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I turned, about to call her out for bolting, only to hold my tongue as she hurried toward a little blonde boy who got up from the grass. She went to a squat to be face level with the boy and the kid smiled as she brushed his cheek and then his hair with her hand. I swallowed the words trapped in my throat.
I looked past the young woman and the boy and turned back toward the direction I was running. The woman who had initially caught my attention and essentially caused the crash and unfortunate situation, was now joined by a man. As they hugged and shared a more-than-friendly kiss, a fluster rose on my face, realizing the last five minutes was in vain. I put my earbuds back in and continued my run, glancing back only once in the direction of the pony-tailed woman and boy. I couldn’t get her fiery eyes out of my mind.
Perhaps it was the hat, but I couldn’t really blame the accessory for doing what I wore it for. Attention was great and truthfully, I basked in people’s praise and adoration. But I preferred to be able to control the attention and only get it when I wanted it. It was one of the perks of being on top–having eyes recognize me anywhere. It wasn’t the sole reason why I loved being at the top, but I couldn’t deny the fact that it felt strange to realize an encounter with me was insignificant for a woman. It was an unusual experience for me these days.
I didn’t know what was throwing me off my game more–the utter disinterest of the woman or the fact that I hadn’t been the subject of attention in that short moment. Either way, I found myself lingering by a bench just a few yards away from the spot of the collision less than thirty minutes ago. I placed my right leg on the bench, lacing back up my loose shoe and gazed across the park. It was a nice day and a lot of people were taking the opportunity to soak up some sun, but the only people I noticed were her and the boy.
He giggled as she clapped softly while pushing him on the swing. He threw back his blonde hair as the swing lifted him into the air. The little boy clearly enjoyed that feeling of flying and let out a long, high-pitched laugh every time the petite woman with the beautiful brown eyes nudged the swing.
Even from this distance and the brief encounter, it was clear that this little boy loved this woman more than anything in the world. He trusted her to keep him safe while he enjoyed the feeling of freedom and weightlessness in the swing. And for her part, she seemed fascinated by his laughter and there was obvious love and care in the protective way she scanned around them, making sure she kept up her end of the safety bargain.
Not for the first time, I wished I could find that kind of love for my Stella. She deserved more than just me.
I felt my phone buzz against my thigh in my pocket, startling me back to attention. I turned around to look away from the woman and boy and unzipped the pocket, pulling it up to my ear.
“Yes?”
“Where are you?”
“Out for air. What’s up?”
I answered to the voice of my best friend on the other end of the line. His voice was calm but cautious and I dropped my leg from the bench, knowing my moment alone was over.
“You need to get back to the house.”
“Why, what is it?”
“You’re on the news again.”
I scoffed, “When am I not on the news, Bing?”
“Just get back here, Troy.”
I ended the call, glanced once more at the object of my attention. The swing slowed and the woman stopped it but the smile on the child’s face had clearly not been affected and the image would stay with me as I turned away and continued my jog.
“There had better be some good reason why you interrupted my routine, Bing,” I said as I walked to the refrigerator, pulled out the pitcher of cold water and poured it into the glass waiting on the counter. I took a long gulp, waiting for Bing to tell me what was going on.
The jaw on his angular face was set hard, and his mouth formed a tight line. It wasn’t completely unusual for Bing. He typically looked intimidating; it was his brand. Letting out a sigh, he ran a hand through his black buzz cut and walked over, sliding the tablet he was holding across the stone countertop.
“What?”
“I have no idea how they keep doing it,” Bing said, his worried expression pulling his dark brows close together. “But they seem to beverygood at their job.”
My jaw flexed as I scanned the headline. My eyes caught on images of myself and several other women, and the meaningless content. I scoffed as I pushed the tablet away.
“They could have asked for a better photo. I really don’t like that one.”
“Seriously?” Bing’s dark eyes shot daggers through me, frustrated that I was missing the point.
“What?” I asked, feigning nonchalance. This really was getting annoying.
Bing shook his head as he grabbed a glass from the cabinet and poured from the water pitcher I had left on the counter. I was trying to show patience but was slowly losing it–I really wanted Bing’s thoughts.
“What?” I repeated, my voice snapping, impatience thinly veiled this time.
“What?” Bing mocked. I was really tiring of this word. “Are you really going to pretend you don’t see how that article doesn’t do you any favors?” He waved in the general direction of the tablet, clearly frustrated with me now.
I glanced at the tablet and kept my grimace hidden.
