Six Types of Love

➻ Pragma | One

                                                                               Pragma | One

Pragma – love that is driven by the head, not the heart; undemonstrative; pragmatic love with the purpose of achieving a common goal, as in a coalition.

                                                                                         • • •

     DARIAN MET HER by mistake. At first, he thought she was an illusion, the way he caught her stealing open glances at him from across the crowded and smoky room. Sure, he had gone to many parties before, but he was not really one of the guys that stood out and attracted all the girls. Darian usually isolated himself by just having a few drinks, chatting with the few acquaintances he knew by name, and then leaving shortly before everyone got too drunk and drugged down to stand up straight.

The girl that was watching Darian had eyes that were heavy with eyeliner and dark eye shadow, resembling the eye makeup of many of the other girls at the party too. But there was something different about her eyes. Darian noticed that she was the only one among the girls that had a hungry look in her eyes, like the one of a predator on the prowl. It took Darian two drinks before he realized that she was the predator and he was her prey.

She approached him with swaying hips in her black dress that had tiny slits that revealed a belly button ring, as she slid into the bar stool next to him. They had been conversing with their eyes the whole night long, but he didn't expect her to approach him first.

“Do you want to hear a bad joke?” she asked, her crimson lips forming a small smile.

Darian nodded. “Okay.”

“How much does a polar bear weigh?” she asked.

He raised an eyebrow at the question, wondering where it was about to go. “I don’t know. Four hundred pounds?”

Upon Darian’s response, the girl’s eyes slightly widened. “Not even close,” she said. “On average, they’re about over nine hundred pounds.” She stared at him in a state of disbelief as if it was common sense to know such a fact, and then broke out into laughter soon after. Darian couldn't figure out if she was laughing with him or at him.

But he watched her laugh. He noticed her two front teeth, which were bigger and more prominent than any of her other teeth, and for some reason he found them cute.

“You ruined my punchline,” she finally said.

“I’m sorry, I think,” he apologized. "What was it?"

She made a face. "It won't sound as funny anymore."

"I'll pretend to laugh," Darian said with a smile.

"Fine," she said and then stuck out her hand. "They weigh enough to break the ice, hi my name is Maya." 

Darian shook her hand and chuckled. "Clever, I must admit. I'm Darian. Have any other jokes?"

Maya thought about this suggestion for a moment and as she did, she crossed her legs together, making her dress hitch up slightly. And since Darian was your typical guy who was fascinated by pretty girls, his curious eyes wandered up her long legs without thinking twice that she might notice him looking. And she did. A sly smile crossed her lips and her fingers reached down, grabbing at the slim fabric of the dress and pulling it down a bit. At this gesture, Darian looked away, embarrassed and pushing up his glasses awkwardly.