The Fortuitous Attraction

I'm Desperate

It will never cease to surprise me how infuriated I get at the weather. I was perfectly fine with cold. Cold doesn't bother me. A nice breeze, fluffy soft snow, however when that nice breeze starts to burn my face, or when the soft snow turns to tiny ice daggers, that's when I have had enough. I huff along the pavement as I search for the nearest newspaper stand. I need to find a place to stay very fast. Hell will freeze over before I spend one more night on the streets in this whether, and at this rate, it won't surprise me if it does.

I create heat in my palms by atempting the friction technique and cupping my mouth while I breathe out slow hot breaths, comming up with an unsatisfying result as the heat left as fast as it came, leaving my fingers painfully more frigid than when I had started.

I think back to what my parents said about me running off to London with no prior plans what so ever. Some how my mother had come to the conclusion of a mysterious significant other that was awaiting my arival. My father just thought I was foolish. Come to think of it, it wasn't very well thought out. But I was desperate. Desperate to find him.

It was only when I had body slammed into a frail old woman when I figured out I had zoned while walking. Millions of apologies spewed out of my mouth as I helped her pick her groceries up off the ground. She waved them off as if I had done no harm. She smiled at me as I grabbed the last gallon of milk. She had three whole milk gallons.

"That's quite a lot of milk for a small one like yourself." I say trying to lighten the mood. She laughs and gives me another warm smile.

"It's for a resident of mine, he always runs out of milk, I am his landlady but I act more of a maid to him! Getting groceries, cooking dinner..." she trailed off as if there was much more she did. I smiled, this was the first time I was having a conversation with a person in days. I tried to be as nice as I could despite the horrid weather.

"He sounds like a lucky guy. Hope he is apreciative." that earned me a shrug.

"Deep down he is. I can see it. He thinks I can't but I can!" she giggles. I laugh along for her sake even though I have no idea what she meant.

"Would you be a dear and help me with my bags? It's quite a walk and I'd enjoy the company. " she smiled, I nodded my head and started to follow her, not willing to argue with a woman I just knocked over.

"So what part of America are you from?" She asked abruptly. She obbiously noticed my American accent. I like this lady. She isn't afraid to speak her mind.

"Born and raised in Wisconsin don't chya know." I say in my best northern accent. She tittered in amusement and clapped her hands.

"But you don't look very gung ho." it was my turn to laugh at her reference.

"I lived in a small city. Never got into country." I admitted.

"How long are you planning on staying in London?" She asked searching my face as we walked.

"Depends on a lot of things. I first have to find a place to stay so I'm not on the streets anymore, I mean I have enough money I just-"

"You slept on the dirty street?!" she interrupted, eyes growing wide in disgust. Oh god now she thinks I'm some street rat.

"Just for two nights I'm close to finding an apartment-"

"How do you feel about sharing a flat?" She interrupts for the second time. I raise an eyebrow at her not quite knowing what she was asking.

"Oh I'm not hungry thank you-" she laughed at me as if I said the most adorable thing.

"A flat is an apartment." she cuts in for the third time, allowing me to remember she was a landlady.