“Alright alright, I gotta tell you about this time Cole almost kissed Jane. Cole’s a good guy, a bit of a fucking nerd if you ask me, but a good guy, an accountant at this firm, just a little one downtown. Doesn’t look like a whole lotta money flows through it. Cole usually parks like a half a block down. Sometimes, it’s really nice out, then I think he walks the whole way to work, something like 7 blocks maybe, but it’s got that shit intersection off State.”
“Right, hate that fucking intersection.”
“Yeah yeah, don’t think he crosses there much though, just when it’s nice. You know, like ‘walking-type weather’. I probably spot him every time, because he wears this tweed suit, sticks out like a sore thumb. Pants aren’t long enough either, white ankles stick out too. Like I said, fucking nerd, but a good guy. I wave to him sometimes. He’s a helluva good guy. You can just tell. So here I see Cole walking down past my place. Great day in autumn, you probably remember. All the leaves had turned, and we get this Tuesday, it was like 75 degrees.”
“Oh yeah, I remember that.”
“Right, ‘walking-type weather’. So, here comes this fucking tweed suit and these white ankles, strolling down past my place. And I see Jane coming out, just moved into a place a couple doors down.”
“Jane’s a looker, right?”
“Absolutely, but it’s kinda weird. Like she’s a kinda ‘meh’ pretty when you see pictures, something weird about her face that photos just don’t like. But damn, in person, it’s like she’s got all the right things wrong about her, you know? Like, hell, she has this way that you gotta be there to see, and she just moves this certain kinda way. I don’t know.”
“Right, right, yeah, I know what you’re saying.”
“Yeah, so, Jane’s now walking down past Cole. And I gotta tell you, she looked great. Showing lotsa skin for a 75 degree day, walking that certain way you gotta be there for, and Cole just stops. He’s got this like ‘Damn, I should kiss her’ look on his face. But more of a ‘I should kiss her’ kinda look, you know? Like just this thing he’s gotta do.”
“How can you tell though?”
“Oh, it was obvious, like, you just had to be there. It was like he had a bubble over his head or something, kinda like a comic book or some shit, never been so sure in my life. And I’m just sitting here, like shocked, you know? Like hoping Cole’s gonna do it, wanna see some drama today. But then Jane stops too.”
“No.”
“Yeah, she gets that same fucking look on her face. Like, ‘Damn, I should kiss him, in his tweed suit’ kinda look. And at this point, I’m like ‘Do it, Cole’. You know? Like ‘You gotta do it, Cole. You just gotta’, almost shouted it even.”
“But he doesn’t, right?”
“No, he just stands there with that stupid fucking look on his face, then he just does this like chicken-shit jumpy kinda shrug thing and pulls out his phone and keeps walking. And Jane gets this kinda hurt look for a second, but then keeps walking too. Like the whole thing took a few seconds, coulda missed it entirely.”
“Damn.”
“I know.”
“What a stupid fucking story.”
“Shut the fuck up, I’m not done. So I run into Jane a few days later at that little market by my place, buying cigarettes or some shit. I stop her for a second, almost forgot all about the thing with Cole. So we’re just kinda talking, and this thought pops up, and I’m just like, ‘Oh yeah, remember that really nice day last week?’. And I think she says something like ‘Yeah, what about it?’, or something like that. And I’m like ‘I saw you and Cole have like a weird fucking eye contact thing for a second, in front of my place, thought you two were gonna kiss.’ And she gets that same hurt kinda look again, and I think says something like ‘So, that was Cole?’ and I’m like ‘Yeah’ or something.”
“Okay?”
“Yeah, so she gives me this like ‘romance-movie type’ fucking story, like ‘Oscar-winning type’ shit, all about her and Cole like a decade ago or something. Says she hasn’t seen him since, starts crying and everything, and I’m just like ‘Damn.’ I think I teared up a little listening to it all. But like, we step outside ’cause she’s crying and all, and she lights one up. Then she’s going on about regretting stuff she did and all that shit, and I fucking swear, I think if Cole woulda actually kissed her, she woulda married him on the spot. Like you could see that ‘still-in-love’ kinda look in her eyes, you know? And I kinda wished he did, you know? Like, the fucking nerd accountant gets the girl, sounded like a great story.”
“Damn.”
“I know.”
“Wonder why he didn’t do it?”
“Hell, maybe he really is just a chicken-shit fucking nerd. Cole’s a good guy though. He’s a good guy. But fuck, yeah he shoulda kissed Jane.”
“I woulda.”
“Me too.”
“Hey, we still watching the game tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I’ma be there.”
Image by kadudicalafiori1 from Pixabay – Girl on a crosswalk.
literally stories 
August
You never know if missed chances carried joy or shame til you reinvent them for others later. Admire the descriptions of her–right things wrong. Strong pace.
Leila
LikeLiked by 1 person
Loved the characters in this story. Just enough info to love or hate em. 🙏
LikeLiked by 3 people
A touching snippet of life – nicely told!
LikeLiked by 2 people
This was so much fun. The narrator’s personality is really well-drawn, through only the dialogue—a wonderful device! I’ll be thinking about Cole and Jane for a long time. Thank you!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi August,
It is a good snap-shot of life and the dialogue is convincing. It is also one of those stories that you would talk about.
Great tone to it. It’s also well paced.
The point about them not speaking is interesting – I did think that she had been unfaithful to him, that was why he didn’t initially speak and also why she cried as she regretted what she had done. Fuck knows how I came to that!
One thing that repels me about this is the thought of a fucking Tweed suit. Tweed is itchy fucking from hell cloth!
Why do you think a Scotsman wears nothing below a kilt – He doesn’t want to generate any more heat which would add to the itching!!!
Proudest moment in my life was being best man at my pal Panda’s wedding down in Billingham in England. We were both decked out, full Scottish traditional and when we walked into the church-yard and the other wedding was just finishing (Fuck – It was like a crematorium) we turned a few heads and a few photos were taken…The bride was furious!!!!!!!!!!
If you walk down the streets in Scotland rigged out like that all you hear is ‘That cunt’s goin’ tae a waddin”
Anyhow – Sorry about the tangent, overall, a great story!!
Hugh
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like the style of writing, really moves along and keeps me focussed, kind of reminds me of a modern “Catcher In The Rye” style conversation that two guys would have. I like the description of Jane.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Great voice here and a very easy to read, well written story – and I agree, ‘he shoulda kissed Jane’.
LikeLiked by 1 person