3 minute read
Carmel by the Sea
In the heart of Carmel Plaza there is a small café -- Café Luna. This location is where Peter would always get his morning cup of black coffee and read the morning paper before heading to work.
Peter worked at one of the art galleries in Carmel and had recently broken up with his girlfriend of nine months. She had thought having a boyfriend meant she could still see other people. Peter did not agree. Because of this last relationship, Peter was not in the market for a girlfriend. He had decided that he just wanted to concentrate on his painting career and get his work into one of the art galleries. But that dream seemed to be fading fast. Every gallery he submitted his work to was either not interested or did not have any openings. Even the gallery he worked at he was put on the waiting list to get a spot. He
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was beginning to wonder if he should just give up on that dream entirely and just work at the current gallery doing sales.
Peter was finishing up his cup of coffee at the café and getting ready to leave for work when he looked towards the other side of the plaza. For the first time in his life he was paralyzed by the beauty of a woman. He literally could not move. He stood their staring at her like a little kid seeing the best bike in the world. He knew he liked what he saw, but also knew there was no way he was going to get it.
The woman was an incredibly attractive and slim. Peter guessed her to be in her 30’s. She had long, straight black hair. And as far as Peter was concerned, she looked just like an angel. Even though Peter had been going to Café Luna every morning for the past year, he had never seen her before. He was wondering if maybe she was one of the many tourists that visit Carmel. The one thing he did know was that she was walking in his direction, and he realized that he had been acting like a teenage boy struck by puppy-love and just looking at her with his mouth wide open. He thought he probably looked like an idiot. He started to gather his things so he could get to work.
Peter turned towards the table he was sitting at and reached for his wallet to leave a tip for the waitress that was serving him. He put down a five-dollar bill, picked up his things and turned around. “Hi.” It was her. The angel from the other side of the plaza.
Peter was caught by surprise. “Oh… a... hi. Ah…a… “Being caught by surprise and being out of practice talking to woman, he acted like a fool. “I was just, a… just leaving. You want the table?” He was clueless as to what to say.
The woman laughed. “No,” she said, “I was coming over to talk to you. You were looking at me as if we knew each other and I was just going to say hi. I’m Carley.”
Peter started to feel like he had been caught red-handed with his hand in the cookie jar and could tell he was turning red with embarrassment. “Oh, no,
sorry. I don’t think we know each other,” he replied nervously. “I wish I knew you.” Peter got even more embarrassed.
“P…P…Peter.” Stuttering only happened for Peter when he was so nervous that he could not keep his head straight. He knew he was looking, and acting, like a fool.
“Well, Peter,” she said, “Why don’t you have a seat and let us get to know each other.”
Your turn. Finish the story:
