The Downtown Guy has a name.
Oh my God.
I have finally met him.
I just went back to find my very first entry about "The Downtown Guy" - that pretty Duncan look-alike that I've been watching for some time. My first mention of him in this journal is here - over THREE YEARS AGO. Wow. Haha, I decided I had a crush on him because he was beautiful and had a pretty smile. I was fourteen.
Well, he is a stranger no longer. Tonight I made myself known to him. THE STORY GOES LIKE THIS. About a month ago I was on a break at work, so I went to SubWay very quickly before returning. On the way back I spotted The Downtown Guy nearing a crosswalk. I was really tired and hungry and got pretty distracted looking at him, so I wasn't paying attention - and neither was he. The long and short is that he stepped rather suddenly into the crosswalk and I NEARLY RAN HIM OVER. I wanted to die. He stumbled back and tripped up on the curb and said a cuss word - I caught his eye, stuttering apologies and zipped back to work pronto. For the rest of the day I was wracked with mortified guilt, and I promised myself that the next time I saw him I would make amends...and finally introduce myself after three years of watching him.
Tonight I was getting dropped off downtown near the car by Jo. I saw him walking, so after I hopped out of the car I lingered, pretending to look into a jewelry display window while actually watching his reflection across the street. I turned right as he crossed and approached me. My heart was pounding, and I forced myself to smile.
"Hey."
He nodded and smiled, just like all the times past, and was about to pass right on by. I couldn't bear it.
"Um, by the way..." (He hesitated, looking at me.) "...That was me who nearly squashed you with my car at the crosswalk around the corner..."
He cocked his curly head to one side. "When?" There was a bobbing trill to his voice that was either Southern or flambuoyant.
"About a month ago. And, um...I just wanted you to know that I wasn't deliberately trying to end you, I was just being an idiot driver." (I couldn't bring myself to say that the reason for said idiocy had been my checking him out!)
A lovely grin had broken across his face before I had quite finished speaking, and he giggled. I knew I was safe. I offered my hand. "My name's Sonia, by the way."
He took my hand, and smiled. "Jessy."
Jessy.
We stood there on the sidewalk at ten o'clock on a Tuesday night. We stood there and we talked. It seems we talked for an hour. His voice was definitely of a flambuoyant fluctuation over a sweet Virginia lilt, quite pleasant to listen to. He told me all about his travels, how he's never driven a car in his life and hitchhiked all the way to California and back. I told him about my travels, but that I'll always consider Asheville home. We talked about the government and our bodies and society. The words came so easily, and it suddenly seemed that I'd known him my whole life.
Unexpectedly, some gang hollering started taking place just a few yards away. I looked at him and said: "Would you care to cross the street with me?"
"Yes!" He hopped into the street, and I was by his side - I slipped my arm into his and we crossed like lovers and walked that way up the sidewalk. I told him that it was his role to protect me from the thugs, and he fit the part...all 130 pounds of him! He walked me to my car and we talked some more. We talked about everything and nothing - we talked so easily. So easily. I even found out that he's a kissing-whore like me and that he's 90% partial to men (always the pretty ones...*sigh*) and many very interesting things about his past. We opened like books in each others' presence, perfect strangers but so comfortable in that cool evening air under the streetlights of downtown Asheville.
When we finally parted ways, he gave me an awesome hug - the kind that goes on and on, for almost a full minute, with neither letting go or loosening the grip. It was simply wonderful.
And I lied to my parents about where I'd been and with whom. If they ever come across this blog again they'll be like WHAT WHAT.
It was worth it.
♥
I have finally met him.
I just went back to find my very first entry about "The Downtown Guy" - that pretty Duncan look-alike that I've been watching for some time. My first mention of him in this journal is here - over THREE YEARS AGO. Wow. Haha, I decided I had a crush on him because he was beautiful and had a pretty smile. I was fourteen.
Well, he is a stranger no longer. Tonight I made myself known to him. THE STORY GOES LIKE THIS. About a month ago I was on a break at work, so I went to SubWay very quickly before returning. On the way back I spotted The Downtown Guy nearing a crosswalk. I was really tired and hungry and got pretty distracted looking at him, so I wasn't paying attention - and neither was he. The long and short is that he stepped rather suddenly into the crosswalk and I NEARLY RAN HIM OVER. I wanted to die. He stumbled back and tripped up on the curb and said a cuss word - I caught his eye, stuttering apologies and zipped back to work pronto. For the rest of the day I was wracked with mortified guilt, and I promised myself that the next time I saw him I would make amends...and finally introduce myself after three years of watching him.
Tonight I was getting dropped off downtown near the car by Jo. I saw him walking, so after I hopped out of the car I lingered, pretending to look into a jewelry display window while actually watching his reflection across the street. I turned right as he crossed and approached me. My heart was pounding, and I forced myself to smile.
"Hey."
He nodded and smiled, just like all the times past, and was about to pass right on by. I couldn't bear it.
"Um, by the way..." (He hesitated, looking at me.) "...That was me who nearly squashed you with my car at the crosswalk around the corner..."
He cocked his curly head to one side. "When?" There was a bobbing trill to his voice that was either Southern or flambuoyant.
"About a month ago. And, um...I just wanted you to know that I wasn't deliberately trying to end you, I was just being an idiot driver." (I couldn't bring myself to say that the reason for said idiocy had been my checking him out!)
A lovely grin had broken across his face before I had quite finished speaking, and he giggled. I knew I was safe. I offered my hand. "My name's Sonia, by the way."
He took my hand, and smiled. "Jessy."
Jessy.
We stood there on the sidewalk at ten o'clock on a Tuesday night. We stood there and we talked. It seems we talked for an hour. His voice was definitely of a flambuoyant fluctuation over a sweet Virginia lilt, quite pleasant to listen to. He told me all about his travels, how he's never driven a car in his life and hitchhiked all the way to California and back. I told him about my travels, but that I'll always consider Asheville home. We talked about the government and our bodies and society. The words came so easily, and it suddenly seemed that I'd known him my whole life.
Unexpectedly, some gang hollering started taking place just a few yards away. I looked at him and said: "Would you care to cross the street with me?"
"Yes!" He hopped into the street, and I was by his side - I slipped my arm into his and we crossed like lovers and walked that way up the sidewalk. I told him that it was his role to protect me from the thugs, and he fit the part...all 130 pounds of him! He walked me to my car and we talked some more. We talked about everything and nothing - we talked so easily. So easily. I even found out that he's a kissing-whore like me and that he's 90% partial to men (always the pretty ones...*sigh*) and many very interesting things about his past. We opened like books in each others' presence, perfect strangers but so comfortable in that cool evening air under the streetlights of downtown Asheville.
When we finally parted ways, he gave me an awesome hug - the kind that goes on and on, for almost a full minute, with neither letting go or loosening the grip. It was simply wonderful.
And I lied to my parents about where I'd been and with whom. If they ever come across this blog again they'll be like WHAT WHAT.
It was worth it.
♥