Death date

When We First Met

 I was supposed to go on a date with a guy I had met at 8:00. I had been excited because the guy, whose name was Marcus, was really cute and seemed super nice. I had gotten there at 7:56 and asked for two bar seats (this had been when Creamy Goodness had also been a diner). I asked the waiter for two waters and skimmed over the menu. I could hear burgers sizzling on the grill in the kitchen, I could smell the fresh fries and homemade ketchup. The soft glow of the flickering orange lights cast shadows over the floor tiles. I could hear the jingle of the doorbell as people walked in and out, and felt the cold draft that wafted in when the door was opened. I could hear the soft murmurs of teenagers on their first date, the girl giggling at the boy's jokes. I heard the door jingle and saw a little old man holding the door open for his wife. A cold breeze blew in a few leaves that a headphone wearing teenager walked over and swept up.

I looked at my watch, 8:02. He should be here any minute. The little old couples burgers came out and the scent of freshly grilled patties wafting over. I took a sip of my water and felt the cold ice touch my lip.

At 8:05 my waiter asked if I would like anything else to drink, I hadn't realized that I had finished my water. I politely declined and texted Marcus to see if he was close. It was dark outside and the LED street lamps soft glow illuminated this side of the street. At 8:16 my waiter asked me if I wanted to order. I slowly started to realize that I had been stood up. The dry, dead leaves of fall blew across the cracked sidewalk. The doorbell jingled and I hear the hollow click-click of footsteps across the tile and the screak of the barstool as someone sat next to me. I looked up, expecting to see Marcus, but was greeted by an unfamiliar face.

"Hey, sorry I'm late, traffic was surprisingly bad for this late," and then quietly enough that only I could hear it "My name is Cameron, just go along with it. Whoever stood you up is a jerk."