She stood waiting at the bus-stop, their usual rendezvous point. It had been ten minutes now, and the sun was beating down like this was its last day on earth. She could feel beads of sweat running down her face, and worse her make-up starting to pool. Today she had made an effort to look nice, more than nice - she wanted to turn his head.
Her definition of love was beginning to morph and change, she'd come far from being the teenager who thought love was something explosive that hits you in a moment, made of stolen glances and aching hearts, thunderstruck romeos and dreamy juliets.
But a part of her still wanted to see that awe in his eyes, that he couldn't believe his luck she would want to go out with him.
Just as she was adding the finishing touches to a biting monologue on the ill-effects of tardiness, she saw him walking briskly in her direction.
Her anger turned to confusion as she saw the excitement on his face, he was smiling, bobbing, as if barely able to contain what threatened to spill out every step he took.
Maybe it was the expression on her face that belied her intense curiosity or he just couldn't hold it in any longer, he ran the last few steps, holding out the screen of his phone towards her.
It showed an email from the office of an industrialist, a titan no less, confirming an appointment for her to meet him next week. She had been trying to wangle this meeting for months now; the man in question had pledged a huge amount to ventures such as hers and an endorsement from him would go a long way.
"How..how did this happen?", she hammered out finally.
"I just told them they would be lucky to meet you.", he said flippantly in a rare show of cocky insouciance.
Her definition of love was beginning to morph and change, she'd come far from being the teenager who thought love was something explosive that hits you in a moment, made of stolen glances and aching hearts, thunderstruck romeos and dreamy juliets.
But a part of her still wanted to see that awe in his eyes, that he couldn't believe his luck she would want to go out with him.
Just as she was adding the finishing touches to a biting monologue on the ill-effects of tardiness, she saw him walking briskly in her direction.
Her anger turned to confusion as she saw the excitement on his face, he was smiling, bobbing, as if barely able to contain what threatened to spill out every step he took.
Maybe it was the expression on her face that belied her intense curiosity or he just couldn't hold it in any longer, he ran the last few steps, holding out the screen of his phone towards her.
It showed an email from the office of an industrialist, a titan no less, confirming an appointment for her to meet him next week. She had been trying to wangle this meeting for months now; the man in question had pledged a huge amount to ventures such as hers and an endorsement from him would go a long way.
"How..how did this happen?", she hammered out finally.
"I just told them they would be lucky to meet you.", he said flippantly in a rare show of cocky insouciance.
And then more sincerely, "Oh, and Happy Valentine's day, by the way".
