A Small Romance | Gus Edwards

A small romance

- What can I get for you? - I’ll tell you in a minute. But first I want to ask you a question. - Yes? - Will you go out with me? - Excuse me? - I’m asking if I can take you out somewhere. - Like on a date? - Yes. - Just like that? - Yes. That’s right. - Well the answer is no. Just like that. - Why not? Do you have a boyfriend? - No. No boyfriend. Not at the moment. I just recently got here. - I know. Your English is good. - Thank you. - You still haven’t given me your answer. - I told you no. - But you didn’t say why. - I don’t know you, that’s why. - You know me. I come in here all the time. - What, once or twice a week? To me you are a customer like everybody else. You’re polite, I serve you and then you go. - If I came in more often, told you my name would you then consider going out with me? - I don’t know. Now, are you ready to order or should I come back? - Yes, yes, I’m ready. . . . . . . . - You are a persistent person, aren’t you? - I can’t help it. I’m attracted to you. - Why? Why me? Why not one of the other girls?

- That should be obvious. I’m smitten by you. - Smitten? - Captured by, taken with, enchanted by. - And again I ask, why? - I don’t know. What makes a person attracted to another, that’s one of the great mysteries of life, I suppose. What can I say, your looks, your smile, your bearing? I don’t know. I came in here, you came to the table, we talked and I was attracted. - I’m not understanding any of this. - Then I don’t know how to explain it any better. I like you, I want to be with you, I might even be in love with you. - Want? - To be with you the way a man wants to be with a woman. - You mean sex. - Yes, sex. But other things as well. - Such as? - Well, to talk to you. Watch you frown and smile. Look at your hair, the way you wear your clothes, everything. - But sex is a part of it, right? - Sex is always a part of it when men and women get together. But it might be love as well. - You are crazy, you know that? - Then give me a chance, please? Go out with me. Just once, please. - I have to go, we’re getting busy. - Please? - I don’t know. We’ll see. Now excuse me.

. . . . . . . - This is nice. - I’m glad you like it. - You’re a crazy person. You know that don’t you? - Why? What makes you say that? - The way you talk. The way you come on. It’s very direct. Very per-

Edwards | Prose

Edwards | Prose

sonal. Are you like that all the time? - No. In fact, I’m just the opposite. But with you I couldn’t help it. I looked at you and had to speak up right away. - Why? - I didn’t want someone else, some other man talking to you first. - This has happened before? - Unfortunately it has. Many times. But the one I remember most involved a waitress as well. This was a while ago. I went into this restaurant and was immediately attracted to the waitress who came over to serve me. She was attracted to me too. At least by the way she was acting I got the impression she was. I wanted to say something, do something. But something inside said “Take it slow. Don’t come on so fast. Let her get to know you a little then ask her out.”

So I did. Know what happened?” - No, what? - The next day when I went by the restaurant she was gone. I thought that maybe it was her day off. So I went the following day and the day after that. Finally I asked and was told that she was gone. Quit and moved on. - Did you try to find her? - No. It was no use. I didn’t know her name or anything about her.

Plus I had no legitimate reason for asking anything about her. So I didn’t. She was gone and that was it. - That probably happens to other people all the time, don’t you think? - Sure. My problem is I think about her all then time. How she was, how she looked and what might have been if I had only said something. - So now you make it your business to be very direct. - No. I haven’t had that feeling about anyone since her except for you. - But all I said was “Hello. What would you like?” - I know. And it wasn’t anything you did or said. It was me. All me.

I got that same feeling and I didn’t want to make the same mistake again. - You know, you’re very interesting. - You think so?

- Yes. Crazy but interesting. …….. - I used to be married. - Yes? - It didn’t work out. We broke up. He came home one day and said

“That’s it. I’m leaving.” I didn’t know what to say or do. I had no warning. I thought everything was good with us and then one day he comes and says this to me. - I find that hard to believe. - What? - That anyone would want to leave you. - Well you can believe it. Hans, my husband did. I’m not so perfect as you might think. - None of us are. - You say you are in love with me and I don’t understand why, but I believe you. - Good. Because it’s true. - You know that I will probably hurt you. - I’ll take that chance. - I wish I could say I love you but I can’t. I like you. I like you very much. But at the moment I don’t know what I want. I’m new here.

I left my country because I wanted to start fresh. Fresh at what, I don’t know. I’m not a child as you can see. I should know what I want but I don’t. - Look, I’m not asking for a commitment or anything like that. All

I’m asking is that we see each other on a regular basis and see where things go from there. - And what if I decide that it’s someone else I’m interested in. Someone else I want to see. - Then we’ll have tried and that’s the way it goes. - And you’re willing to take that chance. - Yes. - You are crazy. - I know. Give me your hand.

Edwards | Prose

Edwards | Prose - Yes? - Will you come home with me and spend the night? - And if I say no, I won’t see you again, I suppose. - Now who’s the one that’s talking crazy? - I know men who make that a rule. The first-time bed. And if not then goodbye. - I’m not like that. Like I said before, I can be patient. - And what if it’s never? - Then that would be something else again. - Yes. You would have wasted a lot of time. - I’ll take that chance. I don’t care. But let me tell you something else. - What? - I want you to marry me. - Now I know that you’re crazy. A minute ago you say you’re ready to be patient. Now you’re asking me this. - What do you say? - This is moving much too fast. That’s what I say. - So you tell me. How fast should I go? - Not this fast. That’s all I know.

. . . . . . . . - So you’ve been married. - Twice. - Is that because you rushed the others the way you’re trying to rush me? - No. In those other cases we had long courtships and time together.

In both cases we were very careful and very sensible about everything. And it still turned to crap. That’s how I found out none of that matters. You go with the impulse. That’s all that’s all that’s important. Going with the impulse and hoping for the best. - And your impulse, that tells you we should be married. - Yes. But what about yours? - Mine tells me that I should run. Run very fast. But I’m not. I’m sitting here with you.

- So what does that tell you? - That I am in a rocky boat that is about to turn over. - But you’re willing to try it anyway. - Somebody told me that Americans were crazy.. Now I know why. - I don’t think we’re more crazy than anyone else. - No, I suppose not. - So what’s the answer? Is it yes or no? - You want to be with me that badly. - I want to be with you all the time. - That’s nice. - What? - To be chased. To be pursued. But you know what would be nicer? - What? - To be romanced. - I thought that’s what I was doing. What do you want? Flowers, music, poetry? - I would like for it to be slow and not in such a hurry. And yes, I would like flowers and nice words. Is that stupid and silly at my age? - No. Not at all. - Sex is nice . But romance should be a part of it, don’t you think? - Absolutely. But just remember one thing. - And what is that? - Romance is a two-way street. - Oh yes, I know. And I promise to be romantic as well.

The end.

Gus Edwards

Edwards | Prose