Flirtation

For him, love is forever.
It is not some fleeting emotion,
but an absolute, an essential,
like breathing is to existence.
From the corner barstool
he watches with his peripheral vision
as the petite brunette with a pixie haircut
leans to her conspirator’s ear,
whispering what he hopes is a secret,
something fantastic, he imagines,
an item too important to express openly
in the usual barroom banter.
He wonders if this pretty girl
who appears, to him, to be
floating like a fresh white lily
above the brackish water of the tavern floor,
understands that he is ready
to share his deep passion,
his faithfulness, his very soul.
He hesitates before approaching her table,
worrying that it is no secret she shares,
instead, the giggles and sidelong glances
reflect her disdain for his hesitation,
or even worse, disgust
at the gin blossoms growing in his cheeks.
He settles back onto his barstool,
the hastily downed whisky no remedy
for the rosacea, nor his timidity.
The wince from the sharpness of cheap bourbon
conceals the brief expression flashing across her face.
Had he seen it, he would have wondered
if it were disappointment or relief
at his retreat.
For her, love is forever.
It is not some fleeting emotion,
but an absolute, an essential,
like breathing is to existence.
She wonders why
the cute guy with the delicate brown hair
and rosy cheeks has turned his back on her
when she thought he was about to approach,
thinking he must think I’m too plain
or...

Author's note: Another jigsaw, from words given the same night as Wedding Gift, this time by my niece, Kennedy (her fiance Ben gave me the Wedding Gift words). This time the words were "fantastic, absolute, gin blossoms, forever, remedy, lily, ready, secret, banter, essential."