Day 349 - Magnetic

 MAGNETIC

Prompt - Magnetic : Write about attraction to something or someone

"Oh, bugger!"

The exclamation was accompanied by the sound of a tin rolling it's way along the pavement towards Stewart's feet.   He bent down, picked it up, looked at the label.  Butter beans.  He liked butter beans, thought he should really have them more often.  But he'd better return these to their owner.  The woman who'd sworn was looking at the burst bag in her hand which had released its contents on to the tarmac.  

"Can I help you with that?"  The woman looked up at him and he had a chance to examine her properly.  He'd already noticed how well she filled out her jeans, that her red shiny boots gave a welcome quirk to her outfit, and that her blue jacket had a military cut to it.  Now he turned his attention to her face, and that gave him a strange feeling.  Did they know each other?  Where from?  She was so familiar, but hard to pin down.  A lovely face, a soft, warm face, oval of shape with a stub nose, full mouth and dark eyes, framed by a chestnut bob.  It was a face he both knew and wanted to know.  

"Bloody bags.  I usually have at least a couple of the canvas ones with me, but today I swapped my bag," she said, vaguely indicating her crossbody handbag, "and left them in the other one.  These paper supermarket bags are rubbish if you'd got anything the slightest bit damp to carry."

She stopped talking, looked at Stewart properly for the first time.  And smiled a smile that made him feel wobbly.  "Thank you.  It's been that sort of day." she said as she took the tin from him.

"Let me see if I can make it a better one then."  The words fell out of him before he could stop them.  Did he really just say something that corny?  Was he going to ruin this before it began?  "Do you not have another bag, because I'm like you, always have a couple of those canvas things on me, just in case.  You can have one if it would help."

"Oh I couldn't."  Why am I saying this she thought, because I definitely could.  Would.  This man seemed so familiar, but where from?  Lovely black curly hair, that hint of stubble that always worked for her, looking slim in his grey jacket and blue jeans.  Almost elegant, except that there was something windblown about him.  And, she'd automatically noticed as he proffered the tin, no ring on his finger.

"You sure?"  He tired to make it sound like she'd be doing him a favour.

"Well, if it's not a problem.  Thanks, that would be really great."  Then, as an afterthought, "I'll owe you one."  Was she being too obvious?

He brought a bag out from his pocket, unfolded it, so she could read the words on the side - Left Field Shuffle.  "You like them?"

"Eh?"  He looked at the bag.  "Oh yeah, love them.  They were giving these out free at the concert in Grandfield.  Great gig.  Were you there?"  Was this where he knew her from?

"No, missed out.  Had to be away for work.  I was really pissed off about it because I've wanted to see them for so long.  Now you've made me jealous."

"Aw, don't be, they'll be back.  Maybe we'll both be there."  That really did sound like he was pushing too hard.  "You know, like, if we were both going to the same gig, you know."  Now he sounded pathetic.

She laughed.  Nice laugh he thought, I want to make her laugh more.  

"I know what you mean."  

Did she?  Was that good or bad?

"Let me help get these up."  If in doubt, resort to doing something.  They both squatted, reaching for the scattered shopping and putting it in the bag.  Hands met over a cauliflower.  "Sorry."

"No, it's fine, really it's fine."  The final items made their way into the bag.

"I like cauliflower.  And butter beans."  Oh jeez, he was sounding like a child again.  "I mean they just happen to be stuff I like."  Stop It! he told himself.

"Making cauli and butter bean curry tonight.  Supposed to be chickpeas but I think this is better."  She stopped, started again without considering.  "Just for myself."  As if he really needed to know this information.  

"I'm Stewart by the way."

"Lorna.  Do I know you from somewhere?"

"I thought that.  Like I already knew you from somewhere before."

"Where do you work?"  They exchanged employment details, the areas where they lived, the sort of places they went to.  And found there were several in common, so maybe they had, maybe they hadn't.  

"Look, am I stopping you getting somewhere?"  He realised this was a dangerous question.  Why was he giving her an out?

"No, not really, just on my way home."

"Oh, me too.  So would you have, em, well, would you like..."

"To go for a drink now?"

"Yes, yes that's what I was going to say."

"I thought you were, although it's a bad habit finishing off other people's "

"Sentences?"

They laughed.  Together.  They went to the pub.  Together.  And they thought about having a cauli and butter bean curry.  Together.  They already knew there'd be so much more.