
I didn’t hesitate before I answered. I couldn’t hide my excitement. “Yes, I accept the position! I’m really excited! Thanks so much, Catherine.”
“Oh, that’s so great to hear!” she replied cheerfully. “I’ll reach out to HR and let them know your decision. You’ll get a formal offer via email from them and then we can figure out the transition details.”
“Okay, that sounds great.”
“What do you think would be a reasonable start date?”
“Maybe two or three weeks, would that be fair?” I asked tentatively. “I’m fairly certain my manager would agree to this.”