Third Date-Short Story

Chapter1

They met in the grocery store.Tim was in the spices aisle staring at the list his mother had left him. Where the hell was Turmeric? What even is Turmeric? That was when he noticed her, the thin woman standing at the other end of the aisle. The brown hair falling in waves past her denim-clad back as her eyes wandered the boxes of noodles. Immediately he straightened his back and pushed a hand through his black hair. He gazed from his peripheral vision as she came closer and found out more-She was tall for a woman probably 5'8 almost as tall as him at 6 foot. Most surprisingly, she was young, 20 at the most. Tim averted his eyes back to the spices still looking for that goddamn Turmeric. As he was still squinting at these way to tiny labels, he heard her.

"Do you need any help?" the soft voice asked.

"Hmm?" He turned to the young woman almost knocked from his feet by how eralie familiar she looked-The freckles dotting her nose and cheeks, the wide smile but most importantly hazel eyes that held a natural sparkle- a natural life. It wasn't until she gave him a look, a look where something dark flashed in her eyes- that Tim stopped staring and spoke.

"Yes, actually I do need help. Do you know where the Turmeric is?"

"Turmeric," she mumbled to herself. She moved to the spice display and he backed up giving her room and when she crouched to look at the lower rows, mumbling to herself as she did so. She turned back to Tim with a smile and a bottle of yellow-orange powder that quite clearly said Turmeric.

"Oh.Thank you." He paused before jumping into the next question

"Do I know you?"

She smiled but it didn't meet her eyes. Her voice lower as she answered.

" No, I don't think so." The conversation halted as they stared at each other.

."What are you making with it?" If you don't mind me asking." She rushed to say. Her voice changing fo fix the awkwardness.

"I'm not making anything, this is for my mom, she's on a crazy curry diet and asked me to go shopping for her."

"That's sweet. I'm Stephanie by the way." Stephanie held out her hand, which Tim grasped and shook.

"I'm Tim." they exchanged smiles before Stephanie took her hand with a quick little jerky movement and gestured to the left with her head.

"Well, I gotta go. But I'll see you around Tim." She winked a quick little thing that Tim could've easily missed if he hadn't been staring. She turned with her basket on her arm and walked out from the aisle leaving a rather confused Tim still gripping a bottle of Turmeric.

The next time Tim went into the grocery store it was Thursday afternoon. He hadn't planned on going, he had been entirely ready to sit, drink and watch Dance Moms, his guilty pleasure. Maybe even pull out his laptop and indulge in some online poker but as his ass sat down in the permanent dip in the couch he realized he had no beer. So that was how he found himself at 7:34 pm, Thursday in the grocery store in sweats. He had made a line for the back wall so he could grab a 16 pack and head out but while passing by the frozen foods his stomach growled. Deciding Drinking Beer on an empty stomach would only lead to an Online poker losing streak and other regrettable decisions. Within 15 minutes he was heading to the register with hot pockets, Microwave burritos, Frozen pizza, Chips and of course beer. As he stood at the register watching as Colin, an older man with whom Tim had developed a friendship with over his many Grocery trips that ended up being more than just a beer run. As Colin was scanning, he looked around only to spot Stephanie standing in front of the Ice cream section looking extremely torn between a quarter tub of cookies and cream and a pint of sugar-free, fat-free Frozen yogurt. Tim gestures in her direction with his head asking Colin "Do you know anything about her." because I sure need information to prove that I'm not as crazy as I feel.

Colin responded in a croaky voice " Yeah, I think she's one of 'em College students." Colin leaned forward to whisper, ' she's in here all the time though. John tells me that she makes trips almost every other day.'

"Hmmm.'Tim mumbled staring at her hair, hair that reminded him too much of someone else but then again how can she remind him of someone if he doesn't even know who that someone is? He was confusing himself again, with an ill never be able to figure out who she reminds me of sigh, Tim swiped his card in silence grabbing his bags and heading out into the cold night-

"Hey, Tim!" A voice called. He turned to see Stephanie jogging after him, her hair and bag bouncing.

"Stephanie! What are you doing?" she came walked next to him her breath coming out in little puffs.

"What can't I walk with me...," she paused as she searched for the word, "friend? Plus It's dark and I don't want to get hurt. I mean ya never know what types of creeps are hanging around in the dark."

Tim nodded as they walked completely understanding the sentiment, all he ever heard of at the school was how much parents were concerned with their child safety from sports and strangers, But Stephanie looked- he scrutinized her legs through the leggings- fit? " Hey, Tim?" She asked.

" Yeah?." He prompted.

"Well, I'm new to town.... Just moved here for college..." then he definitely didn't meet her before. "But I was kind of wondering if you could show me around?" Wait for what?

"You want me to show you around?"

"Well yeah, your a local and I'm not and it would be the quickest way for me to know all the best places in town."

Tim nodded slowly his head filling with completely unwarranted suspicion, but with another glance at her profile in the moonlight had him agreeing, "Yeah. I suppose If you really want."

"Great! Stephanie turned to Tim with her hand out, "Your phone."

Tim pulled it out of his sweat pockets and unlocking it with his fingerprint handed it to Steph. He watched as she took the phone eagerly but hesitated with actually typing his number into her phone but that only lasted a second before her fingers moved fast and she was pushing the phone back into his hand.

Tim watched as she walked off in the opposite direction had she been walking with me just to get my phone number? Mabey she feels just as weird as I do. He glanced down at his phone to see a new contact and the time (8:10) Before walking off to his car.

Authors Note: Majority of it is Unedited. Sorry, feel free to comment questions and suggestions!