A Nod 2 Monique

  

I met this lady while standing in line at Ralph's grocery store in the Ladera Center. This was my second time being blessed with an unexpected cool moment there. This store is like a magnet for beautiful sistahs! First I saw this lady walking. She caught my eye. She smiled in passing. It was nice. Like seeing paradise in the distance... I had to stop and follow her with my eyes for a moment without being too obvious. After I got my items, low and behold there she was standing in line. It wasn't no coincidence that I would be standing behind her because I skipped at least two other lines that were shorter in order to stand in the longer line with her. She knew. She picked up on my vibe. I said "hey" and she greeted me with a "how are you?" We talked and she told me her name. I'll call her Monique for this piece in order to protect the guilty and innocent. I helped her put some of her items on the conveyor belt. Monique had done some serious shopping. I figured all that stuff wasn't just for her. She suggested that I go in front of her as I only had four items but I quietly declined. An offer like that would've cut short the conversation that we'd eventually have.

Monique was cool. She smiled when she spoke though sometimes her thoughts would end with a hint of sarcasm, letting me know something was up. I asked her if she had a big family because of all the food she was buying. when she responded there was no smile. She answered by saying "No, I have a husband at home that eats a lot."

"Oh, my condolences..."

Monique laughed. She told me she didn't mean it like that but something about her answer and the look on her face told me that she and her husband were probably going through one of those not so good moments. She turned the question on me and asked "you married?"

"Nah, single..."

"Don't lie. I find that hard to believe..."

I explained to Monique that if I wasn't single, I wouldn't be standing in the same line as her, hoping she'd feel the attraction and possibly bond with me through conversation. She responded by saying "that dont stop these other married men and guys with girlfriends!"

"You're right.."

Monique smiled and handed the cashier her Ralph's Club Card. After they bagged up her stuff, she waited for me. I was surprised. I started to smile.

"What's that look?" she asked.

"You waiting for me?"

She didn't answer. She turned her attention to the t-shirt I was wearing which showed the cover of my novel coming out. She told me she noticed it the first time she saw me. We talked about it on our way out the store. I told her she should also checkout my blog and that I would "creatively mention our moment in passing." She promised to look me up. I told her "cool and if you wasn't married I would look you up too!" She gave me one last glimpse of her beautiful smile before waving me off.

"Whatever..." she said.

I hope her husband does the unexpected like put all the groceries away and tell her that tonight he's gonna do all the cooking... Allow her to take the load off her feet and feel appreciated so that when she mentions she's gotta a husband the next time, she'll say it with pride rather than regret. Because having a woman recognize you as her everything has got to be the most beautiful gift a man could ever experience... That's for you, Monique...*wink* Thanks for the moment..