The Nice Thing About Strangers
Creative Non-Fiction Short Stories. :) Travel, Oldsters, Love, and Compassion.
Double Date
The couple ducks into the restaurant–the doorways give them plenty of clearance, but they bow anyway. The host shows them to a table and the woman takes the chair facing the mirror. As she and her husband speak, she keeps catching glimpses of herself in the reflection just beyond him. She tries to look away, act natural, not excessively play with her smooth brown hair. Later, she holds cool eye contact with herself as she sips a glass of wine, returning to the conversation with her husband whenever he needs her. With her perfect posture, she can make out all of the angles of her face.
When the first course arrives–olives, cheese, and bread–her husband gestures for her to go first. She smiles and helps herself. She peeks in the mirror as she eats a large morsel. Suddenly, she jerks, she stops. Even fine cheekbones lose their appeal when someone chews. She coughs a bit, her husband leaning in as she grows embarrassed, covering her mouth with one hand, waving to assure him with the other. Yet, it seems there is some lesson in that bite, because she will slump for the rest of the meal, she ducks to keep her husband between herself and her vanity.
–Trogir, Croatia.
The Nice Thing About Strangers 
This went somewhere I wasn’t expecting. And it’s a great lesson to not watch yourself (or judge others) while eating.
I thought it was so cute as she watched herself drink the wine. So sweet and innocent. It’s hard not to feel like you’re in a commercial when vacationing in Croatia!
You have such a way with words, and your observations and stories are so eloquent. Keep up the great writing!
Thank you, Christopher! I appreciate it! 🙂 You found a story I had been meaning to re-blog–the woman flashed through my mind the other day–so I appreciate that reminder.
All my best,
Paige
Reblogged this on The Nice Thing About Strangers.
Fabulous place, Trogir … We never went to Croatia – poor us.
Ah, I remember this story…but it’s just as good second time around! You certainly are very observant, but can translate the experiences very effectively into words! Marvellous….
Reblogged this on Karl Paust and commented:
A splash of uniqueness.
Well done!