“I first saw her face at the laundro-mat. I was folding my boxers and she was pulling out her bras from the washer. It was a brief encounter. I wouldn’t have thought much of it were it not for her smile.  It absolutely hooked me.  Her face was sharp and smooth.  Her mouth was delicate and her eyes inviting.  Her perfect teeth glinted in the sunshine.

Image Credit: Eric Beaulieu

It was one of those rare times when I wished I hadn’t finished all of my laundry so quickly.  I spent the better part of the of the week thinking about that smile.  At home, at work, in my car, it didn’t matter I couldn’t shake her sweet expression; it tracked me everywhere.

Shortly after the encounter, I was at the grocery store flipping through a Sports Illustrated magazine, and I saw the smile again.  This one was quick, but it was definitely aimed my way.  There was a small exchange as she passed by.  We merely acknowledged each other and offered polite salutations.  She flicked her head as she strolled the other way, and her long flowing hair glided around in a wavy sort of peace and comfort.  The breeze produced by her silk mane wafted a sweet strawberry scent that lingered for days in my nose.  Before I knew it, she had left my sight again.

After the meeting in the store, I seemed to find her everywhere.  Around every corner, I would catch a glimpse.  As I would walk down the street, I would see her through the retail windows.  It was strange how we seemed to be attracted to the same locations at the same times.  It had been a long while since I felt such strong emotions.  Most of the days are so routine for me that I drag through them unknowingly and detached.  The last encounter I had, where I twittered with the electricity of love, ended disapprovingly.  It left such a bitter taste that chasing the high did not seem a worthy pursuit.  But this time, love seemed to trail me.

One night, I caught her carrying bags into her apartment building.  Her arms were full and she was having trouble with the door.  She finally keyed it open, but a single bag fell and spilled its content onto the floor.  I hurried to help her.  Our hands touched as we both grabbed for the bag.  Her smile returned and this time a slight nervous snicker followed. 

I helped her with the bag and escorted her into the small studio.  I placed the bag on the counter and she thanked me.  The air was dense with uncertainty.  My heart was fluttering loudly in my chest.  A bead of sweat ran across my temple.  Things quickly devolved into an intensely intimate encounter, but it wasn’t as I hoped.  Afterward, we parted and never spoke again.”

“So, to be clear, the relationship was consensual?”

“That’s right.”

“No further questions, your Honor.”