The Search…

The Search

From where Kathy was sitting, she had a good view of the place.  She could clearly see every face in the room.  She tried to appear nonchalant as she read the menu for the third time, but she was too nervous to eat.  Ever since she read a book about a woman who met her beloved under similar circumstances, she had been planning this day.

It was a new year and she had made some important decisions regarding her single status.  She was 36 and had never been married, but her new plan would change all that.  Like Carlee in the book, she had done nothing much to improve her status.  She had almost resigned herself to shopping for single portions for the rest of her life and unfulfilled relationships.

Now, here she was sitting in a crowded restaurant on a Saturday afternoon willing that the man she visualized often in her dreams, would walk in and find her in a crowd.  She had told no one of her plan.  But she had decided on New Year’s Eve, that she would use the same energy to find a man this year that she had used to find a job.  This escapade was just the beginning.

She had dressed special for this outing with a new hairstyle, a designer suit and special makeup.  And for the first time in a long time, she felt pretty.

However, as the restaurant continued to fill up, she began to feel apprehensive.  The place was crowded with college students and senior citizens only, who mingled happily in the ultramodern setting.  She was beginning to think that maybe she had chose the wrong restaurant.  As she looked around, everyone was either much younger or much older.

Just as she was beginning to feel this was a waste of her time, she spotted a tall guy walking toward her as if he knew her.  Her heart fluttered.

“Excuse me, Miss, is this seat taken?”

“No, it isn’t”  she stammered, as she reached to move her coat.  Her excitement was evident, as she looked into his eyes.  This had worked out better than expected, for it seemed Fate had filled the restaurant and left her with the only empty chair.

She was so distracted with her thoughts, that she didn’t hear him ask to borrow the chair to take to another table.  And when she focused in, he was thanking her with a gorgeous smile and walking away.  Impulsively, she rose to call after him but abruptly stopped in mid-air.

Disappointed for a moment, she slumped back in her chair and looked at her watch.  The afternoon was still young.  She would wait a little longer.  She wouldn’t be discouraged so easily.

Excerpted from the book, How To Catch & Keep The Man Of Your Dreams by Bonita Bennett