First Meeting

“Pardon me... Miss!”

The young woman gave no indication that she’d heard his call. She continued walking, keeping her pace, and nearing the street’s corner. Quickening his step, Eddus closed the space between them and caught up with her as she pressed the button for the crosswalk.

Once outside of the pub, he’d had to make his way through those on the sidewalk. After having looked around the crowd, and weaving his way through those standing on the pavement, the girl was a good way past the pub, walking up the street. He’d almost needed to run to catch up with her.

“Miss!”

Looking over her shoulder, she then turned to face him, regarding him with a slight look of apprehension. Eddus stopped short a few paces from her. Neither of them said a thing as they stood looking at each other.

More than a head shorter than he, the girl was petite in size and stature. A very pretty young lady, her light brown hair was tied neatly in a bun at the back of her neck. Her almond-shaped eyes seemed to turn up at the ends. She was quite young in appearance and could have easily been in her teens. Something about the way she carried herself, her posture, as well as perhaps the look in her eyes, said differently, though Eddus couldn’t quite put a finger on it.

Studying Eddus’ face for a moment, the young lady smiled nervously, then turned away, looking towards the street she meant to cross.

“Please, just a moment.” Eddus cautiously stepped toward her. “You left your shoes in the theatre.” He held them out for her to see.

The girl looked down at her bare feet for a moment. She laughed aloud, stepping forward and gingerly taking the shoes from his hand.

“I can’t go anywhere,” she said, kneeling down. She placed the shoes on the pavement in front of her and then stood, stepping into each. She then gave Eddus a sidelong look. “Did you follow me here from the theater?”

“What? No- No!” Quickly stepping back, Eddus raised his hands in front of him. It only then occurred how this might look strange, a grown man approaching a noticeably younger woman, alone at night on the street. “I was in the pub! I saw you walk by!”

“You saw me walk by the pub?” The young woman’s expression and demeanor did not change.

Feeling his cheeks flush, Eddus took another step away. He was beginning to feel that, had he thought it through, perhaps taking the shoes back to the theatre would have been easier.

“Shem’s place, about a block back.” Eddus pointed up the road in the direction they’d walked from. “Shem’s Tavern.”

The girl nodded, glancing in the direction Eddus pointed, a stern look on her face.

“Yeah, I got that. But why would you have my shoes at the pub?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

Feeling something akin to the instinct of fight or flight begin to set in, it took everything in him not to start running in the direction he came from.

“I came out of the theatre to find you.” Eddus took another step away. The sooner he could vacate, the better. “I waited, and then...”

Her eyes dancing, the girl broke into a smile. She laughed.

“Hey,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m fucking with you.”

His heart pounded in his chest as he exhaled the breath he was holding. The girl smiled playfully as Eddus tried to extinguish the visions in his mind of her making a scene or perhaps calling out for help from someone.

“Right then. Well, ok.” Eddus glanced away with a sheepish smile, trying to catch his breath and collect himself. “I just wanted to get them back to you.” He nodded to her. “Have... have a good night.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth, he turned to walk back to the pub. His eagerness to get far away from this awkward situation was quite urgent. He had to get away, and as soon as possible.

“What’s your name?”

In mid-stride, Eddus stopped, taking a deep breath before he turned around. The girl took a few steps towards him, coming to a stop right in front of him, a bit too close for his liking. She tilted her head to one side as she looked up at him. In the light given off by the street lamp, she looked so much like a child. Eddus could see that her eyes were a light brown, amber color. They seemed to glow as she looked at him.

“Eddus Brandt,” he told her, almost uncertainly, feeling odd giving his name to her. He’d given her the shoes; he just wanted to get back to the pub.

“Eddus Brandt,” the girl repeated softly, a slightly puzzled look on her face.

“That’s me,” he said. Giving a small nod, he looked away, taking a step back from her.

The urge to get back to his friends and back to surroundings of familiarity was strong, but there was something in the way in which she’d spoken his name. He could not quite bring himself to turn away from her.

“Where are you going, Eddus Brandt?”

Momentarily, his mind went blank.

“I, uh, well, to the pub. My friends are there.”

The words seemed to catch in his throat as he said them. He hadn’t necessarily wanted to give her the answer, but seemed to have just spoken.

“...and just leave a girl all alone on a street corner at night?” The young woman faked a pout, stepping to him again.

Eddus felt his face warm and glanced away. He was again uncomfortable with the proximity in which she’d again put herself. She looked as though she might be little more than half his age, if that. He took another step back.

“Oh, right. Can I get you a cab?”

“You could.” The girl nodded, the light seeming to catch her eye again, causing them to glow momentarily as she looked up at him with a smile. “Or you could let me come with you.”

Again, Eddus had the instinct to leave as fast as possible. This was not the encounter he would have imagined. She was supposed to take the shoes and go.

“You want to come with me to a pub?”

“I would like that.” Slipping her arm into his before he could protest, she turned him in the direction of the bar.

Surprised at her forward behavior and moving rather stiffly as they began to walk, Eddus thought in vain of a way to distance himself from her.

The girl laughed, as if able to sense his apprehension. “You’ve got to loosen up, Eddus Brandt. Tell me about yourself.”

Nothing about the way she spoke or acted had in any way changed, but again, there was something about the way she said his name. Everything about him wanted to get away from her, except that he seemed to enjoy hearing her speak his name, and felt almost compelled to reply.

“Ed,” he told her, trying to shake the feeling. “Everyone calls me Ed.”

Their walk was paused as the young woman came to a halt, looking up at him quizzically.

“Ed?” Her eyebrows rose.

“Yeah. It’s a... common mispronunciation, and I no longer care to correct people.” Glancing away, Eddus rolled his eyes. “It is the bane of my existence. So call me Ed.”

They resumed their slow pace.

“So, what else is there to know about you, Eddie?” the girl asked after considering his answer for a moment.

“Please. No. Just Ed. I’m not a Jack Russell.”

Glancing nervously at two people walking past them, Eddus wondered if they saw it as out of the ordinary for a man of almost forty to be walking arm-in-arm with a girl who might not be as old as twenty. He could only imagine what they could be thinking.

Watching him amusedly, his companion took no notice of those they passed.

“And what is your name?” Eddus asked. He saw the thinning crowd outside of the pub up ahead and knew that they would be walking by them in only moments. He quickly looked away from them and then down at his companion, still looking at him.

“Guess.”

“You want me to guess your name?”

“Yes.”

Eddus could see the young lady’s eyes dance again as she bit back a smile.

“I’m no good at guessing games,” he told her.

“Just guess.” Narrowing her eyes, the corner of her mouth curling slightly.

“I’m not going to guess your name,” Eddus shook his head. He tried to pull his arm away from her, but she pulled him closer to her. “I’ll get it wrong anyway.”

“All right then, what do I look like?” Turning her head slightly, the girl laughed.

“What?”

“Based on what I look like, what would you say my name is?”

Eddus tried not to look at another passing couple. He could feel his face warming again.

“That’s just another guessing game,” he said, trying to hide his building discomfort. “Just tell me your name.”

She shook her head. “Not until you tell me what you would call me. Who do I look like to you?”

“What’s your name?” Eddus began to feel the smallest amount of impatience, bordering on annoyance. In her expression, he could see that the girl knew exactly what she was doing.

“You know, that’s what your friends are going to ask.” Showing no sign of giving in, the girl laughed again, firmly squeezing the arm she still held. “You’d better think of something to tell them. We’ve almost reached the pub.”

They had walked past the few people still outside the pub window and were nearing the door.

“Come on...” Eddus pleaded.

“Come on, yourself, Eddie.” Sticking her tongue out at him, she then smiled playfully.

“Fine, ok? You look like- I don’t know- maybe Sarah?” Eddus could feel himself getting annoyed and spoke the first name that came to mind.

The young lady stopped short, looking at him in shock.

“Do I really look like a Sarah?” she asked him.

“I- I don’t know!” At this point, Eddus was bewildered. Had he said something wrong? He hadn’t meant to hurt the girl’s feelings. “I’m sorry. I-”

“Are you psychic?”

“What? No!”

“Well, then maybe you should play guessing games more often.” Narrowing her gaze at him, she gave Eddus a cool smile and reached up with her free hand, patting his cheek.

“Wait, really?” Eddus looked down at the girl beside him in disbelief.

“No,” she shook her head, rolling her eyes. “I’m fucking with you again, Eddie.”

“Please, don’t call me Eddie,” he told her.

“Abbi,” the young woman said.

“What’s that?”

“Call me Abbi.” Glancing at the door to the pub, she pulled Eddus forward, and they began walking again. “Now come on, your friends are waiting for you.”

As they entered, Eddus kept his head down to avoid looking in the direction of the bar. He couldn’t help feeling as though they were sneaking in, as he didn’t know the age of the young woman next to him.

He watched the girl smile and raise her hand, giving a wave toward the bar. Quickly, he looked in the direction she had waved in time to see Shem give her a wink and a single nod. He then began wiping the bar with a towel.

Stunned, Eddus looked down at his companion, who had turned her head, looking around the pub. He led her toward the table where his friends sat.