Mr. Romantic

It was gray, dark and so quiet you can hear a pin drop in Blake's apartment. He didn't have a lamp, because he preferred the natural light from outside. The living room was spacious and empty with just a chair. He was barely home which is why he was heading out again. He straightened his suit jacket and headed to the door. But, the phone rang. He answered it on the first ring.

"Afternoon, Blake. You're needed for a termination." The voice on the other end informed him.

***

Her heels click-clacked against the pavement in a quick rhythm as Jess strutted down the street. She was wearing a bomber jacket, with a plaid shirt underneath, shorts and knee-high heeled boots.

Blake was dressed in his usual casual-fit black suit, a bowler hat twirling a sleek and stylish cane as he strolled down the street.

His footsteps, her heels, clicking and clacking moving towards one another. Her eyes met his face hidden under his bowler hat as they breezed by one another. Without even looking at her, he knew that she was smiling. Jess continued walking, but Blake inhaled and drew in the scent of her blossom perfume. It was beautiful. It was so beautiful that it stopped him in his tracks. Halfway down the street, so did Jess's heels. Blake took a deep breath and headed back towards the way he came.

Jess was seated with one leg crossed over the other on the bench at the bus stop. She glanced down the street, then corner-eyed her glance in the other direction as Blake approached and leaned against the pole below the bus stop sign.

She eyed him, looked away and smiled as he looked away pretending to not look at her. "Women don't like that, you know?"

"Like what?"

"Staring."

Blake raised a brow and turned to her. "I wasn't staring."

Jess chuckled. She looked at his cane, admired his handsome face to his glossy gray eyes. Then she realized, "Oh. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I told you I wasn't starting." Blake grinned.

The two of them blushed and avoided looking at each other. Jess uncrossed her legs then crossed the opposite eg over the other.

Blake twirled his cane and asked, "So where are you headed?"

"Why?" Jess turned to him. "Are you going to follow me there too?"

Blake turned to her. "I'm not following you. I promise." He moved towards the bench and sat next to her. "The name's Blake."

"Jess." She shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Jess. So, where are you headed?"

"Work."

"It's 11am, what kind of work do you do?"

"Not that it's any of your business."

Blake laughed. "Come on, I'm just making conversation."

"What do you do?"

"I— " Blake hesitated. "I work the night shift."

Jess uncrossed her legs and turned to him. "Doing what?"

"I— terminate people."

"Uh– you're an HR man?"

Blake smiled mischievously. "I guess I am. Your turn."

"I— deliver packages."

"Like UPS or something?"

Jess lowered her eyes. "Yeah, something like that."